Mystery Loves Company

Chapter 39 - File #5.10: The Blink Ring

Rhett

If anyone knows how to un-curse a bad luck, please tell me. I really, really need that right now.

This wasn't about me falling to the ground face first, or stepping on a dog poop, or getting hit by a suspect's car. This was about a more serious matter, which came in form of The Exclusives.

I was excited to finally see them in person. I was eager to uncover and catch them more than ever. Only I should've known that in order of doing so, I should prepare for everything, like putting my phone on vibrate when hiding from a bunch of alleged criminals.

I froze for a second when I heard my ringtone in the air. It wasn't the first time I got in trouble for letting my phone rings just like that. Pine's class, the morning when Beth came... and now this. Avery usually gave me a deadly look if not a scold, but her eyes were blank as if her soul flew out of her body—and that's when I started panicking. I tried not to move much because I could hit the table, but my phone was just stuck in my pocket.

"What is that?" Barlow asked.

I quickly glance back at the men through the table gaps. They were slowly moving their eyes towards our direction.

We're dead.

I didn't want to glance at Avery right now. She was the one who begged me not to come here, and now I was endangering herself too. She might think she was strong, but the moment those men set foot in this room, she looked like she was giving up on her life. Yeah, even though all the things that happened today were completely my fault, I would still going to kill whoever calling me.

Good thing the ring died immediately. I was too afraid to check their reaction, but I could hear Detective Evans said, "It's just a phone, Barlow, don't need to be so surprised."

"With our situation at stake, I have the right to be cautious," Barlow spat. "It's all because of Norris."

"I don't like to blame a dead man, but I know it's all started with him," said Miller. "Continue your story, Evans."

"Wait." The mysterious man, who was standing with his back facing us all this time, spoke, and the room became silence all of a sudden. "Do you remember our last meeting with Norris? It didn't even last long because he said someone was following him."

"Yeah, why?" Miller got up. "Hold on. I knew the back door was weird. Someone broke in here, and it wasn't a robber. You mean... it was that someone?"

Not only them, I also felt anxious.

"What if it was a police?" Barlow sounded scared. "It could be the Chief who was following him."

"Trust me, the Chief had something better to do than to follow him around," told Detective Evans. "Norris was just paranoid because we were about to find out what he was doing."

"And what was that?" Miller snarled. "What was the thing that only both of you know, that he was keeping for so long, but in the end, decided to tell the Chief about?"

Despite almost being caught, I put my ears to listen to what could be the motive to kill him—but Avery's fingers clenched on my arm harder that she could probably rip my sweater if she kept doing that. I ignored it and tried to focus, but it got interrupted again by the sound of broken glass. It came from the front of the shop.

"What now?!" Miller yelled and left the room. Barlow followed him.

Detective Evans was about to go too, but he was stopped by that man. He finally turned and showed his side profile, but the dim light bulbs that were used gave poor lighting to the room.