Mystery Loves Company

Chapter 20 - File #3.12: The Once and For All

They weren't thinking twice when they heard it. Avery purposely drop the tall clock beside her that would trap Mrs. Chang in her counter area, and Kyle pushed Hal away with all his strength.

As Hal was ready to ambush them, I shouted, "Come here! Go, go!"

They quickly ran towards me. After they got into the room, Kyle and I held the door by our bodies. The man was on the other side, whacking the door.

"The drawer!" I shouted, and Kyle pushed it to hold the door.

"Great, now we're really trapped," Kyle panted.

"There's a door that leads outside," I said, couldn't believe it myself. It was almost too easy to get out of here. "But before we leave, we need evidences. Kyle, take a picture of this room. Avery, you take a picture of everything inside that drawer. I will try to unlock this door."

Avery snapped the box and the contents of the drawer several times, while Kyle wandered around the room. We didn't have much time before the man broke in. My hands were trembling while holding the lock picks, thus making me failed several times.

"Rhett, come on," encouraged Kyle. The whack on the door was getting louder.

"Damn!" I cursed when I dropped the tool.

"Can you do it or not?!" Kyle asked impatiently.

"I've done this before. You should just trust me!"

"Oh, you mean your classroom door that took an hour to open?" Avery chimed in.

I looked at Avery. Really? I also wrote that kind of thing in my notebook? I meant, how else could she have known about it, right?

"One hour?!" Kyle's angry voice made me more nervous. "Are you trying to get us killed? This isn't some janitor opening a window to prank other janitor, okay! There's a freaking gorilla who is about to break the door in half!" He sighed. "I can't believe we actually thought that you were so cool to find out about who opened a window! A goddamn window!"

"That's not the problem now, isn't it?!" I shouted back. "If you can just shut up and let me pick—"

A cracked sound made us stop moving for a second. Oh, no—one of the lock picks broke!

"We're doomed," Avery's flat reaction showed that she was actually the most panic among us. It was just a matter of time before she exploded and became a karate expert all of a sudden.

I didn't even want to see Kyle's face now. He had been so patient being friends with me all this time. I didn't want a stupid lock pick broke our trust.

"I think I should just kick the door..." I hesitated.

"NO!" shouted Avery and Kyle simultaneously.

"With your luck, there's a ninety percent chance you'll break your leg," added Kyle.

"But ten percent I will succeed," I bet.

"In what world your 'ten percent' will work?" Avery said, and that was when I threw my 'Unbelievable!' look. I didn't even know why she—possibly the only girl who could get mad at the cheerful Kyle—came here together with him, and now both of them were defending each other against me.

Miffed, I moved away, giving Kyle a space to start kicking the door.

I was surprised that he broke it faster than Hal did to the other door. Getting out of the antique shop, I stopped. I didn't realize this when I arrived here before—the back view of the shop looked strange.

"Kyle!" I called. "Give me your phone!"

"There's no time for a selfie, Rhett!" He shouted angrily.