by Milda Harris
"Detective," I added, "Just a note, I mean, so you know - Ariel is the new Pep Club president. I mean, just in case she's in danger and all. And, like I said, she's not a murderer."
The Detective nodded. I didn't know if he'd help Ariel at all, but at least I had mentioned my fears to him. It was all I could do and at least it was something.
I was impressed, though, the whole time we talked, I noticed that Detective Dixon actually wrote our suspects down and seemed to genuinely listen, even about Ariel being in danger. He did write that down too. I could read it upside down on his notepad. It was a nice change of pace. Detective Dixon was taking us seriously this time. It looked like I had gotten some street cred from solving my last case.
"Anyone else a suspect?" Detective Dixon asked, pen poised.
Ethan and I looked at each other. The five names we had given the Detective were our lead suspects. Truthfully, the killer might not even be one of them. I wondered what sort of leads the police had and if there was anyone else we should add to the list. Then I noticed that the Detective had used the plural word for murders. So, the police were investigating Julia's death as a murder too. It was official, at least in police channels, even if nobody else knew that yet.
"No," Ethan said. "No other suspects."
Detective Dixon looked over the list, "Thanks. We'll take it from here."
"Can you give us anything?" I asked.
Detective Dixon shook his head, "I can't. Sorry. It's a police matter. Thank you for the help, though."
I nodded even though I was disappointed, "Yeah."
Detective Dixon hesitated, like he was going to say something.
"What?" I asked.
"I was just thinking that someday you might make a pretty good detective," Detective Dixon said.
I smiled at him. I almost said something about the Styrofoam cups and recycling, but I kept my mouth shut. Detective Dixon was paying me a compliment. It wasn't the time to criticize his impact on the planet.
Then the Detective continued on, "Someday when I'm retired of course and you've grown up. In the meantime, we've got it from here. Okay?"
I didn't say anything. I felt Ethan look at me. I wasn't promising anyone that I'd stop sleuthing. Detective Dixon didn't notice, though, he was busy hurrying us out of his office. Ethan and I walked out of the police station, hand in hand, toward his car.
"So, are you happy with how that turned out?" I asked. We hadn't gotten any real information to help us in our case, but from Detective Dixon's reaction to us, I felt like maybe we helped him with some insight into the background high school politics going on in this case. He had at least sort of listened to us this time around. Still, it would have been nice to get some clues for our investigation in return.
Ethan shrugged, "You?"
That was when we passed the police impound lot. I spotted it from across the yard, the car that had obviously been Julia's. It was a white Honda Civic and would not have stood out, except that the front hood was up and written inside the front hood, I could just make out the words: Pep Club slut.
Chapter 15: Zealous Sleuthing
It was finally Friday. It had been an excruciatingly long week. From Madison's murder to Julia's to rejoining Pep Club to worrying for Ariel, I had been busy. That wasn't including things like homework and my job at the video store or time spent making out with Ethan.
I had spent the night before tossing and turning, wondering if the Pep Club really was the basis for the murders. Was anti-school spirit really that strong of a motivator for someone to kill innocent girls?
I was tired and had to rush to get ready for school. I forgot to put on my make-up and only remembered when I was almost at the bus stop. I couldn't go back home and get it because I was already running late. Then, I barely caught my bus on time - as in, I had to run after it. Luckily, the bus driver saw me and stopped to pick me up. It was going to be one of those days.
Madison's funeral was after school. Ethan and I decided to attend it together. I'd have time to go home and change this time, since we were going to go a couple of hours after school ended. Thank goodness, since I at least, wanted to put on some make-up for that.
I saw Ariel hanging Pep Club posters inviting everyone to the game on Saturday, just as I walked in the school doors. It freaked me out a little and hit home that I better move forward in the murder investigation. I saw Ariel notice me as I walked by too, but she pretended not to see me. Typical. I ignored her too and hurried to my locker.
