The Case of the Manila Envelope--Chapter 5
by HA
A cold shower and a good breakfast later, Shirley mounted her bike and did her best to get to Sussex Academy on time. When she got there, she found Bo waiting for her and the rest of her peers entering the school.
Bo looked at his watch, and then he lifted his eyes to his friend, who was in the process of getting off her bicycle. For some strange reason, she misstepped, and she was about to fall off. Without a second thought, Bo dashed forward and caught Shirley in his arms as the bike fell to the ground.
"Whoa there!" Bo said, holding Shirley in his arms. Smiling, he added, "Hey, are you...?"
Suddenly, he stopped, and the realization that he was holding Shirley in his arms hit him hard. He wondered if he was smelling aloe or roses in her hair. He noticed how soft she felt, how blue her eyes were, how silky her hair looked, how...beautiful...she was...
"Bo? You can let go of me now."
Shirley's request snapped Bo out of his thoughts, and he quickly let his friend stand on her own. "I'll get that," he said quickly, heading toward the bike and trying not to show his blushing face. "So, why so early?" he asked as he stood the bike up while keeping his gaze away from her.
"I believe I've figured everything out," Shirley said as she joined Bo at the bike stand.
"You have?" Bo said, stepping away so Shirley could secure her bike.
"I think I know what's going on," Shirley said.
"Care to let me in on the big secret?" Bo said, relieved that his face was cooling down.
Shirley was about to when she saw Blake approaching with his bike. "Blake!" she greeted. "I managed to figure out what's going on."
Blake said nothing as he secured his bike to the bike stand. Without looking at Shirley and Bo, he continued on his way inside while slouching.
"What's wrong with him?" Bo wondered.
Shirley was about to say something when a white limousine pulled up. The driver stepped out and opened the door for the main occupant. Clad in her Sussex Academy uniform with her backpack slung over her shoulder, Rika stepped out, thanked the driver, and watched as the car drove off. Making her way to the school entrance, Rika simply walked past Shirley and Bo without saying a word.
"Okay, her acting that way I understand," Bo said.
Shirley entered the school and looked for either Blake or Rika. She found Blake at his locker, but she also found someone else there. A girl with long blond hair was talking to him, and Shirley had a feeling she was up to no good.
"Molly," she muttered, and she marched up to the two.
The conversation between Blake and Molly stopped as soon as Shirley appeared. "Um, hi, Shirley," Blake said nervously.
Molly smiled when she saw Shirley, who noticed a manila envelope under her arm. "Ah, Holmes." She turned to Blake. "We'll continue this later."
As Molly walked away in a manner that denoted superiority, Shirley looked at Blake just as Bo joined them. "What's going on?" she demanded.
Blake didn't look into Shirley's eyes. "We should go to class," he said before walking away, and Shirley had no choice but to follow him.
* * * * *
Before the classes she had with Blake, Shirley tried to talk with him about the Gamer of the Dark, but he proved to be nonresponsive. While her teachers lectured on the lesson of the day, she found herself looking at Blake, who sat himself away from her. Meanwhile, Bo was glaring at him, but at the same time was looking at his best friend.
At lunch, Shirley waited for Blake to join her and Bo at one of the outside lunch tables, but he never showed up. In order to control herself, she decided to focus on the current case.
"I managed to find out more about the Gamer of the Dark via the World Wide Web late last night," Shirley said as she pulled out a pile of printouts from her backpack. "Apparently, she's been around the world."
"I'll say," Bo said, eyeing the pile of paper before him as he chewed on his burrito.
Shirley selected a page. "For instance, in L.A., a gang of three had been breaking into houses at night, assaulting the sleeping families, killing them, and before then, even taking...liberties with the female members, and rather vioently at that."
"What do you mean by...oh." Silence passed between the two before Bo spoke again. He found himself still curious despite the queasy feeling in his stomach telling him not to. "So, what happened to them?"
"When the police finally caught up to the trio, there were only two men left alive," Shirley revealed. "According to the web site I looked at, his cohort had been burned to death after letting his cigarettes fall on him..."
"Ouch," Bo said, wincing.
"...while he was soaked in vodka," Shirley finished.
