Killer

Chapter 19: Framed

After shopping for our Halloween costumes for Mila's upcoming party and exchanging a sweet kiss, Jace took me home shortly after. I was sitting on my bed with a notebook and pen on my lap, writing down my scrambling thoughts. I started to write: The Complications Within Love and Murder...

I shakily dropped my pen and shut my eyes. I hoped to spend the rest of my evening journaling, which would help put some of my thoughts into perspective and make myself seem normal and organized, but nothing in my life right now seems as completely normal as it once was. I should write down a list of people I see every day and come up with crazy potential motives that they have to kill someone, but at the top of that list was Mr. Burke and his arrest this morning.

Then, all of a sudden, my cellphone chimed on my nightstand dresser. I closed my notebook and reached over for it to see that Tre had sent me a text message, which was quite unexpected. I hadn't spoken to him since he tried to kiss me in the library.

HEY, WHAT R U DOING? SRY ABOUT YESTER DAY.

IT'S COOL, I sent him a text back. I'M WRITING.

I didn't have it in me to lie or hide things from Tre, but with Jace clouding my mind, my friendship with Tre was slowly straining. As far as I knew, my feelings were still there for him.

Another text shot back to me instantly: OK? WANNA MEET AT THE PARK TMRW A.M

I flopped back on my bed and scrunched up my face. Was he trying to have his way with me again? It wasn't until an idea fluttered in my head. BET, BUT I MIGHT NEED A RIDE TO THE POLICE STATION, I wrote back.

Mr. Burke's arrest. I had to get to the bottom of what the real reason was and what Rachel could possibly do.

***

The next day, early in the morning, I made my way to the local park in my neighborhood. It was the crack of dawn as I saw a middle-aged woman jog past me, smelling a quick waft of her sweat and lotion. I could hear a random, calming instrumental burst through her earphones and saw a few black birds resting on top of a water fountain.

Being in this park at this time gave me chills. It was only a few blocks away from my house, and I could easily remember specifics about this place. The smell of charcoal from the grill cooking up hotdogs, little kids splashing water balloons at each other, small dogs rustling with each other in the green grass, and a few shirtless boys playing multiple rounds of basketball in the courts. I used to spend a lot of my time in the summer here.

I would lie my body over the perfectly, freshly-cut green grass, glazing up at the blue sky, feeling small ants crawling over my arms and legs.

There was no activity in the park—everything was dark and empty. I walked to the parking lots and sat on the curb. I could make out a lonely red Nissian sitting there. My heart did a tiny flip.

It was Tre's car. He was here.

"Tre?" I softly said this, approaching the vehicle.

His window rolled down as he popped his head out. He gave me a soft smile and gestured me to get in. His hands were resting on the steering wheel. He wore a white long-sleeve shirt and a pair of fresh black pants. "Hey," he said. He easily smelled like cinnamon and mint gum. "Did you sneak out?"

I nodded. It wasn't like my mom cared when I left or who I was with at any time of day; I doubted she knew anything about the strict curfew in Tanglewood. "Yeah, my mom was soundly asleep." I did a quick 360 of our surroundings, from the dark trees beyond to the too quiet lot, just to make sure no one was possibly watching us. "Let's just get going."

Tre shrugged and started the ignition. I was so glad he didn't start asking me questions about why I wanted to go to the police station.

Within minutes, I arrived at the Tanglewood Police Department. Inside the station, it was the same as the past two times I had been here: first to report a murder tape, then to see if the investigation was ongoing. It still looked bland and had beeping noises going on. The telephones were going crazy and jarringly. It was nearly empty.