Partners in crime | Ravi Singh

I. Bribery Muffins

"Pippa Pig" Allison sing songs as she crosses the hallway towards her sisters bedroom. "What?" Pip replies deadpan, sensing from her older sisters tone that she wants something. 

"How are you starting your EPQ?" Allison cuts to the chase. In response, Pippa only turns her laptop for the girl to read on her own. 

Allison reads the small opening paragraph of Pippa's essay, her brown eyes flicking side to side as she comprehends. "You spelt 'alleged' wrong." Allison points out. Pip quickly rereads, unsure how she could make such a minor spelling mistake. 

"No I didn't" Pip stares blankly at the word, trying to spot an error. "You wrote a-l-l-e-g-e-d. It's spelt a-l-e-g-e-d." Allison insists. Pip stares up at the girl expressionless, "It's a good thing you're pretty" she sighs. 

Allison smiles, not noticing the backhanded complement. She fixes her brown hair in the reflection of Pip's laptop, making sure she is in fact still pretty.

She has always been told she is. Except when she's being told she isn't. She has smooth light brown skin. Her Mother had been white and her Father black, her and her younger brother had inherited a beautiful blend of both.

There was a point in high school where every girl seemingly decided to have paper straight hair, Allison being the people pleaser she is of course followed. She likes her naturally curly hair but when she's out she often feels more comfortable straightening the curls out.

Pippa however was almost the exact opposite. She came from two white parents meaning, as you can imagine, her skin is fare. She has naturally straight brown hair, bleached from the sunlight of the previous summer. Her eyes a honey brown colour. 

The two's parents married when each of there spouses passed, and so formed the Amobi/ Fitz family. The girls had been only 9 when their parents married and instantly became best friends, then there was Josh. 

Josh is a simple nine year old boy. He enjoys video games, pestering his sisters, dressing up the family dog (Barney) in Dad's shirts. You know, normal stuff. 

Despite not having the same blood, Pip is family just as much family as Josh for all Allison cares. Leanne is her Mother, Pip her sister, Josh her brother, Victor her Father and of course, Barney her beloved dog.

"So where are you starting with this mystery?" Allison teases. "Well I've had a call with someone who told me all about the police process of a murder incident." She tells her sister. Allison looks down at her computer, "Angela Johnson." She reads. "Yeah." Pip nods.

"I've got a call scheduled with a reporter who wrote about it at the time. And after that... I'm going to make a visit to the Singh house and have Sal's brother do an interview with me." Pip plans. Allison physically recoils and wears a look of both fear and disgust. 

"What's that for?" Pip asks judgingly. "Sal Singh? The guy who killed Andie Bell?" Allison reminds astoundedly. 

"There's no proof he actually did it." Pip beckons. "Except for his literally confession Pip. You're forgetting that everything points towards him, there is like no possible way it couldn't have been him." Allison raises her voice.

"Even if it was him, what's the problem with talking to his family?" Pip argues. "Because killers don't just decide to kill. There has to be something deeply twisted about someone to commit murder. He was probably raised terribly by condescending parents who never loved him. If they raised one killer who's to say they couldn't raise two?" 

"That's an unfair accusation to make about someone you've never even met." Pip scoffs. "I'm not accusing anyone, I'm just saying there's a small chance the other kid could be a killer too.." Allison trails off, realising how bad it sounds.