The Piece System

Chapter Twenty-Three: JAKE

As Caleb walked in, newspaper under his arm, Jake was barely listening to the small talk. But when the conversation switched to Kieran's murder and who the real killer was, he managed to drag his attention off pure terror and fear to listen.

"The original prime suspect was Kieran's mother," Alex said as Caleb sat in the armchair across from them, "But seeing as Kieran's the one who died, that kind of rules her out."

"Not necessarily." Caleb said.

"Yes, it does." Jake said, "It rules her out. Completely."

He ignored the way Caleb eyed him.

"Okay. So, who's the next suspect?" Caleb asked. Alex shrugged, looking at Jake.

Oh, don't look at me, what am I meant to say?

"Well, it's not Charlie. You met him, it's not him." he said.

"Who's Charlie?" Caleb asked.

Jake smirked when Alex ignored him. "Yeah, I met Charlie." she said, "He knocked me out and tied me to a chair. I don't think I've ever seen someone with so many weapons."

"He knocked you out?" Caleb exclaimed, "Whoever he is, I'm going to punch him."

"You're not touching him." Jake shot him a glare. Caleb shut his mouth as Jake turned to Alex again.

"He hurt you?" he asked. She made a vague gesture.

"Not really. Had a bit of a headache, friction burns." she said. He nodded.

"Okay, good."

Why good? He thought to himself. Hold on, what?

He didn't have a chance to debate with himself on why he'd said that.

"So, if it's not Kieran's mother and it's not this Charlie guy, then who's the other suspect?" Caleb asked.

Silence.

"Are you serious?" Caleb pinched the bridge of his nose. "You guys have no suspects? No one? Seriously?"

"Hey! Where exactly am I meant to start?" Alex said, gesturing to Jake, "He's the one who knows about the Renegades! How are we meant to get anywhere when the only people he says have the reach in the Rebellion couldn't have done it?"

Caleb huffed and opened the newspaper. "Well then he's lying!"

Jake froze. So did Alex. Except all he felt from her was a cold, icy, slightly nervous tension. Jake, however, felt the rage burn from the depths of his chest.

"I am not," his teeth were clenched, "Lying."

Caleb looked at him coolly, "I'm not saying you're lying on purpose, maybe you don't know you're lying. We're investigating the Renegades here, they lie for a living."

"We do not." Jake sat up further. Cricket looked up at him, concerned. Caleb turned the page in The Daily Checkmate.

"We? I thought Alex said you weren't a Renegade anymore. Got anything to tell us?" he said.

If Jake's blood boiled any more, he was going to explode. In fact, he probably would have if Caleb didn't reach for the remote and turn the tv on.

When the voice of the news anchor crackled to life, everyone fell silent. The argument forgotten, the three stared at the screen. Jake's photo was there again, except this time it wasn't talking about the murder.

Cricket lifted her head off Jake as he got to his feet.

No. He thought.

"An anonymous source today has claimed that the wanted murderer of sixteen-year-old Kieran Lackey has more than one secret."