The Secrets of Cedar Creek

21 : Secrets in the Walls

The door swings open and Avalon rushes in. Sylv and I drop our hands.

"Sorry I'm late," Avalon murmurs, closing the door behind her. "Should I tell the others to come too?"

"No," I shake my head quickly, "guys, there's something you need to know."

"Well, spit it out. Is Hayden a suspect?" Sylv grumbles.

"No..." I choke out, remembering the sheer sorrow in his eyes. "He didn't even know she was dead. I'm the first person to tell him."

"Does he live under a rock? Hasn't he seen the news?"

"What makes you think Hayden watches the news? Does anyone even watch the news anymore?"

"Fair point," Avalon admits. 

"Hayden told me that he saw Paige in the Den about six months ago," I start, "but she wasn't looking for Hayden. She was looking for Cliff."

"Cliff? Why would Cliff be in the Den?" Avalon asks innocently.

"Paige found him. She found him and she saw him dealing drugs... and doing other – not so nice – things."

"Cliff's not a drug dealer," Avalon says sceptically.

"That makes sense. Paige told me she was worried about Cliff," Sylv says, looking thoughtfully at the ground. "So what's your theory?"

"I don't want to say it."

"You think Cliff killed Paige to cover his tracks?"

"Don't even say that," Avalon quips, "I don't even believe he's into drugs, let alone could kill someone. Where's your proof any of this even happened?"

"I read it –" Oh f*ck. I think fast, "Hayden texted me last night, after I left, telling me anything he remembered to help figure out who did this to Paige."

"F*ck," Sylv sighs, running a hand through his thick dark hair. His jaw bulges as he grits his teeth. "So what happens now? Confront him?"

"This is ridiculous," Avalon throws up her hands, "I can't believe it. I don't want to believe it."

"I'll talk to him."

"Maybe I should," Sylv interjects, "man to man."

"He likes me the best," Avalon says, "plus it seems like I'm the only one on his side anyways. Let me."

"No. I went to Hayden, I'll go to Cliff." I bite my lip. "He won't tell either of you the truth. If we want this for Paige, then we need to expose every secret."

I hear Avalon mumble under her breath, "we all have secrets."

.

.

.

"I've been reading the police reports and –"

"How did you get your hands on the police reports?" I butt in, wondering how I could possibly get my hands on some of Paige's.

"Friend in the FBI. Do you have the capacity of withholding your interruptions?" he comments with snark.

"Do you have the capacity of withholding your *sshole?"

Iris rolls his eyes, dark eyebrows and long lashes framing them. "Anyways, back to what I was saying. I was reading the reports and I've recognised that there were a lot of hidden things in the house; hidden hidey holes, secret compartments, etc."

"Secrets in the walls."

"Hundreds of them. I'm betting that the police didn't find all of them, which is why I tracked down some blueprints of the estate to see if we could maybe find some that they missed." He runs his hand through his hair in thought. "I read the rest of Jasmine's journal and there doesn't seem to be any real striking evidence that would confirm the parents had anything to do with their murder. But my suspicion remains – so we'll have to find evidence elsewhere."