Her Instinct: His Game

Chapter 34 - His Time

This chapter was inspired by the song "End Times" Warm Drag. Feel free to listen as you read!

Ms. Ryder looked back at us in shock, "So, you're telling me that Mr. Leto is an alleged serial killer?" Her hand clasped mouth, her eyes were wet. "And just to think, I was going to meet him on Sunday..." she trailed off. 

"Sunday?" Detective Banks leaned in. 

Derek came back in the room with a glass of water and handed it to her. She clasped the drink in her now shaking hands, but didn't take a sip.

"Yes, we're supposed to close the deal on the house. I sign and get my keys...I knew...ever since the science fair that something was off, but I certainly wouldn't have thought or even began to imagine something like-" she stopped as if almost choking. Her eyes, almost searching the room lost in her train of thought, landed on mine. "Kerri, has he done anything to you? Or All-"

"Ma'am," Detective Banks, interjected, "while circumstances seem grim, you have to believe me that you will be in the most protected hands. Kerri and Derek are absolutely safe. What we need from you is your help." She stared back at her in concern.

"And what help can I provide, exactly?" she asked with trembling voice before finally sipping from glass of the water.

"We just need you to help us lure him into one location. And since you're meeting him on Sunday, it's the perfect setup. We need you to keep your conversations with him just as they. were before. And we'll need your permission to tap your phone."

The atmosphere in the room was thick, too thick for a knife to slice - to the point that even I was going to need Derek to fetch some water, too. I felt Derek's hand rest on my knee, conforming as it was supposed to be, it didn't do the trick like he hoped.

She shut her eyes and exhaled, "Okay, I'll do it if this means he'll be locked away."

"You have my word, Ma'am." Detective Banks affirmed.

Walking out to the  school parking lot seemed way more refreshing than I have could ever imagined, but Ms. Ryder was in so that meant the game was set in motion. Derek trailed behind me as I followed after the detective. She stoped suddenly pulling us aside, almost out of the line of view from any possible obtruders on our conversation.

"Now, I'd like to thank you for your service so far, Kerri and Derek. I know this hasn't been the easiest thing for you, so I applaud you for that.  But  Mr. Leto is a very dangerous man we're dealing with. I'd like to ask you both to to let us take it from there. Matter of fact, she restated I'm telling you to let us take the reigns from here on out and we want you to have no part in it."

As soon as I tried to object, her firm voice cut me off.

"Do I make myself clear?" she asked with no concern for our feelings, she wanted our confirmation that we will follow her demands. 

"Yes," we said unanimously, but all the while disappointed and somewhat frustrated. 

"But we just have to know," I said before she walked away, "Was the nail a match to Agnes? Did you find what you need?" My eyes were glued to her in anticipation. 

Her lips tightened at my question like as she was clearly searching for the right words, "Let's just say, Mr. Leto is a without a doubt a criminal. Thanks to your help, we'll stop him."