That warmth was a stark contrast to the chilly air that seemed to envelop us, a reminder of the ever-present danger that loomed in the background. I exchanged a quick glance with Danny, and I could tell that he, too, had picked up on the subtle undercurrents of Lydia's words.
Maxine leaned forward, her analytical mind already at work. "We need to figure out what connects Jordie to all of this. There has to be a reason she's a suspect."
Lydia's fingers drummed on the tabletop; her gaze focused on the swirls of condensation on her milkshake glass. "I think we need to dig deeper into her background. Maybe there's something we've missed, something that ties her to the victim."
"Oh no, no, no. If you idiots think I am taking part in this stupidity you are dead wrong. Who says we need to do anything? We need to stay safe and away from the whole thing. I mean come on Lydia your house is a fucking crime scene, that girl that was hanging on a branch could have been you, me or anyone one of us! Why would anyone want to dig into that shit?" Francine exclaimed. She looked thoroughly pissed off.
"I don't know how safe I'll be feeling when the biggest case that the cops handling this case have had was about the missing vending machine in the town plaza! I would rather know I done my active best than sit on my ass and look as pretty as I can, Francine," huffed Lydia. Francine's face went blank.
We took her silence as annoyed compliance and continued brainstorming, the weight of our collective determination seemed to push back against the darkness that had descended upon Zepotha. Each of us brought a unique perspective to the table, a puzzle piece that, when fitted together, might reveal the truth we sought. We knew that Jordie had been in my algebra classes. We also knew that she was an only child, who stayed with her single mom and had some kind of money troubles. We had recently discovered that the girl that was murdered was a wealthy girl who had talked badly about the way that Jordie would dress. It gave a rather simple but petty motive behind the murder, but we didn't know if it was enough. There had to be more.
"I'm going to try and discreetly ask around about Jordie," I offered, breaking the momentary silence that had settled over the group. "Maybe someone knows something that could shed light on her connection to all of this."
Lydia nodded, her eyes locking onto mine for a fleeting moment before she looked away. "Be careful, Alaine. We don't know who we can trust."
Danny leaned back in the booth, arms crossed. "And what about us? What if we become suspects too?"
Francine smirked, her lips curling into a wry grin. "Don't worry, I've got enough dirt to keep us out of trouble."
Despite the gravity of the situation, a collective chuckle rippled through the group at Francine's irreverent remark. It was a moment of respite, a reminder that even in the face of adversity, we could still find solace in each other's company.
As we left Saber's Diner, the sun hung high in the sky. The day was still ahead of us and there was much to do. The sense of unease still lingered, but there was also a glimmer of determination in each of our eyes.
We might not have been detectives in a TV show or owned a rad ride like the Mystery Machine, but we were united by a shared goal: to uncover the truth and protect our town from whatever darkness had taken root. With the weight of our newfound purpose, we parted ways, each of us carrying a piece of the puzzle. Me and Lydia would investigate Jordie, Maxine and Danny would see how the police investigation was heading, and Francine would sneak back to Lydia's house for some clues.
Maybe we weren't being too smart, or maybe we were being perfectly reasonable, and this could help prevent more killings. Either way, the story had just begun, and we had a lot to do.
I looked over to Lydia with a smile.
"Why are you smiling at me like that," she raised a confused eyebrow. "What are you thinking..."
"Vincent and Cole have been gone long enough. Come on let's give them a call!" Lydia rolled her eyes but followed me to the pay phone. I popped 20 cents into the coin slot and dialled Cole's hotel number that I had written down on a piece of paper in my bag. "Finally, Danny won't be the only guy in the group," I grinned.
"Hello, Florida Delta Hotels, how may I help you!" said an excessively perky voice.
"Hi, can you transfer my call to room 403, for Vincent and Cole Sheffield please?"
"Yeah, of course!" We heard a beep and then we waited.
Someone picked up and coughed into the receiver. "Hello, who's this?" This voice was familiar.
"Hey Cole, missed us?" I asked, innocently. Lydia grabbed the phone out of my hand in impatience.
"Get your asses back, shit went down at my party, and it ended with a corpse. Any questions?" she snapped.
"Whoa, what the fuck? Lydia? Laney? Is that you guys? What happened dude?" He sounded utterly bewildered.
"Like I said-" began Lydia, looking annoyed. I cut her off and put my mouth to the receiver.
"Look things are really bad back home in Zepotha, can you guys please come back soon? I know you're having your annual trip, but we need you!" There was a pause. The phone started to beep quietly. "Our credits are going to run out come on!"
"Ugh, okay I'll let Vinnie know. Stay safe till we're back, we're heading back as soon as, okay?"
"Thanks Cole! See you soon," I said before I hung up the call. I turned back to Lydia and stared.
"What is it, I got a zit or something?"
"What's with the tude? Why are you being such a royal bitch to everyone? There's one thing with your personality which we all love and accept as part of your quirky charm but since last night, even before the murder, you were acting so... so... snappy!"
She looked uncomfortable. "Come on. We have stuff to get done." She didn't look me in the eyes as she turned away and walked towards the postal service.
"Lydia!" I called after her, feeling the urgency of our conversation, even as we were caught in the midst of this unfolding mystery. The wind ruffled her hair and she paused, glancing back at me with a mix of irritation and something more vulnerable.
"We can't deal with this now," she retorted, her voice sharp.
"I get that, but Lydia, we're a team. You can't just shut me out like this," I said, walking up to her and placing a hand on her arm.
She sighed, her shoulders slumping a little. "It's not about shutting you out, Alaine. It's about... I don't even know. There's so much going on, and I don't want to drag you down with it."
"You're not dragging me down. We're in this together," I said firmly, my gaze locking onto hers. "Whatever's bothering you, we'll face it together."
Lydia's expression softened, and for a moment, the walls she had put up seemed to crumble. "I know you're right, but it's just... complicated."
"We've faced complicated before," I reminded her, offering a reassuring smile.
She nodded, her eyes flickering with a mixture of gratitude and uncertainty. "Let's get this done and then we'll talk, okay?"
"Deal." We turned our attention back to the task at hand, heading towards the postal service to gather any information we could about Jordie's background. The cool breeze carried with it a sense of determination, and I knew that no matter how complicated things got, we were prepared to face whatever challenges lay ahead, together.