As muddled as my brain felt from the exhausting week and it being way too early in the morning, I knew I had to be on my toes. I needed to investigate some of the leads Ethan and I had. It was Friday and we were running out of time until Saturday. I was still sure that Saturday was the D-day for the next murder and I was really afraid that Ariel was the next one in danger of being killed.
I realized that I should have asked Ariel about Ray Newton, Madison and Julia's ex, but only after I was on my way to first period. Maybe Madison had talked about Ray to her friends. I was really out of it tired. I needed a pop or one of those super duper energy boosting drinks with ginseng or whatever. If I got a chance to, I made a mental note to ask Ariel about Ray later. I had looked Ray up in the yearbook and he was on my list of people to talk to if I could find him. Ray hadn't looked like the kind of guy who could tear two best friends apart by dating each of them, but maybe he was really charming and conned you into falling for him. Ray Newton just wasn't off the page hot.
I saw Jenny Kendall at her locker after second period. I remembered where it was after seeing her and her friend talking the other day and I had purposely changed my route to class to try and talk to her. I was done with worrying if I'd look like a nutcase. Ariel's life might be on the line. I was really worried.
"So, are you mad that you weren't elected Pep Club president?" I asked, as I walked up to Jenny.
Jenny looked up at me in surprise. I could see that she was trying to place how I knew her and how I meant my question to see how she should answer it. That was high school.
"I'm in Pep Club," I said, clarifying for her. I thought attending two meetings definitely meant I was in the club and could put it on my college applications without worrying about lying.
"Well, I mean, I'm disappointed," Jenny offered, "But Ariel will make a good president. Are you with the school newspaper too or something?"
"No," I said, "Just curious. I heard you really wanted to be president even when Madison and Julia were elected."
Jenny shrugged, "I did. I still do, but there's nothing I can do about it. The club voted."
"Well, if Ariel were to disappear..." I started.
Jenny's eyebrows shot up, "Hey, I wouldn't kill anyone for the job. It's a stupid club. You're weird."
Then Jenny shut her locker and walked away from me. I hadn't really thought that she'd admit to killing Madison or Julia. It was worth asking, though. She had seemed honest enough. I hadn't gotten a vibe from her or anything, at least. That counted for something. Jenny was at the bottom of my suspect list for now. I couldn't take her off, just because the Pep Club presidency was still a to-die-for job, until I found another motive for the murders. Besides, it was completely possible that Jenny was a really good actress. Still, I moved her to the bottom of the list.
I walked to class wondering if I was overlooking anything. There were five suspects and some seemed guiltier than others, but nobody was standing out to me, like they had the last time. That worried me. I felt overwhelmed and I was afraid that Ariel's time was running out. Should I be doing more? Like, trying to dig up some more names or digging deeper into the ones I already had? There was no time! I had to calm down. I could do this. Ethan and I would save Ariel in time and figure out who was committing the murders.
In Chemistry class, I was floored to find Kyle and Suzie blatantly making out at my lab table. That was kind of surprising in that they were normally so awkward and quiet, but love obviously was winning out over that. St
ill, I wasn't quite sure what to do. I definitely had third wheel feelings and it was all really awkward. What did one do in these situations? How was I going to get to my chair without knocking into them? Plus, I knew the teacher would freak out on them if they were caught, even though at the moment, I knew they could care less.
"Ahem," I said loudly.
Kyle and Suzie jumped apart with a giggle.
"Sorry," Kyle said.
Suzie's cheeks were pink.
"No, I'm sorry to interrupt," I said. "I just figured that it would be better if it was me than the teacher."
"True," Kyle said.
"How's the investigation going?" Suzie asked.
"It's going okay," I said and then gave them the details. I was beyond caring if they knew I was teen sleuthing. They had already guessed it anyway.
"But what about Madison's other friends? Or Julia's? Or, someone else on the inside of the Pep Club? Or a faculty member?" Kyle said, throwing out more suspects.
