Inferno - Stiles Stilinski

Chapter 37

Tonight, I get to help out at the station, after hours. Stiles and I brought his dad dinner, but what Stiles didn't tell him, was that like the last time he picked up his dad's food, he took the healthier, but far less tasty route...

Except this time, he went a little further than just not getting his curly fries.

Stilinski groans as he takes a bite of his burger, "Ugh, what the hell is this?" looking disgustedly at it, he sets it back onto the wrapper.

"Veggie burger." Stiles chirps, rearranging food items on the desk.

Noah scoffs, "Stiles, I asked for a hamburger."

"Well, veggie is healthier. We're being healthy." He holds up a salad, then reaches into the bag, pulls out another salad, and hands it to me.

"Dear God, you're doing it to her too?" Stilinski waves his hand in my direction, then opens what he thinks is fries, but is actually vegetable sticks, "Oh, hell... why are you trying to ruin my life?" his scrunched-up face causing me to giggle.

Stiles shoots me a look before returning his attention to his dad, "I'm trying to extend your life, ok? Could you just eat it, please? And tell me what you found."

It was Stilinski's turn to scoff, "No, I'm not sharing confidential police work with a teenager."

Stiles' mouth drops open, and he motions to me, "What about her?!"

"She is a long-time trusted intern... I can share confidential police work with her if I need to."

"Is that it on the board behind you?" Stiles motions to the board.

Noah awkwardly answers, "Don't look at that."

"A-ight." Stiles agrees but continues to peek around his father's head.

"Avert your eyes..."

"Ok..." I draw out but stand up to see around the waving arms of the Sheriff.

Now, both Stiles and I are checking out the crime board, much to Stilinski's dismay, "Hey!"

"Just-it's just-I see arrows pointing at pictures!" Stiles defensively says.

"Ok, ok, stop. Fine." Stilinski relents and we give him our attention, Stiles raising his eyebrows, "I found something... the mechanic and the couple who were murdered—they all had something in common."

"All three?"

He nods, "Yeah. You know what I always say..." he holds up and counts on his fingers, "One's an incident."

"Two's a coincidence" Stiles continues.

And I finish it, "Three's a pattern."

"The mechanic, the husband, the wife? All the same age." Stilinski reveals, "All twenty-four."

I don't know about you, but I don't think Isaac's dad was twenty-four.

"Wait, what about Mr. Lahey?" Stiles verbalizes my exact thought, "I mean, Isaac's dad isn't anywhere near twenty-four."

"Which made me think that either A) Lahey's murder wasn't connected, or B) the ages were a coincidence... until I found this." Noah hands a file over to Stiles, who opens it and lets me read along with him, "Which would be C)—did you know that Isaac Lahey had an older brother named Camden?"

I look at the file, and read aloud the bright red words stamped over his information, "Died in combat..."

"But if he were alive today, take one guess as to how old he'd be."

"Twenty-four..." My boyfriend trails.

All three of us stand up and go over to the evidence board, and as we think, Stiles and I unknowingly pose in the same position with our chins resting on our hands. We're in that stance for a few minutes when it comes to me.