Murder and Betrayal

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

January 15th 2018

It had been a few days. I was lost. Numbers and words, no meaning, no correlation. I acted like everything was fine. I went to class, I went to work, but my free time I only had one thing to do – find out what these words and numbers meant. Find out why they were on Scott's back and who had done this to him. People ask about him at school. Some people think he's off sick, some people think medical school was too much – he couldn't hack it so he ran away. No one knows that he's dead. How do I tell them anyway? 'Hey guys, I went to Scott's apartment and found his dead body, and rather than calling the cops, took his body and ran a post mortem to find he was killed via strangulation and carved into like last years pumpkin. How was your weekend?'. It's been three days since I found these clues, yet I've gotten nowhere. I didn't know what to do with his body; I left it in the freezer. I was thinking of going back there, but I couldn't get rid of the body. I'd been watching a lot of TV, trying to find out what to do with Scott – I didn't think googling "how to dispose of a dead body" was a good idea. And I wasn't going to go leave him out on the streets.

"Earth to Elliot!! Elliot!! Are you there?!" I turned, facing Emily. "Did you say something? Sorry. Day dreaming got the best of me..." I replied. I didn't know what to do. I needed to tell somebody. "Are you okay? You seem a little.... Vacant. Did something happen?" she asked. Looking up at her face, squinting a little as I shook my head, I forced Emily a smile. After Scott, Emily was my closest friend. Well, now she WAS my closest friend. Not after Scott. Except she didn't know about Scott. Watching her fix her glasses as she looked at the teacher of our class explain how blood was taken, I took notes. As best I could. Turning to Emily, answering her question, I shook my head almost instantly. "Nothing happened. What makes you think something happened? I'm fine. I'm great. There's nothing wrong with me. I am fantastic" I reassured her, realizing the use of all the synonyms probably made it seem like there was something I was concealing ,– like I said, a lot of crime tv drama's. "I don't know what's wrong with you, you're weirder than usual" Emily commented, shaking her head. Maybe I should tell her what I knew? No. She'd think I did it. I took his body, I'd basically incriminated myself by doing that on it's own.

Once the class finished, I ran. I grabbed my bag, pushing my notepad and everything inside it. Taking my car key, I pushed past the bodies of people roaming the halls of the teaching hospital. Sick people, ill people, people who were visiting their sick and ill people. Reaching my car, I threw my backpack into the backseat, punching the steering wheel. Staring at the numbers written on the back of my hand, I read them backwards. Maybe it was a code. It could be so many things. Squeezing the steering wheel in my palms, I stared out at the view from my dashboard window. I was nowhere closer to finding who had done this to Scott. Maybe I should have just called the police and left his body. Shaking my head, refusing to be let down, I drove. I drove towards the old college campus ground. I drove my usual route, waiting just enough to not be caught on the camera. Walking through the halls, the usual route, I stopped outside the morgue door. This was my lair. I was solving my best friends murder. I was Batman to Robin. I was John Diggle to Oliver Queen. I was going to find the person who did this to Scott. Sitting on the stool by the table, I looked over my notes. Maybe I missed something. Engrossed, I scavenged through. Notes on his injuries, notes on the carvings, notes on what was inside his stomach, his organs. Everything. Twirling the scalpel in my hand, I'd gotten used to doing it without cutting me, I saw it. Maybe they were co-ordinates. Something small, somewhere safe, somewhere west? Jotting down the co-ordinates idea, I skimmed through the report on his post mortem. I'd pretended I was running tests on a patient who had died at work, it was important to have friends in the lab who would cover for you.

