Authors Notes: Thank you for your patience. I really appreciate it. Here is the final part. Please let me know what you think

Disclaimer, see first chapter.

ACT III: Rise of Shame

"So What did you learn at the police station?" Vallejo asked the duo as they reentered Headquarters just after school ended.

"Quite a bit actually. The crime scene had no real clues but the knife and the victim himself. What they learned fromthat though is what is interesting. The Knife was traced back to Berties Knife Shoppe in 

New Jersey. It was a special order knife with a unique registration code. The interesting thing is that the Knife was a gift to one Derek Edwards for his election to the office of the Student Body President." Ingrid filled Vallejo in as Fillmore got them both Hot Chocolate.

"So Derek stabbed himself?" Vallejo asked confused.

"No." Fillmore said as he handed Ingrid her mug. "The other thing we learned was from the wound itself. Derek was left handed so for him to have stabbed himself under the left pectoral muscle would have been difficult and unlikely because of that. The other notable thing is that the wound is in the front of his body so the killer had to be someone he knew and would let close to him."

"So we still don't have any suspects?" Vallejo asked sighing in defeat.

"Actually we do. It had to be someone with reason to be at the school or near Derek before the press conference. That limits it down from the thousands of kids at X to maybe a hundred or so." Ingrid said before heading towards Tehama to recruit the girl to help her get information on the clubs Derek had been in.

Vallejo looked at Fillmore. "You better get to it. You have forty two hours before Fulsome disbands the safety patrol and we are all in hot water."

"So who is next on the list?" Fillmore asked after they spoke to the 38th person that was in one of Derek's clubs. They were spending every spare minute interviewing people and were now skipping lunch to get as many people in as possible.

"A Roger Miller, member of the Student Council for three years." Ingrid replied after stopping to call up the list in her photographic memory.

They headed down the halls listening to the idle chatter about Prom and what would be worn, who was going with who, and other seemingly insignificant details. They passed the booth that was selling tickets to Prom. Fillmore did a double take as he noticed O'Ferrell in line behind Joseph Anza and Lizbeth Martin waiting to buy a their tickets to the long anticipated event.

Ingrid shook her head and lead the way to the far side of the room where Roger sat. After a few minutes of questioning, Ingrid mentally crossed Roger off the list. He had an almost reverent tone when he spoke of Derek as if he was the President of the United States as opposed to just X High.

"Thank you for your time Roger." Fillmore said before turning and leading Ingrid out of the Student Council Office. So how many more are on the list?"

"That's 39 down 84 to go."

"132 people interviewed and we still have no idea who the suspect is." Ingrid commented as she leaned back in Fillmore's desk chair.

"Should we go over the details again?" Fillmore asked from where he sat on the floor his back resting against his bed.

"I don't think it would help. We have till tomorrow at three to get this solved or all of us are going to be looking for something to do with our spare time because we won't be Safety Patrollers anymore."

Fillmore let his head fall back to rest on the bed. He knew they had to figure something out but what should they do next. "Maybe we should go over the crime scene again tomorrow. Not much else we can do tonight."

Just then his bedroom door opened and Fillmore's mom stuck her head in. "Ingrid, did you want to stay for dinner tonight. Then Trenton can drive you home. I don't want you walking home as long as this murderer is loose."

"Sure Mrs. Fillmore, let me just call my dad and let him know."

"See anything yet?" Ingrid asked as she scanned the now ribboned off area. The only difference between this and one of their regular crime scenes was the real police tape and the blood. Fillmore was searching closer to where the body was found while Ingrid was searching where Derek's belongings were found.

"Not ye-" he trailed off as he spotted something. "Disco. Ingrid, bring one of those evidence bags over here, I've found something."

Ingrid came over with a bag and a pair of rubber gloves. "What is it?"

"It looks like a girl's earring."

Ingrid picked up the delicate gold earring with her gloved hand and deposited it in a evidence bag. "This is right by where his body fell. Lets go check the lost and found to see who might have lost an earring matching this description."

"Lets see, an earring you say. Let me just pull it up. Ah yes. Three entries for earrings. A Susie Smith is looking for a clover shaped earing, a Jackie West is looking for a pink dangle earring and a Lizbeth Martin is looking for a gold earring." The clerk handling the lost and found informed.

