Chapter 1:
SHAWN:
Here I was, enjoying a perfectly scrumptious pineapple smoothie when I got a call from my father.
This was going to be good.
"Yeah Pops." I sighed, taking a sip of my smoothie. I tried to keep the annoyance out of my voice. I swiveled around in my chair, looking at my buddy Gus, who had his eyebrows raised questioningly.
"Shawn, lighten up. I'm not asking you to do much, just want you to stop by for dinner." Dad said, sounding a little peeved. I silently groaned.
" Uh, I can't today, Gus and I are working on a case." I said, improvising. I stood up from my chair, Gus still watching me.
"Yeah. OK. See you tomorrow, Shawn." My brow creased as my dad clicked off the line. He had sounded upset. I shook the worry off and then something came to mind. The dead girl hanging in that room, and the boyfriend, and the bible...
"Gus! I've got it! It was the boyfriend, he's a member of a dark religious sect, he convinced her commit suicide!" I yelled, jumping up and down. "Oh man, Gus, I knew it was there all along..."
"Wait, Shawn, what do you mean? He was a devout Catholic." Gus argued, standing up, looking confused.
"Don't you get it? His parents always said that they grew up as Protestants, Gus. That was a Catholic bible!"
"He could have converted," Gus said, cocking his head.
"A day before she died? Come on, Gus. I saw the price tag on the bible- it was bought the day before the police found her in his house. And, I found something in his coat pocket. There were three rosaries, the crosses all broken. That's a sign of something dark." I blurted. By now I was hopping up and down feverishly. "To the blueberry!" I finished, dashing outside, Gus on my heels.
JULIET:
"Shawn, why are we here? Mr. Daniel has already been crossed off of our suspect list." I sighed, looking at Shawn frustratedly. I glanced up at the neat, tidy house that stood in front of us.
"He's not Catholic, Juliet. He's not even Christian... I'm getting dark vibes, Jules." Shawn said fervently. I let out a deep breath and followed him into the house, Gus, Carlton, and Vick on my heels.
Shawn burst into the house and looked around as Carlton, Vick and I rushed in, guns in hand. Gus stepped up from behind me.
"I don't think he's here, Shawn." Gus said despondently, looking at me. Shawn gave him a look.
"Then maybe he got away." Shawn said, looking disappointed. I looked over at Carlton, who was rolling his eyes, and at Vick, who was glaring at Shawn while she put back her weapon.
"Where else would he go?" I asked, confused. "The church?" Shawn shrugged.
"It's worth a try," he said, heading towards the now closed door. He struggled to open the door.
"Spencer, let the grown-ups do the work." Carlton snapped, leaning forward to open the door. With ease, he pushed Shawn away, who looked on, offended. He tried to open the door with no avail. Slowly, he turned to Vick and I, looking uncomfortable. I tried to hold back a smile. Then worry fluttered into my stomach.
"If we can't get out..." I started, but then heard something fall to the floor. I spun around, gun raised. My breath caught in my throat as I saw the tear gas can on the floor. I heard Shawn start to cough behind me, and a mist started to cover my eyes as I slumped down, hacking. I felt Vick bump into me, and heard a body fall to the ground.
"O'Hara... Shoot..." I heard Carlton gasp, and my mind whirled with confusion. As I threatened to succumb to the darkness, I felt a bag being placed over my head.
Haha I don't know if tear gas comes in a can or not, but I made it work. :) please, please, please, please review! It really makes my day. :) just type in that little box down there, just a few words, it takes less then, like, 30 seconds:)