Answer
*Kayla*
January 11, 2016
Today we don’t have school because of School Improvement Planning. Even though I think it’s a ridiculous reason to not have school, I’m not complaining, nor is any other student. Just back from Christmas break, we’re glad to have another day off.
There are only a few more months left of school, and even though I’m excited to be done with high school, I’m also anxious. We have a time limit to prove that Mikey is the murderer. Once summer break is over, we’ll all be going to college and going our separate ways. Life will go on, and I’m afraid that we may forget about solving Kyle’s murder.
We have reached a dead end, it seems. We got Mikey to confess to Dallas and me; however, we can’t find a way to get the evidence we need. We can’t go to the police and accuse Mikey without evidence. Mikey doesn’t have the murder weapon. He doesn’t own a black Ford Expedition. He doesn’t have cause to kill Kyle, because he intended for me to die. We need a confession or a witness who could claim his alibi of September 12 false.
But who? His mother would never confess to her darling son being a killer. She would defend Mikey until her last breath. The only other person who would have known where Mikey was that night is the person who was sitting in the passenger seat with his gun pointed at Kyle’s chest…but again, we don’t know who that is.
I curl up on my bed, hugging my “I Love You to The Moon and Back” pillow that my grandma gave me to my chest.
We’re just kids. I bite my bottom lip, trying to keep myself from crying. All this weight has been bearing down on us, and we’re only teenagers. We have to solve this case on our own, and we don’t know the first thing about being detectives or solving cases. I should be planning my dress for prom and getting excited about graduation. I should be spending every waking hour with my friends because they will soon be gone and out of my life.
I will always remember the few moments of my senior year when I actually felt like a teenager…going to the movies with Dallas, going bowling…even having to pluck a bottle of whiskey from his grasp…jet skiing.
Jet skiing is by far the best memory I have. We were oblivious to Mikey’s betrayal; therefore, we were able to spend the day carefree and happy. Dallas taught me how to ride a jet ski, gifting me with one of my biggest wishes.
Tyler and Anne were having the time of their lives as well. I’m glad that Anne has found a good guy like Tyler, who will treat her well. It was obvious they have strong feelings for each other, even when they had only started talking the day before.
And apart from the odd argument with his friend, Mikey was decent to hang around too. He didn’t spoil the mood, even though he did scowl at me a few times. Now I understand why he did so. He wanted me dead…
Oh my God.
I throw my pillow on the floor and nearly leap out of bed. Sprinting toward the door, I whip my phone from my back pocket and dial Dallas’s number.
“I’ll be at your house in five minutes,” I say before he can even greet me and hang up without hearing his response. I snatch my keys and purse off the counter and race toward the front door. I ignore the look Katie tosses me from the living room and exit the house.
When I get to Dallas’s house, he’s already outside waiting for me. He arches an eyebrow as he runs toward my passenger seat.
“What’s going on?” he asks, buckling in as I drive toward the park.
“It was him. The guy at the lake. It was him.” I bite out, looking over at Dallas with wide eyes. He squints at me, not completely understanding what I’m saying. “The owner of the black SUV!”
Understanding adorns Dallas’s face before it turns to horror and then anger. He reaches up and runs a hand through his hair.
I park the car and turn to Dallas. “Kyle knew they were both there. We do and we don’t know the killer. Dallas, we saw them from the beginning. They were right in front of us.” I gnaw on my bottom lip.
How could Mikey be so careless? He was talking to his partner in crime right before us, no more than a hundred yards away.
Does it not sit on his conscience? Does it not weigh heavy that he killed his best friend’s brother?
Clearly not, if he’s meeting publicly, right in front of Dallas, with the assassin.
I feel sick to my stomach as I lift my eyes to see the look of loss on Dallas’s face. “He was right there, Kayla…the man who shot Kyle.” Dallas turns his head so our eyes meet, tears welling in his beautiful blue orbs. I reach over and thumb them away, just as he does to me so many times. “And I just let him walk away…”
“No, Dallas. You mustn’t blame yourself. There was no way you could have known…”
“Kyle’s clue wasn’t good enough for us? We should have been more diligent. We got lazy. We dismissed what he told us. We were selfish, Kayla.” Dallas’s tone is sharp, and I find myself frowning at him.
I don’t like what he’s saying. Dallas is far from selfish. He has become the most selfless person I know these last couple of months. Was it so wrong for us to want to enjoy one day as teenagers?
I feel a tightness in my chest as tears gather in my eyes as well. No matter what I tell myself, I can’t help but feel guilty. While we were being teenagers and having fun, Kyle is stuck in some sort of limbo. He can’t find peace.
And we were riding jet skis.
“We will catch them, Dallas. We will make them both pay. I promise you. We just have to find a way to soil his alibi.” I lean against my chair and look up at the roof of my car, as if our answer was plastered there.
I feel his warm hand encase mine, and I look at him from the corner of my eye. Dallas lifts our hands and places a kiss to my knuckles.
