21 Murders | Harry Styles AU (discontinued)

XXXVIII. Overtax

"Are you out of the department yet?" He asks, sounding out of breath and frantic.

I shift in my seat in slight worry. "Yeah, no charges are being pressed, luckily."

"That's good," he sighs in relief, the feeling mutual. "Listen, Internal Affairs has shut down the department so we need to meet up somewhere else. I think I retrieved something beneficial in the security camera footage from Jeremy's financial company."

At the mention, my body hunches over in a nervous excitement. Finally, it's felt like years since we've come any closer to solving this case. Even when we say we're close, it's proven to all be a false façade.

"Okay, good. Meet me at my apartment."

"Meet you? You aren't there now?"

"No, I'm catching a bus," I groan and see the large mobile faintly come around the corner and exhaust smoke from its back pipe. The polution-tainted fuel lingers into the air and puffs into thick clouds when I finally stand and throw a twenty at the driver. Covering the speaker, I tell him my address and take a seat in the first row.

"What time do you want me to come?" Royce asks and I think. It's still early and before he shows up, I want to clear things over between Noelle and I. My selfish tendencies beat my hate for the killer, so my mind is simply made quickly.

"Five, bring as much help as you can." I answer, thoughtfully. "I'll text Estelle and ask her to come over, too."

"Noelle is with her, so that should be good."

"El stayed with Estelle?" My voice raises an octave. At the same time, I am pleasantly surprised that she wasn't at our home alone while I wasn't there. The last thing I want is for her to not be around people when the severity of this case keeps building.

"Yeah, hopefully that's okay. She could've come home with me but..." he hesitantly stops and I get the gist. "Anyway, have you heard any word from Des since he left?"

What?

"What do you mean since he left?"

"For England," he clarifies and his voice drops. "He left for England. You didn't know that? I'm sorry, I thought you already knew. He told the rest of us.."

"How the hell was I supposed to when I've been locked up all night?" My voice involuntarily raises and I sigh, gripping my temples with one hand and resting my elbow on the window ledge.

When will all the lies and secrets end - I ask myself, but hear no answer, obviously. It isn't Royce's fault, though, that I didn't know. I knew the consequences of beating up an agent and I still did what I did.

"Sorry, I shouldn't take my anger out on you. When'd he leave?" This time my voice doesn't sound as hostile. Maybe it's better if Des gets the hell out. Leaving me to pick up the pieces to his mess wasn't what I thought he'd do, but it'll be easier to clean when he isn't constantly dropping more shit on the pile.

"His plane landed this morning, I think. You should call him. I don't want to come between you two." As if there was anything left to come between.

"Maybe I will," I admit and the scenery outside the bus' foggy window becomes more familiar. I also notice Halloween decorations being carelessly thrown about front lawns and gate railings. The impending holiday must be close. At this point, I can't even remember today's date.

"I'll see you later, then. Don't bite the hand that fed you," Royce humorously laughs and I can't find the humor nor think of a reason why I shouldn't do exactly that.

He needs his arse beat and I am sick of all the secrets. They're starting to cloud my thinking and override my rationality. "Yeah, yeah. See you then," I end the call and mentally prepare myself to call my father.