12. Child's Play

Will plodded out of the school and walked over to Kirjava's tree. She jumped out of the branches and they walked round the corner where they were out of site.
Will breathed a deep sigh of contempt.
'Well?' said Kirjava,
'How hard can this school thing be…? I think we've cracked it.'
'Cracked it?! How did you manage to start a fight on your first day back?!'
'Chill out, he was asking for it.'
Kirjava was aware that Will was high on his fresh victory over the in crowd and it was probably pointless to argue.
'You'll get us found out, I'm amazed you weren't interrogated by every member of staff in that place.'
'Yeah, I admit I was surprised at that too, but I think I'm finally getting through to them.'
'You can't fight them forever Will, a few words isn't enough to justify violence.'
Will didn't reply, and the began walking home.
Suddenly, to their right the infamous Mercedes came round the corner at an alarming speed, and made for the school. Will and Kirjava didn't run, because the car hadn't seen them, but they walked quickly to the nearest cover and watched. The car mounted the kerb outside the school grounds in a hasty parking and two men got out. Will did not recognise them as Walters and his partner. They seemed to be bickering about something.
'You suck at this you really do!' grumbled the man who had got out the passenger door, 'I'm not surprised they've had you behind a desk! This kid isn't stupid!'
'And you worry too much, he'll still be there- these kids hang around or at least half an hour before they go home.' said the driver. He looked around and Will quickly ducked out of sight. 'Cue children!' The driver pointed at the doors of the school, which opened and a mob of kids came trudging out, jabbering away to each other. As the man predicted, most of the kids assembled in groups and preceded to look as menacing as they could. Several made off in various directions down the road.
'OK, if you were right,' said the first man, 'he should be over there somewhere. If you were wrong, he's probably home by now.
They looked from their parking space at all the children in turn, then the passenger said; 'He's not there. This kid has no friends remember? We should go to his house or we'll loose him. There's still time.' He got back into the car.
'No.' said his companion firmly, 'He must be hiding in one of these crowds. If we leave, we will loose him, then Walters will fry my ass over your burning body.'
Will heard the man in the car retort something else, but he couldn't make out the words from his place. In any case, the driver looked annoyed, but defeated. He got in the car and they pulled away, going toward Will's house.
'They're looking for us then.' said Kirjava, Will smirked,
'We'll give them a run for their money then.'
They got up and followed the car as fast as they could, rounding the corner, they thought they'd loose sight of it, but the Mercedes ran into the after school traffic of mums picking up their kids who couldn't be bothered to walk home. Will slowed down and followed the car as it crept up the road.

The phone in the office rang and Inspector Walters picked it up.
'Walters?' he said, 'Yes… He wasn't there? You lost him then. No, you don't loose sight of this kid, if you can't see him- you've lost him. His house? You can try, but get ready for a verbal bashing. OK. I'll see you later.'
He slouched in the chair and taped the phone. Then he picked it up and dialled Will's number. After five rings, there was a click and Walters promptly put the phone down. The he picked it up again and tapped in a different number.
'Walters here, Dr. Malone is there, no-one else.' He then put the phone back down.
The phone rang again, he picked it up and said, 'It's a damn doorbell you twit! Push it! What? Oh sorry sir, thought it was someone else… Yes they're on their way. He's where? How d'you know that?' here he raised his eyebrows, 'how and when did you manage that? Wow… ok I'll get on the blower now… see you later, bye.'
Walters sighed heavily and dialled his colleague's number.
'Yes, it's me again. Are you there yet? Good, cos he's fuckin well following you. Yeah the boss just told me. Just drive around for a bit, don't loose him whatever happens- I'll come over and catch him.'
Walters put the phone down, grabbed his keys and jacket and left the room swiftly.