I frowned at him, "Kyle, you're not helping."
That being said, I made a mental note to make a list of secondary suspects after I ran through the short list. I had to skip lunch with Ethan to do a makeup quiz for math. I hoped I passed it. I really had been spending way too much time murder investigating and not enough time catching up on homework and classes. I needed a work life balance. And, an Ethan balance somewhere in there too. I missed having lunch with him.
I looked for Ray Newton, throughout the day, but our paths never crossed. I had to find out more about him. Maybe he'd be at Madison's funeral.
The weird kid Logan Collins' mentioned, Seth Wilcox, was actually in my last period class. He was the typical outcast - longish black hair that curled about his neck, dark t-shirt, ripped jeans. We had never spoken just because I never talked to anyone, although I had always gotten the idea that Seth was pretty antisocial too. I had never gotten the impression that he was dangerous or malicious, though, just quiet and wary of the rest of the high school students. I could understand that. I was wary and unsure of them, myself.
"Hey," I said, sitting down next to Seth. There was no seating chart for this class, so I had a good four minutes to talk to Seth before the bell rang without worrying that I was sitting in someone else's seat.
Seth looked up at me with distrust, "What do you want?"
It felt like my standard, cautious response. I wondered if Seth had an Ariel sort of person in his life too that made him act like this.
"I wanted to talk to you about Madison Brown and Julia Morgan," I said.
Seth's eyebrows shot up at hearing the murdered girls' names, "Why is that?"
"I'm investigating their deaths," I said.
"But you're not a cop," Seth said.
"No," I said. "I just want to find out what happened to them. I think it's sad and whoever did it deserves to be caught."
"I heard a rumor that you crash funerals," Seth said.
"That's true," I said.
"And, that you're dating Ethan Ripley?" Seth asked, eyebrows raised.
"Well," I said, unsure. "We're hanging out."
Seth nodded knowingly, but I noticed his eyes narrow for a moment as he took in the fact that I was dating a popular guy. He definitely had trust issues with the popular crowd, "Okay. And, now you're telling me you're a female sleuth?"
"Yes," I said.
"So, why do you think I know something about Julia Morgan and Madison Brown's deaths?" Seth asked.
I was caught. I decided to tell the truth, "Logan Collins said that you were harassing Madison and hated Pep Club."
Seth continued to nod, thoughtfully, "He did?"
"Yes," I said, watching Seth curiously.
Seth said nothing. He was obviously thinking something over. I suddenly got the distinct impression that this guy was actually really, really smart. He didn't do or say anything - it was just the way he was thinking in front of me. I could have been totally wrong, of course, but I didn't think so. Seth was totally antisocial and didn't trust anyone, but I was pretty sure that he had a smart brain on his shoulders. I wondered if Seth got good grades or didn't care. It could go either way.
"Let me tell you about Logan Collins. He's a total dick," Seth said.
This time my eyebrows shot up, "You want to tell me why?"
"Well, he's popular," Seth said.
"Okay. What else?" I asked.
"He used to be one of my best friends in junior high and then he ditched me," Seth said.
Wow, how many broken friendships was I going to be investigating during this case? I had my own to worry about and mull over.
"What did he ditch you for?" I asked.
"Madison Brown and Julia Morgan," Seth said.
"Oh, I'm sorry," I said.
It gave Seth a huge reason for murder, although it was about four to seven years late. Still, it was something to consider. Ariel and mine's friendship had fallen apart over a year ago and it still felt pretty fresh.
"I'm not," Seth said, "We weren't meant to be friends forever."
I didn't quite believe Seth. I heard the slight anger in his voice when he talked about Logan. He had obviously cooled down in the years since his and Logan's friendship implosion, but even I knew, it wasn't true that you didn't feel anything at the breakup of a friendship, especially if you were the one being ditched for someone better and more cool.
"So, do you want to say anything to Logan's accusation that you were harassing Madison?" I asked.
