The Starling Vigilante [Watty's 2015 Award Winner]

Chapter 20

'So, what did you find?' I asked Anna as she pulled out a few documents from her bag.

'Well, I found this,' Anna replied, pointing to an address on what seemed to be a police report. The report for the Allen case.

'Its the address of the house where the crime scene happened,' Anna continued. 'The house where the Allens used to live.'

'How did you get hold of this?' I asked, astounded. She must have delved deep to find such confidential information.

'I... Know people,' she answered hastily. I didn't bother to push her further; I would have felt bad for interrogating a friend. It was her secret, not mine.

As I read through the documents, Anna further explained her intentions to me.

'We could look around the house for any clues to what happened,' Anna suggested. 'No one lives there now though. For some reason nobody wants to live in a past crime scene.' She added ironically.

'But how are we supposed to get into the house?' I wondered, clearly out of my depth. Was she suggesting a break in?

She was definitely implying it.

'Won't we get caught?' I worried further. I didn't feel comfortable trespassing on government property.

Yes, I know I wanted to get information on the case to pass the course, and also to find out how I could use the finding as a weakness against Merlyn, but I didn't want to break the law in doing so. But maybe that was the only option I had. If I was going to have a life of my own, I needed to change my current situation.

'We could go in this week, through the back door,' she said. 'I... Happen to know that the locks are kinda faulty.'

How, and why, did she know this? How did she just 'happen to know'? It was suspicious. Very suspicious.

'Okay then,' I decided after a while, taking everything into account. It couldn't be that bad, could it?

And then I realised. If I went with Anna, I would be risking her life too, like I risked Matthew and Blake's lives. It was all linked to Merlyn, and he definitely didn't like to be found out. Especially when it was to do with the Allen case.

'How about tomorrow?' She asked.

'That's great,' I lied. At least I had time to check out the house before Anna had chance to get there.

---

Travelling through the shadows of the night, my black clothing camouflaged my body as I watched the scene for any cameras or signs of life. There wasn't a thing in sight. Except from the house.

Hiding behind my homemade bow and peering through the darkness, the dilapidated and abandoned house stood out against the pitch black sky, the only sound in the form of a distant hum of traffic a few blocks down. Running from wall to wall, my light footsteps silently reached the fence surrounding the building. And the back door was in my sights.

In haste, I fumbled for my lock pick, the cold air numbing my fingers to make it harder for me to complete my task. Finally, I found the tool and entered the garden, alert and ready for anything. Already at the back door, I carefully manoeuvred the handle so that its lock would become loose, like Anna said. And she was right. It opened easily.

Quite surprisingly for a past crime scene.

Slowly stepping into the house, again I checked for any cameras or any lurking persons. Not a soul.

As I continued through the kitchen and down into the corridor, a cold breeze rattled through the house, unnerving me. Was someone there? Or was it just my mind playing tricks on me?

Shivering, I looked around the house for more clues. I hadn't found anything of interest yet. Maybe I never would. And maybe it was safe for Anna to join me tomorrow.

Just to make sure all was well, I ran up the carpet-less, bare staircase to the top floor, checking for Merlyn, or one of his associates. I could never be too sure.

Slowly, I opened the door to what looked like a child's bedroom. Probably Barry's. Then I felt the cold breeze again.

Arming myself my bow with one of my arrows, I scanned the room behind the protection of my wooden weapon, its varnished surface shining in the moonlight. Just as I was about to leave the room, a dark shadow grew behind me, a giveaway that I had company.

'Why are you so insistent?' A dangerously calm, smooth voice asked, the owner a stranger to my ear. One thing was certain; it definitely wasn't Merlyn.

Abruptly turning to the speaker, I confronted him with my bow, the room too dark to see his figure. Only his shadow told me he was there.

'Who are you?' I questioned, both eager and terrified to know. Surely, it was one of Merlyn's so-called 'associates', but who could it be?

'An old friend,' he said, almost in riddle, like he was choosing his words slowly and carefully. 'Well, for you, right now, a future friend.' He didn't make any sense.

'I don't know who you are,' I said truthfully. 'Do you work for Merlyn?'

'You will know who I am, when the time comes,' he simply answered.

'So why don't you show your face?' I shouted boldly, frustrated with his vagueness.

Stepping into the moonlight, before I could see his face, all I saw was darkness. And the yellow blur of a mask.