Partners in Crime (boyxboy)

The Tree

Cody

Izzy greeted them like a dog but without the barking. She scurried across the floor and tries to climb up Sarah's legs. Sensing the distress between the two. She successfully climbed up Sarah's body and rests on her shoulder. Despite being big, she was actually light-weight.

"You go sit down on the couch while I'll make some food." Cody ordered. He tries to pick up Izzy but was given a hiss by the reptile.

Quickly pulling his arms away, he frowns at the creature. "Yet you enjoy sleeping with me!" Cody said. He was given a snuffy noise which seemed to resemble a scoffing noise.

Sarah laughed at her pet and cuddled Izzy in her arms. "She hasn't had her fruit yet. She'll feel better after she had her fruit." she said amusingly. She walked off to the living room with Izzy still in her arms. Cody watched them for a moment before heading to the kitchen.

He noticed the kitchen was perfectly clean. Not unusual but it was too clean. Cody knew Sarah enough that when everything is perfectly clean in the house, it meant she was trying to take her mind off of things. Cody rummaged through the cabinets and grabs a pot and wooden spoon. Then he goes through the pantry and grabs the mac-and-cheese mix.

"Hope you're in the mood for mac and cheese because it's the only thing I really know how to make!" Cody called out as he collects water in to the pot. "Extra cheesy please!" Sarah called back. "Got it!" Cody shouted.

The water started to boil sooner than he thought. He dumps the shells in to the water and starts stirring. Once they settled in, he pours the cheese mix. "Should be ready in about five minutes!" he shouted. He hears the familiar clacking of Izzy's claws across the floor as he continues stirring.

Figuring she wanted fruit, he grabs an apple that was lying in a bowl. He takes a knife from its cube and cuts up the apple. Cutting it into pieces small enough for Izzy to chew, Cody puts them on a plate and sets it down on the floor. He saw the familiar green color of her scales and watches as she walks up to the plate. Cody stands back up and continues making mac and cheese. The color and shells became the perfect color and felt soft enough with the spoon.

After turning off the stove, he grabs two bowls from the cabinet above the stove. "The mac and cheese is ready! Come and get it, Sarah!" Cody called in to the living room.

As he collects the mac and cheese into the bowls, Sarah walks into the kitchen. "Here you go." Cody said as he hands Sarah a bowl. "Thank you." Sarah said as she takes the bowl. He notices mascara was smeared all over her face from the tears. Her eyes were redder than before.

Not saying anything, he hands her a spoon before he begins to eat. "Hope its good enough for Chef Sarah Elias." Cody joked as he takes another bite. "Chewy and cheesy. Just how I like it." Sarah said in between chews.

A vibration in Cody's pocket alerted him of a text message. He sets his bowl down and takes out his phone. It was a text from Michaela.

Can we talk?🏃🏼‍♀️NOW!

Confused for a second, he texts back.

Wanna come over?

Almost immediately she responds.

No. At the tree. Please.

Cody stared at his phone for a second before stuffing it back in his jeans. "Michaela wants to talk. Is it okay if I leave for a few minutes?" Cody asked. He didn't want to leave Sarah by herself, but he learned never to dismiss Michaela when she has news.

"It's fine. I have Izzy to comfort me." Sarah said as she rubs the reptile's head. "I can't believe this is normal for me." Cody thought aloud, earning himself a laugh from Sarah. He takes one last bite of his mac-and-cheese before leaving the house.

Exiting the house, he went left, going up the sidewalk. He walks uphill and heads toward the neighborhood park. The air had gotten colder then this morning. Cody could see his breath each time he breathed. Goosebumps ran up his arms despite being in a leather jacket.

The walk to the park wasn't long, just about a quarter of a mile. Kids don't usually go to the park when it was October where he used to live, but he didn't know much about the kids here. New York was still a new place to him.

"Cody! Over here!" called out Michaela.

He looks passed the jungle gym and saw Michaela in a big oak tree. She was hanging upside down on a large branch. Already she changed out of her clothes and wore skinny jeans and a crop top that pressed against her skin to keep from drifting up. Cody laughed at her clothes and inability of her being cold. He walks to the tree and was eye to eye with Michaela.

"You know that you could fall, right?"

"I've been doing this for years. I'll be fine." Michaela said as she slowly unhooked herself from the tree. She flips midair and lands flat on her feet. "Enough with showing off." Cody said with a fake whine. "Why did you call me here?" he asked.

"Police sent investigators to our house and other neighbors. They found video cam footage in that owl statue Takanawa had. They didn't go into specifics but said that there was a man that visited him probably an hour before he died." Michaela explained. She takes out a piece of paper from her jacket pocket and unfolds it. "They showed us a picture but we couldn't see his face." she said as she handed Cody the picture. "Was this the guy you saw?" she asked.

Cody takes the picture and looks at it. He takes a short intake of breath. It was the guy he saw, no doubt about it. He recognized the clothes and the person matched the height. The picture was in full color but there weren't any defining features on the person other than their clothes and height.

"Same clothes. It has to be." Cody shortened his answer. He didn't want to think about possibly seeing a murderer. If he just reported the suspicious activity or something, Mr. Takanawa might still be alive. There was just one thing that doesn't make sense.

Why was he killed in the first place?

"It's freaking my mom out. She's afraid there's a serial killer on the loose. There was a murder last week. A lady in her mid-forties was found dead with a stab wound in her neck." Michaela didn't go into specifics but didn't have to. Cody could already imagine it. "That could be nothing. Even if it was the same person, wouldn't there have to be a connection?" Cody asked. He knew that Michaela was a horror-chick. She was in criminal investigation at school and was top of her class.

"Of course. For all we know Mr. Takanawa had something that sent this killer after him." Michaela started stating facts of famous killers that had certain ideas in their victims and what they wore. It made Cody just tune her out and look around them as she talked. His eyes look over to the swing set and his breath was cut short.

There he stood.

That fire red hair brightened the area that was full of grey. He stood underneath a tree behind the swing set. Those ice blue eyes stared directly at Cody.

Cody felt coldness flood into his body as he stared back at the man. Fear built up inside.

"Cody? Are you okay?" Michaela asked worriedly. She was about to look at what Cody was looking at but was grabbed by the shoulder. "Don't turn around," Cody hissed. "He's watching." he added, not breaking eye contact with Him.

Michael's eyes were now full of terror. She tried to look without moving her head but Cody kept her from doing so. Cody forced her to turn around, and they start to walk away. "Don't look or try anything brave." Cody said in her ear. She gives him a short nod.

He could feel the eyes of their stalker on him. Cody wrapped an arm around Michaela's shoulder and pressed her close to his side. Scared that she might be yanked from him like every loved one.