A Ship Without Sails

Chapter 8

"Daisy Blackburn, you claim you were not with Kerry Blackburn at the time she died. Why did everyone think that you were?" Astrid asked. Daisy wiped away tears with the back of her hand and shrugged. "I dunno," she whimpered in a wavering voice. "We left at about the same time, I guess."

"What's your alibi?" Astrid said, not seeming to be affected by Daisy's overflowing emotions. "What were you doing at the time?"

"I... I guess I don't have one." Daisy's hazy green eyes, the color of the spring leaves when sunlight was above them, shone with fear. Then they lit up. "Hey, wait, maybe I do!" She pulled out her iPhone 6 and powered it on. Then she went to her Photos app and the "Moments" screen, with all of the dates and times of her pictures taken.

"Look! I took this at 2:37, and at the other side of the park." Daisy showed Astrid her phone screen.

"I'll have to take this in, if you don't mind," Astrid said, reaching for the phone. Daisy gasped and yanked the phone back. "N-No! Why? I need this thing!" she exclaimed in horror. Astrid, although it was unknown because she had replaced her sunglasses, rolled her eyes.

"I need it. Now give it to me." Astrid snatched the phone from Daisy's hands with lightning fast speed and tossed it into her trench coat pocket. "Next!"

Shayna came forward. "I, uh, I don't actually know, like, what proof I have that I didn't kill her other than the word of the people around me sitting at my table," she said. Her hands were trembling.

"I see. Kurt, you're next," Astrid said. Kurt took a deep breath.

"I already told you my story. I have the same alibi as Shayna," Kurt explained. Daisy raised her right hand and pointed up with her index finger. "I have a question," she said. "How do we know the my sister was dead before he got to her? I mean, he was, like, over her on the bank."

"Daisy!" Shayna yelped. How could she say such a thing? she thought in shock.

"After the forensics send back the tests to determine what time Kerry Blackburn died, then we will be able to know if it was possible that Kurt killed her. It's a possibility," Astrid told them.

Daisy sneered, "Careful, Kurt may try to run away, like he does with his problems."

"What does that mean?" Kurt asked, seeming genuinely puzzled.

"I know that you and Kerry were going to break up, but you were too scared to!" Daisy announced, shooting a look at Astrid. Astrid pulled out her Samsung phone and typed a note. Probably about that being Kurt's motive, Shayna thought in shock. She wanted to stand up and lean across the wooden table, to yell at her sister, to defend Kurt, but she couldn't. She was frozen in place, her legs like jelly.

"So you think that since I didn't want to break her heart, I decided to break her neck, Daisy?" Kurt replied calmly, though his eyes were smoldering. Shayna had never seen this fire in her friend's eyes before, and it sent shivers through her already too-worn-out body.

"I... I never said that!" Daisy defended herself, her face growing pink. Astrid used her index finger to push her sunglasses further up her perfect ski-slope nose, then stood up. She grabbed Shayna's arm, her white painted nails digging into Shayna's skin.

They walked a few paces away from the bickering teens and turned their backs to them. Astrid slipped off her large glasses and leaned close into Shayna and whispered, "I've worked with teens like this before. Did Daisy and Kurt ever... date?"

"What? No way!" Shayna's amber eyes appeared copper as the afternoon sun filtered through the tree branches hanging over the picnic area.

"Have either of them felt attraction to the other at any time in their knowing of each other?" Astrid asked. Shayna's eyebrows crinkled in confusion. "Huh?" she said in a high-pitched squeak. "I mean, Kurt has pretty much always liked Kerry, I think. Daisy has always liked Kurt. We grew up that way."

Astrid's dark, long lashes blinked slowly, then she straightened and rolled her shoulders back, bringing her up to her full height. "Well, I'd best be going to the office now. I'll talk to your parents, then I'll be in touch with you all later."

Astrid strolled off in enormous strides over to Mr. and Mrs. Blackburn. Shayna stood in her spot in the grass, stunned. What if Daisy or Kurt did kill Kerry? she, terrified. Why would they do that?

"Oh, is she gone? Thank god," Daisy's voice made Shayna jump. "She was so annoying, wasn't she? And now I don't have my phone."

"That annoying lady was the one who is going to help decide who killed Kerry!" Kurt exclaimed, his face still slightly flushed. He was clearly angry with Daisy. Daisy glared at him, her eyes shockingly bright for someone whose sister had just died. Then, she huffed and walked away to the parking lot, where the Blackburns were talking with Astrid.

Shayna swallowed back a sob and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. A smear of black mascara streaked her hand.

"Here," Kurt said, handing her a tissue. Shayna covered her face with her left hand, embarrassed. "Thanks," she sniffed, "Sorry, I must look awful."

"No, you look fine." Kurt sat down on the picnic table and propped his feet on the bench. For a moment, his eyes were calm. Then, in an instant, a fire flared up in them as his fist slammed the tabletop, making Shayna jump.

"What happened today?" Kurt said through gritted teeth. "Kerry is dead. How could that have happened?"

"I don't know. Come on, we have to go back, where Astrid can give us the official report," Shayna said, tapping on Kurt's knee. She ruffled his hair, then turned and walked towards the parking lot.