Chapter Four
In London Hallie was leaving the school building and saw Spencer sitting on a bench. She walked over and sat down beside him.
"So I guess you are on your way home," said Spencer.
"Actually my parents are home and I need to avoid them as much as possible," said Hallie.
"So where are you going?"
"I need to go to the library to email Annie something. After that I was thinking about checking with a friend of mine to see if an offer is still good."
"There is a club not too far from here I was wondering if I could talk you into going."
"You don't want to know what this friend offered me?"
"Who am I to pry into your personal business?"
"Spencer, you are that friend. I was thinking if your offer is still good I will watch that movie with you; however, I can be persuaded to go to the club instead."
"I am a little puzzled to why you have all of a sudden a change of attitude."
"While I was talking to the instructor Annie called me. She pointed something out to me that I didn't consider."
"Would I be prying if I would ask what that was?"
"Slightly. I will say I feel better about myself."
"I'm glad. So when are you going to the library?"
"I was going to do it now." Hallie stood up. "You're welcome to come with me. We can go to the club afterwards."
"You got yourself a deal."
As Spencer stood up Hallie's phone rang.
Hallie looked to see who was calling. She then said as she was answering, "Colby, what's up?"
Hallie and Spencer walked towards the entrance.
"I'm just curious if you have plans this afternoon," said Colby.
Hallie looked at the phone in a curious manner. She then said, "I made plans with Spencer."
"A few of us are planning to go to… ah, I can't think of the name of it right now, but it's that new club that opened up. If you didn't have any plans I thought you should come with us."
"Annie asked you to keep an eye on me didn't she?"
In an unconvincing tone, Colby said, "What? Oh no."
"Colby, I know she did."
"Okay, you're right, but Annie is just concerned about you."
"Colby, I know she is and I really appreciate it; however, I will be okay. I promise."
"Hallie, a few of us will be at the new club if you would like to join us, otherwise, I will see you tomorrow on campus."
"I will consider it. Bye."
As Hallie was putting her phone away Spencer asked. "What will you consider?"
"There is a new club that opened up and Colby invited me to join him and a few others as they go there."
"What new club?"
"I don't know the name of it, but it is just a few miles down the road from where we were eating chili."
"I think I know what place you are referring to. I thought it wasn't opened yet. Hallie if you rather go there, we can."
"Just to check out the place I would like to go; however, if we go I will have to pretend to be Annie."
"What do you mean?"
"I will have to act like I'm with Colby; otherwise, people will get wise of who I am. So are you still willing to go?'
"Hallie, in what way will you be acting like you and Colby are together?"
"We will be sitting next to each other. If there is any dancing, we'll probably spend a lot of our time dancing."
"Will there be any intimate contact between you and Colby?"
Hallie asked in a surprised manner, "What? No, of course not. Colby is my sister's boyfriend."
"I was just wondering how far you and Colby would take this."
"We may hug now and then as brother and sister would, but it stops at that and dancing. So do you want to go?"
"Sure."
Minutes later Hallie was writing an email message to Annie. Spencer read aloud what Hallie was typing out. "Craig hums when he has a good hand. Julian taps his fingers on the table when he bluffs." Spencer stopped reading. "Hallie, isn't what you are doing cheating?"
"Spencer, Annie is pretending to be me and I know this. In time Annie would learn it too on her own, so I'm just giving her a head start. You wouldn't help out a friend in this manner?"
"Okay, maybe I would. So do you win when you play?"
"I will put it to you this way. I rarely walked away from the table with less money than when I started with. Annie is the same way."
"So I wouldn't want to be in a game with you and Annie together."
"If you can't afford to lose, I wouldn't recommend it." Hallie pressed the send button. "Okay, as soon as I log off we can go."
As Hallie was logging off Spencer asked, "Hallie, should we meet at the club or do you want to ride together?"
Hallie stood up. "We probably should meet at the club. If the wrong person sees us arriving together that might rouse suspicions."
"I understand."
Hallie and Spencer then walked away from the computer.
A few minutes later Hallie and Spencer were walking into the club. After seeing Colby and his group they walked over and joined them. Colby introduced Spencer to his five friends.
As the group carried on a conversation, Hallie remained quiet and listened to everyone talk. After a short time Colby realized Hallie was being too quiet and asked, "Annie, is there anything wrong?"
Hallie whispered in Colby's ear, "I thought I can do this, but I don't think I'm ready. Being here reminds me too much of where Scott and I used to go."
"Hallie, you just got here."
"I know, but I'm not ready to be here. Can you walk me out?"
"All right."
Hallie and Colby stood up. Hallie then said, "Everyone, I'm sorry to leave so soon, but I'm not feeling too well."
"You're leaving?" asked Spencer.
"Yes, but before I leave can I get those notes from you," said Hallie.
"What notes?"
Hallie said with an expression on her face as if to play along, "The notes that is in your car."
"Oh, oh, yes those notes. How can I forget those notes?" Hallie gave him a look as if not to over act. "I will just go out with you and Colby."
"Bye, Annie," said the group.
"Bye," said Hallie.
Seconds later Hallie, Colby and Spencer were leaving the club. Just after stepping out Spencer asked, "Hallie, what's wrong?"
"I thought I was ready to be here, but I'm not."
"So are you going home?"
"It's too early to go home, but I can't be here."
