Take Your Final Bow

Chapter 14 - Noah Rackwood

Tuesday 13th June, 4:00pm

Recently, I think, people have been too nice to me. It's weird. Usually people don't really notice me, and they go about their days and don't remember me at all. I think I just have that sort of face that no one can quite remember. Nonetheless, it is happening. I think it might be because I hang out with Emily. She has a face you could never forget, it is very distinctive.
One of these occasions is this afternoon. I have never been invited to go on trips with people before, and it came as a surprise when, this morning, Kaitlin and Callum invited me to go for a bike ride with them along the canal after school. Of course, Emily was invited too, but it was very kind of them. We declined the invitation, however, because Emily wanted to go and look for more clues, and I wanted to go home. Just as we were leaving, I thought I heard Callum mention looking for clues too. Maybe they are investigating the case too!
They set off about an hour ago, I have already been home to get changed, and Emily and I have just gone into a café in town for a milkshake. Detection is never the same without a milkshake in your hand. I get a chocolate one, as always, with classic whipped cream on top, and this time Emily goes for a caramel flavoured shake, a new item on the menu, with caramel sauce drizzled over the cream. It looks temptingly good, and Emily sees me looking and offers me a sip, which I accept gratefully. The creamy taste combines with the salty caramel to provide a flavour so mouth-watering it makes you want to drink litres of the stuff. The thick, milky texture coats the inside of my mouth with a sweet layer of delicious goodness, and I feel the refreshing cold hit the back of my throat as I swallow the mouthful. I think, from now on, I will switch my usual milkshake from chocolate to caramel.
Emily looks at me expectantly, awaiting my judgement. I wipe the whipped cream moustache from my upper lip and say,
'I think I have a new favourite.'
Emily smiles appreciatively and takes another gulp of her milkshake.
'We deserved these,' she says with a mouthful of deliciousness, 'detecting is very hard work.'
We stroll absentmindedly through town, and it is a very hot and sunny day, so we stick to the shade as best we can. We walk west, downwards, in the direction of the coast. We spend the beautiful day walking to the coast, along it a little way, smelling the sea breeze, and back to Longcaster. We are talking, so we don't notice where we are going, we just wander, and soon we find ourselves in the media street, that's what we call it. It has the newspaper printer in it, and next to that a big TV that constantly shows the news. We look up from our discussion about grapefruit, irrelevant to the case as it is, and see a headline that makes both of us freeze.

'GIRL FOUND DROWNED IN LONGCASTER CANAL'

We exchange a look, a little like the one we shared when Jack Belden died, except this time, it is true, devastatingly real horror. We both know exactly what has happened. Emily rushes away, covering her face. I follow her to a bench on the other side of the street. She sits on the ground in the shade and puts her face in her hands. I see her body racked with heaving sobs. I sit down beside her, still stunned about what we had seen. I sit down beside her and feel a tear roll down my face. Emily looks up and her face is blotchy and wet. I gently pat her back to comfort her as I begin to cry more heavily.
'Kaitlin,' stutters Emily through her tears, 'was such a kind and innocent person! How could anyone do this to her? She was so young! She had so much life left!'
We are both heartbroken by Kaitlin's death, and now we are investigating two murders, but that doesn't matter right now. Emily is crying her heart out, she had known Kaitlin since they were very small, and this was a terrible shock for her. To think, a minute ago we were happily sipping milkshakes. Now we are a huddled mess sitting curled up on the pavement.
Emily suddenly snaps her head up and lets out a devastated wail.
'I can't believe we suspected her all this time! And we didn't tell her we were detecting either! I wanted to, Noah, I really did. And now she's gone!'
I wrap my arms around her in a warm hug and rock gently to soothe her.