Kings Gambit

Chapter 18 - Concern and Discomfort

"S-She! I-I..." Angel tried to speak in between her tears. 

This feeling... why do I hurt so much?... I barely know them... This is just another crime scene to investigate, so why does it hurt?

"Well, detective, got anything to say?" Tristan provoked.

"Just shut up and investigate." My eyelids fluttered at the horrible sight.

"I can't when she's blocking the way. I don't understand why she's this upset anyway. It's a death game. People are going to die," Tristan grunted.

"I said shut up." with a piercing glare, I slapped Tristan in the face loud enough for it to reverberate throughout the library. Nobody did a thing. Perhaps they were all in too much shock to notice?

"You asshole!" He recoiled from the hit, swinging back with a punch of his own. leaning out, I avoided the punch and kneed him in the stomach, where he fell on his knees.

"Stop that!" Claire shouted at the two of us, her face pale as a ghost. I clicked my tongue and turned to look at Willow and Angel as Tristan caught his breath.

"She w-was r-ight th-there...." Angel's voice quivered, her body shaking. I took a deep breath in and out, then kneeled next to Angel.

"Angel, I know that this is difficult, but you're going to need to be a bit clearer on what happened." I shifted my eyes from the body to her quivering eyes. I don't want to do this. I honestly don't...

"I..." She couldn't get the words out. Alex's cold hand touched my shoulder.

"Hank, might I advise you to wait for the trial before asking her these questions? She's clearly not in the right mindset." Alex suggested.

"He's right. She can answer when we get to the trial. For now, let me be your partner, Hank." Jasper cheekily smiled.

"Are you even phased by this, Jasper? Do you think this is a game?" I clenched my fist. He stared at me with a blank expression.

"It is a game," He spoke with gray.

"We're all going to die... The killing won't stop...." Claire mumbled to herself, huddled into a ball from the wall to my left. I don't have the time to comfort them. I have to find the truth.

"Whatever, Jasper, do what you want. I don't have time to deal with this right now." I scoffed. Jasper put his hands behind his head. The others began to trickle into the library.

"Oh, my goodness...." Annie covered her mouth as the color left her body.

"Damn, that's brutal...." Leo grabbed his other arm and looked down. I examined Willow's body.

"She clearly fell from the balcony. The cause of death was either blood loss from hitting her head on a book or her broken neck. Either way, the culprit must have simply pushed her off." I explained. Taking a deep breath.

"The body was found almost instantly, yeah? Doesn't that mean that it was one of the fuckers who were already in the library!" Matt yelled.

"When Claire, Jasper, and I walked in, the only ones here were Tristan, Alex, and Angel." I sighed, straightening my tie.

"Wait, Jasper was with you? When in the hell did he leave his hiding spot?" Matt responded.

"Last night, when you all went to bed, I left and headed to my room. I finished everything I had to do." Jasper shrugged.

"And George?" Tristan questioned as he recovered from the attack.

"Still there, he told me that he had to do something- Ah, speak of the devil, here he is." Jasper's eyes turned yellow as he looked up at the balcony. Part of the bookshelf slowly opened as George ran out white as a ghost.