AVRIL'S CASE -BOOK 2

Chapter sixteen.

"Perhaps one did not want to be loved so much as to be understood."

― George Orwell

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"Do you not have in your possession your cellular device?" Tate asked, baffled, and then he retrieved his phone from Cassie's grasp.

"I do," Cassie said, looking dazed. "They did not send this message to me because they want me to know that the people around me are easily accessible to them. They have all the information about all the people close to me. It's a warning, I guess," she explained.

"My goodness," he clutched the collar of his shirt dramatically "criminals know my identity, I must now undergo plastic surgery to change my face, thus saving my life," he said.

"Don't be ridiculous," Cassie rolled her eyes and took a sip of her drink "if anyone's in imminent danger it would be my close friends or even my family."

"Cassandra, do you not consider me a brother from another womb?"

"No, no I do not," she said in a monotonous voice. "I have to go," she said and started gathering her things. "It was somewhat nice seeing you again," she smiled and then got up.

"Stay safe, Cassandra," Tate said with so much worry in his eyes.

"Always," she squeezed his right hand tightly and smiled, and then she left the café, with her lemonade still in her hands.

As Cassie stepped out, she meticulously surveyed the area around her, although she knew that her action would be useless. There was no way that the person who she was almost a hundred percent sure was Brianna would stick around. She wondered deeply about what Brianna could possibly want to share with her after brutally attacking her. Maybe it was a trap to lure her into a place where she would finally meet her doom, or maybe she actually had something vital to share with her. Whichever it was, Cassie had made up her mind that she would take the risk.

She stood by the road and waited for a taxi to come into view. Once she saw one, she hailed it and stepped into the back seat.

"Hello,'' the driver said in a very loud and thick voice.

"Hi," Cassie said and then she gave the taxi driver Joseph's address. For some reason, she felt the need to share the news with him in person.

Cassie leaned her head on the car window as the driver drove, rather roughly. She bumped her head hard on the door twice before she realized that she might forget the reason she wanted to visit Joseph by the time they arrive at his place. The driver tried to make small talk but Cassie just made some short uninterested and unintelligible noises. She was not in the mood to have a discussion with a stranger when she had so many unusual things going on in her life. The driver kept quiet once he noticed that Cassie was not interested in having a conversation with him. He opted for some music, as his source of entertainment, instead.

"We're here miss," the driver announced once they arrived Joseph's place. Cassie shook her head and then she sat upright. She did not realize that they were even close. She kept on thinking about what information she was going to get from Brianna, and about if she was even ready to receive any information that could help her. All she had ever wanted was some answers. For so long she had yearned for some understanding of what happened to Avril. She wanted to know why anyone would want to murder a thirteen-year-old girl in such a ruthless manner. She always wanted to know everything, and now that someone has offered her the opportunity to get some answers, she felt extremely unready. She was skeptical.