“I’m glad I have you with me during all this, Kayla. I was stupid to ever think I could do it on my own. You are the one person that keeps me rooted. Without you, I’d be lost with turmoil and anger. I love you, Kay.”
“What do you think about the chicken salad sandwich?” Anne asks, gazing down the menu, her beautiful red hair falling around her face as a curtain. My eyes flicker to her for a moment before they move back outside.
It’s a beautiful Saturday morning. There are a few white, fluffy clouds in the baby blue sky. The wind is soft, causing a gentle rustle to the leaves on the oak tree across the lot. I can hear the quiet, angelic songs that the birds sing as they flutter from tree to tree. The grass is green from the melted snow, though there are a few brown patches.
There is still no luck with finding a way to prove Mikey guilty. It is bearing down on Dallas. He’s hardly sleeping; he’s growing impatient. The last two days, he has barely spoken to me, despite the fact that he admitted he couldn’t do without me.
I understand. He needs time to himself. We can’t always be together. Perhaps it’s good that we have some time apart. We have been together so much because of Kyle that there’s a bead of doubt ebbing in the back of my mind.
After we solve Kyle’s murder and everything is finished, will Dallas grow tired of me?
All we know is being together because of Kyle, because of this situation. But once it’s over, will we lose our connection? Will we realize that there really was nothing there to begin with but two people working together to solve a case?
I bite my bottom lip at the thought.
I don’t want to lose Dallas. I love him, more than I thought possible for someone our age. I rely on him as a support system. I rely on him as a safe-haven. I rely on him as a getaway. If I lose him, I will lose stability and sensibility.
Does he rely on me the same way I rely on him?
Funny how it can be such a beautiful day, even with all the atrocious events that are going on in the world.
“Kayla!”
I let out a grunt in pain as my arm explodes with a throbbing sensation. I jerk my eyes over to Katie, who has a guilty smile on her face. “Why did you just punch me?” I whisper, arching an eyebrow.
“Anne asked you a question about a sandwich…about three minutes ago,” Katie says, propping her chin into the palm of her hand, so her eyes zero in on me. “And we’ve just been watching you since. You make weird faces when you think.”
I let out a huff and turn to look Anne in the eyes. “The chicken salad sandwich sounds phenomenal. It’s what I get every time I come to Emerson Creek.”
While the Village Grind is my favorite place in Oswego, Emerson Creek Tea Room is Katie’s. It’s a rustic, simple barn that was renovated into a cute tea room. The food here is delightful, and the staff is friendly.
Everyone in Oswego is friendly.
“Excellent.” Anne claps her hands and turns to the waitress, who I didn’t notice was standing there, taking in all that just happened. I flush with slight embarrassment as I order the sandwich and raspberry ice tea, the exact same as Anne and Katie.
“Katie, how’s dance?” Anne asks my sister. I turn my attention to Katie.
Her dirty blonde hair is pulled into a French braid, starting from the very top of her head and all the way to her mid back. It’s neat and beautiful. A few freckles adorn her cheeks, but apart from that, she has our mother’s pale yet flawless complexion. She’s wearing a pretty pink sundress, even though it’s fifty degrees outside.
“It’s going well. I took your advice”—Katie points to me—“and am focusing primarily on hip hop.” I smile widely at this.
I am so proud of Katie. She has no fear in chasing her dreams. I’m happy that she has a hobby she’s passionate about. Dance has always been her passion, and I hope that she will be able to continue it for many years to come.
“That’s great, Katie. I’m so happy for you,” I say, reaching over to grab her braid and run my hand over it. Katie slightly tilts her head to follow the pull before I let it drop.
Upon a gentle ding, someone enters the tea room. My eyes lift, and I immediately recognize the person walking through the door. She’s dressed in a dark purple, floor-length dress with the material that’s sheer from her knees down. Her hair is twisted into a messy bun with dangling, silver chandelier earrings.
Shelby.
I watch her for a moment, glad she doesn’t notice me. I’m sure she’d bolt from the room if she did, not that I understand why. I hardly know her. Why was she so freaked out when she saw Dallas and me?
“Hey…that’s…”
I look over at Anne and see her subtly pointing a finger in Shelby’s direction, her eyebrows pulled together as she tries to ponder the name. “Shelby,” I help, taking a sip of the raspberry tea.
“Yeah. Shelby. Wonder how she’s doing. Bet she has repercussions from dating Mikey.” Anne giggles to herself.
I feel my arm lock as my eyes lift from my tea and focus in on Anne. She seems to have the same train of thought as she quickly quits laughing and stares at me with wide eyes.
Instantaneously, we look over at Shelby, our mouths gaping wide. “She’s the answer…” I whisper to myself.
Shelby was dating Mikey throughout the whole incident. She would have known where he was September 12. She would have most likely seen a text or heard a suspicious phone call…
Shelby is the answer.
Anne turns back to look at me, and we both let out a gusty, weight-lifting breath.
“Holy—”