Will and Kirjava had been following the car for almost ten minutes now, they could have walked home and back in that time. The Mercedes seemed to be taking the longest feasible route to his hose, and stopped at every possible traffic light or zebra crossing.
Finally, as they moved down the high street, the car pulled into the lay-by parking and the passenger got out and went into the Post Office. After five minutes he came back out with a paper and a mars bar. They proceeded down the street. Will and Kirjava walked casually after them. Then, as they passed the lay-by parking, will saw in the wing mirror of a car a figure behind him. They now knew Inspector Walters a mile away, and that prowling walk could only have belonged to him.
Kirjava fizzed with glee as they realised why the car was going so slowly, Will figured there wasn't any point following a car that was leading him on, they turned down the next ally way ran lightly to the end of it, then they set course on the quickest, but most complex route home.
The car didn't stand a chance and they had lost it within thirty seconds, but Walters was still keeping up with him.

Walters hummed a tune in his head as he followed the wretched boy through a maze of alleys and shortcuts. He wasn't having too much difficulty keeping up, it was just a matter of seeing which way he turned. On the other hand, nether of them were getting anywhere. Will turned down another ally. Walter was suddenly struck by an idea- instead of following he walked passed the ally way and then crouched on the other side. Taking out a small mirror like one a dentist uses he peered round the corner. Will walked almost to the end, then he looked back. Seeing no one he grinned and the jogged round the corner. Walters got up and ran to the end of the path, then he used his mirror to look round the corner again. Will was walking with that strange cat down the road. He had let down some of his guard now.

'I seriously hope we're not going to have to do this everyday.' said Kirjava,
'Naa, he's not achieving anything by following us around.'
They reached their house and walked through to the kitchen, there was a note in Mary's hand on the worktop.

Gone out with friend and Elaine, back at 8!

Will screwed up the note and threw it in the bin. The cat flap rattled and Moxie strolled in and butted against Will's leg.
'Hello Moxie,' said Will, automatically stooping to stroke her, 'you want some food?'
The cat meowed enthusiastically and roamed about the kitchen, rubbing on as many corners as possible. Will opened a can and forked a portion onto a bowl and left it in the corner, and then they went up stairs and flopped onto the bed.

Five minutes after Will dropped off to sleep, Inspector Walters let himself in through the front door, then removed the various paperclips and lock-picks that were inserted into the door. He walked quietly into the kitchen and saw Will's cat eating in the corner. The cat looked round, then resumed her meal.
Walters crept up the stairs and looked into Will's bedroom. The boy was asleep on the bed, one hand on that other cat that never seemed to leave him.
The drawers had only clothes in, and the shelves had nothing of interest either. Walters went downstairs again and after a brief look around, returned to the kitchen.
'Hello cat,' he said, bending next to Moxie, 'your owner is mixed up in some serious stuff. He knows where a knife is, and I do not.'
Walters fumbled in his pockets for something, and began to speak intermittently as he searched his clothes. 'I hope, your sacrifice, will help- to alter his mind.'
He pulled out a small test tube with a dropper corked in the top. Then he used the dropper to put some clear liquid from the tube onto Moxie's food.

Will jerked violently on the bed as if he'd just fallen off a building and hit the ground. He grasped with his hands and found Kirjava was there, he was safe, the window was closed.
'I hate those dreams when you wake so suddenly.' said Kirjava,
Will shook his head and rubbed his eyes.
'Supposedly your soul floats above your body when you sleep, and that jump is caused by it being pulled back down to quickly.'
'Mmmm, last time I checked I couldn't levitate.' said his dæmon
He looked at the clock; it was twenty past five- nearly two hours after they got home.
'Let's make some dinner yea?' he said
Will stood up and for some reason he couldn't put his mind on, he felt a sudden feeling of dread.
'What's wrong?' said Kirjava looking anxiously at him,
Will said nothing and the feeling passed. They went downstairs to the kitchen.
Moxie was stretched out in the corner, unmoving.
'Aww Moxie,' said Will teasingly, 'that's a daft place to sleep. Why don't you go up to your bed?'
Moxie didn't move. She didn't even stir at his voice. That familiar notion of dread was hinting again. He approached her and knelt down.
Her fur was cold. He stroked her head.
Still no reaction.
Will fell back and scrambled up, backing against the wall he took several gulping breaths, Kirjava with him.
The cat was dead. His cat was dead- Moxie was dead.
Will jumped and looked up at the clock. It was now twenty too six. He looked about himself and saw a note in black marker taped to the fridge.

I want the knife. Ring this number when you've had enough.

There was a mobile number below it.