The Drifter

C H A P T E R 4 5

C H A P T E R  F O R T Y – F I V E
Two Bodyguards

I'll be back tomorrow afternoon, maybe later
Match is tomorrow morning
Wish us luck!
Aunt Mia x

That was the note that greeted me a few days later, first thing in the morning.

My laptop had been returned to me not too long later after the police obtained a warrant for its seizure with the suspicion confirmed that the murderer had used gloves when accessing my laptop so only my fingerprints showed up during the forensic testing. Astonishingly Detective Larkins had been the one to return my laptop to me with a personal visit to the house. It was then when he asked, "Why would the murderer leave a note on Nate for you, Addison? Can you think of any possibilities?"

Why was he repeating the question? I'd been asked a similar one when I was first notified of the note. Did they already know the answer and wanted to cross-reference it with my response to verify my innocence?

Honestly, Arianna had implanted that thought into my brain after I confessed about the note and the music in my playlist and discovering Robbie's dead body. She'd squashed her lips to the side for several seconds before asking the question.

Robbie's parents were on a mini holiday a few towns over to a hotel they frequented regularly as part of a short romantic getaway they do every year, but they'd packed their luggage and returned home once they were informed of the news regarding Robbie. His older siblings were either in college or had moved out, and his younger sister, Janine, had been staying over at a friend's house for a few nights. "An extended sleepover," she'd clarified to the police which was eventually leaked to the public.

"I don't know," I replied honestly to Detective Larkins. "Should I?"

He gazed at me curiously. "We have a theory. We've noticed some sort of a trend with some of the victims. Olympia was friends with Isla so it's easy to see the correlation to the order of victims, and then Dave has history with Olympia. But the video had been uploaded of Olympia, almost as a warning to us that she would be next. We believe that the same is being done to you, Addison, with that note."

"You think I'm the next victim?" I spluttered.

The breath had been knocked out of me, much like when I discovered Robbie's body. The thought seemed preposterous to me that I would be next. It was one of those things that you believe won't ever happen to you but to someone else. But the victims all mostly knew one another, and it seemed apt for them to hypothesise that I would be the subsequent victim or a future victim.

"We believe it's quite a conclusive theory. Which is why we'd like to ask for your permission to attach bodyguards and security to wherever you go. I believe you don't have work for two days, do you? Including today, to clarify."

"I'm not in again until Monday, yeah," I agreed. "And what will this extra security entail?"

"A bodyguard, but mainly a few cars stationed outside your house. They'll be discreet, don't worry. I have called your aunt already and ran everything by her. She agrees if you do. You're over eighteen so it's completely your decision."

"Okay," I agreed. And then a thought occurred to me. "So I just have to stay caged up in my house?" I asked rather indignantly, which was the least of my problems when you think about it.

My priorities were fucked up.

"Actually, no." He exhaled softly. "Your neighbour, Aidan Blake, has extended his courtesies to allow you to stay at his house." He spoke rather sarcastically in regard to Aidan, but it was touching to know he wanted to look out for me – Aidan, that is. Not Detective Larkins. "If you'd like to pack a bag or two and I can ensure you get to his house safely, despite it being across the road. The bodyguards aren't stationed yet because we were waiting for your approval. Anyway, he has functioning CCTV and we'll keep our word with the security. A bodyguard will only be required if you two leave the house, but they'll maintain a distance for your privacy, if that is what you'd prefer."