"Where are you going?" asked Spencer.
"I'm not sure, but it won't be any clubs, stadiums or coffee shops." Spencer looked at Hallie in a curious manner. "Scott and I spent a lot of our time in those places."
"Hallie, there's a play at the theater tonight," said Spencer. "It supposed to be a good."
"I believe I can do the theater. Okay, let's go to there."
"Should we meet there?"
"We can go in the same car; however, I don't want to leave Annie's car in this parking lot."
"We can go in your car then."
"Okay."
"Hallie, I will see you and Spencer tomorrow," said Colby.
Hallie gave Colby a hug and said, "Colby, thanks. I appreciate what you tried to do for me."
"You're welcome."
After ending the hug Hallie and Spencer went to the car.
A few minutes later Hallie and Spencer were receiving their tickets. Spencer then said, "We still have an hour before we have to take our seats. Perhaps we can get something to eat before the show."
"What place do you have in mind?"
"What about that restaurant around the corner?"
"Not that one."
"What is wrong with that one?"
"That restaurant is supposed to be very romantic."
"I'm the wrong man to take into a romantic restaurant?"
"No-no, I didn't mean that. Two days before Scott was killed we went to a very romantic restaurant."
"So romantic restaurants are also on your list of places to avoid."
"For now."
"Hallie, there is a fast food restaurant not too far from here. Do you have any problems with that?"
"No problems. Lead the way."
At Harvard Annie was walking with Julian through the corridor towards their next class. Just before reaching their class Travis, Scott's roommate from the previous year, walked up to Annie.
"Hallie, I'm glad I finally ran into you," said Travis. "We need to talk."
Annie looked at her watch and said, "I would be more than happy to talk after class."
"Hallie, this is very important," said Travis.
"Travis, we barely have enough time to get to class as it is," said Julian.
"We stayed too long at the coffee shop," said Annie.
"Of course, the coffee shop," said Travis. "I didn't think to look for you there."
"You've been looking for me?" asked Annie.
"Hallie, can we talk in private?" asked Travis.
"Can this wait after class?"
"Hallie, it's about Scott."
"What about him?"
Travis looked at Julian and said, "I would like to discuss this in private."
"Hallie, I will make an excuse for you if you are late," said Julian.
"Thanks, Julian," said Annie.
Annie watched for a second as Julian walked away. She then asked, "Travis, what is so important?"
"Hallie, Scott would have never killed himself."
"No one is saying he committed suicide. It was an accident. He was flying erratic and he over stressed the wings."
"That's just it; he would not have done that even by accident."
"I'm sorry, but I don't understand what you are getting at."
"Hallie, by me being Scott's roommate last year, I got to know him very well and I'm here to tell you, Scott knew his planes. All you have to do is name a plane and he can tell you what kinds of stress that a plane can endure and at what speeds. He would have never over stressed the wings on a plane."
"Are you telling me that Scott wasn't in the plane that crashed?"
"That is not what I'm saying."
"Travis, I'm a little confused to what you are trying to tell me."
"Hallie, there is only one way for Scott to over stress the wings on a plane and that is if the wings or the plane were tampered with."
"Are you telling me that someone killed Scott?"
"I'd tried to tell you this a few months ago, but you wouldn't talk to anyone after Scott's death."
"Who would want to kill Scott?"
"From the grapevine I heard Michael Bowman had a grudge against Scott."
"What kind of grudge?"
"Truthfully, I don't know, but it has something to do with Michael getting into an accident after the last game he was in."
"Travis, apparently I repressed certain memories. Can you refresh my memory about Michael's accident?"
Travis looked at Annie in a curious manner and said, "Michael never said what happen, but both of his legs and both of his arms were seriously broken. He was practically immobile for the remainder of the year. The doctor said his football career was definitely over before it got started. It was a shame too, he was a great quarterback."
"Travis, I'm still having trouble remembering. What were Michael and Scott doing when Michael got injured?"
"Hallie, that was the weekend that you and Scott left the Boston Area."
"I'm sorry, but I seem to be confused. You're telling me that Michael had a grudge against Scott because Michael was injured, but Scott and I were in a different city when he was injured."
"Hey, I'm just telling you what I heard."
"Who did you hear this from?"
"Every football player on the team heard it."
"Maybe I should talk to Michael after my class. Do you know where I can find him?"
"He never returned to Harvard this year."
"Of course not; that would be too simple. Travis, do you know of anyone else that would want Scott killed."
"Except for Michael everyone got along with Scott."
"So Scott and Michael didn't get along?"
Travis asked in a sarcastic manner, "Hallie, you did attend Harvard last year, didn't you?"
"Travis, please humor me."
"They got along up until the last game that Michael played in."
"What happened that day?"
"No one knows."
"Travis, was Michael's last game recorded?"
"Of course. All games are recorded. The coach uses them to show us what we are doing wrong."
"Where would I go if I want to review that game?"
"I can get the tape for you, but why do you want to watch it?"
"Perhaps why Michael had a grudge against Scott has something to do with that game."
"I don't see how. If anything Michael should be grateful to Scott for pulling off that miracle play in the last seconds that won us the game."
"I would still like to see it."
"Okay, I will go get it for you. I will give it to you after class."
"Okay, thanks." Annie then walked away from Travis and entered her class.