In The Same Boat | Harry Bingham x OC

Chapter Three

Cassandra's body was found the next morning. She had stayed late to clean up after prom, so was alone when she left. Someone had taken this as an opportunity to kill her. Someone had fired two shots and left her to die on the pavement.

This was the first event to completely change the atmosphere of the town. A murderer was living amongst them, and they had no idea who it was.

The funeral was planned quickly and it soon became apparent that Cassandra was the one person keeping their little society from collapsing in on itself. They needed new leadership – Amelia would have thrown her hat into the ring, but the last leader had just been assassinated and she wasn't an idiot.

Amelia had several suspects who she thought could have fired the gun; her best guess was Campbell as he was the only person, she knew that possessed one – other than herself. Her father kept an old hunting rifle that they used to take with them when they camped in case of an animal attack. He had let Amelia fire it a couple of times, although she wasn't a good shot. She checked the rifle when she got home from the funeral and made sure that it was loaded. It's better that I'm safe, not sorry.

***

Cassandra's younger sister, Allie, took charge and started to investigate the murder. People started bringing guns to public spaces and Amelia stopped going to them. The was an order for people to hand in their guns so that the murder weapon could be identified. Amelia didn't hand in her rifle.

They found a match. The pistol was owned by a kid called Greg Dewey, who was promptly arrested by the guard and held until a trial day could be decided.

During this time Harry had become very withdrawn, which caused Amelia's suspicion of him to grow. She kept an eye on him until she had built enough confidence to talk to him.

When she was ready, she found him in his bedroom; it was dark as the curtains were pulled. She could just about make out a lump on the bed. She knocked on the open door, but the lump didn't move.

"Harry, are you alright?" Amelia asked, in a monotone voice, stepping closer to the bed, "I didn't see you come down for breakfast"

"Leave me alone" he moaned, turning over away from her.

"We're getting worried about you spending all your time in here", the 'we' she was referring to was Mickey and herself – although her concern wasn't for Harry, but about him.

"Just fuck off," Harry said into his pillow.

"Jesus, fine" she wasn't going to stand there and let him hurl abuse at her. It was clear that he didn't want to talk to her, so she left.

***

A couple of days after the arrest, Amelia woke in the middle of the night to a car pulling into the driveway. She drowsily opened her eyes and looked around the room. It used to be Harry's younger sister's room, but it was now inhabited by strangers. One was sleeping in her bed and 3 others camped out on the floor.

Amelia slowly got up to look out the window, being careful not to wake the others. She heard the front door open; it was Harry. He stepped up to the car. The person in the driver's seat signalled for him to get in. The car stayed in the driveway. Amelia snuck out of the room, tiptoeing over the people sleeping on the floor. She made her way downstairs and waited on the bottom step.

After some time, the front door opened. Harry sneaked inside, carefully closing the door, trying not to make a sound.

"Odd time to go for a drive, isn't it?" Amelia said, causing Harry to jump.

"Jesus Christ! What are you doing?" he hissed.

"I was going to ask you that very thing," she stood up to look Harry directly in the eyes, causing him to tense up and clutching something in his pocket, "What have you got there?"

"It's none of your fucking business" Harry whispered, trying to push past her, but she blocked him.

"As long as it's nothing to do with Cassandra, I really don't care," she said trying to get a reading from his eyes, "But if it is I care a great deal"

"Are you suggesting I had something to do with her death?", he had clearly been insulted by her accusation.

"Well, did you? I don't see you denying it"

"Of course, I didn't" he hissed, his face getting very close to hers. Amelia took a step back and Harry could tell that he had made her feel uneasy, "Just get out of my way!"

She stood to the side and let him pass. As soon as he was out of sight, Amelia let out a sigh of relief. Both struggled to get to sleep that night, as their minds replayed the conversation. Over and over.