Azula

In

THE MISSING LINK

Chapter Fourteen

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"It was so horrible!" Katara sobbed. "To think that The Missing Link was that close!"

"Who was with you when the fire started?" Zuko asked.

Katara sniffled. "Um, my dad was out working, so it was just Toph, Suki and I. Sokka was in his room."

"Hmmm," Tylee murmured.

"You don't think....!" Katara sounded horrified as she continued to cry. "I know Toph, Suki, and Sokka would never do that to me!"

"It's just a possibility." Zuko said. "We tought we had our criminal at one point."

Katara snapped up. "Really? Who?"

"We thought for sure that it had been Jin Brown, but we were wrong." Mai answered.

"Do you know if she was involved?" Katara asked.

Zuko shook his head. "We're not supposed to tell you who was involved, but when we catch the culprit, you'll be the second to know."

"Oh," Katara nodded, then she straightened again. "Second?"

"We'd have to tell my sister first."

"Of course," She blushed. "I should've known."

Wow, she's really jumping emotions, Tylee reached outto put her hand on Katara's. "You'll be fine."

'Lips Like Sugar' blasted from Katara's cellphone. She ruefully picked it up and told Tylee, Mai, and Zuko to hold on. With a terrified shriek, she slammed the phone down on her computer table and fled from the room.

"I guess I'll read it," Mai said, predicting her placement from Tylee's pouty expression, and Zuko's fear of emotional outbursts.

When Mai picked up the phone, her eyes widened.

To: Katara Whiteman
Cc: The Missing Link

TML knows.

Along with the two forboding words came an attached picture; one that looked like it was taken just a few seconds ago. Once of Zuko, Mai, Tylee, and Katara gathered around in her bedroom. Obviously taken from the inside of the house....

Mai was shaken from her thoughts when Tylee kicked the door open.

"What'd you do that for?" Zuko asked. "It wasn't locked!"

Tylee had the most horrified look on her face. "Somone was out in the hallway staring as us, I swear."

"So what does that mean? It could've just been Katara or Sokka." Mai said calmly.

"I know what I saw!" Tylee screeched. "And it wasn't one of the Whitemans!"

Zuko shook his head. "Who else would be in here, Tylee? Get a grip."

"Dammit, Zuko! I know what I saw!" Tylee ran from the room just like Katara had, but instead of sobbing her way out, she looked like she was trying to remember something.

"She seems really freaked out." Mai said.

Zuko nodded. "Even more than Katara."

"Should we go after her?"

"That would be best."

Mai put Katara's cellphone back on the computer table and left the room with Zuko. Once outside, the two found Tylee already in the backseat of the BMW, furiously waiting for them.

"Well?" She sounded impatient as Zuko and Mai got into the car.

Zuko waned to ask how she got inside without the key, to change the subject, but he already knew how, and it would just make Tylee even more angry. She was a master at picking locks; fixing and taking apart things that involved metal or engines was her specialty.

"Well?!" Tylee's grey irises flashed with anger.

"Well what?" Mai made the first mistake.

"Where are we going, dammit?" Tylee asked. "That's well what!"

Zuko sighed. "Calm down Tylee, why are you so angry?"

"Because I know I saw someone, Zuko. And you made me let them get away!" Tylee answered, irritated. "It was The Missing Link for sure!"

"Of course it was," Mai said.

Tylee scowled. "You don't believe me."

"No, I don't."

Zuko drove them to the coffee house.

"Alright," He said as they sat down. "This question hasn't been asked since we were Junior-high detectives, but... who -do you think- dun it?"

Mai sighed. "I don't know... I was thinking that maybe it was Jin, but..."

Tylee slammed her fist on the table.

"What is it, now?" Zuko groaned.

"Coffee!" She whispered urgently, getting up from the table and heading for the checkout counter.

"Oh, that's right," Mai rolled her eyes. "Tylee hasn't had her daily cup of coffee. That's why she's being so wierd! You can't talk to Tylee until she's had her coffee."

"You can't talk to her after she's had her coffee, either." Zuko said.

Mai smiled and stood. "Let's go get, some too."

"We might as well."

Then went to join Tylee at the counter just as she was recieving the piping hot cup of caffiene. "Hi, guys!" She sipped from the cup contentedly.

Zuko rolled his eyes and looked at the overhead menu. "I'll have whatever she's getting." He jerked his head in Mai's direction.

"You like strawberry frappichinos?" Mai asked him.

He sighed. "Are they that different from strawberry milkshakes?" He rememered that day at the McDonald's.

"Not much." Mai answered, then ordered.

"You know what I've realized, guys?" Tylee asked.

Zuko smirked. "No, Tylee, what've you realized?"

"We never interviewed Aang."

"That's too bad," Zuko shook his head in faux tragedy. "He was such a good kid!" To which Tylee giggled.

"Aang Gyatso?" The young teenaged boy at the checkout counter asked. "I've seen him coming through here with his girlfriend sometimes."

"Yeah?" Mai looked up.

He nodded and handed her two strawberry frappuchinos. "She's kinda short, with dark hair. Always has on her iPod."

Then, for all three present members of The Clue, it just clicked.

A/N: Next chapter is the last. Be quick! Tell me who you think the culprit is. REVIEW!

~Rosey :)