The Starling Vigilante [Watty's 2015 Award Winner]

Chapter 36

Making myself a cup of tea, I opened the newspaper that led on the breakfast bar to keep up to date with Starling and any crimes which could be mentioned about at work.

The page I just so happened to open it at was an article about Simon's disappearance.

Scouring for any suspects featured in the article, I found nothing.

'It's just about when Simon was last seen,' Malcolm added, entering the kitchen. 'And to ask the public if they know anything about his disappearance. I dropped all your charges.' He smiled. 'Now you don't have to worry about anyone suspecting you.'

'Thank you!' I exclaimed, relieved. 'So it'll just be back to normal when I go in this morning?'

'Yes,' Malcolm nodded. 'They analysed the pictures more closely. They found that the girl in the picture wasn't exactly like you. And me being able to prove that you were here helped.'

I could almost hug Malcolm. What he had done meant a great deal, me being able to relax at work again. It was all going to go back to normal. Except from not having Simon in the lab.

---

'Hey, Aria,' Janette said as I entered reception. 'I'm so glad that they dropped your charges.'

'Me too,' I smiled.

'Oh, there's a CCPD Forensic Scienist here,' Janette remembered. 'She's here to complete helping you settle into the job.'

'Okay, thanks,' I said as I left to my lab, wanting to meet my mentor. Simon had said I wouldn't need his help this week, but something told me the police department still wanted to keep a close watch on me through someone I wouldn't suspect. But I did suspect them, whoever they were going to be.

'Hey, are you Aria?' A woman asked as I enters the lab. 'I'm Beth Lindsay.'

'Aria Coleman,' I exchanged a handshake. 'But you... already knew that.'

'So, who do you think is involved in Simon Lloyd's disappearance?' Beth asked. Of course, I forgot; the SCPD would still be searching for the culprit too, one of their own men at the heart of it all.

'The Arkwright brothers,' I answered definitely. 'Simon was telling me that he was going to track them down the last time I saw him. He might have found them or something, but then put his own life in danger.'

'That sounds possible,' Beth nodded. 'But we can't prove it's them just yet. We need to find out who this girl was in those pictures.'

'How do you know about those?' I wondered. She hadn't even completed her first day of mentoring me, yet she knew about this case very well.

'Detective Hilton showed me them,' Beth explained. 'Everyone is doing what they can to find Simon.'

---

'Aria!' Laurel shouted, hugging me as I entered the house.

'What's the matter?' I asked presumably after Laurel had finished hugging me.

'I heard about the case,' Laurel said. 'I wanted to check if you were okay.'

'The SCPD have no proof that you were the suspect now,' Lance said from behind Laurel, standing next to Malcolm as though they were in deep conversation. 'I knew it wasn't you, Aria.'

Sensing the underlying tension in the room, I guessed something was still wrong.

'I know, Malcolm already told me that,' I said. Looking around, I noticed Oliver was in the room too, holding hands with Laurel. They both looked like they'd been crying. 'What's... happened?'

'Its Tommy,' Lance said gravely. 'He's disappeared.'