The Piper's Call

Chapter 16

Second part of the double bill, people!  Very short but very necessary. Enjoy!

Chapter 16- Mislaid Trust

Helen P.O.V.

Ignoring the usual threatening texts and flirty messages from Charlie, both of which inspired guilt, I headed towards the crashing and banging.

"Ugly." Thump.

"Too bright." Thump.

"Too revealing." Thump.

I opened the door a crack to see Nina chucking various items into an already bulging bin bag. Nina was in my room, sifting through my wardrobe with disdain. 

"What are you doing?" I asked, as she smiled up at me.

"I am sorting out your bedroom. Too much clutter. You need to have some order in your life," she answered, throwing another top into the bin bag. 

I sure did need order, something stable. Something simple I could trust to never change in my life. But I also needed clothes. I closed the wardrobe doors firmly, shooting Nina a you-can't-be-serious? look. Apparently Nina did not receive the hidden message in the look and crossed her arms, annoyed that her task had been interrupted. "Helen! I am helping you restore some semblance of balance to your universe, for instance..." Nina lefted a skimpy top, one I had last worn for tasks set by "her" not as long ago as I'd like to admit. She held it by the spaghetti string as if it was a highly offensive object. "Not very mature. Not for a guardian. Not that I need a guardian, but the law requires me to have one." The last sentence was hastily added, Nina averting her gaze away from me before continuing with, "And my guardian won't be seen in this." She dumped the top into the bin bag and I felt a warm sense of satisfaction course through me. Like throwing away that symbol of my work in the past was a signal for freedom. That's all I really wanted. The freedom to be who I wanted to be, not who I was needed to be.

I sat on my bed, kicking the bin bag away from my feet. Nina arched an eyebrow at the gesture. I sticked my tongue out at her. "Nina, above all the other stuff. Above being the genius, the detective and all that crap in between, you're a teenager. And my stepsister. It's OK to relax once in a while, you know." I patted the bed beside me. For a few moments, it looked like she was considering the option before turning back to her work again.  

She folded clothes she had deemed suitable and placed them with care into drawers, mumbling to herself. I closed my eyes and folded my arms under my head on the pillow, listening to her engage in an interesting conversation with herself. This went on for a while until I had almost dozed off listening until it struck me. Silence. I batted opened one of my eyes, hesitantly to see Nina standing stock still. Her trembling fingers held an object in her hands as if it was the Holy Grail. Eliza Reynold's diary. I had hidden it almost immediately. I didn't care about whether it solved the kidnaps or not, it would just place Nina straight back into danger. And there was no way I was going to let that happen. We had enough danger already, thanks very much.

"Eliza Reynold's diary. The piece of evidence we needed. And you have it." Nina narrowed her eyes at me. That familiar 'oh crap' sensation settled in the pit of my stomach again. 

"I found it. I don't want to focus on details," I told her simply, not wishing to lie again. If she asked more, she would find out about Prism in that bathroom, talking about plans with her son and Rachel.

"The person that would have an article like this would point to the murderer of Eliza. Someone at the school, so they had easy accessibility to a hurley stick, the weapon. Someone who needed money desperately. Someone who I don't know at all, and who just happens to show up after thirteen years at the same time as a kidnapper?"

I slowly started to process the words, fearing the conclusion I was coming to. "Nina, you don't think that..."

"Yes, Helen. I think exactly that. You're the Piper."