"Motherf**ker" I cursed. Looking at the blood pouring from my fingertip, the scalpel dropping to the ground. Staring down at the cut across my pointer finger, I stood to look around for a bandage. Careful to not let any blood drop on the floor, I rummaged through bandages and plasters in the first aid kit. Focusing on fixing my finger, I rested my hand on the table my dead friend had been laying on a few nights ago. Staring down at the pictures of his dead body, I let out a breathless sigh. Would I ever get anywhere? Would I ever find out who did this to him? It was starting to feel like I was doomed, never to find the culprit. Taking a cotton wool and the bottle of sterilizer, I bit down on her lip to keep myself from screaming once the liquid burnt the cut.... BANG! What was that?! BANG!! Someone was outside this door. I was so careful. How did the police find me? They'd find Scott's body. They'll think I did this. I'll never become a doctor. I'll never find out who killed Scott... BANG!!! I hid. I moved. I turned off the light. Lying on the flood under the table, I watched as the door peaked over. Squinting to try and catch a glimpse of the silhouette, I watched as the individual moved into the room. Usually the police come in groups. Who was that? Watching them move around to navigate the light switch, I prayed. Hoping they never find the switch and just leave. "Who's there? I heard a scream earlier. I know there's someone in here!" the shadow spoke. I knew that voice. "What are you doing here? I know it's you, Elliot. I saw you coming into the building" she followed me? "Tell me what you're doing. You've been acting weird for the last three days. Is Scott here too? What are you two planning?" if only she knew about Scott. She found it, she found the switch. I stayed still. Watching her move to the table, focused on the pictures atop the table. I heard her scream. She saw the pictures of Scott. "Is this some kind of fucking prank?" she spoke. "You guy better come out right now. These pictures are so fake. I know it!" she spoke, almost confidently. I didn't move. If only you knew, Emily. If only you know what had really happened to Scott? Even I didn't know.

I saw her legs move from under the table. "Fuck" I mumbled after I shuffled, causing a bit of a racket. "Gotcha!" Emily spoke as she knelt down to where I was hiding. "Now, where's Scott?" she asked. I stayed silent. Standing tall, cleaning the knees of my jeans, I watched her as she searched for him. "He's not here," I told her. "This is a sick prank. Who did the make up on him? Look at how pale he looks in these pictures, Elliot. He looks sick" she spoke on. I stayed silent, stopping my lower lip from quivering. "Where is he?" she asked again. Listening to her repeat the question, I tried my hardest not to look in the direction of the freezer he was in. I failed. She walked over. I stood idle, almost unable to move. Soon, she'd know too.

"What's this?" Emily asked as she stood by the freezer with the pictures. I shook my head as she told me about the 'makeup' Scott was wearing in the picture. He's dead, Emily. It's not make-up, he looks like that because he's dead. He has no life in his body. I looked at the picture however. How did I not notice that? His eyelids. Words. Letters. "ST" and "GE". Now, what did those letters mean?

"EMILY!! HE IS DEAD. DEAD!" Elliot reasoned. Emily wasn't having any of it, though. Shaking her head in disbelief, she pleaded with him to wake up. "We're not pranking. I promise. It'd be a sick joke if we were, but we're not. So, get a grip, okay?" Elliot spoke rather harshly, knowing that would be the only way she'd get it. "He can't be dead. How? Why? How? What? HOW?" Emily questioned, water filling her eyes. "No he can't be. Maybe he's just pranking the both of us? Maybe he's doing it to the both of us?" Emily spoke, Scott no I don't believe it how what Elliot how did this happen. Sit down Emily I couldn't come to terms with it myself how could I possibly explain it to her Jesus what have I gotten myself into look it all started a couple of days ago... as I explained to her what had happened she began to grasp as though she was having a panic attack her face looked as though it was going to explode and the veins began to show in her forehead as though they was about to burst as I held her hand and rubbed my hand on her arm look Emily what happened was horrible and cruel but I've been trying to figure out his death and solve this murder he was my best friend you know he was our Scottie he was my brother for 9 years I understand if you don't want to be involved I don't blame you I understand if you want to call the police that's your choice but remember this was our Scott the guy who punched your ex-boyfriend for harassing you the guy who gave you your first high and stayed with you in the hospital all night when you was having your appendix taken out as Emily cried no I want to help I want to find his murderer I want to avenge his death I want to kill the sick basterd who did this to him as she wiped her tears and sniffled what do you need me to do how can I help El? Look Emily before you get involved are you sure you want to do this you seem scared and your still upset why don't you get some rest think about it and then tell me no as she cleared her throat and wiped her tears I want to help I'm fine don't worry about me trust me ill be fine it breaks my heart to know he's no longer with us but if I can help avenge and figure out my best friends death it would give me some conciliation. Thank you, Emily, anyways it's going to be a very long night and I'm hungry are you hungry I'm starved I'm going to get some food for us and if you could go over them pictures on the table maybe you can find what I'm missing and figure the riddle out as I said walking out the door.