Argentum

Chapter 8 - Gerhard

By fifth period, the news was afire. Everyone was talking about how 'Arhea' had been taken in for questioning. How she had single-handedly shot Phyllis with a gun and then disappeared but then the police's 'secret informant' had witnessed the crime. How all this news had leaked confused me but I was a little worried that somebody might trace it to me. It was unlikely though. I knew how to be anonymous.

So the murderer had a name.

Weird, how she seemed to be a normal student in the day but a demon at night. What sort of a world did we live in? I was sick of hearing about the murder and Arhea and her pet (which transformed from dog to bloodhound to wolf-dog to elk-hunting vicious pet wolf) and all the fantasy everybody put into the mix. I just wanted to go home.

When school was finally over, I literally ran home. Five minutes after I had shut my bedroom door, the doorbell rang. I wasn't going to check who it was, of course, but I peeked from my window. My room was nearest the front door though a bit to the side, and if I just craned my head enough, I could see who had come. So I stuck my head out the window to find two police officers standing on the porch. I paused, suddenly freaked out. Why were they here? I quickly shut the window and ran to my door and opened it slightly. Grandma had already opened the front door.

I heard their muffled greetings. I heard them coming in and seating themselves in the hall. The main officer seemed to have lowered his voice and was speaking in a rush because it was hard to hear him. I was just able to hear the gist of their conversation.

".......visited me."

"..........time."

"I don't know................."

".............she had gone."

"....night."

"...... saw a terrible dream." Grandma was louder and clearer than him.

"And what......"

There were complete sentences he spoke so rapidly that I missed out.

"............telephoned Arhea," she said.

I stumbled when I heard the name. What was my Grandma talking about?

".................calmed me down."

"Can you tell........"

"..........most certainly will not."

There was a pause.

"Did anything unlikely........."

There was another long pause. "Not of note."

".......sorry to............"

"My Arhea is innocent." Grandma's voice was loud and strong. "There are many who hate her, who wish to ruin her. Officer, do not tell me you are falling for their petty tricks."

I nearly collapsed.

My own grandmother was in on this.

I must have zoned out because a few minutes later the front door shut closed. I slumped into a chair, afraid of even standing.

What was going on?