Seth shrugged, "Just that it's not true, but I know you won't believe me."
"Why not?" I asked.
"Because Logan's hotter and more popular and thus, his words have more weight," Seth said.
It was true, funny enough. I wondered who people would believe if Ariel and I were in a similar situation. Everyone would probably believe her, actually, although it would definitely be more likely that I was telling the truth. I really did know where Seth was coming from. He was in big trouble if Logan really decided to point fingers to say, the police. Logan had a way of bewitching people. Seth just had a way of making them mad at him. Yeah, Seth was in definite trouble if push came to shove. I had gotten what I came for, though, a general impression of him. No murderer was going to admit to anything. Impressions were what you had to go on.
"Thanks," I said. "I appreciate you talking to me."
"Whatever," Seth said and put his head on his hands and went to sleep.
I pulled out my investigation notebook as I heard Seth start snoring. He sure fell asleep fast. I wrote down some notes until the bell rang.
Chapter 16: Funeral Crashing
When I got home, I changed into my best funeral clothes, taking extra care on my hair and makeup. We may have been going to a funeral, but Ethan and I were going as a couple and the whole school was going to show up to it. As much as I had crashed funerals, I had never been to the funeral of someone from my school. Nobody I knew like that had ever died and it was making me feel a little spooked. It made it feel like it could happen to me. I tried to distance myself from it. Death was a part of life. One had to accept that. It was just the fact that she was my age that really bothered me. Well, that and that I had been at the Homecoming Dance too.
I felt like crying and I didn't even really know Madison. I took a deep breath and looked at my watch. Ethan was going to arrive at any moment. I couldn't have running mascara and be a wreck when he showed up. I dabbed at my eyes with a tissue. My cell phone rang. Ethan was outside.
I walked out to Ethan's car and got in. Our eyes met and I could see that he was just as affected by the idea of going to Madison's funeral as I was. Ethan smiled at me.
"You too, huh?" Ethan said.
"Yeah," I forced myself to smile back at him.
"How are we going to look for a murderer at this thing?" Ethan asked, pulling out of the driveway and onto the street. "I'm not sure I'm going to be able to sit through it."
"I know what you mean," I said, leaning back into the passenger
seat, wishing I could take a long nap instead of going to the funeral, "This is going to take a lot out of me. We just have to remember that we're doing this so we don't have any more high school funerals to go to."
Ethan nodded. I declined mentioning that Julia's funeral was next week. We already had a second funeral to attend. It made it even more imperative that we catch the killer. Although the quick flash in my head of attending Ariel's funeral was really all the incentive I needed to steel myself to the idea of carrying on an investigation at Madison's funeral even when I felt like I should spend it in mourning.
We drove up to the Worth Hills Funeral Home. The last time I was there Ethan and I were investigating his half sister's murder. Ethan didn't say anything about that, though, as he pulled into the parking spot. I wondered if Ethan was thinking about his half sister Liz too. I hoped he was doing okay with it all. Since we had solver her murder, Ethan hadn't talked much about her. I could understand that, though. I just hoped he knew he could talk to me.
I couldn't help thinking how far we had come since that day, the time we were last at Worth Hills Funeral Home. That time we had feigned being boyfriend and girlfriend and now we almost were. It had in no way been defined yet, of course, but since then we had gone to a dance together, made out in a parked car, and held hands walking down a school hallway. We had to be pretty close to being the real deal.
Ethan held out his hand to me. I took it. I felt safe and secure holding his hand. At least, I did, right up until we walked through the front doors of the funeral home.
"You!" A man walking out of the funeral home office said.
I looked around for the person he was talking to, but then realized he was staring at me. He was tall and thin with very little brownish black hair left on his head and he was dressed in funeral suit black. I didn't know him, except for maybe seeing him around at the funerals because he managed or owned the place or something.
While I was trying to place him, he walked up to us and said, "I need to ask you to leave."
