One Clue Behind

Chapter Three

Jeremiah shifts the car into drive and we hurry our way down to Dellah's Diner, most likely breaking the speed limit the entire ride there. Once we get there, Jeremiah parks and we scramble out of the car and rush into the diner and to our usual booth in the corner. As we run into our seats next to the twins, I look at Jeremiah and he looks at me as if we were telepathically asking each other which one of us breaks the news?! He nods to me, giving me permission.

I notice Courtney and Tony looking from each of us and I turn to them and set the white cloth with the encapsulated bracelet charm. The twins set their menus down slowly and cautiously.

I look at Jeremiah before I start. "And there's this too..." I pull up the photos app on my phone and tap on the most recent image. Jeremiah looks at me with wild eyes, his mouth opening and closing but no sound ever escapes.

Courtney and Tony look at each other, then the cloth and phone, then to Jeremiah and I. Court is the first one to grab anything, and she chooses the white cloth. I cover her hand with mine, stopping her for a moment.

"Be careful, Court. It's... it's just really scary." I warn her and her lips part a little in confusion.

Courtney nods and slowly opens the white square. As soon as she realizes what it is, she wraps it back up and places it back in the spot she picked it up from. She dusts her fingers off from the flaked blood and then looks up at Jeremiah and I through her eyelashes. Then, she looks to her brother.

"Are you guys sure this is real and not some sick prank?" Court asks us, and my jaw drops in disbelief.

"Are you serious, Courtney? You can see the dried blood on the diamond!" I counter, I don't get how she's so calm.

Tony also picks up the cloth square, both siblings ignoring the photo on my phone. He unfolds it again and examines the charm. He shakes his head.

"Courtney, I think they're right. This is Olivia's charm. I don't get it though..." Tony says, disagreeing with his sister and questioning the items. He hands her the charm.

"Tony, how could this be Olivia's?" Court turns back to me. "You guys know there was no evidence left at the scene. The investigators even gave her parents back her bracelet. Wouldn't they have said something if a charm was missing? They bought the bracelet for her after all."

I think for a second, because, yes maybe Aunt Victoria might have said something, but really who remembers how many charms are on a bracelet? The answer is; nobody that didn't wear it themselves. So I guess the only person who would've known would be Olivia and her killer.

"Well what if it's a message or something?" I ask, floating the idea around.

"Then that's terrifying, obviously." Courtney responds.

We all quiet down when Miss Dellah, the owner of Dellah's Diner, drops by our table to ask for our order. Her short and curly salt and pepper hair is held up by a couple of bobby pins and a daisy. It's early March, so the daisies aren't popping up yet, which means the flower in her hair is fake. But it's cute and it's definitely Miss Dellah.

"The usual for ya' kids?" She asks, her little order pad open and waiting for the ink of her blue fountain pen.

We all reply "Yes, please," at the same time and she makes her rounds to each of us, asking for any sides. We all order our drinks as well and Miss Dellah says it'll be about twenty minutes before the food is ready. Hopefully, that gives us some time to discuss more about the charm and everything else before she comes back with our food. Even though I feel my stomach rumbling from the smell of the fried food here in the diner, after everything that's just happened, I'm not sure if I could hold it down.