The detectives were now gathered in the storage room, an open box situated on the table, Parker's backpack laid out near them.
"Parker Westby" Lily began "age 16. Found dead on the morning of December 22nd, reported missing just a few hours ago by his parents when he failed to come home the previous day".
"Autopsy said that he suffered a total of five stab wounds to the chest" Kat said, reading off from the report "and a slashed throat, which was ultimately ruled as the true cause of death".
"So you all think this Fairmount shooter was responsible for Parker's death?" Nick Vera asked, disbelief in his voice.
"That's what was assumed at the time" Stillman responded.
"Does anyone mind telling me who this infamous shooter was?" Kat asked.
"Think maybe Jeffries can answer that" Stillman said "he was on the case at the time".
"You were?" Lily asked, a bit surprised by this information.
"Yeah" Will Jeffries responded, "Remember the whole incident. The Fairmount shooter was the name given to the perp by the press, who at the time was going around shooting down students in and around the high school. Five victims in total, each one shot point blank to the chest at least two times. The shooter always followed a specific formula. First, he would call the station at least a few minutes before he carried out the act, telling them to get to the school as soon as possible and to bring an ambulance with them".
"So his intentions were never to kill any of his targets?" Kat asked.
"Never" Jeffries said "for each of his two shots, he made sure the bullets did not hit any major organs or blood vessels or nothing to serious as to have them bleed to death before the ambulance arrived. After the attack, he would then leave behind a message on a scrap sheet of paper, each time always saying the same thing. I Balance".
"I Balance?" Nick said "cryptic much".
"Does it mean anything?" Lily asked.
"Not that we were able to find" he responded, "We just assumed it was sort of like a calling card. The whole ordeal lasted literally in a months time, from the first attack on the 18th of November to the his supposed final act the 16th of December".
"Only a few days before Parker got killed," Stillman said.
"But still" Kat said, "it just doesn't make sense, why would the shooter change his whole mode of operation just on this one teen?"
"You have to understand" Jeffries said "at the time, people were petrified to leave their houses, parents worrying over their kids safety, the whole community was unstable at the time. So naturally, soon as this kid shows up dead everyone is able to jump to the conclusion that it was the shooter's doing, regardless of any sort of outside doubts. But even so, it didn't matter in the end, the guy who did it was never caught"
"And with no suspect to interrogate and any other hard evidence to go on…" Nick began.
"Case goes cold almost instantly" Lily finished.
"Do we know why Parker was staying so late after school hours?" Kat asked.
"According to his parents" Lily said, "he was staying after to work on some pictures he had taken, otherwise nothing else to suspicious".
"So besides that, anything else we got on this kid?" Vera asked.
"Not really" Lily responded "straight B student, didn't do any sort of sport or major school activities, no discipline referrals, just your average student".
"Hey everyone" came the voice of Scotty Valens "sorry I'm late, just got caught up in a few things".
"Everything all right?" Jeffries asked.
"Yeah" he responded "just some family stuff that's all, nothing serious. So, whaddya we got?"
"Lil, think you can fill him in on that?" Stillman asked, Lily nodding "all right, then you two can go have a talk with the parents, see if they give us any other information we don't have while Jeffries here can give us all the details on the Fairmount shooter, maybe we try to uncover anything new that was missed".
With orders given, they broke off, Lily walking over to Scotty, who seemed slightly detached from everything.
"Hey" she said "you all right? Seem kinda out of it".
"Yeah, just got some stuff on my mind" he said "nothing to worry about. So, think you can now inform me on the case?"
"Course" she replied, still not convinced he was telling her the truth.
Lily filled him in on the case during the car ride over to the Westby house, the two detectives now seated in the living room, Mrs. Westby in the opposite chair.
"What's this all about reinvestigating Parker's case?" she asked.
"A janitor at the school found his backpack in one of the mechanical rooms" Lily answered, "there was a knife inside, we think that might have been the murder weapon used".
"Oh my god" she said "I can't believe after all these years, why I thought maybe it was stolen or something".
"Mrs. Westby" Scotty said, "How much do you know about the Fairmount shooter?"
"Oh" she said in a surprised voice "now there's one topic I haven't heard of in a long time. Those were some dark times indeed, was so afraid I couldn't even step foot outside my front door. You think he was the one responsible for Parker's death?"
"do you believe that?" Lily asked.
"well" she began "I mean, at that time, I truly believed it was all the shooter's doing. All everyone talked about back then, so when Parker was killed, my first instincts pointed to the shooter and no one else".
"But now?" Scotty said.
"Now that I think about it," she said, "I do think it's unlikely that the shooter was responsible. I'm not any expert and all but now when I truly think on it, whole thing just seems odd to me. Probably the whole reason why his case was never solved. We were so keen on getting this one guy that the facts just went out the door".
"So then if the Fairmount shooter didn't do it" Lily said "who do you think killed him?"
"I'm not sure that I should be the one answering that" she responded.
"Why not?" Lily asked.
"Parker was a pretty reserved boy" she said "barely told me and his father anything that happened at school. He'd just say that his day was fine or bad or something along that line and nothing more. We tried to get something more out of him but he'd just kept to himself most of the time".
