It's a Long Story

Chapter Twenty-Seven - Now

"Rihanna?"

The brunette shaking my shoulders, known as the culprit herself, looked at me with furrowed eyebrows, "Yeah?" she questioned with an uncertain look, she looked deeply into my cold stare, "Are you okay?" she questioned. 

I stepped back, pushing my hands underneath her wrists, as if I was awarding her wrists back to her, "I'm fine." I simply replied back, walking back to my mother, Scarlett, Scarlett's dad and Chi. 

"Hey dad," Scarlett began, her emerald eyes drifted towards my mother, "and Blairs mother," she added earning the attention from both adults, "is it alright if me, Chi and Blair take a walk for a while?" she questioned with a hopeful look, "You know to process everything?" 

I could tell that wasn't what Scarlett had in mind. I watched from a distance as Rihanna got into a taxi with River and her mother and father, and Shannon's frozen glare remained on me, seeming suspicious of my actions as she climbed into the car with her family, Bronwyn and Bronwyn's mother. 

Scarlett's dad and my mother exchanged a worried glance before looking back at the redhead, "I suppose but we want you back within a few hours at least, we understand that you all need each other right now, so I suppose it's okay." my mom spoke, her eyes drifting towards Scarlett's dad to double check if her answer was okay or not, to her surprise, Scarlett's father nodded her head in agreement. 

"Thank you, dad and Blair's mom, we'll be back shortly." Scarlett spoke, rather calmly with a tone of loneliness in her tone, she linked arms with me and Chi and exhaled softly, "Let's go." she spoke, as soon as we turned around the corner and was far away from the police station, I finally spoke up, "Alright Scarlett, what are we really doing?" I questioned with an arched eyebrow. 

She looked at me with a determined look, "I know a person who can help solve this murder of Bailey, besides, I think I have a hunch on who it can be." Scarlett told me. I couldn't bring her down just by saying I know as well, but to my curiosity I began to wonder, who this person was and why Scarlett claimed they can help. 

"So, where are we going exactly?" Chi asked out of the blue, "It's to a storage room, my parents used to own, they put it up for sale which I bought back as an anonymous buyer, I use the storage room as my own personal space where I can do whatever I want, it's a little messy and I apologise for it." Scarlett explained. 

We continued rest of the way walking in silence, I couldn't wrap my head around it. Rihanna? The traitor? It just didn't make sense, seeing such a friendly face I see every morning turn it such a manipulative monster, and she managed to keep this side to her a secret from River, I couldn't understand it.

Scarlett stood in front of me and Chi with her arm extended out signalling us to stop. I looked up to the building, it was small, expandable with a flat surface, it's main colours were a slate grey and black which bounced off reflectively, it wasn't certainly eye catching but it was something you could walk past and not think of anything mysterious or weird about it. 

"Welcome to the storage space!" Scarlett spoke in a giggle tone, twirling outside the front entrance, "It definitely looks very...." Chi began tailing on the word 'very' as their mind tried to boggle up a new word, "Plain." I spoke for her staring at the building. "Yes! Exactly!" Chi spoke pointing to the building. 

"That's what you think," Scarlett spoke folding her arms dismissively, "Now, let's enter shall we?" 

I watched as she turned and entered the code that was beside the door, it seemed to only be made for people who had their storage rooms stored in this building, so they was given the code so only they could access it. I watched as Scarlett's fingertips traced along each button '1-4-6-3-2' That's what she typed in an we heard a lock sound chime on the door, Scarlett clapped her hands together, seeming rather proud of herself as she pushed the door open, both me and Chi not far behind her.