It Started With a Murder

Chapter Eleven

Cathie:

I stare at the book in my hands, my breathing becoming slightly disjointed. Taking a deep breath, I open the diary:

15th January 2011

For some really weird reason Pearl has started acting all weird, it all started a couple of days ago at a sleepover with her and Cathie. Me and Cathie were just lounging around on the sofa, talking about this book that we’d both read when Pearl stormed in, saying she thought I should go home because she wasn’t feeling well, but she was feeling fine, I could tell. She was fine for the whole sleepover until that point, it was really strange.

2nd February 2011

Ugh, life isn’t great, me and Pearl had a massive blow up today. Basically Pearl was bossing Cathie around, as always, and I told her to stop doing it and she just started shouting at me! What the hell is her problem?! It’s so annoying, she’s being such a bitch lately. I think that there must be some problem that I don’t know about, but I don’t think it’s fair that she’s taking her anger out on me.

19th February 2011

Percy asked me out today. Again. Can’t he take the hint, I’M NOT INTERESTED!!! I mean, you would’ve thought that after three years of consistently asking me out and me rejecting him, he would’ve got that I don’t like him, he must be more stupid than I thought.

13th March 2011

I think I’ve found Pearl’s problem. She likes Percy. It all adds up, I don’t know how I didn’t see it all before. It still really annoys me how pissed off she gets with me though, it’s not my fault that Percy prefers me to her, I mean I am quite a lot nicer and less… well less Pearl, she’s just a complete bitch to everyone, surely she knows how hated she is.

Me and Mini were talking for HOURS the other day, just about Pearl and how much we don’t like her, I never realised until then just how much I really hate her.

4th April 2011

Pearl is officially on my hate list… and she knows it.

We had the biggest argument EVER today when I asked her, in a very friendly, pleasant way, whether she likes ‘someone’ that likes ‘someone’ else. If I had known she was going to react like she did, I wouldn’t have bothered to even ask her. She just went mental!

I honestly didn’t mean to make her so angry, I even apologised but I swear, that is the last time I ever apologise to her. She wouldn’t stop screaming at me, using a whole lot of colourful language. She’s just a rude skank, who can’t stand it when someone is better than her. I just can’t believe it took me so long to see who she really is.

I stare at this last page for a long time, blood rushing through my ears and making my eyes burn. I thought that Annabelle’s diary would show that it wasn’t Pearl, maybe give some evidence that Percy did it, or maybe some person I don’t even know.

But there’s nothing in there but hatred towards Pearl.

“Cathie.” Adrian murmurs, pulling my shaking body into his arms. I sit in his embrace for a long time, forgetting about the outside world, forgetting about Annabelle, forgetting Pearl. Just forgetting.

Eventually my mind loses it’s fuzziness and I begin to think clearly again, “We need to go before Mr and Mrs Dickson come back.” I say, my voice croaky from lack of use. Adrian picks up the diary and slips it into his pocket.

In a matter of minutes we are back at Adrian’s silent house. Nothing happens for a long time, we just sit together, in his living room, for a long, long time, not speaking, just breathing and thinking.

Eventually Adrian breaks the silence, his voice loud after hearing nothing for a long time, “Cathie, I think we have to hand the diary in to the police.”

I don’t move, I just stare at my hands. Adrian nudges me gently, prompting me to answer, “I don’t want to… We don’t even know if that was everything, the last entry was months before her murder, it was back in April!” I cry.

Adrian shushes me and tries to put his arm round me but I whither free of his grasp and run from the room. I hear Adrian calling me back but I get to the front door and yank it open, running out before he’s even left the living room.

I reach my house and begin hammering on the door, screaming Pearl’s name, then remembering that she’s out. To my relief and horror, the door opens to reveal a worried looking Pearl.

“Was it you?” I ask, knowing that she could easily lie, but really wanting her to tell the truth.

She frowns, “What? Was what me? Are you okay, Cathie?”

“No.” I say, pushing her into the house so as to have a less public conversation, “Did you kill her?”

Pearl stumbles slightly, her face still a mask of confusion, “Did I kill…” Her voice trails off, realisation glints in her eyes as her face drains of all it’s colour. “No, Cathie, I swear I didn’t.”

I stare at Pearl, at my sister, the girl I have always wanted to be, and I don’t believe her. “Don’t lie. I know how much you two hated each other.” I whisper, feeling very close to tears.

Pearl steps forward to comfort me but I flinch away, I see a pained expression cross her face, but I ignore it, she’s a master of lying. “Cathie, please listen to me. I didn’t kill Annabelle, we had… some disagreements but I would never have hurt her.” I stare at her, completely lost for words, allowing tears to roll freely down my cheeks.

“I’m going upstairs until mum and dad get back, then we’ll talk to them, until then, stay the hell away from me.” I hiss.

Pearl slumps forward slightly, tears running down her face too, “No, Cathie, at least let me explain things. Please.”

I turn on my heel, ready to storm upstairs, when I stop in shock. Adrian’s standing at the front door, I completely forgot I hadn’t locked it. Adrian looks ill, his eyes completely glazed over. “What’s wrong?”

“I think we should hear Pearl out.” He says.

“What! Why?” I ask, my mouth turning dry.

Adrian stares at the floor, his eyes looking lost, eventually he looks up at Pearl and I, his eyes reflecting both our faces, “Because she knows who the murderer is, she's always known.”