Her Instinct: His Game

Chapter 31 - Playing with Fire

This chapter was inspired by Play with Fire by Sam Tinnesz ft. Tacht Money. Feel free to listen as you read !

"Wait, so you're not shitting me?"

Derek shot up to his feet, standing in front of me, hovering over me as I sat on the couch.  His eyes were wide full of disbelief. 

I nodded my head. "The God's honest truth."

"Mr. Leto is an actual murderer?" he asked. 

"Yes." I assured him.

"And this all traces back to that frame I fixed for you?"

"Yes, it does." I admitted.

"Does Allegra know?" he pressed.

"No! and she can't find out. It will crush her."

He held his hands up, backing off. "And to think, all I was worried about was winning this stupid science fair." he shook his head in dismay. 

"But it's not stupid, it's a means to our end: Lock Mr. Leto up."  I insisted.

"And you think that the red fake nail you found in his rose garden is going to be a match to..."

"Agnes, yes. I'm positive." I cut him off. 

He mulled over the abstract evidence I gave him. "Well then what? We're in high school, no one is going to believe us."

"They will when we show them this." I place a plain black binder on the table in front of him.

"What's this? There's nothing in here."

"Exactly. You're gonna help me fill it. We're going to build evidence and a case against Mr. Leto. And then we're going to share with the police department. With the fingerprint match, we'll get their attention."

"This is crazy, Kerri." he said running his hand through his hair in amazement.

"I know," I kneel down in front of him looking directly not his confused face, "but I need your help, Derek. I can't do this alone...Are you in?"

He took and deep breath and finally nodded his head. "Anything for you, Kerri."

I exhaled in relief and hugged him.

"Now, all we need are his finger prints." he said.

"Got it!" I pulled out the thermos placing it on the table next to the binder.

Derek shook his head, "Kerri, you amaze me. Wait, how did you find the time to sneak and find the other frames?"

My eyes shifted quickly, I paused hoping Derek didn't notice. "I'm just stealthy like that, I guess." I shrugged. 

The less he knows the better. He doesn't need to know the other end of my bargain with Mr. Leto, the danger that awaits my mom, the secret I've been hiding for months.

He shook his head, "Kerri the Ninja. I like it!" He punched his arm through the air.

"Now, we have to follow the steps from that kit Ms. Ryder gave us and hand in the data tomorrow. We should get our answers soon enough. Is the lab open today?"

"Let me check," he pulls out his phone to looks it up. "Yep, if we get there in the next half hour, we'll have time to hand our materials in."

"Great, that gives us the weekend. If we act carefully, we can get the results in due time before the science fair on Tuesday!"