How to hide a body

the game of murder

Tyler's hand shook as the woman she used to call her mother walked through the door at the end of the room. In the eight years since she'd seen her, she'd barely changed: the same short brown hair, same blue eyes, same smug smile, and the same unimpressed look as she saw Tyler sitting there. Obviously, she didn't want to see the disappointment that was her daughter.

She raised an eyebrow at Tyler through the glass that separated them as she leaned back into the chair. Her slender fingers wrapped wrong the phone next to her and she brought it to her ear.

"Tyler. I must say this is a surprise," she smirked as Tyler flinched at the use of her name.

"Helena," she gulped.

"Not mother?" Helena tutted, "Shame, I thought we were family. I missed you, darling."

Tyler rolled her eyes, "I'm not here to talk about whatever the hell you'd call you, your husband, and I."

"I think you forget you're my daughter though."

"Oh, you lost that right ages ago when you did what you did."

Helena went to reply but was shut down by Quinn, "I think you heard her, she's not here to talk about that with you," she glared at Helena through the screen.

"What do you know about the recent murders?"

"You're going to have to elaborate," Helena sharply replied.

"There have been six murders recently and one of them happens to involve us. The body of a man by the name of..." she glanced over to Quinn.

"Clay Roan."

She nodded in thanks," right, Clay Roan was recently found in our apartment." Tyler watched as Helena leaned forward slightly at the name and her unimpressed eyes turned brighter.

"What makes you think I'd know about that?"

"Well by the fact that you recognised the name makes me think you do," Tyler rested her elbows on the wooden surface and now smiled smugly, ignoring the pain spreading up her right arm, "do tell, mother," she muttered.

"Six months ago a few friends broke me out. We had fun and decided to go back to the old ways and see how much we could steal before getting caught. It lasted a few weeks until we stole a particularly expensive piece of jewelry. It was quite ugly though for costing that much. We were obviously caught but Clay and two of the others hid the necklace before the police came. I took all the blame and they went Scot free."

"How selfless of you," Quinn remarked.

"It was public knowledge they were suspected but not that I was convicted," Helena stared at Tyler and she flinched back slightly as she met her eyes but stared back with her left hand clenching and unclenching under the table. They were interrupted by Quinn's phone ringing.

"Take it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure," Tyler kept her eyes on Helena as Quinn left the room.

"She seems interesting. Not like something you would go for," Helena stated as the door closed.

"How would you know that? You don't know me. All you know is the black and blue marks that you left behind," Tyler stopped unclenching her hand and just kept it clenched letting her nails dig into the flesh of her palms.

"I know you. You're like me, you just don't want to admit it because of what happened to your uncle."

"Don't you dare speak his name. You don't deserve to. He was more of a parent to me than you ever were. You left me with shatters. You left me with a bloodied corpse at age eleven; the corpse of a man that I would've been proud to call my father. You caused all the pain in my life and I've done nothing but live in the shadow of that. I've lived in the shadow of everyone else saying I'm like you but I would never do that to another human being, let alone my own daughter," Tyler spat at the woman in front of her.

"He was a fool. Like her," Helena nodded to the door, "she'll find that out soon enough."

The legs of the chair screeched against the floor as Tyler pushed back her chair, "Goodbye Helena," she slammed the phone down against its holder and rushed out of the room. She stormed through the reception with her hair swinging in its ponytail. She climbed into Jai's car and massaged her temples as she tried to slow her breathing. She felt someone slip their hand into hers and squeeze slightly;  she focused on the coldness of the person's hand and tried to use that touch to regain her breath.  Her eyes opened to Jai's reassuring smile in front of her as he rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. His eyes crinkled at the corners as he watched her. She nodded to him as she leaned back into the seat, letting herself be embraced in its fabric as it molded around the shape of her back.

"Found something?"

"Yeah actually," Tyler stared through the smudges on the window as Quinn walked towards the car with her hands in the pockets of her jeans.

"Someone wants to meet with us," Quin opened said went Tyler opened the door slightly for her.

Tyler raised an eyebrow, "Where?"

"Shrewsberry Court."

"Well that's not suspicious at all," Tyler nodded to Jai through the rearview mirror and the car started moving.

"What did she say?"

Tyler pursed her lips, "all the recent victims have been involved in a robbery."

"And you think whoever killed Clay wants whatever they took."

"Hmm," Tyler nodded as she shrank down in her seat slightly when they passed some police cars. She tapped her finger against the handle on her side of the car and glanced back for a second, "I don't think it's as simple as that."

"Why not?"

"Clay wrote POLICE in his own blood on the chair."

"I didn't see it."

"I wiped it off in case," Tyler bit the inside of her cheek, "it might not be that big. Just, look out," she tapped Jai's chair, "you too."

The corners of Jai's mouth folded upwards slightly before it turned into a frown as he pulled in, "we're here."

Quinn opened the door for her and Tyler and slammed it shut as Tyler opened the boot, but not before saying goodbye to Jai. Tyler reached into the boot and zipped her backpack open, taking out the pocket knife and slipped it into the inside pocket of her jacket. She swung her bag over her shoulders after she'd zipped it back up and closed the boot with one hang. As she passed Jai's window she lightly tapped on the glass and he rolled down the window.

"If we're not back in twenty minutes come after us," he nodded and let out a large breath as she leant away from the window and walked side by side with Quinn towards the alleyway.

"Last chance to go if you want," Tyler held onto the fabric of Quinn's shirt.

Like before Quinn slid her other hand up and touched Tyler's, "never."