Chapter 23
Shaw
Holden and I contacted Horatio, Calvin, and Letizia to see if they all received the same type of letters we did. They did. It was clear it was some type of puzzle, so they were all going to come over with what they got to see what it meant.
Letizia was the only one not coming since she was still in the hospital. She actually received the envelope while she was napping and Ender was out getting something to eat, and that made me sick to my stomach just thinking about it. The killer was able to sneak into the room to place the envelope beside her bed for when she woke up. Nobody saw who went in there.
They could have hurt her right then and there.
Ender came over in her place and I could tell he was quite angry right now. I didn't blame him.
Once Horatio, Calvin, and Ender arrived, we all sat down at the dining room table and placed the pieces of paper down. Ender looked over at all of them and said, "This makes no sense," he said. "Those who, will, their, pay? Are they trying to just screw with our minds? Because it's working."
Holden was sitting in the living room with Gibson, but he was listening in on the conversation and once he heard what the words were, he got up and walked over. "That's it? Those don't even form a full sentence."
"We aren't missing anyone, are we?" Calvin asked.
"We're not," Horatio said. "Not including mine, there has only been four reports of attacks."
Then why didn't the killer give us victims enough words to finish the sentence?
"Wait a second..." Holden said. "Jane."
"Who's Jane?" Ender asked.
"My best friend," Holden said. "She was attacked too. Well, sort of. I saw the person about to attack her so I was able to stop it, but we never reported it because nothing really happened. The attacker just took off when I showed up. I'll call to see if she got one too."
He walked away to talk the call and while he did, Calvin looked at Ender. "How is your sister doing?"
"I think she's doing better," Ender said. "She was freaked out when she saw the envelope because it meant the killer was in her hospital room while she was sleeping, but she's better now that the love of her life is with her."
"You're still on that?" I asked.
"I'm never leaving it, Shaw. They're meant to be. When I called him to see if he could stay with Letizia while I come here, he agreed right away and showed up as quick as he could. Anyone can see they're in love."
"I agree," Calvin said.
"Do you even know who I'm talking about?" Ender asked.
"Of course I do," Calvin said. "I'm the eye of Spruceworth. I see and know mostly anything, and I'm only saying mostly because apparently, I don't know anything when it comes to crimes being committed. Anyway, I especially know everything if it has to do with my cousin. I know Julian quite well and I can tell he's in love."
"Fair enough."
Holden soon walked back over. "Jane got one too. She's on her way over."
Jane showed up soon enough, with Charles as well. "Escaped," she said, placing the piece of paper on the table. "That's the word I received. What are the others?"
"Those who, will, their, pay," Ender said. "And now escaped." He rearranged the words around and took a picture with his phone. "I'm sending this to Letizia. She's really good at puzzles."
While we were waiting for her response because apparently, we were all too lazy to figure it out on our own, Charles sat down at the table in the seat closest to me. "So, Shaw," he said. "I have to get to know you better since you married one of my best friends. At a wedding I wasn't invited too." He sent Holden a glare after that sentence.
"Get over it," Holden said.
"Get over it?" Charles repeated. "You betrayed our friendship, you jerk. And since I'm petty, I'm not going to invite you to my wedding, which will really suck because that means you're not being invited to Jane's wedding as well."
"What?" Jane asked. "Why not?"
"Uh, because you're going to marry me," Charles said before looking back at Shaw. "So, do you treat Holden right? Do you make him happy? Do you know his favourite colour? How long have you even known him? I bet you I've known him longer so if you ever hurt him..."
I snorted a laugh, a small smile creeping on my lips. "Sorry to break it to you, but I think I've known him longer than you."
"Oh, really?" Charles said. "Tell me, Shaw, if that is your real name... When and how did you meet him?"
"It was a while back," I said. "I was eating a snack when my mom walked over to me and said 'Hey, Shaw. Lawrence and Tara had their baby.' So I went to the hospital with my mom and met baby Holden. And you met him at your boarding school, right? Twelve years later?"
"Oh, ouch. I guess I lost."
"Ooh, my sister texted back," Ender said. "And... She said there has to be a word missing. She can't get a single sentence that actually makes sense."
"But all of us that were attacked are here," Calvin said. "Unless there was someone else that didn't report it, but I highly doubt that."
"Yeah, the only reason why I didn't report it was because I wasn't really attacked," Jane said.
There was a knock at the door, so Holden went to answer it and when he did, he let Dan into the house. And Dan was holding a piece of paper. He noticed everyone that was here and saw the paper on the table before saying, "Okay, looks like I came at the perfect timing."
"Wait, you got one too?" Calvin asked as Dan placed his paper on the table. "Why? You weren't attacked. I think I would have known if my husband was attacked."
"I'm not your... Never mind, I give up trying to get you to get over this crush you have on me," Dan said, and Calvin winked at him. "And no, I wasn't attacked so I don't know why I got this word. So what do they spell out?"
"Hold on..." Jane said as she started arranging the pieces of paper before coming up with a sentence that made sense.
Those who escaped their fate will pay.
"Wow, I could have never guessed that the killer would go after the victims who survived again," Ender said sarcastically, taking a picture of the message. "I am now sending this to my future brother-in-law so he can protect his future wife."
"Who?" Holden asked.
"Ender thinks Julian and Letizia are madly in love and are going to get married in the future," I said.
"Excuse you, I don't think they will," Ender said. "I know they will."
"And I agree," Calvin said. "But anyway, I still don't understand why Dan got a message. It says 'those who escaped their fate will pay'. Dan wasn't attacked so what fate did he escape?"
"He was arrested," Holden pointed out. "It was clear the killer tried pinning the attacks on him. Maybe that's his fate."
"If it is, then that's stupid," Dan said. "What will the killer do? Try to get me arrested again? I got the best police officer on my side."
"They might not just try to get you arrested again," Horatio pointed out. "They never said how we will pay and if they're planning something... I really need to find out who's doing this."
_________________
i live for ender's sarcasm woo
how soon do you lovley and patient people want to find out who the killer is??????
ooh and i'll be nice and give you a hint. here's your hint: it's not dan.
lol like i said, i dont give hints in spruceworth oof
(ps dan is hot bye)
(pps harry can fall into a ditch)
(ppps harry is no longer my son)(ollie is my new hollyoaks son)