Written in the Stars

Chapter 6: "This Is Gospel"

(Chapter 6)
"This Is Gospel"

Tuesday, January 14
4:00pm

"Who's name starts with J?" Rebecca questioned.

Cassiopeia and her friends were conversing in her bedroom.

"... You're kidding, right?" Stella glared at her.

"What if this is someone we've never even met before?" Indigo asked.

"No, it had to have been someone we knew, otherwise she wouldn't have lied about it," Stella pointed out.

"She's right," Cassiopeia agreed.

"What about Jacob?" Rebecca offered.

"Jacob is our age," Stella replied.

"It could be one of the teachers," Indigo shrugged.

"Who are the teachers, again?" Rebecca asked.

"Joseph Mitchell, James Quinlan, and Joshua Walker," Indigo answered.

"What the fuck? All their names start with J," Stella complained.

"Who else is there?" Rebecca inquired.

Stella opened her mouth, then quickly closed it.

"What?" Cassiopeia asked her.

"What?"

"You were going to say something."

"Someone just popped into my head, that's all."

"Who?"

"Yeah, tell us," Rebecca said to her.

"Jay..." Stella hesitated.

"Excuse me?" Indigo interjected.

"What? He's older. His name starts with J."

"Okay, let's go back to the teachers."

"Really?" Rebecca questioned.

"What? Teachers have affairs with students all the time."

"Yeah, but none of them actually go killing people."

"I should tell you a story about when my mom was in college," Cassiopeia mumbled.

Stella's phone started to ring.

"Hang on, let me get that," Stella left the room.

"Is there a way to ever know for sure?" Rebecca wondered.

"Maybe not," Indigo replied.

"Uh, guys?" Stella returned.

"What is it?" Indigo asked.

"That was my mom. Jaime's funeral is on Saturday."
~

Saturday, January 18
1:00pm

"Hey, guys," Indigo said to Cassiopeia and Stella as they joined her and Rebecca at the cemetery.

"How're you doing?" Rebecca asked.

"I'm fine. It's just... weird," Stella replied.

"Yeah... it is," Cassiopeia agreed.

"Hey, uh... do you know who that guy is over there?" Indigo looked past them.

"Over where?" Stella asked.

"There," Indigo subtly pointed to a guy with a messy undercut wearing black clothes standing back from everyone else.

"I... don't know who he is," Rebecca replied.

"I don't think I've seen him before," Cassiopeia said.

"Somehow he looks a little familiar though," Stella pondered.

"He's just standing over there. What is he doing?" Indigo questioned.

"Why is he hanging back over there? That's just creepy," Cassiopeia commented.

"Oh, they're calling us up over there," Indigo told them.

"I don't know if I can look at her," Rebecca shook her head.

"Cassie and I have already seen her dead, we may as well just go show our respects," Stella said.

"I'll go, too. Rebecca, you can stay back if you want," Indigo told her.

"Yeah, okay. You guys go," Rebecca said.

The three of them walked over to the open casket to see Jaime lying peacefully.
Tears started streaming down Indigo's face.
She backed away and walked back over to Rebecca.
Stella and Cassiopeia quickly followed.

"Indigo?" Stella worried.

"I'm sorry... I thought I could handle it," Indigo said softly.

"It's okay. It's hard on all of us," Cassiopeia told her.

"Actually... did you notice something off about her?" Stella inquired.

"About who? Jaime?" Cassiopeia asked.

"Yeah."

"What are you talking about?" Indigo questioned.

"It seemed like something was missing."

"Missing?" Cassiopeia thought.

"Wait! Yes! Oh, my god. Her necklace. She never took that thing off. Ever," Indigo realised.

"Yes! Her choker. The one with the blue stone," Cassiopeia said.

"Do you think her mother took it off?" Stella wondered.

"Maybe we should go ask," Indigo shrugged.

"Isn't that kind of weird?" Rebecca hesitated.

"No! It could be a lead," Cassiopeia insisted.

"That's right. Come on let's go ask," Stella urged.

"Linda?" Indigo approached her first.

"Oh, hey girls. Thank you for coming," Linda told them.

"Yeah, of course," Cassiopeia replied.

"Uh, Linda, we just have a quick question to ask," Stella told her.

"What is it?" She asked.

"We couldn't help but notice... Jaime didn't have her choker on. Did you take it off?" Cassiopeia inquired.

"No. I haven't seen it. I know she never takes it off, so I even looked around her room for a little bit. She didn't have it on when..."

"That's okay, thank you," Indigo quickly said. "We were just wondering. We know it meant a lot to her."

"Yes, it was one of the last things her father gave her."

"We'll... we'll give you some space now," Rebecca told her.

"Thank you, girls."

"She didn't have it on her?" Rebecca and the other girls moved to the side.

"That makes no sense," Stella said.

"Linda even looked through her room," Indigo stated.

"And we didn't see it when we were in there either," Cassiopeia added.

"Do you... do you think the killer took it off of her?" Indigo asked.

"What, and kept it as a trophy?" Stella questioned.

"It's possible."

"I think he did," Cassiopeia said.

"I do, too," Indigo agreed.

"She's right. No one else would've taken it," Stella shrugged.

"So... whoever killed her... he has her choker," Indigo confirmed.

"Wait, where'd that guy go?" Stella looked around.

"He took off when you guys went up to the casket," Rebecca explained.

"Well, who was he?"

END OF CHAPTER