Curiosity // styles [ editing ]

eight

"The criminal is the creative artist; the detective only the critic." 

G.K. Chesterton

Chapter 8

The apartment had been empty for days now. None of the boys' or Annabelle has stopped by. I guess that's what I wanted though. I kind of felt guilty. Harry seemed disappointed when he said he wasn't going to bother me anymore. I hate knowing that people are disappointed in me. It makes me disappointed in myself. 

I honestly don't know what to do about the case. I have no clues, evidence, or anything to help me. This whole case is stressing me out and confusing me. Maybe Jake was right. Maybe I'm not capable of handling tough cases. Maybe I know that I can handle the easy ones and that why I take them then consider them as hard cases so I can feel better about myself. 

Ms. Hiltten keeps asking me about the case and wants to know how close I am to solving it. I know I'm not supposed to lie but I do. I say I'm close. I don't was her to worry about me, even though I am worried I'm not going to be able to do this. I'm failing the thing that I enjoy doing. It sucks honestly. 

Today is Saturday and I have the day off, which I think I needed. I decided I didn't want to be in my empty and lonely apartment so I decided to walk to the coffee shop that's a couple blocks away. It seemed cold and windy outside so I put on my heavy coat before going outside. 

The wind blew my hair back as I opened the buildings door. I sighed in frustration. I hate the wind. It makes you colder then you already are. My walking quickened because I wanted to get out of the cold. 

I got to the coffee shop and was relieved when I stepped into the heated area. The coffee shop was two floors. The bottom floor was the coffee shop and the upstairs was a book shop. I stood in the line which wasn't very long but had about three people in front of me. The line moved up one by one until I was at the front. 

I told the worker what I wanted then gave her my name. I took a seat in a booth next to the window. I went on my phone while I was waiting for my name to be called. 

"Cat Miller?" I heard my name being called. I went up to the counter and took the coffee with my name on it. I went back to my table and enjoyed my drink. 

"So you’re Cat Miller?" A male’s voice spoke. A figure sat in the seat across from me. The man's voice seemed oddly familiar but I couldn't exactly remember whose it was. My eyes looked up from my phone to the man infront of me. 

I felt my heart skip a beat when I realized who it was. 

"What's wrong dear? You look like you've seen a ghost." Caleb said sarcastically. 

"What do you want? Are you going to kidnap me like you did with those three girls who did nothing to you?  Then are you going to take a hammer to my legs like you did with Chrissy?" I was quiet so the people around us wouldn't hear our conversation. 

"Now why would I do that here where there are people around?" He asked but it was a rhetorical question. 

I looked back down at my phone in my hands. On the screen was a new message from an unknown number. 

Run get out of there. I don't need you ending up like them.

"Let me guess, It's Harry telling you to run and get away from me?" He asked. 

"No it's a reminder to tell me not to talk to douche bags like you." I said. 

Another text message popped up on the screen. 

Cat get out of there now.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I need to leave." I faked smiled at him before getting up. He also followed my actions but grabbed my arm as I walked passed him. His grip was tight as he pulled me in closer to him. 

"Be careful of Harry. I wouldn't trust him if I were you." He whispered into my ear. His grip loosened as he let go. Without looking at Caleb, I left the coffee shop. 

I was right. Caleb is fifteen steps ahead of us. He already knows about me, which most likely means he knows the plan. Yet again, they may come up with a new plan. Why am I even caring? I'm not part of their team any more so I don't need to know if or if not they have a new plan. Nor, do I need to tell them he already knows about me and probably their plan.  

Caleb’s words came back into my mind. 

"Be careful of Harry. I wouldn't trust him if I were you."

What is that supposed to mean? What had Harry done to Caleb? What was Harry even doing with Caleb when he was Harry’s boss. 

I only have more and more questions and I'm not even helping them anymore. Why am I taking so much interest into this case? 

My hands traveled back to my phone which was in my hands. Who was this unknown number? It had to be Harry or one of the others. 

I don't know where to go now. I don't think my apartment is safe anymore because Caleb could have some of his men follow me home. Before I could realize what I was doing, I found myself calling the unknown number, hoping Harry would pick up. 

"Cat do you see the restaurant right in front of you?" Harry picked up right away.

"Yeah?" I said but it sounded more like a question. 

"Go in there. I’m by the window; in the third booth." He instructed. 

"Okay but what if Caleb follows me?" I asked. 

"He won't, trust me." He said. 

I hung up after that. I crossed the street and made my way over to the restaurant Harry was in. Sure enough, he was in the third booth next to the window. His back was towards the door so I could only see the back of his head. I went over to the table he was sitting at. 

I may have acted fine when I was talking to Caleb but inside I was scared out of my mind. The act was going away and I was becoming more scared. My eyes started burning from liquid that was forming. God, enough crying already. I tried to blink the soon to become tears away but they wouldn't go away. Water would just keep forming in my eyes.

I sat down across from Harry, and then broke. I started thinking about how I'm disappointing everyone, how I killed my sister, how I can't wrap my finger around this case, how everyone back in Texas treated me before I moved out here, and just everything bad has happened in my life but mostly I thought about these past couple of weeks. Although it may have seemed that I wasn't scared when Harry had kidnapped me, when one of Caleb's men almost killed us, when I saw the video of Chrissy, and just a couple minutes ago when Caleb sat down right in front of me but I really was scared. When I'm scared I put on this act; it’s almost like this wall that hides how I'm feeling. A new person just takes over me.

There weren’t many people in the restaurant at the moment so there weren’t people starring at our table with the clueless boy and the crying girl. I'm sure Harry was trying to calm me down but I couldn't hear anything but my own mind. 

"Cat, what’s wrong?" Harry's worried voice finally came into my head.

"Shh, everything’s going to be alright." Harry tried to comfort me again. I was a bit calmed down then I was before but I was still crying and was having a hard time breathing. I can't imagine what I looked like right now. My makeup is most likely smeared and my cheeks and eyes are puffy and red.

After Harry saw I was calming down a bit he stopped talking and we sat in silence. Finally my eyes were dried up and I had controlled my unsteady breathing and I pulled myself together.

"Sorry about that." I said breaking the silence.

"Cat, what's wrong? What happened?" He asked.

"I'm scared." I said but it was so quiet that I could barely hear it.

Harry nodded, "We all are."   

Gif of Cat breaking down on the side :) thank you all for the votes and everything!