Dove Sport

Chapter Eight: Smoking Gun

The morning after they had milkshakes with Nick, Arsen was working on a math assignment when Blair stormed into study hall and slid into the seat beside him. She pulled a newspaper from her bag and slapped it down on the table over his homework. Arsen raised a brow at Blair in question and she pointed furiously to the headline. Leaning in, Arsen read it.

Meredith Lark Guilty As Sin!

Beneath it,

By M. Wallis

"Can you believe her?" Blair asked incredulously, "I mean, first she leaks Seth's autopsy and now my mom is publishing an article painting Meredith as the killer even though you said you also heard a gunshot that night." Blair slumped back in her chair and folded her arms over her chest.

"I mean, she is a reporter," Arsen began, "This certainly is reporting." He said diplomatically. Blair rolled her eyes.

"This isn't reporting this is- it's- ugh! This is sensationalizing the awful death of a teenage boy for readers!" Blair certainly looked disgruntled. She wasn't dressed in her usual style but instead in a red hoodie that looked too large to be hers. Arsen wondered where she got it as she continued her rant. "My mom is just, like, too blinded by whatever Seth did to Grace- which I'm still trying to puzzle out- for her to focus on the real story," Blair paused and only continued when Arsen looked up to show he was still listening, "I mean, what happened to Seth? Who was holding him captive and why was he frozen? And who shot that gun on June 25th?" Blair waved her hands like she was trying to clear the air, "These questions have literally been keeping me up at night and it seems like the only person trying to answer them is the Sheriff. I want to know the answers. And," Blair paused again to check he was listening, "I want you to help me get them."

"What?" Arsen asked tiredly. It was his second sentence of the morning and he was already ready to stop talking altogether. Certainly if he was too tired his friends could fill in the conversations for him.

"You know, Doveport High used to have a newspaper back in our parents day," Blair told him, "I want to get it up and running again. With you helping me, we could easily set it back up again the old news room." Arsen said nothing, thinking. "Please?" Blair asked, smiling hopefully at him. Arsen studied her face. He knew she and Meredith were longtime friends, despite whatever troubles they'd been having recently because of the investigation. He also knew this wasn't the only reason she wanted to figure out what happened to Seth. Blair's older sister, Grace, was caught up in this tangled web somehow too. She'd been one of the people closest to Seth before his death and Blair had told him how Meredith had accused her sister of murdering Seth. Blair wanted to help her friend and prove what she already believed, that her sister was innocent.

Personally, Arsen also had an interest in investigating what happened to Seth. Ever since talking to the Sheriff and principal about what he heard Arsen had second guessed himself on whether it was the right thing to do. Yes, he'd helped Meredith, but he'd also landed himself in trouble. Now more people were looking at him as a potential killer. It was like that Edgewood boy had said several days ago during their confrontation in the Hook- he fit the profile of someone who would kill a popular football star. Now he had to live with the consequences of his choice and prove people who suspected him wrong.

"Fine," Arsen agreed, "Seth's death changed things in this town and I want to know who killed him and why."

"I agree," Blair said, "Nothing this bad has ever happened here before."

"I have a suggestion," Arsen began then paused. Blair nodded encouragingly, "I think we should begin by figuring out if there was anyone out that night near the water who could have either heard or fired the gunshot. If Meredith and I both heard it way out from the shore then that makes me think the person who fired the gun wasn't on the mainland."