The Super Jerk Trilogy (Now 3-in-1)

8. Somebody That I Used to Know

{Sarah}

It's difficult, but we finally manage to get in and see an officer at the police station. Or more specifically, a private detective. He'd been assigned to the case after it'd been deemed "highly suspicious." That was one way to put it.

   "So, how can I help you two today?" he asks, sipping at his coffee. Not his first, probably, and not his last by a long shot.

   "We were curious about that murder last week. At Mama Carolina's." I know it's highly unusual for people our age to be interested in something like this, but when it starts involving supers, that's when things start changing. It was left out of all the police reports, and that's what has me wondering why.

   "Kids your age?" He raises his eyebrows. "Why?"

   "She found the body, Detective." Trevor supplies.

   "I see. And what specifically did you want to know?" He rakes his fingers through his hair.

   "Who the victim was, to begin with, Detective."

   "Well..." He pushes off his desk without standing up, rolling over to a file cabinet. "Haven't really collected a lot of evidence yet. But—here it is—we do know one thing."

   "What's that?" I sit up a little straighter. Maybe something to help us track the perpetrator down.

   "Whoever's doing this doesn't want to be caught. We went over the scene with a fine-tooth comb, but there were no fingerprints, or traces of DNA, or anything, anywhere. Even the knife was unmarked." He keeps flipping through the pages in the file.

   Just like that, my little bubble of hope bursts. "What can you tell us about the victim, then?"

   "Unfortunately, whoever killed the victim apparently was trying to disguise their identity. Anything that would, on sight, identify the victim, was eliminated."

   "Any...evidence, Detective...um..." I shudder as my eyes dart down to his nameplate. "Carson?"

   His eyebrows go up, and his eyes widen. "Yes, actually. I'll go get it for you if you stay right here."

   "We aren't going anywhere, Detective." Trevor says, nodding vigorously.

   Detective Carson slaps the desk once with the palms of his hands before standing up and going out. Trevor leans in close to me.

   "You have to admit this is kind of exciting, Campbell. Even if we don't know what we're doing half the time." I can almost hear the wink in his voice.

   I smile a little. "Try nearly all the time, and you're getting somewhere."

   "Wouldn't you say this is much better than having nothing exciting happen to you during your last year in purgatory?"

   "You got me, Trevor. You're right. Makes it better than just plain old purgatory." Not to mention that I never expected to meet a superhero.

   Detective Carson comes back just then, with a little plastic bag in his hand. He sits back down behind the desk and sets it down, sliding it across to us.

   "This was found with the body at the crime scene. No one recognizes it, let alone are we able to return it to its owner."

   We look down at it. It's a silver locket in the shape of a star. The chain is stained brown, and so are the points. The outside is etched with curly designs, and we have no doubt that inside is another note.