Sorry for the delay. School is a b*tch and now it's the holidays. So this is the new chapter and I know its been really boring and no action I'm hoping to have some kickass crap in the next chapter when Aria visits Aro...

Chapter 9:

"Here we are", Henry said, flicking on the lights as he opened the door.

The first room of Toby's mysterious apartment was lined with bookshelves. There were knick-knacks lining some selves, books on others and what looked like journals when Aria picked on up on the rest on the shelves.

"This is…" I looked around, this place was impossibly amazing. The bookshelves practically dripping information and coziness, the ceiling painted like an old world map, random world maps tack up onto any empty wall space, knick-knacks overflowing the tables. The soft tan leather couch, the sole place to sit, was half covered in open books, loose paper and multi-coloured pens. I took this all in. why wouldn't Toby share this? What was he hiding? "Astonishing".

Henry cleared his throat, vying for my attention over the numerous things I had yet to discover in this place. "I've never been here but last week I received a paper with this address and a message that said tell her. I'm assuming you're her."

I nodded. There had never been any women in Toby's life. He was always centred on me, then Nate and Nate's mom. I walked a little father into the apartment. A short hallway later lead to a kitchen. It was painted an odd but pleasant shade of dark red. It reminded me of a dress Toby got me for Christmas last year. The cabinets were stocked up like a normal kitchen: plates, cups, pots & pans, bowls, cutlery everything but food.

I continued my tour of the apartment where I discovered two bedrooms, both painted neutrally with generic sheets and furniture in a tan coloured wood. The last room was an office.

It was a very modern room, the walls painted a light green that I liked, the floor and pale blond colour, the furniture was all dark brown wood and glass. On the glass topped desk was a high-tech computer and it was…. On.

Aria walked curiously around the desk and sunk into the comfy, high-backed chair and moved the mouse as if to wake up the computer. The screen popped up showing the desktop to be a picture of me and Toby. I could remember that moment clearly. I was fifteen, we were at a festival together and we were on the Ferris wheel and I was taking a picture of the two of us. Toby was so scared that I was going to drop my phone, I didn't but he worried and scolded me all the same. I had so much fun and I, I had… I couldn't, I, I. I couldn't think clearly. Tears obscuring my vision and emotion coming over me in waves and making me hurt and hurt and hurt again. Again was a word I know hated.

A hand laid itself gently on my shoulder. I had almost forgotten I wasn't alone. Henry must've followed me in here. I didn't know how long I had been lost in thought.

"Look", he said gently, pointing at something on the screen. There was a folder called "Aria". I clicked on it while wiping away my tears and saw it was full of videos. I clicked on the one labeled '1', obviously.

"Hello Aria," Toby's warm and open face smiled at me from the screen. "If you're watching this I'm obviously dead. I'm sorry for leaving you, and that you have to find out like this. A lot of people want me dead, and someone succeeded". Those were Henry's words exactly.

"I'm going to be very cruel and send you on a scavenger hunt. One that'll help you figure out who killed me. You can see that this file is equipped with variations or each number. I've prepped a video to help you along no matter who killed me. I don't want you to avenge me; I want you to have closure. The final thing I ask of you is, do you choose to accept this invitation? If yes, click on the video labelled '2'."

Toby's smile froze on the screen after the video ended. I stared hard at it while I heard a sharp intake of air from Henry. I could feel the air around me contract around my hand; pushing me to click the second video, at the same time me head telling me doing an assassination assignment was different than going on a wild goose chase to who knows where to find my dad's murderer.

I clicked the second video.