Snakebite - Ace Merrill

Not one

Oakley winced again as she felt more sympathy towards Ace.

"He was the one that rang us believe it or not." Ashton mumbled. "Cap wasn't Cap at that point so he took the case, and he found her, had to break the news to 12 year old Ace at the time."

Oakley winced once more as she leant forward, her hand going to her mouth.

"He was just a kid." She mumbled.

Ashton nodded slowly. "If you ask me, he was never the same. I mean yeah he was an arsehole but most kids that age are, but when she died he changed, got a lot more aggressive and that."

"You knew him?"

Ashton shrugged but nodded. "I was a few years older obviously but yeah, he suddenly became this kid that not even the older kids picked on. Once saw him take on four older ones that started trash talking his mum."

"His mum's his trigger point." Oakley mumbled with a nod.

Ashton nodded again. "You can kinda see why."

"Yeah I figured that part out." Oakley spoke again, suddenly feeling slightly guilty using her to get Ace to talk.

Ashton got up from the sofa as he walked over to the window and looked out, completely unaware that though he was watching Ace's house, Ace's house was watching right back.

*****

"There ain't anything going on between the two of them." Billy mumbled as he stood next to Ace.

The pair looking out his front window at Ashton Elliot's house, where they had seen Oakley go inside.

"Why would I care if she was sleeping with him?" Ace asked him blankly.

Billy quickly shook his head. "Not saying you do."

"So shut up."

Billy quickly nodded as he turned to the others.

"How did she find out about your mum?" Charlie asked. "You think one of the other cops told her?"

"Probably." Ace grumbled with a shrug. "She's digging hard."

"So dig back?" Eyeball offered up as Ace turned to him confused.

Yet he simply shrugged and stood up. "She's digging on you, dig back. Female detective? Not exactly common."

"Why would she become a murder detective?" Jack asked as he looked around at the rest of them.

"Not exactly a job most girls want." Eyeball added as he held his hands out.

Ace nodded slowly as he turned back to look out the window at Ashton's house.

"Start digging." Was all he said as he silently continued to watch the house.

*****

"Jasper and Carter are talking to other members of the View crew now, though they're all pretty angry as you'd expect." Ashton spoke calmly as he hung up the phone and turned back to Oakley.

She kept her gaze out the window at Ace's house as she nodded.

"They think it was the cobras?"

"Yup and they wanna fight back."

"We need to make sure that doesn't happen. Make sure Jasper and Carter stay with the View lot, we'll take these guys." Oakley confirmed with a nod towards Ace's house.

"And hope another murder doesn't take place?"

"While trying to solve this one, yup." Oakley tried to feel confident but she knew she wasn't.

"Who's in charge of the View lot now they're leaders-" Oakley started as she looked back at the whiteboard with the guy's picture stuck up. "Not?"

"Carter reckons it's fallen on a guy named Tom, younger brother of our first victim."

"His older brother was the leader?"

Ashton nodded, confirming her thoughts.

"Brilliant." Oakley grumbled sarcastically. "Make a leader of an emotionally scarred and angered guy, whoever thought of that idea."

Ashton simply shrugged.

"I wanna talk to him, can you get Carter to bring him in?"

Ashton nodded again. "Should be able to, he's like Merrill though, just as uncooperative."

Oakley nodded. "I got an idea for that too."

"You're not gonna flirt with him?" Ashton tried to laugh. "That shit only works with the gullible like Chambers."

Oakley shook her head. "I'm gonna use Merrill." She mumbled as she turned back to look out at his house.

"Use-" Ashton started. "Merrill?"

Oakley only nodded slowly as Ashton gulped slightly.

"Oh no."