Protecting Alice

Chapter 11: Try And Catch Wallace Burke

The holidays were finally over and it was back to college classes.  Alice was not looking forward to facing Wallace Burke in History 300 class.  Asher reassured her, "It will be okay, kitten.  If he tries anything, you know I will punch him in his pretty boy teacher face."  She gave him sweet smile and said, "You are cute when you get all protective over me.  I love you, Ash."  He smirked then kissed her lips.  Asher finally got a nickname after Alice tried out several different ones before settling on Ash. 

Jeremy and Penny offered to help keep Mr. Burke busy by pretending to have motorcycle trouble.  Nick, Ashton, and Tara still thought Wallace Burke was innocent.  They were investigating Burke's teaching assistant, Jameson Houston.  Asher and Alice had a plan to catch Wallace Burke.  It would begin after class.  They signaled at Jeremy to let him know that the plan was a go.  Alice really felt disheartened that Carly's case was pitting her against her own family in discovering the truth which was simple: Wallace Burke was guilty.  She was relieved that Jeremy and Penny were finally coming around to believing her and Asher.  Max chose to stay out of it ever since he got his memory back. He kept his head down trying to survive life without his love Carly. 

Wallace Burke came into the room and greeted the class.  He put his black glasses on as he wrote on the board.  His eyes stared at Alice giving her very uncomfortable and questionable looks. Wallace took off his glasses quickly to indirectly show her that the guy that killed Carly was him all along.  He was taunting and teasing her as he began teaching.  He called on Asher to say, "Mr. Parker, can you tell me why you aren't paying attention in my class?"  Asher was at a loss of words after being caught off guard by Wallace Burke's false bravado as he came towering over him.  Mr. Burke challenged him to try and talk back to him.  Asher said politely, "I will pay attention."  Wallace was using his authority to try and intimidate Asher and Alice.  It wasn't going to work since they were standing strong against him. 

Wallace walked over to Alice and whispered, "You will never catch me, Miss Townsend.  No one will believe you since I am a model teacher.  Yes, your boyfriend may have protected you thus far but I won't miss again."  Alice held back her tears as she glared at him.  She managed to whisper, "Carly was my close friend and we will both stop you!" He went back to teaching as Asher texted her, "We will find the evidence to put him away today.  It took everything for me not to attack him in the middle of class."  Class was dismissed but Wallace grabbed Alice's hand violently when she was trying to leave with Asher.  He said, "You don't know what I am capable of my dear sweet innocent Alice."  Asher turned around and decked Mr. Burke.  He screamed, "Don't you ever grab my fiancée again!  You will be behind bars soon!"  Wallace Burke was left with a black eye and Asher was lucky no one was around to witness what had occurred. 

Jeremy and Penny were waiting outside the building for them when Asher said, "You guys know what to do.  Stall him anyway you can."  Asher gave Alice a kiss and a swift promise, "I promise that we will end this madness today.  I love you!"  Alice smiled and replied, "Today will be the day when Carly's killer is brought to justice.  I love you too!"  They quickly ran to his car hand in hand.  Asher drove to Mr. Burke's home after googling the directions.  Alice held on to his arm tightly when they finally reached his residence.  Asher learned how to pick locks from Jeremy since this plan had been in motion since the day after Christmas.  Asher and Alice couldn't rest well until Wallace Burke was out of the way.  They scanned all of the rooms for evidence until Alice almost fell into a secret passageway. 

Luckily, Asher grabbed her by the waist and held her gently.  He said, "You found it!  I am glad I caught you before you fell down that staircase."  Alice twirled her engagement ring because she was so nervous about being in this creepy basement.  Asher held her tightly as they looked around together.  It was a large basement filled with knives and guns on the walls.  There was huge picture of Carly over a fireplace but it was ruined by red spray paint.  The words that were spray painted were: "The slut that left me for someone else." 

Meanwhile, Jeremy and Penny were stalling Wallace Burke by asking to use his cell phone to call for a tow truck for his motorcycle.  Penny was pretending to flirt with Mr. Burke which was making Jeremy sick to his stomach.  Wallace gave her his number. They were able to get him to talk for an hour.  Alice found Wallace's diary in a bookcase close to the TV. It read, "I killed Carly because she stabbed me in the back by breaking my heart so I did the same to her.  No one was going to have her if I couldn't.  That girl, Alice Townsend, needs to die along with Max who was Carly's boyfriend. He stole her from me! Afterwards, I will leave San Marcos for good.  That boyfriend of Alice's keeps ruining my plans so cutting his brake line will kill them both.  Everyone thinks I'm innocent since I passed the polygraph test.  They are all very stupid."  She showed Asher the last entry in the diary.  Jeremy texted them, "Leave the psychos house now!"  They hurried out of his house just in time. 

Wallace was driving towards his house.  Asher and Alice pulled away from the neighborhood right before Wallace pulled into his driveway.  Wallace or the black hoodie guy knew something looked off so he ran inside and noticed the secret passage to his basement had been opened.  He screamed, "No, it can't be!  It has to be the work of Alice and Asher.  I should have known when Penny was flirting with me that it was a ruse."  He started to grab his most prized gun and said, "It will all end today.  They won't take me alive!  I will make sure that Alice and her meddling boyfriend won't survive this time."

Asher sped to Alice's house so they could give the diary to Nick.  Alice was on the phone with the cops saying, "Please come quick to the Townsend residence.  My dad found a diary at Wallace Burke's place.  He confessed to murdering Carly and his attempts at me, Asher, and Max."  They found Nick about to leave the house when they flagged him down.  He was given the diary already opened to the page he needed to read.  Nick was in shock as Alice and Asher told him the events that occurred that day.  The police were on their way and not a moment too soon.  Wallace Burke was going to be arrested soon but he wouldn't go down without a fight.