("Enter Sandman" by Metallica)
"Parker!" yelled Donna Westby "come on, breakfast is ready!" she heard a shuffling sound on the stairs, Parker appearing from the steps, quickly flying past his mom to get to the fridge.
"Whoa there" she said, "what's the rush?"
"Sorry mom" he replied "can't stay long, Liz is coming over soon, two of us are gonna walk to school".
"But school doesn't even start for another hour" his mom said "why go in so early?"
"Just some stuff" he said "that's all".
"What kind of stuff?"
"Its nothing mom, don't need to worry so much" he replied, pulling out a plain bagel from the fridge.
"let the boy be sweetie" said his dad from the table, paper in hand, not even looking up from his article.
"yeah mom" he replied "listen to dad". Bagel clamped in his mouth, he grabbed his bag and said a muffled bye as he headed for the door.
"oh god" she said "he forget his money again" grabbing a five dollar bill off the counter, she hurried to the door, Parker hugging a pretty blonde waiting just at the foot of the concrete steps.
"you forgot this" she said, bill held out.
"oh yeah, right" he said "thanks mom".
"that's what I'm here for" she replied "hello Liz".
"hi Mrs. Westby" she said in a sprightly voice "you're looking nice this morning".
"Why thank you" she replied "least someone around here notices all the effort I go through". As she said this, a red sports car stopped near the front of the house.
"hey Lizzie!" yelled Adam "why don't ya ditch the loser and hop on in?"
"in your dreams Adam" she called back "why don't you try that line on some other whore for the day".
"a fighter, huh?" he said "well, perhaps some other time then".
"yeah, maybe" she shot back. with that, he pulled up his window and took off down the road.
"I can't believe you" Parker replied "your actually interested in that guy?"
"no, I ain't" she said.
"bull shit, I saw it plastered all over your face!" he exclaimed.
"really Liz" his mom said "you can do so much better then him".
"yeah, much" he said "you heard what happened to Kathleen Quinn".
"now just stop" she said "it never made it to court. And besides, it wouldn't be the first time she's lied about a guy". Parker rolled his eyes at this.
"All right you two" his mom cut in "I think you should be getting off to school, after all, isn't that the whole point of this?"
"Thanks mom" Parker said in a mock voice "come on, we'll discuss this on our way to school".
"There is nothing to discuss!" she said as they opened the metal gate, Dawn looking on as the two of them walked on down the street.
"Who exactly was this Liz girl?" Scotty asked.
"Parker's best friend" Mrs. Westby said, "both of them go way back, friends ever since kindergarten, thick as thieves through and through. She was a kind girl but a foolish one at that".
"why so?" Lily asked
"she could never see past what was in front of her face" she replied in a grim voice "whole reason why the rape ever happened".
"What rape?" she said.
"Adam Baker" she said.
"The guy in the red car?" he replied.
"That's him" she said "big shot at the school, captain of the football team, principle's son, stereotypical rich boy. Anyway, she was at some party, Parker was at home, things happened and next thing I know, get a call at about four in the morning, Liz crying over the line".
"Was it ever reported?" Scotty said.
"It was" she said "but it got shot down, combination of both lack of evidence and the principle's influence. From what Parker told me, there were two others before Liz, neither of them had the courage to go through with it and report him".
"Anything else on this guy we need to know?" Lily asked.
"Yes, in fact" Dawn said "he was the first victim of the Fairmount shooter. From my stand point, seemed like a pretty just thing to do".
"You know where we might be able to find Liz?" Scotty said.
"She works as a guidance counselor at the school now" she said "does all she can for those students. I know she'd never admit it to me but, I think the real reason she's there is to make sure no one goes through what she went through".
"we appreciate all the help" Lily said, she and Scotty getting up.
"and" Mrs. Westby said "if you could, when you guys no longer need Parker's bag, is it all right if I had it back? I know it's a bit weird but…"
"don't worry" she said "we understand". Mrs. Westby smiled, Lily turning around and walking to the door.
"all right" Nick said "gotcha" he hung up the phone, swiveling his chair to face the Lieutenant.
"That was Lily and Scotty" he said "two of them just finished with the mom, said they were going to the school to talk with Parker's friend".
"Well, we finally found it" Jeffries voice rang in, he and Kat each carrying boxes "the entire case on the Fairmount shooter. Never thought I'd be opening this thing up again".
"Hey Jeffries" Nick said, getting off the chair "do you happen to remember Adam Baker?"
"He was the first victim" he replied "why?"
"Lily said something about him" Vera said, "apparently, our boy had a track record of raping fellow students".
"Heard about that" Jeffries said, "From what I remember, the only law suit filed never stuck in court".
"That's what she said" he replied.
"So maybe Parker decides to take revenge on Adam" Kat said "only he's the one who gets the tables reversed on him and winds up with the slit throat".
"Definitely worth checking into" Stillman said "so besides Adam, who are our other four victims?"
