All The Same (kellic)

13. Empty chairs

I've been extremely busy, so I apologize for not updating sooner. This chapter probably sucks too rip

***

Officer Martin told me to wait in the car while him and his team scope out the basement of the school. I bet the janitor was super freaked out when a bunch of cops ran into the school.

I'm getting impatient now. I don't like not knowing what's going on. The car is getting hot and stuffy, and I've received eleven texts, all from my mom, asking where I am. I just want to know if Tyler is in there and if he's safe.

"Okay you know what, I'm going," I say to myself. I open the car door and shut it behind me. They've been in there for a while and I can't stand sitting outside and waiting for news.

I walk up to the front door of the school and open it. I go in, making sure to be quiet. This isn't safe for me to be in here, but I don't care at all.

I make my way to the basement. It's so weird being at the school when no one is here. It feels lifeless and vulnerable, empty. The people that walk through here everyday are no longer in the school at these hours. There's no life here.

I get to the basement, and I'm just about to open the door when I hear footsteps on the other side of it. It could be Tenvin C, or I mean, Vincent. What if he killed the police and is making a run for it?

I jump back, away from the door, just as it opens. Instead of the person being Vincent, it's just Officer Martin. My heart rate slows and I let out a silent sigh of relief. I should have known it would just be the officer.

I open my mouth to ask him about Tyler, but I think he knows what I'm about to ask, because he shakes his head. My heart falls and my hopes are dashed. He isn't here. I was wrong.

"There's something I need you to see though," Officer Martin tells me. He beckons me to follow him into the basement, which is cold and dim. No wonder people are easily spooked by this basement; you just get the feeling someone or something is watching you.

The two other officers are waiting for us, Officer Lee snapping pictures of the scene. I don't notice anything unusual about the large storage room, until my eyes fall on the chair.

In the photos, the chair was tilted over and discarded. Here, it's standing right in the middle of the storage room, balanced precariously on a box. On it is Tyler's red beanie and a green envelope with my name on it. The mic wires that I saw in the photographs are tied neatly beside the box the chair is standing on. Vincent must know how to tie mic wires pretty well, or else they wouldn't look that nice.

"We're going to need you to open the letter but," Officer Martin hands me a pair of latex gloves, "Don't damage the evidence."

"I'll try," I say, pulling on the gloves. I hate the feeling of latex gloves, and I always try to avoid using them when dying my hair, but I'm not going to tell that to the officer.

This is kind of exciting, being apart of an investigation. Weird, but exciting. I know I'm just here as their source of information, but I'm actually on the crime scene! How cool is that?

I carefully pluck the envelope off of the chair, being careful not to disturb the scene. I walk back to the three waiting officers, opening up the envelope. They watch me as I pull out the letter and unfold it.

It reads,

Now why did you think the police would be of any help? I'm disappointed in you Kellin.

You have three weeks. If you can't find me at the end of three weeks, Tyler dies.

Have a nice day.

Vincent.

I shakily hand Officer Martin the letter. I don't want to look at it anymore. Three weeks? That seems like such a long time, but it probably won't be. It's going to go by so fast. What if we don't find Vincent and Tyler by the end of three weeks? What if Tyler dies?

As Officer Martin reads over the letter with a frown, a thumping noise comes from the floor above us. Officer Martin looks over at Officer Merrick, who quickly draws his gun and runs up the stairs, quietly.

Officer Martin hands the letter over to Officer Lee, who bags it. Officer Martin draws his gun as well and tells Lee to stay down here with me. He then follows Officer Merrick up the stairs.

"I'm always stuck with the easy job," Lee mutters, and I frown. She seems like a good officer who deserves to get in on the action, but I guess it's not her place yet. She does seem very new at this, so I suppose the other officers need her to get more experience first.

There's more thumping from upstairs, as if there's a fight going on. Could that be Vincent? I doubt it though. He isn't stupid, he wouldn't still be here. He's long gone by now. Officer Lee draws her gun as well and runs up the stairs to assist her comrades. I stay put for about two seconds, listening.

The thumping eventually stops. I'm curious to see who they found. I know I shouldn't, but I walk up the stairs anyways. The door to the basement is open, so I venture right out and into the hallway, where the three officers are cuffing... Andy?

"What the hell?" I say, which catches Andy's attention. He swivels his head towards me and gives me a confused look.

"Kellin? What are you doing here?" He asks, obviously shocked to see me.

"He's with us," Officer Merrick answers for me.

Andy still looks confused, but the officers don't give him time to say anything else. Officer Martin tells Merrick to take him to the station for questioning. I want to interject and tell them that Andy can't be Vincent. Andy isn't smart enough. He's also a pig.

Maybe he saw something though. Maybe he had a part in it. So, I back up and let Officer Merrick lead Andy outside to his police car. I don't say a word.

"Lee," Officer Martin says to the third officer, "Go get a warrant on that warehouse. We need to check it out now. And you Kellin," Officer Martin directs his focus to me, "I'll drive you home. There's not much else you can do."

I nod, feeling defeated. Vincent is toying with us, with me. This is like some sick game. I just want it to stop, but in the depths of my being, I can feel that something very bad is going to happen.