Surface

Chapter 23 - Pieces of a Broken Puzzle

The slides were rusty from the runoff of rain. They gave off a sweaty coin kind of smell but provided an excellent shelter from the rain if it were to start up again. The playground complex had a little nook underneath the large slide and the rest of the set that created a cozy little place for friends to sit. I could imagine that many games were played here ranging from Patty-Cake to Truth or Dare. However, I would bet all of my savings that no one had ever sat under here and explained to their friends that they had reason to believe someone was murdered and that the culprit was out to get them.

Helen had suggested the setting because of its private yet openness. Not many would see us and if they did, they would just regard us as a group of girls gossiping.

I pulled out the files I had typed up and presented them to the girls. They gave each other looks of concern before looking back at me. I had done what the mysterious intruder told me to do and kept all of my findings on Victoria's case together. This would come in handy in explaining this whole ordeal to Norah and Helen.

"The two main points I want you to take away from this. One, Victoria was killed. Two, her killer is still here . . . and watching."

Helen shook from goosebumps and gave a subtle overview of the area. "Well, you better hurry and explain yourself then."

I walked them through everything that has happened since I had found the messages between Zac and Tori. I told them how some almost all - knowing person kept interfering every time I was on to something. I explained how Pete was almost framed and how it was because of my involvement with him. Every single clue that led me to believe all these things were explained to them while they eagerly listened.

They were passing around the pages of the file when Norah spoke up. "I always found the suicide note suspicious. The vocabulary and way of speech didn't sound like Victoria's. I thought maybe she sounded different because it was a suicide note but . . . my intuition was right!"

"Beside there was no way you were Victoria's favorite," Helen said playfully.

"And Eline being sane after all? I should have seen that coming! She was always so down to earth." It was just like Norah to take in a situation like this. Her reaction was of a teen who finished the finale of television series, shocked that she didn't predict the conclusion.

"But why fake her insanity? The only thing that asylum would have to offer her is . . ." Helen's face lit up. "A safe place to sleep! She's hiding from something! Maybe like Zac?" The brunette shook her head, her hair swishing around her crossed legs. "That's probably why Zac missed your date. Both of them are afraid of something. Maybe they are having the same experiences as you?"

"You mean my stalker is also stalking them?" It made sense, a frightening amount of sense. Why didn't I tell these two genesis about this sooner?!

"Which means they are either searching for the truth as well or know something," Norah added cleverly piecing things together. The revelation made fear bloom in my stomach. Eline might be safely tucked away from harm but what about Zac? I had no idea where he was.

"Well, Eline knows that Hannah was on the beach that day. She implied that she saw what happened."

Our features twisted into a deep form of disgust or maybe horror. The rain started to pour hard against the metal of the playground equipment causing us to jump. All we needed was some lighting to put an exclamation mark on it all.

"Are we all thinking the same thing?" Helen's voice was a meak whisper.

"There has been one person that continues to be the center of everything . . ."