"After Baker's attack" Jeffries said, "we then got Calvin Ridge, shot outside his car the night of November twenty sixth. Matt Klein, attacked in the school's weight room December second. Elise Hartshore near the schools north wing on the thirteenth, and our final victim, Terrell Hopkins in the schools main lobby on the sixteenth. Each one coming from different social group, family status, grade point average, class year, no strong connection made between any except for Adam and Matt, both best friends at the time. But as for the rest, nothing".
"Okay then" Stillman said "I want you all to dig up any information on our five victims, grades, discipline referrals, police warrants, anything at all that might shed some light. While you're at it, see what our boy Adam has been up to after high school".
Walking down one of the halls, Liz Hartford directed one of the lingering students to head to class as the bell rang, a brief image of her teenage self flashing into view. Long wavy blonde hair, bright smile, pastel colored shirt, practically exuding sunlight from all around her. as the detectives approached, she flashed back to her older self, blonde hair now cut extremely short, whole outfit now a simple long-sleeved black outfit and jeans, whole presence a bit tougher then before but still warm and inviting.
"Liz Hartford?" Lily asked.
"yes, that's me" she replied.
"Detectives Rush, Valens" she said "we're here to talk about Parker Westby".
"ah yeah" she said "figured you'd come sooner or later. Heard about the janitor finding his backpack, whole schools been buzzing about it".
"you and Parker had been friends for a long time" Scotty said "two of you must have known each other inside and out".
"yep, pretty much" she said "though we couldn't be more opposite. I was the naïve schoolgirl whose head was always up in the clouds, he was sort of my polar opposite. Sarcastic, cynical, never one to back down from anything, he was quite the rebel, if I say so myself".
"so then when he found out what Adam Baker did to you" Lily said "must have really pissed him off, hearing some guy did that to his best friend".
Instantly, Liz's face darkened "ah" she said, hand rubbing the back of your neck "probably should have known that would come up as well".
"I know it's difficult to talk about" Lily said.
"no, no really" she said "its fine. Past is the past, what I always say. But yeah, really did push Parker over the edge. When he came to pick me up the night…it happened, never seen him so angry before. He didn't express it out loud but when I looked in his eyes, what I saw…scared me".
"must have wanted revenge" Scotty said "so maybe that night he was murdered, he was out getting revenge on Adam, only he's the one who gets himself stabbed".
"no, there's no way" Liz said "Parker would never do something like that!"
"but at the time" Lily said "sure seemed like the perfect chance for payback".
"I know he would not try to kill Adam" she said "and even so, I know for a fact that he wasn't even at the school when Parker got killed. Anyway, the shooter already made sure that Baker got his just deserts, and when that happened, lets just say there was one person who wasn't afraid of claiming it all for themself".
("Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana)
Liz and Parker were seated at one of the empty lunch tables. Her head was down, busy flicking away at a rubber band around her wrist, not having spoken a word in a while.
"You sure you're all right?" Parker asked, "We can go home if you want".
"Its fine" she said, raising her head and giving him a smile "really, I'm okay. Besides, I don't think we could be able to get out again" she was referring to the security guards now situated at the door, busily searching one of the students entering the school.
"Can't believe it" he said "one little attack and the whole school goes on double lock down".
"But when its daddies little boy" she said in a harsh voice "there's no expense taken".
"And it ain't like he deserved" he said "far as I can say, few more people here need to be gunned down as well".
"Parker!" she said, voice now turning high "how can you say something like that!"
"Come on Liz!" he shot back "you know it's the truth! People like you and me; we're treated like shit at this school! And no one is doing a goddamn thing about it! They're just simply throwing us to the dogs! If this is the only way that we're going to get justice, I say so be it".
"Careful what you say there Westby" came Calvin Ridge's sneering voice "don't wanna end up like Baker did".
"Don't you have some freshman you need be harassing trailer trash?" Parker said.
"I don't think I made myself clear" he said, taking a step towards him "better watch what you say-"
"Or else what?" Parker said, now getting up from his seat "you gonna shoot me or something? How do we know you're not the one who decided to put a couple of bullets into our star student?"
"maybe I should put a few bullets in you too" he said, the two of them now toe to toe.
"that a threat?" Parker said mockingly "I'd love to see the day when some dumb street rat like yourself will take me down".
"oh we'll see" he replied "so if I were you, better watch out for yourself". With that said, he turned around and stalked off.
"you shouldn't antagonize him Parker" Liz said "loose cannon like him-".
"what ever" he said, sitting back down "like he's really gonna do anything".
"I just want you to be careful" she said "with all thats going on..."
"Liz, come on" Parker said "like I'm really gonna end up like that ass bag Baker, especially by the hands of trash like Ridge".
"Bit ironic" Liz said as she finished up "a few days after he said that to Parker, Calvin becomes the shooters next victim".
"And did you ever tell the police this?" Scotty asked.
"Yeah, I told them" she replied "but here's something I didn't tell them, course back then I didn't think of it either".
"But?" Lily said.
"This is just a hunch" Liz said "but if I were some one about to go on a mass shooting spree, I'd rather be one of the victims then one of the suspects".
"so you think" Scotty said "that Calvin purposely staged his own attack?"
"perfect way to hide ones identity" Liz said.
"And another to get away with murder" Lily said.