A raven's secret

The problem with big city detectives...

Shock hung thickly in the air. Next to me I sensed Ashton tense up. Across the table Scott drew in a sharp breath. Mom and Vallerie grew silent like the grave.

No one was sure how to respond. We sat there in silence as Dad left for work. Dinner felt spoilt for some reason. Mom tried to get us all excited again by bringing out the dessert that she had made: a chocolate pudding that was delicious, but the mousse tasted like mud in my mouth. The conversation wasn't as lively anymore, and even though we all tried to act like nothing had happened, we were unsuccessful in achieving it.

"We should probably go," Ashton said after we had finished the dessert.

"I'll walk you out," Mom said and all of us stood up. Scott walked with Vallerie to the door and Ashton waked next to me.

"Sorry the dinner didn't go as planned," I said to Ashton.

"That's not your fault," he replied. "You didn't know that this would happen. I just wish I knew who was taking these kids." Ashton said the last sentence with quite some venom, and for a second I could see the same anger in him that I could see in Scott.

Ashton and Vallerie had come in Ashton's car. It was a blue mustang, and Scott admired Ashton's set of wheels. "Nice ride." He whistled and admired the car from a distance.

"Boys," Mom whispered at us and smiled at the guys who were now engrossed in a conversation of how Ashton had acquired  the car. Apparently he had saved all his money since he was 13 to get it.

"I've always wanted a blue mustang, but I was afraid I wouldn't have enough saved up to buy it. Than I got a special deal." Ashton seemed pleased with the attention his car got. He placed a hand on the blue beauty and smiled.

"Who did you buy it from?" Scott asked.

"Mr. Wink."

A silence fell on both me and Scott. "Mr. Wink?" Scott asked, almost as if he was sacred he hadn't heard him correctly.

"Yes, Mr. Wink had come here with his blue mustang when he moved to town a few years ago. I had admitted in his shop that I liked his car and that I would love to get one like it. He then said he was thinking of selling the mustang, and he gave me a deal I couldn't refuse." Ashton looked at us with a strange expression on his face. "Is this about the person I bought the car from?" he asked with a frown.

"Who is Mr. Wink?" Mom asked.

"You don't know?" Scott asked surprised. "He owns the Candy Store in town. You must have heard of him. I was only in school for a day when someone told me about him. He is creepy as hell." Scott seemed to shiver.

"Well that is not a nice thing to say," Mom said with a look in Scott's direction.

"Obviously you have never been in the store," I said dryly. Mom always thought the best of everyone. I remember the story with the grocery store owner, and smiled involuntarily.

"You need to go there one day during your break," Scott said. "Tomorrow, maybe."

"I will," Mom said determined. "Then I'll give you a full report on what I think of him."

Ashton and Vallerie laughed and took their departure.  Mom waved as they drove down the road. "Well, they were really nice." She seemed impressed. "Vallerie is a lovely girl."

Scott didn't say much, only walked back into the house, but I was sure I saw a light blush creeping up his neck. 

* * * * * * * * *

HIstory was the only class I had with Ashton, but it wasn't the only class I had with Brandon.

Brandon was in my math class too, and today he made a point of singling me out, despite Ashton's warning to leave me alone. He walked up to my table in class after lunch and stood in front of me with a smile.

"Another kid went missing yesterday," he said, as if I was clueless.

"I know," I responded.

"Has your Dad found her yet?" Brandon asked sweetly.

The newest missing kid was also a girl. Mary Harington. She was reported missing by her parents. But this time there was camera footage of her walking near the bus stop. There was a theory floating that she was kidnapped and put on the bus, but the footage shows that she only walked past the bus stop, and she was alone. She didn't get on the bus, voluntarily or by force.

I didn't answer Brandon's question, just stared at him.

Brandon looked at me, his smile never leaving his face. "Do you know what the problem is with big city detectives?" he whispered to me.

Once again I refused to answer.

Brandon bended closer towards me, up to the point where his lips were right next to my ear. I couldn't move, even if I wanted to smack the grin off his face.

"They think they know everything. They're the big boys, you see, but in small towns a shiny badge doesn't mean that much." He pulled away and walked to his chair, just as the teacher came into the classroom. A few of the kids in the class looked at me with question marks written clearly on their faces.

The look Brandon had given me before he walked away was downright menacing. I felt weak at the knees, and my face was probably showing it. He, and all the other people in this town, thought my dad was a bad detective. And if kids kept going missing, the 'big detective' was going to get it...

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