NIGHT MOVES

SWORN SECRECY

"You'd bettuh have not touched a hair on Jay!" The teen came running out with a bat.

"Take it easy, kid. We didn't touch Jay, she's not even here." Carver rolled his eyes.

"What is the Bloomington sleuths doing breaking into the morgue? You! I don't know you. Did Culpepper send you sleuths after Jay for stashing me?" He raised his bat.

"Hi, I'm Audrey, theiuh assist. I sweauh we're not here to turn you ouh Jay in, we just wanna snoop around, okay?" Audrey placed her hands up so he'd see her as non-threatening.

"You're Ned, right? The one who wanted my autograph and was framed fouh the photo leak." I studdied his mussed features.

"Yeah. My friends and I are huge fans and follow everyone of your cases!" He crowd adoringly.

"Does that mean you're the one who snapped ouh pic in the hallway?" I softened my penetrive gaze.

"This screenaguh almost cost us ouh job and subsequently ouh pay out?" Carver growled as he took a step towards Ned.

A look of fright appeared on Ned's face and he tightened his hold on the bat. Not wanting to frighten the kid further, I gripped Carver's shoulder. I yanked him back and awarded him a scowl after he turned his head.

"Guilty. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get any of you in trouble."

"Why would you leak evidence of ouh presence, Ned?" Audrey took a few steps closer to him.

"You see I told my friends I'd seen you at the hotel, but they didn't believe me. They demanded I show proof, or they'd drop me as a friend." He leaned against the drawers.

"I take it, you've cried wolf before?" Carver snickered and Audrey gave him a withering glance.

"I've never fibbed, I just wasn't able to aquire physical evidence before. This time I had my phone and was able to take a quick photo. I'm terribly sorry my actions almost got you fired." He gave a repentive look as he placed his bat on the table.

"What othuh kind of proof? You're a guy did you take anything else that belongs to my sistuh?" Carver narrowed his eyes to slits.

"Just an buisness card miz Bloomington gave me, when I came to her door." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"You came to heuh doouh? Were you skulkin' around heuh doouh lookin' fouh proof?" Carver took steps towards Ned.

"N-n-no. I-I w-." The poor boy got his tongue stuck in a stuttering fit.

"Lay off him, Cuhv. Ned was my wake up call one mornin'. He didn't act like a crazed fan when I opened the doouh. So I rewarded him with one of ouh buisness cards " I waved my hand dismissively.

"Well in that case, I think Ned deserves to have both youh autographs." Audrey turned to us and pointedly grinned.

I took a piece of note-paper and pen from my satchel. I placed the small piece of paper and stepped to the nearest table. I quickly jotted down my signature in cursive faunt. Once finished I capped the pen and handed both materials to Audrey. Who in turn passed them to Carver, yet he wouldn't take them. I watched as Audrey stepped to his ear and whispered something. I looked on in amusement as he took both and wrote out his name. Audrey smiled at him as she took the paper and handed it to Ned.

"Here you go, Ned, you've earned it."

"Thank you, so much! My friends won't believe this!" He delicately folded the paper in half and placed it in his pocket.

"One more thing. Audrey, Carver, stand on eithuh side of Ned." Carver groaned but did as he was told.

I crouched down so as to not cover Ned and took a selfie.