Riverwood

Chapter 30

"I don't get it if Mandy is the killer and she's out with Nolan, then who attacked
you?" Randy asks.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out." I say as I notice Brock realizing something. "Something you wanna tell us?"

"I should've told you this sooner, but it could've been Paisley." Brock says.

"I thought they caught Paisley." Brea says.

"They got the wrong girl it wasn't Paisley. She's still out there, could be in Riverwood and qhuite possibly could've attacked Hannah and Diego tonight."

"How could you not tell us?" Diego asks angrily.

"I didn't wanna worry you more than you already are." He says.

"Detective Brock, we found this." The young officer who I met on the day Woody was killed, approaches us and hands Brock a plastic bag with a file inside. "We think the killer tried to take this too."

"Too?" Brock asks taking the file out.

"Yes, all of their files are missing and this was just outside of the window on the first floor, we think it fell when he was escaping." The young officer replies.

"All of our files?" I ask.

"Yes we checked, the door to the office was open and we checked each file. Hannah, Diego, Aubrey, Nolan, Randy and Breanna's files are missing."

"And whose file is this?" Randy asks.

"Mandy." Brock replies.

"He was taking it so we wouldn't find out." Diego says.

"Paisley could've attacked us because we were in her way. Maybe she was there to steal the files while Mandy was keeping Nolan busy and using him as an alibi." I say shaking my head. How could I have missed this?!

"He must've known we saw it that's why he attacked you, then tried to take all the files, but he failed this time. As of now, we're one step ahead of him. Don't let her know you know." Brock says.

"But we have to tell Nolan, obviously." Aubrey says.

"Make sure he doesn't act any different around her." Brock nods his head and turns around to leave.

"Are you guys okay? How hurt are you?" Brea asks.

"We're fine, just a couple of bruises." I say reassuring them to not worry.

We head to the station after Brock asks Diego and I to answer some more questions. We call Nolan and ask him to meet us at the police station's parking lot, alone, before telling  him what happened. It doesn't take him a while to arrive, he gets out of his van with a huge smile on his face and walks towards us happily.

"Hey guys why did you ask me to meet you guys here?" He asks, the smile not fading away from his face. The fact that we're meeting at the police station doesn't seem to make him aware of what might be going on at all. He's completely oblivious to what has happened and he doesn't seem to be putting the pieces together.

"How was the date?" Aubrey asks with a small smile.

"It was amazing, Mandy is amazing. We had the most awesome time. I never thought I'd find someone who understands me like she does. We have so much in common. I asked her to be my date to the dance." He finally stops talking, the smile still there. "What?"

"Nolan something happened." I say slowly try I g to make him understand.

"You're hurt." He says as he notices both our arms wrapped in gauze.

"That's what were trying to tell you Nolan, Hannah and Diego were attacked tonight in the school." Aubrey says.

"What?" Nolan says then hugs us both at once. "I'm so sorry."

"We think we know who the killer is Nolan." I say as he stares at us wide eyed.

"What? Who? Tell me!" He demands.

"Dude I'm sorry." Randy says. "It's Mandy, man."

For a moment he stays silent, look at us one by one then hurts out laughing. We all share a confused look and I genuinely think he's lost it. "Is this a joke? Are you guys pranking me?" He laughs then his face turns red from anger. "I was just with her while you were attacked how many more times are you going to spoil this for me? Why are you doing this?" He yells.

"Because it's the truth." I yell. "See for yourself and wake up already Nolan." I say shoving the file on his chest and walking away, my shoulder bumping into his. "I'll be inside to talk to Brock."

***

"Maybe you shouldn't have yelled at him, he's taking this really hard." Brea whispers as we all look at Nolan crying for a straight 30 minutes now, while Aubrey tries to console him.

"I know, I can't believe he finally accepted the fact that his new girlfriend is the killer." I say.

"Hannah, come on in." Brock gestures with his head.

I walk into his office and take a seat as he pops down in his chair behind the desk, scratches the back of his bald head the sighs. "Nolan seems to be taking it well."

"Very." I says sarcastically.

"You're not gonna like this." He says.

"No offense detective Brock, but when have I ever liked anything you've said." I say rolling my eyes.

"When I said I'm getting your boyfriend out of jail, anyways." He changes the subject.

"Ex-boyfriend." I correct him quietly and his eyes go wild.

"Hiego is no more?" He asks surprised and I furrow my eyebrows in confusion and stare at him awkwardly. "What? Isn't that what the kids are doing this days? You call it ships shipnames?"

"Oh my God Detective Brock! Your point?" I say crossing my arms and lean back in my chair, trying to hold in my laugh.

"Right, Hannah don't you think there might be someone else to point fingers at here?" He says getting all serious again.

"Who?" I ask, afraid of the answer.

"Nolan."

"What? That's crazy!" I raise my voice and stand up, the chair falls back from the sudden movement.

"Think about it Hannah, they were together but what if they really weren't. What if it's all a story, Nolan's crying all an act to throw away any suspicion."

"No no it can't be." I say shutting my eyes to unhear what he said.

"Hannah it's my job to treat everyone as a suspect."

"Well mine's not. He's my friend. You do what you gotta do but I suggest you stay away from Nolan or any of my friends. Because we're not the enemy here." I say and storm out of the office.

My eyes immediately find Nolan, who's not crying anymore. Instead, he sits in the waiting room, no expression on his phone and types away on his face like he doesn't have a care in the world. And seeing him I can't help but wonder, could detective Brock be right?