Chapter Eight: Do You Know I Cry?
"The hospital called back. That Mason girl is dead." Evan informed Mandy who looked up, shocked.
"How? They said that she would make it, that her vital signs were normal."
"Did you notice how her temperature went up after that Emma girl visited her? And Kendra didn't seem too happy to see her when she first arrived." Evan began. "Maybe she knows something that she didn't want us to know. She might know who tried to kill Kendra."
"Or, she might the one who did it." Mandy suggested as Evan shook her head. She was always jumping to conclusions. "No, listen to me. If she dumped Kendra's body, it's because she thought that she was dead. I believe Emma came here to finish the job." Mandy finished.
"But that makes no sense. Why take the chance?" Evan shot back. Before Mandy could answer, the mail carrier came in and had her sign in for the samples she had gotten out of Ellie Nash's trash can, and the puke sample.
"What's that?" Evan wondered.
"This is going to determine who dumped the body." Mandy opened the package excitedly. "Ellie Nash. The puke sample is from Ellie Nash."
"But that would mean …"
"They were in on it together Evan. Emma and Ellie. They may not admit it, but I'm going to catch them." She smiled.
"Why was that cop hanging out here?" Emma asked Ellie as soon as they were behind the school and out of view.
"How would I know? They're probably just messing with us. They've got nothing. Besides, Amy is more of a suspect than us. She and Sean had such a nasty break-up." Ellie smiled. She never liked the bitch.
"I don't know … I'm still a little worried." Emma began.
"Well, don't be. And stop speaking to me in public." Ellie commanded as Emma brushed Ellie's hair behind her ear.
"This would be so simple … so perfect."
"What?" Ellie looked at Emma, unable to see why they had been friends in the first place, how they had made it work.
"Me and you. What if we just took off and just rode into the sunset." She laughed.
"Headed where?" Ellie entertained the idea, more concerned about herself rather than she and Emma.
"Anywhere." Emma smiled, hugging Ellie suddenly.
"They say anywhere is a road to nowhere." Ellie shot back, pushing her off.
"Well, somewhere where I can be somebody, where I can be happy." Emma smiled, off in fantasy land.
"Happiness doesn't exist, I mean not for long. It's always fleeting like the night into the day or like a rainbow into the sunset. Nothing is forever … and that's why you know why we can't leave. You know what we have to do." Ellie explained as Emma nodded.
"When?"
"Two days."
"So, you know Ellie Nash?" Evan asked Craig as soon as school was out.
"And Emma Nelson. What's this about?" He asked, concerned.
"Are they friends, I mean do they hang out together?" Evan continued.
"Not at school. At school, they're avowed enemies, but I don't know with them … it's weird because they're always with each other but … not. But there is a disk that Emma made—I guess she didn't like me being with Ellie." Craig babbled, still unknowing of what he was getting himself into.
"And?"
"Oh, you want the disk?" Craig handed it to Evan. "So, what's this about?"
"There have been two murders." He answered simply.
"And you think Ellie had something to do with it?" Craig wondered as Evan shrugged. He'd gotten all he could out of this kid.
The next day
"What are you doing here?" Ellie shrieked at Emma who had found her at the restaurant, and wrapped her arm around Ellie's shoulder.
"I came to see you. I've missed you." Emma laughed. She was evidently drunk.
"No public places." Ellie pushed her away and run off, leaving Emma alone in the dark. Walking towards her car, Emma noticed that someone had been watching her … actually, she felt it.
"What do we have here?" She smiled, upon seeing detective Evan.
"Hey Emma. I was just in the neighborhood." He lied.
"Oh really?" Emma laughed seductively, running her hands along the frame of the window. She could easily see the camera, and could only imagine what he had been doing. "Care to give me a ride home?" She wondered.
"Didn't you drive out here?"
"The car's broken." Emma lied, getting into the car. "You know … everyone wants something." She licked her lips as Evan moved the camera out of her view.
"Really?"
"Yeah … and I. Want. You." Emma ran her hands along his jaw leaning in for a kiss.
"You know, this isn't a good idea." Evan got out of the car as Emma fell onto the driver's seat, laughing.
"Why are you playing games?" She glanced back at the camera, unable to think straight because of the alcohol.
"I think you should go home Emma."
"And if I don't?" Emma rushed over to the other side of the car, pressing on Evan.
"No." He pushed her away, intending to be gentle, but instead sending Emma sprawling on the concrete. "Oh, I'm so sorry."
"You sure are." Emma giggled, blowing a kiss at Evan, yet to pay any attention to her scraped up arm.
"Bring 'em in for questioning." Mandy demanded. "We want to get a confession out of at least one of them and--"
"Do you blame me for what happened?" Evan wondered out-of-the-blue.
"You mean last night?" Mandy retorted. "No."
"I mean, you saw what that girl did to her own best friend—making a tape of her sleeping with her friend's boyfriend. I can't be blamed, can I?"
"Of course not. No one's blaming you…" Mandy's voice trailed off as she noticed the girls sitting in two opposite rooms. "I'll even take blondie. For your sake." She added before walking into the room.
"You wanted me meet me?" Craig asked as he looked up to see Ellie in front of him. They met on the stairs at the front of the school, like she requested, which was weird because she hadn't spoken to him since she'd seen the disk.
"You care for me right?" Ellie wondered, hoping that the cops hadn't recruited Craig for any information. They were starting to creep her out being around all the time, but she and Emma were smarter. They had already proved that.
"What kind of question is that? Is there something going on?" Craig laid down his guitar.
"I never got a chance to ask you ... why did you and Ash break up? I mean compared to you and I that relationship seemed so perfect." Ellie admitted, speaking to someone that 24 hours earlier, she would've pushed away her feelings for Craig, but she didn't know what was going to happen within the next few days.
"So this is about Ashley now? Ellie, I don't get you. You haven't talked to me in the last couple of weeks and then you meet me here to talk about Ash."
"Did you cheat on her?" Ellie wondered suddenly, suppressing the urge to look at him.
"Ellie, what's your problem? You can tell me what's going on." Craig promised.
"I brought this on myself because Ashley used to me my friend and now look at me. I'm hanging out with her old boyfriend." Ellie laughed to herself. "Karma is a bitch."
"Chill out." Craig chimed in, taking Ellie's hand in his. "What's going on? Why did you want to meet me here?"
"To say goodbye." Ellie tried to walk away, realizing that this entire idea was just a mistake.
"Don't." Craig pulled her back. "You can't. W-We have a ... philosophy session." He explained lamely.
"I'll need a ride to your house." She whispered in response, more focused on his hand encompassing hers than anything else.
"Cool. It'll be all right." He promised, wrapping his arm around Ellie's waist, walking her to his car. Somehow he was going to get to the bottom of this ... and do whatever he could to mend his relationship with Ellie.
(A/N: One chapter until I'm finished! I've made it my mission to finish all of my stories this summer—or t least the most important ones, so stay tuned and if you've been reading this one and you liked it, check out Double Standard or even Wild Horses. And this story is not based off of Wild Things but Murder By Numbers. –NL)
