HEAT WAVES. manifest

chapter seven: own your truth

┊┊┊┊ ➶ MJ 🛩⌇ ｡˚ ✧ ﹐

"Aren't you supposed to be at school?" The Uber driver asked as MJ tried to ignore him, she had earphones in and although there was no music playing she was pretending she couldn't hear him. "My daughters are at school, they're a bit younger than you."

MJ looked out of the car window and watched as the houses went by. Kelly Taylor lives in an upper-class neighbourhood where all the houses look the same and the grass is always green. MJ found Kelly Taylor's address while watching a news coverage of the murder, the video showed the house number and had the street name on a sign in the background.

"Okay, we're here. Cash or card?" The Uber driver turned off the car as he turned around to face MJ, waiting for her to pay. She grabbed out $50 and gave it to the driver, he gave her change before she left the car.

MJ looked at Kelly Taylor's house, it's a double-level house with freshly cut green grass and a car out the front. The police must have already taken all the evidence and crime scene photos that they needed because there were no police cars out front. The Taylor house looked like every other house in the neighbourhood and nothing like the horrible tragedy that had just happened the night before.

"You again," MJ heard a voice come from behind her, she turned around her eyes widening as she saw the familiar face of the siblings who helped her free the dogs.

"What are you doing here? Are you following me?!"

"No! Of course not."

"Michaela had a calling."

"So did I. 'Own your truth'?"

Michaela nodded, she looked at Kelly Taylor's home, "Kelly must have had the same calling. All week she's been on the news talking about how she needs to own her truth."

"I don't like this. you and Mick having the same calling, that got Kelly killed," he shook his head, "It's too dangerous."

Michaela sighed, the thought of her being in danger was one thing, but the thought of a kid experiencing the same callings that got another passenger killed made her sick. She looked at MJ, the young girl who always managed to be at the same callings as Michaela, she was there when the plane exploded, with the dogs and now. Michaela wondered if MJ had someone who worried about her when she was gone. She shook her head, that was none of her business.

MJ walked up to the front door, leaving the two adults behind, "I'm finding who the fuck killed Kelly Taylor before they find me. I already died on my friend once, I don't plan on doing it again."

Michaela grabbed her badge, "Okay. But follow my lead. I'm the only real cop here."

Ben raised his arms defeatedly.

Michaela knocked on the front door, she had her badge visible on her waist to waver any suspicions about them not being real cops. A lady opened the door, taking both MJ and the Stone siblings aback, they hadn't expected anyone other than Mr Taylor to be home. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, you can actually. I'm Detective Michaela Stone with the NYPD, these are my colleagues, and we just have a few questions about Kelly Taylor. Is Mr Taylor home?" Michaela lied about Ben and MJ being cops as if it was nothing, the words rolling off of the top of her tongue as she said them a hundred times before.