Immortal Technique

Chapter 4

Sarah took a few seconds to absorb the news.

 "Slow down, Jo. What happened?" Sarah heard Jo take in a deep breath. "I-it was- look I can't-"

The line went dead. Sarah called Mr. Walter and explained her situation to him. He agreed to come back home as soon as he could. Sarah gathered the kids in the living room.

 "Now listen, something bad has happened to a friend of mine. I want you to stay in the living room until your mum and dad come back," Sarah said. Jared and Dhalma nodded. Henry was staring at the TV. They all went up the stairs. Sarah went back to the kitchen and removed the lasagna from the oven before she left.

 Sarah arrived at Jo's house half an hour later to find it swamped with police officers. She could not get past the crime scene tape surrounding the entire compound and she could not spot any of her friends. After five minutes of pacing from one end of the tape to the other, Sarah went back to her for her phone. She found, to her surprise, Cole leaning on her car door. He was staring at Jo's house the way a child stares at a ruined toy. For a moment, Sarah wanted to run away. She had no idea on how to comfort him or what to say to make up for her less than pleasant behaviour towards Savanna but she did not. Sooner or later, she would have to face him.

 Sarah placed her hands on his shoulders nervously and looked into his emerald eyes. They held such pain that Sarah felt her gut wretch. The tears in his eyes made them even more piercing than they already were.

 "Cole?" He looked at her for one long minute as though he did not recognise her.  "Cole?"

 "Yeah?" he responded in a weak, hoarse voice.

 "I-I'm going to look for Jo. Are you going to be alright?" she asked in a low voice. He began looking at the manor with a forlorn look again. Knowing he will not respond, Sarah went in the car through the other door, snatched her phone from the glove compartment and called Jo. She did not pick so Sarah called the next best person.

 "Hello?"

 "Marie? It's me, Sarah. Have you seen your sister?"

 "She's at home last I checked," Sarah heard a loud cackle, "I have to go. I need to change someone's nasty diaper,"

 Sarah tried Thelma but she was not picking up. Just as she was about ready to smash her phone, an idea occurred to her. Savanna phone must be with her. The police should have tagged it by now. She found Savanna's number in her contacts and called it. After three rings, the call got through. A man with a deep voice picked up.

 "Can you please send Jo outside? I'd love to talk to her,"

 "That would be a little hard," the man laughed. He had a light accent. European, perhaps but Sarah could not be sure. She knew immediately that she was not talking to a police officer like she had intended.

 "Why is that?"

 "I'm nowhere near Jo right now. I am afraid you will have to wait a little while longer for that." was the reply she got before the line went dead. Sarah looked at her phone trying to understand the conversation. Then it hit her, hard. She bolted out of the car and ran back to the manor. Fortunately, Sarah spotted her mother standing with one of the news reporters. Sarah went over quickly trying to contain her excitement. She stood next Bruce, one of her neighbour. He was smoking.

 "... Do have any leads as to who is the killer?" the reporter asked. She looked somber and professional. It was hard for Sarah to read what she was thinking. Sarah tried to remember her name- Angelica someone?

 "Not yet but we believe this murder is connected to the death of Grace Whittaker," her mother answered. She looked a bit uncomfortable like she always did in front of a camera.