"Double ouch," Bo said, wincing even more.
"According to the survivors," Shirley continued, "the Gamer had challenged one of them to a game where each participant could only move one finger."
"What?" Bo said.
"The man who volunteered has his gun in his hand and was ready to shoot the Gamer," Shirley said. "Logically, he chose his trigger finger."
"So why didn't he just shoot her?" Bo sked.
"She had put a lit lighter on his arm while he was pouring the vodka into a glass," Shirley said. "When the police found the rest of the gang, they were lying outside their hideout and had the markings of a vicious beating, yet there were no signs of a fight or anyone laying hands on them."
"Harsh," Bo said.
"Tell that to the man who killed Jenny Tyler," Shirley said as she took out another page.
"Who?" Bo asked, blinking.
"Jenny Tyler, a twelve-year-old Girl Scout who lived in the heartland of Iowa," Shirley recalled. "Found dead by strangulation in the local woods. The man that the local police believed was the killer, a trucker by the name of Zack Cody who possessed racist attitudes, was found screaming something about turning into a black man while gasping for air. Interestingly, he admitted he killed Jenny because she kept 'annoying' him."
Bo's eyes widened and his burrito landed on his tray with a small splat. "At least he wasn't burned to death," he remarked as he recovered his lunch.
"Strangely, the police got an anonymous tip about his whereabouts before they found him," Shirley said. "In fact, in almost all the cases I found, the local police was always told where to find the guilty parties.
"That's nice of her," Bo said dryly. "You know, let the police know where they are before they kill themselves."
"Also, the victims' suffering was worse when their crimes involved children," Shirley added, her eyes searching the area. "Where could he be?" she wondered.
Bo frowned into his burrito. "Maybe he had something to do."
"It's Molly," Shirley said, stuffing the papers into her backpack. "She's done something to him."
"You mean like blackmail?" Bo said.
"It's her specialty," Shirley answered, and Bo noticed the bitter tone in her voice.
"Shirley, this is Blake we're talking about," Bo said. "What would he have that Molly would blackmail him with? I mean, he's the son of a police inspector, and he's perfect in every way." When he heard himself use the word "perfect," he couldn't help but let out a grunt of disapproval.
Fortunately for him, Shirley didn't notice it. "We need to find him," she said firmly, and she quickly rose out of her seat and left the table.
From her table, Alicia watched as Bo left his lunch and followed Shirley. A smile crossed her face as she shook her head and reached for her milk carton.
Stink appeared before her with Parker. "Hey, Alicia," he said while Parker looked longingly at her. "Have you seen Molly? She hasn't been around since I saw her last class."
"I think she had to get something from her locker," she answered, trying her best to ignore the way Parker was looking at her.
"Thanks," Stink said, and he took off, leaving Parker with Alicia.
Alicia raised an eyebrow at Parker. "Don't you have somewhere else to go?"
"Nope," Parker said, grinning. "Can I sit down with you?"
Alicia rolled her eyes, and as she drank her milk, she fought the urge to slug him. Despite her attempts at willpower, the hand she hid underneath the table kept curling into a fist and uncurling.
* * * * *
By asking around, Shirley and Bo eventually found Blake. At the same time. Stink found Molly. Both groups of searchers had arrived in front of the dorms just as the two were wrapping up their conversation.
"Hey, what are you guys...?" Stink began to ask Shirley and Bo as they arrived at the same time.
"Remember," Shirley heard Molly tell Blake, pointing at him for emphasis. "Tomorrow, early afternoon, or everyone will know."
"I gotcha," Blake answered as he looked at his feet. His hands were in his trouser pockets.
"Well, see you later, Blake," Molly said, flashing a grin when she spotted Shirley. She continued to grin as she left, and her walk once again became an expression of superiority.
"Molly?" Stink asked, but she didn't answer him, so he looked at Blake. "What's going on?"
Seeing that he wasn't looking at her and the others, Shirley stepped up to him. "Blake, what's wrong?"
Blake thrust his hands into his trouser pockets even deeper, and his mouth curled into a frown. After a moment of silence, he raised his head and looked at his friends. "Apparently," he began uneasily, "I'm taking Molly out on a date tomorrow."
