The Devil In Disguise

Who's Next?

     The walk back from Mary's bedroom had left Gianina feeling even more exhausted than before. She wiped at her eyes, still puffy from the tears she and Mary had shed moments ago. As she re-entered the living room, the weight of everything came crashing back—Jamie's murder, Destiny's murder, and the gnawing fear that the killer was still out there, lurking, watching. And now, with the new suspicion festering among them, their once-solid group of friends was beginning to fracture.

Marcus's voice had filled the room with forced confidence, but Gianina could see it: the worry etched into his face, the tension in his muscles. They were all scared, even if some of them were better at hiding it than others. She glanced around the room at her friends, each one processing their grief in different ways—Rufus's anger, Cal's frustration, Mary's deep sorrow. Jordan sat beside Cal, her hands twisting together in her lap. She was visibly shaking, her lips pressed into a thin line as if trying to hold back a flood of emotions.

Mary sat back down on the couch next to Rufus, her eyes dull from exhaustion. Gianina followed, taking a seat next to Marcus, who gently placed his hand on her knee. The small gesture of support gave her a brief sense of calm, though it wasn't enough to chase away the storm brewing inside her.  

The room seemed to grow darker as the weight of what Gianina had revealed settled over them. Everyone sat quietly, processing the new information. Jamie's murder had rattled them all, but now the group was forced to consider an even more terrifying thought: who among them could be next?

Gianina's pulse raced as she scanned the faces of her friends, feeling the suffocating tension that had wrapped around the room. They weren't just mourning Jamie anymore—they were trying to figure out who was still in danger, and the thought hung heavily over all of them.

"We need to figure out why Jamie, the Howards, and Destiny were killed," Marcus said, his voice steady but tense. "If we can figure that out, maybe we can stop this before someone else gets hurt."

Rufus sat back in his chair, arms crossed, his eyes cold and hard. "We keep asking the same questions, and we're not getting any closer to answers. It's not just about who, but why. Why would someone want to kill the Howards and Jamie? What do they have in common?"

Cal, who had been pacing the room, stopped and leaned against the wall, his arms folded. "I don't think it's about what they had in common," he said. "I think it's about what they knew. Whoever killed the Howards and Jamie wasn't just doing it at random—they had a reason."

"Destiny's parents were lawyers," Jordan added, her voice shaky. "They were handling that huge case last year, the one with the guy who drove off the bridge and killed his daughter. The one that I used to babysit. But that guy is in prison. Who would care enough to come after them now?"

"I've been thinking about that," Marcus said, his tone thoughtful. "Maybe it's not about the guy who went to prison. Maybe it's about someone connected to that case—someone who didn't want the truth to come out."

Mary, curled up in her seat, spoke for the first time, her voice barely above a whisper. "But why kill Jamie? He had nothing to do with that case."

Gianina swallowed hard, remembering the cryptic message Jamie had sent her before he died. "What if Jamie found out something? Something that connected the murders. Maybe he knew something about the Howards' death that got him killed."

Rufus narrowed his eyes, his voice low and filled with suspicion. "So, Jamie figured out who the killer was, and they got to him before he could say anything?"

Gianina nodded slowly. "That's what I think. He messaged me because he wanted to tell me something—something important. But he never got the chance."

"So, the killer silenced him," Cal said, rubbing his temples in frustration. "Which means if one of us gets too close, we're next."

A heavy silence fell over the room as everyone absorbed Cal's words. The idea that someone in their friend group could be next—could be marked for death—sent a chill down Gianina's spine.

"Who's the most likely target?" Jordan asked, her voice trembling. "If the killer is picking us off one by one, who's next?"

Marcus let out a deep sigh. "If Jamie found out something, then it's possible someone else could know something too—without even realizing it. Maybe the killer is worried about what we might uncover."

Gianina glanced at Mary, whose tear-streaked face showed nothing but raw grief. Losing Jamie had broken her. The idea of losing anyone else was unbearable. She couldn't imagine what Mary was feeling.

"I think the next target is whoever's closest to figuring this out," Rufus said, his gaze darting to Marcus. "Which means it could be any one of us."

Mary's voice wavered as she spoke, barely able to hold herself together. "But why? Why go after Destiny and her parents? What could they have known that was worth killing them over?"

"They were lawyers," Marcus said, his eyes narrowing in thought. "They had access to a lot of people's dirty secrets. Maybe it's connected to something they were working on, and Jamie stumbled into it."

Cal crossed his arms, his frustration growing. "So, we're supposed to believe someone's killing us off because of some old case? I mean, the guy from the case is in jail. How does that lead to all of this?"

"What if it's not just about the case?" Gianina asked, her voice soft but insistent. "What if it's about protecting someone's secrets?"

The group exchanged uneasy glances, the idea sinking in. Someone was desperate enough to kill to keep something hidden. It could be any one of them—or someone connected to them.

"Who had a reason to kill the Howards?" Marcus asked, looking around the room. "That's where we start."

Cal let out a low whistle. "Great. So now we're talking about some kind of conspiracy?"

"I don't know," Mary admitted, her voice faltering. "But if it's true, then whoever killed the Howards had a lot to lose."

Marcus rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "That could be why Jamie got killed. Maybe he found out something he wasn't supposed to."

"And now we're stuck in the middle of it," Jordan whispered, her voice trembling. "If the killer thinks we know something, we could all be in danger."

Gianina felt her stomach twist with fear. The more they talked, the more it seemed like they were circling around a dark truth—something none of them were prepared for. She could see the fear in their eyes, the growing realization that they might not make it out of this alive.

"We need to be careful," Marcus said, his voice firm. "No more secrets. If anyone finds anything—anything at all—we need to share it with each other."

Gianina nodded in agreement. "We have to stick together."

The group slowly nodded, but the fear lingered in the air, thick and suffocating. They had always been friends, but now that trust felt fragile, as if it could shatter at any moment.

As they sat in silence, each of them lost in their own thoughts, Gianina couldn't shake the feeling that they were running out of time. The killer had already taken Destiny, the Howards, and Jamie. Whoever was behind these murders was ruthless and determined—and they weren't finished yet.

The question was: who would be next?