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"This can't be right!" Jacob Johnson exclaimed in disgust. "I'm a private detective! I can't wait around for these people!"
"Take a breath, Jake," Ted replied calmly. "You need to meet her. She has what you need. What we need."
"What we need..." The detective mocked as his brain went into overload. "Where is she!? It's late!"
"Who? Me?" The cocky voice replied from somewhere in the darkness of the train station.
"It's about time! Normally if an informant calls for me at midnight, if expect them to be on time!" Jake groaned.
The voice just chuckled. Not a normal chuckle, however. A dark chuckle.
"Yet you showed up, because you need me," the voice chided, a laugh still audible in her voice.
"Cut the crap. Who killed Holmes?"
"Easy, detective, easy..." A small girl stepped out of the shadows, across from Johnson. She looked about fifteen but she was easily as small as a sixth grader. Her blonde hair was back in a ponytail, a black fedora tilted over her face.
"I want the murderer," Jake growled as he took in the frame of his contact.
"I know what you want, detective, and I'm here to provide it. But you need to learn some manners, Jakey-boy."
Jakey-boy glared back at this strange girl. Ted had to flick him to get him to speak again.
"They say you're the best."
"Duh. There's a reason."
"Did you bring the....... You know...?"
The girl chuckled again as she pulled out a small leather bound notebook, stuffed with extra papers. "This what you lookin' for?" She asked with a noticeable smirk.
The detective nodded.
"This book contains everything on everyone. I don't just reveal that to just anyone you know," she said as she dropped it on the floor with a small thud. She slid it with her foot over to Johnson.
"Then why are you showing me?" He questioned as he hesitantly picked the book up off the ground.
"Maybe you're just special," she said with another smirk. "Gracie Lancaster. Ever heard the name?"
"No..." Jake admitted as he flipped through the notebook.
One look and you could tell it was dense in information. He leafed through a few sections, slightly gaping at all the knowledge contained in the pages. He didn't know Karen from across the street has been married twice. Or that Benny had turned 43 two days ago. How did she get this stuff?
He suddenly came across a page with his picture on it. There was several stuffed in papers and scribbled writing across the pages. Couldn't hurt to take a peek at his file ,right?
"She is a renowned artist in the criminal world. Very cunning. And very, VERY, dangerous," she said, her last words barely a whisper.
"Mhm....." He muttered offhandedly as he continued, with growing interest to go through his file.
How did she get this stuff? Nobody but Ted knew about Maddie's death at 13. Since when did she learn about my parents and my childhood!? I don't have trust issues! Beck!? How did she discover Beck!? She was deleted from every database in the world! AND she's dead!
"She can always tell what you're doing...How clever you are..." She continued, watching him closely. "Never been caught once..."
"Is that so....?" I'm not gullible!
"Of course. Because if you'd actually been looking at her file, you would have already pieced this whole thing together."
The detective's head jerked up with a snap.
"How'd you know I wasn't reading it....? What-"
"Don't what me." Her voice was now as cold as ice, sending shivers down Jake's spine. "I know who you are," she hissed.
He just stared at her in disbelief.
"Surprised, Jacob Weir? I can tell. Orphaned by your own dead best friend. Your 'true love' died. You've given up, changed your name. Hoped for a better life, but I guess even your wits have left you, ex- assassin."
"H-how did you.... What?"
"I know you. I know everything about you. I knew Tommy Holmes, too. He was just as stupid as you are."
"How would you know that?"
"Because I killed Holmes," she announced proudly. "Bout time you figured it out. I'm always a step ahead of you 'detectives.' I am Gracie Lancaster!" She yelled cockily at the two cowering men. "I killed Holmes, and I'm going to kill you ,too."
Jake took a shaky step back, knocking both him and Ted to the ground as he felt the heat of the laser targets on his body. And they went off like a bomb.
