What would you think when a letter from the QUEEN arrives in the post asking for YOU to join one of THE HIGHEST ranked agencies IN THE WORLD. Well this happened to 13 year old Lottie Lawson alongside her companion and partner on the killer-case and...
The TV flashed onto a news channel. Lottie felt horrible when she saw what it was showing. The car crash. She cuddled a cushion close to her chest, feeling guilty.
"On Tuesday evening, at 10:45,a dreadful car crash occurred. One man, heading North, crashed into a man named Orlando Smith, as a young girl stated to the police." That was her. Lottie felt sick.
"Orlando Smith is now unfortunately in a coma and probably will be for the next few weeks."
Lottie snapped the TV of, unable to face the upsetting news. Quickly, she grabbed her phone and sent the news to Kai, hoping he'd respond kindly.
There was a knock at the door. Lottie, still feeling bad, walked over to it and pulled the handle down. She came face to face with Jo. Arms folded, Jo walked up to her and grabbed her by the arm.
"Jo!" cried Lottie, "What even are you doing!?" Jo didn't respond and pulled Lottie of with her, leading her over to Sugar Lump. Lottie made a desperate attempt and running away but Jo was fast and grabbed her, pulling her right into the tiny cafe right into a chair where all her 'friends' sat around her, all staring right at her.
Normally, Lottie would be happy here but today the was worst possible day to be here. She just wanted to leave but Jo sat directly beside her, poised and ready to grab her if she tried.
"What do you want?" asked Lottie. They all looked at each other, mirroring each others expressions.
"Answers," asked Jo, "Why are you ignoring us? Whats going on Lottie?" It seemed as if Jo was just trying to be friendly but the whole kidnap like thing didn't seem like it was a particularly friendly thing.
Lottie folded her arms over her chest. Why did they have to do this to her? Question her like this. Lottie began to question her friendship with them all. Were they really friends? Lottie thought back to those good old times, where they were all smiling, chatting like real friends. What happened? A lump formed in Lottie's throat. Was it even real?
"What makes you think I'm ignoring you?" snapped Lottie.
Millie snorted.
"Where shall we start?" she said, "Skipping school, ignoring us at the table, leaving us by ourselves, ditching us for Kai."
The way she said Kai's name was as if it was a criminal offence. It irritated Lottie. She banged her fist down on the table causing them all to sit up.
"Why not!" she snapped, "Why not! What kind of friends pull me out of my own house without explaining anything! I question our friendship." Lottie flashed a angry glare at every one of them. What right did they have to pull her out of a house and question her? Is that what friends do?
Millie shrank back instantly. Jo wrapped her arms round her, So Millie was Jo's new bestie. How lovely for Jo to have a new replacement for her.
"Don't snap at Millie!" cried Jo mimicking Lottie's glare. Lottie felt anger surge through her. 'Don't snap at Millie!' Millie snapped at her! Jo couldn't tell her off!
Lottie chose to ignore them. She pulled out her phone and made a massive show of typing.
"Kai," said Millie, peering over her shoulder, "saw it on the news... Saw what!?" Lottie nearly slapped Millie in the face just then. Why was she reading her private messages? She had no right to!
"Stop reading MY messages!" Lottie shouted. Millie made a face, puffing her chest out.
"No," said Millie, "Keep typing, love!" Lottie had had it.
"I'm done!" she yelled, throwing her smoothie over Millie, who screamed and cursed, "THIS FRIENDSHIP IS OVER!"
Jo, Sally and even Millie looked at her in horror.
"Lottie," said Jo, looking close to tears, "Why?"
Lottie glared at her. "I have a new life now," was all she said.
---
Lottie met Kai at Q.S.S later that day. She pulled out her chair and plonked herself down at the same old desk, number 54. Kai grinned at her arrival.
"Drama?" he asked. Lottie stared at him in surprise.
"How the hell do you know?" she asked, curious.
"I can tell" he said smiling, "My older and-not-very-intelligent-brother arrived in the way after having a serious argument with his friends."
Lottie laughed my he said not-very-intelligent.
"Pretty much the same with Madison," she said, "except she throws the chair on the ground."
She grabbed a fresh sheet of paper and pulled out a pencil with a heavy sigh.
"Ok," she said, "New suspects list." She wrote a title.
"Dave Lane and Archie Coxhall are still alive," said Kai, "Put them down."
Lottie scribbled their names down.
"Tobias and Elliott as well," said Lottie as she wrote. Then realisation hit her. They were the only things they knew.
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"Where next?" she asked. Kai shrugged.
"I have no idea."
Both of them were stuck. What could they do next? They sat staring sadly down at the tiny sheet of paper in front of them. It was hopeless. It seemed like they'd reached a dead end. Then finally Kai spoke up.
"What we need to do," he said, "Is find something the killer has that crosses out the rest. Maybe he left something there at a crime scene that shows who he is." Lottie sat up suddenly that caused Kai to smile.
"Idea?" he asked.
"Yup. Lets check the scene!"
Bleep.
"ok," said Lottie laughing, "Not right now then!" Kai leaned over her shoulder to look at the text.
55,
yet another death. Archie Coxhall has been found in the park with an emptied wallet. We tried checking for finger prints this time but none were found. Killer wears gloves, it seems.
Melissa
Kai sighed. "Duh," he said, "A stupid killer would leave a finger print but it was good to check."
Lottie nodded and stood up. "To da park!" she cried and raced of to the door. Kai laughed and dragged himself out of his seat. Someone's keen! He thought, with a grin.
