TINTED ▷ Sam Winchester [1]

3 | ASKING QUESTIONS

    I spend the night with my nose buried in a book. Sleep is so rare nowadays, I wonder if I will ever get another good night of it.

    But the next day is eventful. At Alex's school, one of the teachers is found hanging upside down from the flagpole, dead, and on display for all the students to see.

    Jody drags me to the crime scene along with the Winchesters as they take the body away on a gurney.

    "Victim's name was Stephen Phelps," Jody says, standing out front of the school. "He was a math teacher. Alex's favorite, actually."

    "I'm sorry to hear that," Sam says. Dean examines the flag pole and the area around it, looking for clues to help him find out what killed Phelps.

    "Phelps was found hanging upside-down from the top of the flagpole, duct-taped," the sheriff continues. "Looks like his neck had been snapped first."

    "Any witnesses?" Dean asks.

    "Only the lucky custodian who found him," Jody replies.

    "So, how did the killer get Phelps up there in the first place?" Sam asks, as if anyone knew. "Unless he had his own firetruck."

    "Yeah, so our killer climbs up twenty feet," Dean says, pausing to glance once more at the top of the flagpole. "with this guy on his back and then duct-tapes him?" Jody and I shrug.

    "Yeah, and why?" Sam wonders. Jody pulls out a ziplock bag with something in it and shows it to the boys.

    "We found this around the flagpole, if it means anything." Sam takes it and turns it over in his hands, inspecting it with interest. "I already sent a sample to the lab." The younger Winchester just shakes his head and purses his lips together.

    "What else do you know about Phelps?" Dean asks.

    "Just that he was a damn fine teacher. He really helped Alex out, I know that."

    "I knew it," Claire'e voice comes from behind us. To say the very least, Dean does not look amused with her presence. "So, what are we dealing with? Demons? Ghost possession--"

    "Claire, this is a crime scene," Jody interrupts. "You can't be here."

    "Oh, but the fake FBI can?" She argues, and I raise my eyebrows at her in amusement.

    "Hey," Dean glares. Jody's eyes widen and she looks around to make sure no one heard.

    "Keep your voice down," she says quietly. Dean pulls her away from the group to talk privately.

    I pinch the bridge of my nose, feeling the full extent of my usual headache. Jody casts a sideways glance at me, worried.

    "You okay?" She asks. I nod.

    "Just a headache," I mutter. She raises an eyebrow. "What?" She doesn't press the issue further, but turns and begins to talk to Sam some more. I tune out the conversation and look around.

    When Jody sees Alex come out of the school with her boyfriend in tow, she motions for her to come over.

    "They cancelled school," the brunette says, "so we're gonna hang out." Jody gives Alex a warning look, but sends her off anyways.

    I watch as the two of them walk away, earning an accusing look from Dean as they pass by him and Claire.

    "We should go talk to some of the other teachers," I speak up for the first time since we arrived, and Jody nods in agreement. The three of us walk inside and begin to search.