Exposed

Chapter Four

Playing victim goes over better when you don't have to worry about the Sheriff's kid ratting you out over a few unethical photos but Amelia was mildly impressed when no one demanded she hand over her phone. Not that it would do them any good. She would sooner volunteer to spend an eternity covered in spiders than give up her phone to the authorities. With or without the kids admission, she was still forced to play the traumatized victim for longer than she liked. Turns out, the police in this town give a damn about its inhabitants making it home okay after an ordeal.

Who knew?

Deputy Gorgeous aka Parrish hadn't been as forthcoming as she would have liked which was fairly disappointing. She had an entire car ride to dig information out of him but he kept insisting it was probably just an unfortunate animal attack. She can tell he doesn't believe it. Whether it's because he's too smart to believe something as ridiculous as that or because he knows exactly what happened has yet to be determined. For his sake, he better hope he doesn't know.

"Parrish, you still got that girl with you?" Asks the man from the truck radio.

That girl has a name, you nitwit. Grant it, they believe it's Rose. Amelia rolls her eyes at the window of the vehicle before turning her wide, innocent doe eyes on the deputy. She's pretty sure her expression reads, "who, me?" She's also pretty sure that she over did it. What? She normally only plays this roll for a few minutes before she's allowed to leave. Never before has she been forced to endure the facade for nearly an hour. It's exhausting, really.

"Yes, she's here with me now."

B&B. Where's the damn B&B? Not close enough, apparently.

"Apparently the Sheriff's boy saw her take some photos of the crime scene. Sheriff says her phone is evidence."

Like hell it is. In no way, shape, or form did her phone have anything to do with what happened. The police have their own pictures of the scene. There is no reason they need hers.

"Copy that," Parrish says and an uneasy silence fills the car.

Oh, well, it was fun while it lasted.

"You're not getting my phone."

"Don't make this hard on yourself. Just hand it over and you will get it back when the investigation is over."

Amelia smirks. "I thought it was just an animal attack gone wrong?"

With the act dropped and her colors showing, she feels at the top of her game. If she couldn't get him to trip up while pretending to be shaken up, she will play another, rougher angle. She's always preferred this method anyways.

"We suspect it's an animal attack."

"An animal strong enough to fly up a fifty foot wall while carrying a human body?" She scrunches her nose up and leans over a fraction of a hair. "Something tells me you're not stupid enough to think a story like that has any solid ground."

"Just hand over your phone."

"Did I do something illegal?"

"No…"

"And did the police take their own photos?"

"That's not the point--"

"Then, I'll hand over my phone when your prime suspect isn't of the furry variety, but even then you're going to need a warrant." Amelia looks out the window to see the B&B. "Oh, looks like we're out of time. I'll be seeing you around, deputy."

Despite refusing to hand over her phone and mocking him in the process, Deputy Gorgeous waits until the front door of the B&B shuts firmly behind her to drive away. Talk about chivalry. Here she thought it only existed in badly written romance novels and cheesy romcoms.

When the taillights of the truck disappear around the corner up ahead, she darts up the stairs and into her room where she empties the contents of her messenger bag onto the bed. The manila folders that 'field reporter Michael' put together slid out. After spending an evening in Fairview, Amelia took it upon herself to color code the files to make her research easier. She grabs at the file that started it all.

The contents tell of violent, animal-like attacks carried out by people. Person, actually, and an unlikely one at that. Kate Argent wears a vicious smirk in the news clipping but Amelia finds it hard to believe she committed these murders. The murders-- including Kate's own-- are connected to a house fire that happened nearly seven years ago. Police records state the fire was in fact arson with Miss. Kate Argent's fingerprints all over it.

The whole file reeks of a vengeful killer. Not a ruthless one. Kate's body was found in the very house she set fire to. That fire killed at least a dozen people. Someone clearly thought it time she pay for her crimes and she paid with the ultimate price and only someone close to the people who perished in those flames would go after those connected to the fire.

Amelia sifts through the papers until finally finding the one she needs. Something between a scoff and a laugh escapes her as she reads the name of the people who owned the house.

Hale.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me."

….

It was once magnificently beautiful. A large, white house built in the middle of a clearing in the woods to allow the glowing rays of the moonlight to bask the home in an ethereal ambiance. It would have been awe-inspiring if the house was still there. Instead, all that remains are stone bricks and dirt cut off by a twenty foot chain link fence. Now, the beauty of the brightly glowing full moon above her head is lost in a wave of irritation.

Amelia flicks the orange and black 'keep out' sign before sliding through a small hole I'm the fence. The house may no longer be there but it doesn't mean she can't check out what remains of the area. Though, admittedly, it's not enough to even suggest a house once stood and burned here. Still, she searches the ground by using the flashlight on her phone. If there's one thing she is, it's efficient.

Any evidence that may have remained was wiped away when the city decided to tear down the Hale house. Amelia plops down on one of the larger bricks and blows a strand of hair out of her face. Coming out here was a bust but overall she feels good about her night. Sure, it's horrible and sad that a woman is likely dead-- even more likely murdered-- but the events of tonight have pointed her in the right direction of a story. If she can prove, and call out, the town's blatant attempt at a cover up for something, then she can help shed light on all the unexplainable murders happening here. She can force them to deal with the consequences of their actions.

A/N: Reminder: This story is set in AU. As far as everything that has happened in the teen wolf verse, that stuff occurs before she arrives. The bad guys in this story are my own creation. Well, sort of. You will probably recognize one of them.