This chapter is pretty lame, but I promise the next one will be better, and longer.
♥
Chapter Five- What To Say, What Not To Say
Derek knocked on Emily's apartment door.
Emily pulled open the door, took one look at him, and almost fainted, "Derek? What're you doing here? Come on in."
Emily poured him a glass of lemonade, and the two sat by the dinner table, facing each other.
"I was wondering if you know who the father of Casey's daughter is," Derek said.
"Well she never talks about it. It makes her uncomfortable, and sometimes makes her cry. It's so sad that Emma disappeared. Once when Emma had fallen badly off the monkey bars at school, and we were at the hospital, Casey was obviously crying, but she kept on saying that she couldn't lose Emma. That it was the one piece of him she had left, that wasn't just a photo, and that Emma meant the world to her."
"Were there any pictures of a specific guy in her house? I forgot to check last time."
"Well no... All photos are of Emma, her, family, and a few picture with me in them."
"Oh."
Derek walked over to the living room, where photos were placed. There was an image of Emma, Casey, and Emily together.
Emma looked familiar, but Derek couldn't place a finger about who she looked like.
"Oh yeah, that was when Emma decided to cut her own hair. And now, she promises she'll never cut it ever again," Emily chuckled, pointing at the picture that Derek was looking at, where Emma had shoulder-length hair.
"Did she ever have a boyfriend after high school?" Derek asked.
"One," Emily said.
"Well good luck, you might want to check with your parents though, about the father," Emily said, as she opened the door for Derek to leave.
"Well it was nice meeting you again, Emily. Bye."
Ten minutes later, Derek opened the door to the VenturiMacdonald home.
"Hey, Derek. What're you doing home?" Nora said surprised, just like the rest of the family.
"Where's Marti?" Derek asked, as he hung up his jacket.
"She went to a friend's. Wanna play?" George said, jerking at the Monopoly board they were playing.
"No, it's okay, I'll watch," Derek said, taking a seat beside Edwin.
"So how's the case going?" Nora asked.
"...Not so great. That's why I'm here. Do you guys know who the father of Emma is?" Derek asked.
George, Nora, Lizzie, and Edwin looked back and forth at each other, unsure of what to say.
"Okay... You guys do. Now who is he?"
"Um, Derek. ...We're not exactly in the position to tell you," Nora said, as she rolled the dice over the board.
"Okay," Derek said, then pulled out two fifties from his wallet, and turned to Edwin.
Holding the two bills up, he asked, "Edwin?"
Edwin stared at the money with wide tempted eyes.
Lizzie elbowed him in the ribs, and Edwin snapped out of his trance.
"Um, sorry bro. No can do," Edwin squeaked.
Derek took his time putting the money back in his wallet, hoping Edwin would crack, knowing that Edwin was staring at the money.
"She---"
Lizzie pulled Edwin's ear so hard that he fell over, "Ow!"
"Look, it's not that we don't want to tell you---" George started.
"I wanna tell---"
Lizzie had grabbed the Monopoly box's lid, and whacked Edwin with it over the head.
"Would you stop hurting me?!" Edwin yelled.
"It's just that we're not in the position to tell..." George finished.
Derek shrugged, and got up.
"Have you asked Casey?" Nora asked.
"She won't tell me," Derek said, putting on his jacket.
"That's not surprising," Edwin retorted, then turned to Lizzie.
"I wasn't suppose to say that, was I," Edwin said nervously.
"No."
Edwin quickly got up, and started to run, Lizzie at his heels.