END OF CHAPTER 5
by HA
A cold shower and a good breakfast later, Shirley mounted her bike and did her best to get to Sussex Academy on time. When she got there, she found Bo waiting for her and the rest of her peers entering the school.
Bo looked at his watch, and then he lifted his eyes to his friend, who was in the process of getting off her bicycle. For some strange reason, she misstepped, and she was about to fall off. Without a second thought, Bo dashed forward and caught Shirley in his arms as the bike fell to the ground.
"Whoa there!" Bo said, holding Shirley in his arms. Smiling, he added, "Hey, are you...?"
Suddenly, he stopped, and the realization that he was holding Shirley in his arms hit him hard. He wondered if he was smelling aloe or roses in her hair. He noticed how soft she felt, how blue her eyes were, how silky her hair looked, how...beautiful...she was...
"Bo? You can let go of me now."
Shirley's request snapped Bo out of his thoughts, and he quickly let his friend stand on her own. "I'll get that," he said quickly, heading toward the bike and trying not to show his blushing face. "So, why so early?" he asked as he stood the bike up while keeping his gaze away from her.
"I believe I've figured everything out," Shirley said as she joined Bo at the bike stand.
"You have?" Bo said, stepping away so Shirley could secure her bike.
"I think I know what's going on," Shirley said.
"Care to let me in on the big secret?" Bo said, relieved that his face was cooling down.
Shirley was about to when she saw Blake approaching with his bike. "Blake!" she greeted. "I managed to figure out what's going on."
Blake said nothing as he secured his bike to the bike stand. Without looking at Shirley and Bo, he continued on his way inside while slouching.
"What's wrong with him?" Bo wondered.
Shirley was about to say something when a white limousine pulled up. The driver stepped out and opened the door for the main occupant. Clad in her Sussex Academy uniform with her backpack slung over her shoulder, Rika stepped out, thanked the driver, and watched as the car drove off. Making her way to the school entrance, Rika simply walked past Shirley and Bo without saying a word.
"Okay, her acting that way I understand," Bo said.
Shirley entered the school and looked for either Blake or Rika. She found Blake at his locker, but she also found someone else there. A girl with long blond hair was talking to him, and Shirley had a feeling she was up to no good.
"Molly," she muttered, and she marched up to the two.
The conversation between Blake and Molly stopped as soon as Shirley appeared. "Um, hi, Shirley," Blake said nervously.
Molly smiled when she saw Shirley, who noticed a manila envelope under her arm. "Ah, Holmes." She turned to Blake. "We'll continue this later."
As Molly walked away in a manner that denoted superiority, Shirley looked at Blake just as Bo joined them. "What's going on?" she demanded.
Blake didn't look into Shirley's eyes. "We should go to class," he said before walking away, and Shirley had no choice but to follow him.
* * * * *
Before the classes she had with Blake, Shirley tried to talk with him about the Gamer of the Dark, but he proved to be nonresponsive. While her teachers lectured on the lesson of the day, she found herself looking at Blake, who sat himself away from her. Meanwhile, Bo was glaring at him, but at the same time was looking at his best friend.
At lunch, Shirley waited for Blake to join her and Bo at one of the outside lunch tables, but he never showed up. In order to control herself, she decided to focus on the current case.
"I managed to find out more about the Gamer of the Dark via the World Wide Web late last night," Shirley said as she pulled out a pile of printouts from her backpack. "Apparently, she's been around the world."
"I'll say," Bo said, eyeing the pile of paper before him as he chewed on his burrito.
Shirley selected a page. "For instance, in L.A., a gang of three had been breaking into houses at night, assaulting the sleeping families, killing them, and before then, even taking...liberties with the female members, and rather vioently at that."
"What do you mean by...oh." Silence passed between the two before Bo spoke again. He found himself still curious despite the queasy feeling in his stomach telling him not to. "So, what happened to them?"
"When the police finally caught up to the trio, there were only two men left alive," Shirley revealed. "According to the web site I looked at, his cohort had been burned to death after letting his cigarettes fall on him..."
"Ouch," Bo said, wincing.
"...while he was soaked in vodka," Shirley finished.
"Double ouch," Bo said, wincing even more.
