The Music Of Loving You

13. Meeting a Murderer

Millie's POV

We arrived at Ocean's huge house and found it as elegant and perfect as before. The pillars stood out against the freshly cut grass and little flower garden. I looked over at Skylar to see her looking even more nervous than me.

"What now?" She asked. I'd been thinking about it on the way here. Ocean's dad, Michael Cooper, should be at work right now. "How do we get in?" Skylar asked, interrupting my thoughts. I thought back to the break in. Whoever had broken in, shattered a few windows and knocked down the front door. As I approached I could see that the door hung crookedly on its' hinges. I shifted the door and turned to knob, surprised to find it unlocked. "This is too easy" Skylar mumbled as we made our way down the front hallway.

As we entered the main room, where the giant window looked out on the beach and where band practice had been held, I noticed that the floors were lined with dust- wait what? Dust? Bending down, I realized that it wasn't dust; it was tan sand. Not the bleach white beach sand from the backyard, but tan sand filled with tiny shells. I waved Skylar over and she bent down beside me.

"Sand?" She asked. I nodded. It made me think of something I'd read. Someone I'd been researching had a beach house.... Who was it?

I got up and froze midway. Thump. Thump. Thump. "Hide!" Skylar whispered, sliding behind the couch. I raced after her, falling beside her. Thump. Thump. Thump. The footsteps came down the stairs and into the main room. I gulped, trying to quiet the sound of my heart pounding in my ears. Thump. Thump. Thump. They wore heavy boots and walked slowly, as if there was nothing to fear. They crossed the main room, a fact I knew only by the shadow that crept over the tan wall, only a few inches above our heads. They stopped and a split second later my heart did too. The footsteps walked even slower and I took a quiet breath. Thump. Thump. Thump. But this time, the footsteps were getting louder. And louder. What would happen if we got caught? Suddenly I remembered something Skylar said.

"The police are investigating the case" those words might mean the death of me. It wasn't until now that the fact had fully sunk in. I, no, we, were trespassing. I could go to Juvy. I could have Skylar sent to Juvy. "Oh no"

I looked over at Skylar. The same thought must have just crossed her mind because she looked back at me. Her eyes were huge and scared. I'd done this. I'd let this, no, I'd caused this to happen.

"I'm so sorry" I mouthed. Skylar nodded. The footsteps got closer and closer until they were even louder than the sound of my heart pounding.

"What are you two doing here?" A deep voice called out. I froze. This was it, this was the end. I got up from behind the couch and saw a man in a sky mask. He drew a gun and held it in my direction. He was a tall, thin and I could see bits of brown hair peeking through the bottom of his mask. Defiantly not a cop...

**********

I shifted in the chair, the ropes rubbing against my wrists. The man in the ski mask had tied my wrists behind me and my ankles to the feet of a kitchen chair. Skylar was a few feet away from me, tied up in a similar way. Ski mask man had claimed that he had some "business" to take care of and then stocked off. I didn't know where he was now...

"What now?" Skylar asked in a raspy voice. I looked over at her. She forged a brave look, scrunching her eyebrows together and setting her jaw. But I could still see the fear in her eyes. I scooted back, making the chair squeak against the tile floor. I scooted until the back of my chair hit the back of Skylar's chair. "You want me to untie you?" She asked. I nodded vigorously.

"That's not going to happen" a voice said. I jumped and swung my head in the voice's direction. Ski mask man was back and he now now held a different gun. I guess the first one was out of ammo. He pressed the gun to my head. "It's nothing personal" he said, a smirk lining his voice. "I just can't have any witnesses" the gun was cold against my forehead.

"Don't bother" Skylar said, her voice harsh. The man turned. I would've too, but I was afraid his finger might slip.

"Why?" He asked in a low growl.

"She can't speak. Can't write either." Skylar said.

"Hm..." His hand pulled back from the middle of my forehead. His guard was down, his attention on Skylar. This was my chance.

It all happened so fast. I leaned forward and bit his wrist. He recoiled, screaming foul words. And then, an ear shattering boom. That's all I remember.