At Gunpoint

Chapter 13

"There must be a pattern..." I muttered to myself as I paced back and forth by the tree where Max had been found dangling. I stopped dead in my tracks. Well obviously, I slapped myself across the forehead, and resumed walking. The tree itself, plus about a 2 meter radius all around it was still cordoned off as for being a crime scene. I got a little excited thinking I was standing by an actual, real crime scene like the ones I'd seen in the movies and tv shows for as long as I could remember, although I quickly suppressed the exhilaration when recalling the occasion. It was only that it was such a surreal feeling.

Ever since I had been randomly scrolling through the tv channels and come across CSI Miami as a kid I had always dreamt about having a team like that of my own. Not that I was there quite yet, but a start was a start, no matter how small. Mom had always joined me and we had shared theories and had either handed out highfives or yelled at the TV depending on if we'd been right or wrong in calling out the culprit. I noticed a tear dripping off my chin and wiped it off sharply. What could all the victims have in common? There was Max, who I didn't know a lot about, but from what I'd seen he seemed like a nice kid. A little temperamental perhaps, but otherwise just fine. The rest of the victims I didn't know at all, except for their names. Gabriel, Anthony's brother. The other three I had no connection to whatsoever were called Victoria, Thomas and Julian. From what I had gathered from Google, the almighty source of information for everyone who lived in the 21st century, Thomas and Victoria had attended the same school, meanwhile the rest had gone to three different schools. It was pretty unlikely they all knew each other, so I put that connection on hold in the back of my head. Perhaps they all had bad grades, and a particurarly picky teacher couldn't stand having the whole class's average brought down. I laughed audibly at the insane idea. Then I ceased. What if actually? I spun around on the heels of my shoes and headed towards the large, old fashioned brick building that was the library.

-

"You look amazing."

I turned my head way too quickly, and found myself staring into a pair of really gorgerous, dark grey eyes.

"Um, thanks?" I smiled questioning, not sure how to push the conversation forward. Luckily, the boy did.

"Are you alone?"

"Um, yeah." I answered, shutting my eyes for a split second. Why this sudden incapability of replying with something other but 'Um'? The boy took the seat next to me on the couch like it had been reserved for him all night.

"Lucky for me." He smiled with a load of confidence. In a swift motion, he'd placed one gentle hand on my jaw and the other on my thigh, and was leaning forward. And me, feeling a bit light headed as well as giggly, let it happen. Our lips met and the boy's tounge was quick to find its way. Someone in the background let out an angry shout, sounding a lot like cursing mixed with something about a wine stain. It simply passed through one ear and out the other, I was caught up in the moment, just as some alcohol and a cute boy might do to you. All of a sudden the room seemed to turn upside down. The scenery was wobbling violently and there was more shouting. This time not about wine stains.

"...lucky I found you. Kase? Kase! You didn't accept any pills from anyone did you? Wake the hell up!"

I slipped out of my dream straight into reality, Harry's familiar gaze staring at me only inches from my face.

"Woah!" I sat up stiff as a stick, knocking the borrowed library laptop over. "What time is it?"

"Past midnight, you idiot. What are you doing in the library?" Harry's hand had stopped shaking my shoulder some time mid sentence, but it was still laying upon it firmly.

"What? Oh, Harry! Their grades!

"What grades?" Harry shot me a questioning look. Exhilarated I pushed myself up into standing position, Harry's hand sliding of my shoulder, the top of my cardigan tagging along a bit down my arm.

"A pattern!"

"Tell me then!" He said, his voice tinted with impatiance, excitement and annoyance all at the same time.

"I've looked through their school files, and all of the victims's grades have gone down rapidly, starting from the term before summer vacation. It's a common denominator, Harry! A pattern, finally!" I exclaimed happily.

"Kasey, that's... Wait, how did you get into their school files anyway?"

"Doesn't matter." I waved him off, and picked the laptop off the chair it had fallen down on, luckily still intact and functioning. "This is amazing!"

"Yeah." Harry mumbled, fascinated. "But where do we go from here?"

"Oh, I didn't even think about that, must've fallen asleep before I got that far."

I recalled the dream I'd had before Harry had walked in and abruptly woken me up from it, and I could feel my cheeks growing hot. It had been a flashback of when I'd met Anthony at that party. That night he didn't tell me he was a high schooler until we parted ways. I smiled discretly at the memory. It had been charming, him not wanting to reveal his age because, in his words, I had been 'way out of his league'. Which obviously I was not, I was not out of anyone's leauge, barerly even weighing on the verge of even being in anyone's leauge to start with. Suddenly the situation had turned very uncomfortable, knowing Harry's feelings towards Anthony, and what my brain seemed to enjoy thinking about in my sleep.

"Why are you blushing?"

"I'm not." I replied a little too quickly to appear truthful. I decided to do what I did best, and change the subject. "Did you say it was midnight? Why didn't the librarian wake me up? How did you find me in here?"

There, that should be enough questions to make Harry forget what he'd asked to begin with.

"You were as good as undetectable behind your laptop and stack of school records piled up in front of you on the table, maybe that's why the librarian left. And me, I was just heading to a party they're having a this in dorm B. You," Harry scanned me from head to toe and shot me a meaning look, eyebrows raised, "look like you could need a break from detective work."

"But I have loads to do for school-"

"AND from homework." He stated flatly, and started pulling me towards the door. As much as hated to admit it, he was stronger than me, and I had no choice than to follow unless I felt like being dragged with force.