Drop Dead Gorgeous 〰 Jake Fitzgerald

22

I knocked on the door of Noah's house and mentally prepared myself for the excuse I'd have to use.

What am I even going to say?

My phone started ringing and I took it out with a groan, thinking it was probably the killer. To my surprise, it was Jake. I put my phone on vibrate before hanging up on him. I couldn't deal with him. In fact, I couldn't deal with anything else that wasn't about saving Noah.

The door opened up, and I was greeted with Noah's confused mother, who had an apron tied around her waist as she seemed to dry her hands on a blue rag she had in her hands. After panicking for about two seconds, I smiled warmly and hoped she would buy the shit story I had made up not more than ten seconds ago.

"Hi Mrs. Foster! Noah sent me to get some...papers for school, I was just wondering if you'd let me into his room."

"I'm sorry, I don't know who you are..."

"A friend of Noah's. My name's Le-" I stopped, realizing that the cops had probably put my name on every channel there was, so I went with Plan B. "-Leia. Yeah, Leia. Your son and I have almost every class together."

She smiled, opening the door wide for me once she realized I wasn't there to give her any trouble. I walked in and followed her upstairs as she talked.

"Well in that case, come right in! My son has been through so much, I'm happy he's involving himself in school. Although, school ended a few hours ago-"

"After school project," I quickly stated before she could even think about doubting me. "Yeah, we made a little group with others around school and we help each other out to get extra credit in our classes."

"How great!" Once we reached his room she leaned in as if to tell me a secret.

"My Noah has had quite the high school experience, so if you could please make sure he stays safe and away from any danger, I would appreciate it. I know it's way too much of me to ask, but I'm worried about him."

I nodded. "Of course, Mrs. Foster. That's what I'm here for."

She smiled before glancing over at the room for a few seconds, leaving me alone shortly after as she walked back downstairs.

Carefully closing the door, I began raiding anything he had on the killer. Everything from computer files to actual files, I examined as quickly as I could, though I always ended up empty handed and frustrated. Just as I was about to leave, I turned to his murder board, and decided to give it a shot and look for clues there.

Time was limited - or more specifically, his time was limited - and I couldn't seem to find the end of all the pictures and theories he had pinned up there.

After looking through most theories he had connected to Piper and the Lakewood Six, I found a picture of a barn, which was tied to a picture of Emma. I quickly took the picture and examined it, setting it back in its place when I realized how irrelevant this was and how stupid I was for wasting my time.

Just then, my phone vibrated and I took it out to see it was a message from a not-so-unknown number. Quickly opening it up, I saw it was a picture message, and shortly after another message arrived.

I decided to give you a little push is what it said. Looking at the picture, I saw it was the same barn in the picture Noah had, except there was a little girl. It didn't take a genius to realize that the little girl was Emma.

Underground where no one breathes.

Just then the door was thrown open, causing me to flinch out of fear. I turned to see Jake barge into the room angrily, focused on me.