Home to Avonlea

30. Anne's Beaux

It was not Joseph's decision to take a week off from school, he had been going almost every day since he'd moved to Avonlea.

Joseph had been planning on attending to keep up the facade that he was a regular student but Mr Bines found out about the Detective interviewing people and he insisted Joseph stay home for a week until things blew over. He didn't want to risk being discovered and if he saw Diana or Gilbert if they went to school then they'd most likely give something away in front of the other students. He had attacked Gilbert and had most likely damaged Gilbert's vocal cords beyond repair but he was a smart boy so there was still a chance he could get a message across despite these hurdles Joseph threw in his path.

Joseph still worked his plan while being off school. Joseph decided to send the wheels in motion and pay a visit to one of his biggest fans from school, Billy Andrews. The boy would do pretty much anything he said and had been a shadow to Joseph ever since he started in school.

Joseph set out early that day before school began. It was a crisp spring morning, dew glistening on the fresh grass and the trees dripping from the rain showers like leaves weeping in the soft sunlight.

The Andrews house was large and the family were well off. Billy's two sisters Prissy and Jane didn't like Joseph all that much due the fact that Billy was a huge fan of him. Joseph looked over the wall into their back garden and saw that there was a path leading out into the neighbouring woods. He heard the echoing crack of a pellet hitting a tree and knew instantly that Billy was out shooting.

Joseph followed the well-trodden dirt path through the slightly gloomy woods. The trees creaked and moaned in the morning wind and the bracken scurried with sleepy animals. Joseph quickly found the boy as he wasn't particularly stealthy.

"Billy Andrews!" Joseph called lut. "What a blessed coincidence I met just the man I needed to see." Joseph flashed his charismatic smile.

Billy turned around and lowered his rifle. He was proud of the weapon and took every opportunity to use it and to show it off, often bringing it to school to casually have slung over his shoulder. He had the idea that it gave a grown up, dangerous and masculine edge to him but in truth it made him look ignorant and rather foolish.

"Joseph, hey bud." Billy walked over to the curly-haired blond boy. "What did you want?"

"To talk, really--" Joseph took on a serious expression. "I've witnessed something... terrible. I'm not entirely sure what to do about it..."

"What did you see?" Billy frowned.

"That orphan girl who doesn't come to school anymore, the one you told me about? Anne is her name, I think?" Joseph said.

Billy nodded. Anything to do with Anne would be entertaining, he was listening.

"Well, I--I saw her... breaking into houses and taking things last night -- I know this sounds crazy, surely she wouldn't do such a thing -- I don't know what to do..."

"No frickin way!" Billy was ecstatic. "Breaking into houses and stealing? Joseph, which houses?"

"The Mantleyews, the Burns, the Cuttles, the Frailles... I think. I don't understand, why would she do this?" Joseph asked, disbelief painted on his face.

Billy sneered knowingly. "Anne isn't like us, she's a mental case. She's from an asylum full of other crazy criminal kids." He shook his head. "I wouldn't put it past her to be a crazy criminal like all the rest."

"That's awful. She shouldn't be living here with us, she has to be stopped. Somebody has to stop her! What if she does it again? I'll bet she'll go out again tonight to see if she missed anything in the houses she broke into..." Joseph fretted.