Lilly and Scotty headed for the school where the kids went. "Charles, Amy, Tina, and Leslie were all good kids," Principal Guthrie said.
"We have a note that says otherwise," Scotty said.
"In fact," Lilly said, "it said that those kids were terrors of the school. Ruled over them."
"It's highschool, what do you expect?" Guthrie asked.
Guthrie was hanging out in the halls when he saw the small group. Charles and Tina headed for a boy at his locker. "Hey, Justin," Charles said. "What's up?"
"N-nothing," Justin stuttered.
"You're on the chess team, right?" Tina asked.
Justin stayed silent for a moment. Charles shoved his shoulder. "Hey, she's talking to you."
"Yeah," Justin replied.
Tina laughed. Charles joined. "Better watch yourself." He left as the bell rang.
"They were teenagers," Guthrie said.
"And you did nothing to stop it," Lilly said in disgust.
"Like I said, there was nothing I could do."
Lisa Hazelton came in then. "Oh," she said backing away. I'm sorry."
"That's okay, Lisa," Guthrie said, "they were just leaving."
Lilly and Scotty left the office. Before they reached their car, though, Lisa came running out. "Lilly!"
"Hey, Lisa, why aren't you in class?"
"I'm late as it is. Class can wait a few more minutes."
"What's up?"
"Can you meet me by the starbucks on the corner of PPD?"
"I'll try."
"Great. I have to go now. See ya."
As she raced off, Lilly turned back to the car. "What?" she asked when she saw Scotty looking at her.
"Nothing," he said.
M
Kat and Nick walked into a gymnasium where they saw a thirty-something year old man helping one of the boys with a game of chess. "Justin Blake?" Kat called.
The man looked up. "I am Justin Blake."
"Detectives Vera and Miller," Kat said. "Philly PD. Homicide."
"Homicide?" Justin asked.
"What do you know about Amy Lynn, Tina Miller, Charles Bird, and Leslie Heinston?" Vera asked.
"Not much," Justin said. " They ruled the high school that I went to, but that's about it."
"We heard that you had a run in with them about a week before they died," Kat said.
"No big deal," Justin said. "It was high school."
"Are you sure?" Kat inquired. "Are you sure you didn't try to even things with them?"
"You know," Vera added, "put them into checkmate?"
"If you mean kill them," Justin said. "I had nothing to do with it."
"So what happened after that?" Kat asked.
"I made up with them..."
Amy and Leslie walked up to Justin with Charles and Tina behind them. "Hey," Amy said.
Justin looked up at them. "What do you guys want?"
"Just wanted to invite you to a party we're having at Tina's tonight," Amy replied.
"What's the catch?"
"There isn't any," Tina replied.
"We wanted to make up for earlier," Charles replied.
Justin nodded. "Okay. I'll be there."
"I went to the party, and that was that," Justin finished.
Kat nodded. "Okay." She took out her card and handed it over to Justin. "Call us if you remember anything."
"You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" Kat askes Vera as they exited.
"Party went south," Vera said.
"And maybe Justin put them into checkmate afterall."
M
Lilly managed to let Scotty head back to the PPD while she went to meet Lisa. She had just finished ordering her coffee when someone came up behind her. "Be sure they put a Rush on my frap."
Lilly turned to see Lisa behind her. "Where did you come from?"
"PPD?" Lisa joked. "Not really. Hitched a ride with my friend Danielle."
"Are you getting anything?"
"Yeah, my strawberry and Creams frap."
"Okay, well, I'll go get a table while you get that."
"And, Lilly," Lisa called.
"Yeah?"
"Put a Rush on it."
Lilly chuckled as she went to get a table. Five minutes later, Lisa was at the table. "So, what's been happening?" Lisa asked.
"Cases," Lilly said. "Working on another one right now. You play chess, right?"
"Yeah. Love that game."
"Do you think you can help us out?"
"Sure."
They chatted about Lilly's relationships for a few minutes; Lisa cracking up about the gun that Eddie gave her. "Oh, man. I wish I could've been there for that. Rumor is that you're an aunt now. True or false?"
"True. And who've you been talking to?"
"While I may not have kept in contact with you, which is no one's fault-" she coughed mockingly- "but Scotty and Kat have kept me updated."
Lilly nodded. "So, where have you been these last four years?"
"Well, had you been keeping up with the letters and not just your cases," Lisa said, her southern accent coming out, "you'd know that I was in Florida for awhile."
"Weather nice?"
"Hot. Like you wouldn't believe. Heard you had a hot summer at one point, that's nothing comapred to what I went through."
"What about your foster parents?" Lilly asked, remembering that she was the one who had to pull Lisa out of an abusive Foster Care Center until some nice people took her in. "Are they treating you well?"
"They're dead," Lisa mumbled.
"I'm sorry," Lilly said.
"Car accident. But, some nice people took me in. Surprisingly, they moved back here." Suddenly, her cell phone rang. "Oh, c'mon, not now." She reached down to her satchel, and some of her hair moved. Lilly could see an outline of purple and blue around her eye. Lisa didn't notice. "Shoot," she said, once she had her phone. "I have to go."
"Lisa," Lilly said, placing her hand on the teenager's. "Are they hurting you?"
"No," Lisa replied. A little too quickly.
"Lisa," Lilly replied a little more sternly. Lisa looked at her. "Look at me in the eye and tell me the truth: are they hurting you?"
Lisa had to look away. Lilly moved Lisa's hair to the side to reveal a bruise that was mostly healed. Lisa moved out of her reach. "Please, if they know you're a cop, they'll kill me."
"Are they watching us right now?"
"Yes." She looked at the corner where someone was watching them. "Meet me at PPD tomorrow after school. I'll tell you everything."
M
"Where were you?" Scotty asked.
"Starbucks with Lisa," Lilly replied. "What have you got?"
"Turns out, our victim's were having a party at one of their houses."
"Really?"
"Yup," Jeffries said. "Pretty much the whole school was invited."
Lilly sighed. "Great, that leaves us about a thousand suspects."
"It gets worse," Kat said. "I re-ran the DNA on the rape kit, there was more than one doner."
"How many?"
"Three."
"So, now we have a gang rape on our hands as well."
"Hey," Vera said. "At least that narrows down our suspect pool to about three hundred."
"Or maybe the gang rape was a seperate event."