"That doesn't make sense. Liz mentioned that she had seen him that day but not anytime near when he was setting up for the press confrence." Fillmore said as they sat at their desks.

"I've got it!"O Ferrell yelled. "The ghost decided that it liked the earrings and stole them but Derek caught it in the act and it killed him."

Fillmore glanced at Ingrid with a raised eyebrow. "How many things did you find wrong with that statement?"

"Too many."

"So what do you think?"

"It seems suspicious."

"Wait didn't Mrs. Edwards say that they were inseparable? Then Lizbeth says that she hasn't seen him much lately…"

Ingrid raised her hand to her forehead as she always did when remembering something with her photographic memory. "Wait yesterday when we were talking to Roger I saw Lizbeth buying two tickets to prom. I also overheard her talking to her friend later about how she and Joe were going to match outfits."

"But that means that she's going to prom with someone else."

"I think we need to have a chat with Lizbeth about her quick recovery of a broken heart."

They found her near her locker in the hall.

"Hello officers, how can I help you?" Lizbeth asked.

"We need you to accompany us back to headquarters for questioning on your involvement in the murder of Derek Edwards." Ingrid moved to apprehend her.

"How bout I don't?" Lizbeth threw her locker door into Ingrid's face and turned and ran. Fillmore jumped over her dropped backpack and began the chase.

Ingrid luckily had been quick to block the door but was still having to hurry to catch up with Fillmore. Ingrid looked around and gestured to Fillmore to keep chasing Lizbeth while she took a shortcut.

Lizbeth pushed people behind her and jumped over the obstacles in her way. As if in a stroke of good favor to the girl, the bell rang expelling hundreds of students into the halls.

"Dawg." He muttered as he started pushing past people. Then he saw an empty cart just outside the home ec class and jumped on it steering it toward the running girl.

People jumped out of the way of the cart as Fillmore flew threw the halls. Ingrid cut through the automotive class coming out just outside the hall that Fillmore and Lizbeth were coming down. She watched as Fillmore expertly jumped off the cart tackling the girl and sending the cart right into a storage room. She winced hearing a loud crash but ignored it heading to help Fillmore with Lizbeth.

"You don't understand! Derek was supposed to be perfect. Everybody liked him. No one understood why I was unhappy. No one knew that he was cheating on me like a dog. He wasn't perfect, he just hid it well. I had to do it, for the sake of his reputation. If I was no longer dating him because he was dead, no one would have to worry about his reputation being ruined or mine when it came out that he was a cheater."

"Liz that is so wrong. You killed someone because they were stupid and you didn't want them to get a bad rep? There is no justification for it. He is dead now because of your actions and you are going to spend a long time behind bars." Fillmore said almost sad that she ruined both hers and Dereks lives for a stupid reason.

"Let's go contact the authorities." Ingrid said as she led the way back to HQ.

"So the ghost took control of Lizbeth and killed Derek to save Derek's reputation?" O'Ferrel asked the duo as they sat at their desks.

"No O'Ferrell, there was no ghost." Fillmore patiently explained.

"Fillmore, Third! You'd better get some formals. Fulsome wants you two at prom to ensure the safety. Without the belts." Vallejo yelled as he stepped out of his office. "And when you're done with that you're back on desk duty for destroying a whole storage room full of supplies."

"Relax Vallejo, we brought down a murder at X, we deserve some slack." Ingrid said as they headed out the door. "So Fillmore, pick me up at 7?"

"Sure see you then."

Fillmore and Ingrid stood off to one side of the dance floor. They had danced a few times and had managed to avoid O'Ferrell and his fasination with the dainty sandwiches that were on the snack table. Fillmore had been shocked when he picked up Ingrid to see that she wasn't wearing black to the prom. He was wearing a suit similar to the one he wore in Jonny Nevada's casino but more for his new build. Ingrid wore a dark purple dress that sparkled as she moved. Its form fitting shape and the added heels made Filmore rethink his association with his partner.

"So shall we go back out and dance some more or should we try and sneak out and go get some real food?" Ingrid asked.

"How bout we dance one more time then quietly slip out and make our way to somewhere I can at least make a dent in my appetitie?"

"You're on."

Fin