"According to the survivors," Shirley continued, "the Gamer had challenged one of them to a game where each participant could only move one finger."
"What?" Bo said.
"The man who volunteered has his gun in his hand and was ready to shoot the Gamer," Shirley said. "Logically, he chose his trigger finger."
"So why didn't he just shoot her?" Bo sked.
"She had put a lit lighter on his arm while he was pouring the vodka into a glass," Shirley said. "When the police found the rest of the gang, they were lying outside their hideout and had the markings of a vicious beating, yet there were no signs of a fight or anyone laying hands on them."
"Harsh," Bo said.
"Tell that to the man who killed Jenny Tyler," Shirley said as she took out another page.
"Who?" Bo asked, blinking.
"Jenny Tyler, a twelve-year-old Girl Scout who lived in the heartland of Iowa," Shirley recalled. "Found dead by strangulation in the local woods. The man that the local police believed was the killer, a trucker by the name of Zack Cody who possessed racist attitudes, was found screaming something about turning into a black man while gasping for air. Interestingly, he admitted he killed Jenny because she kept 'annoying' him."
Bo's eyes widened and his burrito landed on his tray with a small splat. "At least he wasn't burned to death," he remarked as he recovered his lunch.
"Strangely, the police got an anonymous tip about his whereabouts before they found him," Shirley said. "In fact, in almost all the cases I found, the local police was always told where to find the guilty parties.
"That's nice of her," Bo said dryly. "You know, let the police know where they are before they kill themselves."
"Also, the victims' suffering was worse when their crimes involved children," Shirley added, her eyes searching the area. "Where could he be?" she wondered.
Bo frowned into his burrito. "Maybe he had something to do."
"It's Molly," Shirley said, stuffing the papers into her backpack. "She's done something to him."
"You mean like blackmail?" Bo said.
"It's her specialty," Shirley answered, and Bo noticed the bitter tone in her voice.
"Shirley, this is Blake we're talking about," Bo said. "What would he have that Molly would blackmail him with? I mean, he's the son of a police inspector, and he's perfect in every way." When he heard himself use the word "perfect," he couldn't help but let out a grunt of disapproval.
Fortunately for him, Shirley didn't notice it. "We need to find him," she said firmly, and she quickly rose out of her seat and left the table.
From her table, Alicia watched as Bo left his lunch and followed Shirley. A smile crossed her face as she shook her head and reached for her milk carton.
Stink appeared before her with Parker. "Hey, Alicia," he said while Parker looked longingly at her. "Have you seen Molly? She hasn't been around since I saw her last class."
"I think she had to get something from her locker," she answered, trying her best to ignore the way Parker was looking at her.
"Thanks," Stink said, and he took off, leaving Parker with Alicia.
Alicia raised an eyebrow at Parker. "Don't you have somewhere else to go?"
"Nope," Parker said, grinning. "Can I sit down with you?"
Alicia rolled her eyes, and as she drank her milk, she fought the urge to slug him. Despite her attempts at willpower, the hand she hid underneath the table kept curling into a fist and uncurling.
* * * * *
By asking around, Shirley and Bo eventually found Blake. At the same time. Stink found Molly. Both groups of searchers had arrived in front of the dorms just as the two were wrapping up their conversation.
"Hey, what are you guys...?" Stink began to ask Shirley and Bo as they arrived at the same time.
"Remember," Shirley heard Molly tell Blake, pointing at him for emphasis. "Tomorrow, early afternoon, or everyone will know."
"I gotcha," Blake answered as he looked at his feet. His hands were in his trouser pockets.
"Well, see you later, Blake," Molly said, flashing a grin when she spotted Shirley. She continued to grin as she left, and her walk once again became an expression of superiority.
"Molly?" Stink asked, but she didn't answer him, so he looked at Blake. "What's going on?"
Seeing that he wasn't looking at her and the others, Shirley stepped up to him. "Blake, what's wrong?"
Blake thrust his hands into his trouser pockets even deeper, and his mouth curled into a frown. After a moment of silence, he raised his head and looked at his friends. "Apparently," he began uneasily, "I'm taking Molly out on a date tomorrow."
END OF CHAPTER 5