CHAPTER 7:

Helga Pataki was walking home from 'work', a camera and bag in hand.

She had spent all night focusing on the Shortman residence, trying to gain much needed information on the household.

Against her will, by her father of course.

Sighing, Helga entered her supposed home, to the noise of her father yelling on the phone. This was common practice for Bob. The man had practically gone mad after Miriam's passing, every waking moment of his life would be solely dedicated to the capture of The Phantom Killer, and that's why Helga was at the Shortman residence.

To gather information.

"Now listen here, Vince," Bob yelled hysterically at the phone, "I'm telling you, the Shortmans are next! It's the only logical solution! Why els-don't give me that shit, Vince! You and I both know it, how could you still be in such denial?!"

"Bob, I got the pics."

"O-oh, sure, Olga. Just put it on the table."

Helga rolled her eyes and carelessly threw the pictures there.

However, those weren't the only pictures Helga took throughout her day.

She had to her room, and went down her Batman-like bar into her lair. She took the extra pictures she took and placed them down.

They were of Miles.

Yawning, the young Pataki girl slumped in her seat. Why was she so tired? All she drank was a glass of-

And like nothing, she passed out.

Helga paused as she remembered.

"Hey."

Helga blinked and turned back around to stare at the Shortman adult in confusion, "What?"

"How did you know to turn off the lights?"

Immediately pausing and beginning to sweat, "H-huh?"

"The lights," Miles repeated, beginning to look suspicious of the young Pataki girl, "how did you know to turn them off?"

"Who cares? It worked."

"Yeah but how did you know?"

Helga paused before shrugging, "Instinct?" she said, making it sound more like a question than a response.

Miles rolled his eyes, "You're a terrible liar." he snarled, causing Helga to scowl back at him, "You say that like you know me."

"What else aren't you telling me?"

"Ah," Helga sarcastically snorted, placing a finger on her chin in fake thought, "let's see. I'm allergic to strawberries, I to-"

"Oh, stop it!" Miles shouted out, "You knew to turn off these lights! Stupid juvenile."

Now THAT offended Helga, "You really wanna know, huh?"

"Yeah!"

"Alright, fine!" she howled, grabbing the picture of Arnold and Stella and yanking it over to Miles, "Here!"

At first being uninterested, that changed in a matter of seconds as his face was replaced with utter terror and grief, "Oooooh, no!" he cried out, looking at Helga, "W-w-w-w-why didn't you show me this before?"

Helga frowned at him, "How could I?"

Miles blubbered before finally glaring at the camera and howling, "WHAT DID YOU DO TO THEM, YOU BASTARD!"

The silence returned. That is, until the phone rang.

RING! RING!

Miles dove for it, grabbing it, "Hello?" he impatiently asked, before getting a response from the other line, "H-hello?"

"STELLA?! WHAT H-"

"Miles, Miles!"

"W-w-w-w-"

"Don't believe Helga's lies!"

And before he could ask what she meant, the phone line cut.

"A-are they fine?" Helga asked awkwardly, earning a glare from her fellow inmate.

Needless to say, Miles was in need of answers.

"S-she told me not to believe you." Miles stated, clearly holding back extreme anger and hatred.

Helga paused and raised an eyebrow, "Believe me about what?"

Glaring viciously at the young child, Miles stood up and showed more fury, "Who are you?" he asked, making Helga confused yet suspiciously nervous, "Y-you know who I am-"

"STOP THE LIES!" Miles howled, "YOU'RE A LIAR!"

Helga snorted in response, while holding back a lot of emotion herself, "I'm the liar? Where were you last night, Miles? Going to work? Provide for the family? You told me that last night you went to work."

Miles stopped and looked down at her, "T-that's because it's the truth!"

Laughing softly at his response, it was Helga's turn to glare him down, "No, you weren't. Stella is right to be suspicious of you, Miles. Don't you remember getting your picture taken in that parking lot at that cheap hotel? "

"W-w-wha-"

Now standing up, Helga reached into her pockets, "I can prove that you didn't go anywhere NEAR your workplace!" she yelled out, grabbing photos from her pocket and grinning slyly, before throwing them at Miles.

Miles grabbed them before gasping in horror, much to Helga's joy, "It isn't the first time I've done it either, Miles. I've been taking pictures of you for a few days now. At the house, outside of the house, at work, and AT CHEAP, CRAPPY HOTELS."

Completely frozen and speechless, Miles turned his head from the pictures to Helga, "W-why?"

"Why? WHY?!" Helga yelled, "What do you mean 'why?'? Because I love my boyfriend, that's why!"

"What does that have to do with-"

"Just out of curiosity what did you do in that hotel room, Miles? You got outta there pretty fast. Could there have been something going on there?"

Miles scowled at her, "I have no idea what you're implying."

"Yeah, sure! Why did you do it, huh? Why did you cheat on your wife-"

"I DID NOT CHEAT ON HER!" Miles howled, perhaps trying more to convince himself than Helga.

"Yeah, sure!" she snorted, before looking down questionably at one of the photos.

One Helga didn't take.

She eyed it curiously, before looking up at Miles, "Hey," she called out, grabbing his attention but not enough, "was someone else at your house last night?"

"Huh?"

"Look here!" Helga said, pointing at the photo. Miles eyed it curiously. It was of a tanned skin man in the Boarding House living room, looking at a screen, "W-wait! I know him!"

"Really? Who is it!"

"T-that ice cream man!"

Helga raised an eyebrow, "The Jolly Olly Man?" she questioned, causing Miles to nod rapidly, "Y-yes! Him!" he said, before gripping the paper with extreme rage, "That violent little psychopath! I can't wait to see him pay for this! That bastard fuck!"

As Miles ranted about the Jolly Olly Man, Helga eyed her watch out of instinct, before her eyes widened horrifically, "H-h-h-" she barely got out, grabbing Miles' attention by pointing at her watch.

It was 5:59.

"W-w-w-we're out of time!" Helga breathed out, making Miles' eyes also widen.

5:59:58

5:59:59

6:00

The game was officially over.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Uh oh, bad news for the two of them! Especially poor Miles.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!