As Evil As Murder

28 | And Then There Were None

"We start at the beginning." I looked away from Lucas and fixed my gaze on CJ instead. "The Williams Hall fire. We know the people there faked their deaths. We know the motive too, they wanted to make certain people insane."

"The perfect crime." Lucas chimed in. "Ethan was one of them. Somehow his aunt suspected the fire to be a massacre, which isn't what happened, but the group didn't like the attention on them. They asked another kid to jump off a building in front of her. The body disappears, everyone doubts her, she goes insane, and no one believes her. It's perfect."

"Even if they were found guilty of making someone crazy, they'd be walking free because there are no laws against what we do to the mind," I added.

"Then comes you." CJ continued the chain. "They wanted a cover in case someone found the bodies were part of the trick. That's why they used the leaves. You were new, and living alone with your sister. No one's doubted as much as someone who spins stories for a living. Again, perfect."

"Heath comes in somewhere about now." I bit my lips. "He found out about all of this, but they killed him. Even silenced his aunt too."

"That was their first mistake." CJ gasped. "What they were doing earlier wouldn't have put them in jail, but murder certainly would."

"What about the threats?" Lucas asked. "We got almost everything figured out. But who was sending you death threats?"

CJ and I looked at each other for a short while. Should I say it?

"Dean Carmichael." I finally got it out. See, the best way to lie is to do it yourself.

"He uh, he was somehow involved with this thing." I looked left and right, but Lucas didn't show any sign of recognizing the name. "We don't know how. He said the stuff he sent weren't threats."

"You sure he didn't say anything else?" CJ raised her eyebrows.

Save my brother.

"No." I gulped.

"Well, maybe if we note down all the messages he sent, we can figure out what he was going to say." CJ looked over to the table in the corner, obviously looking for some paper and ink.

"But if they weren't threats and Dean was trying to tell you something, why didn't he just say it?" Lucas asked, confused.

"My texts were being monitored. Probably by Rex-"

"You keep saying Rex." CJ yelled from her side of the room. "Care to elaborate that?"

"Not right now, all you need to know is that everyone lies. Let's just try to get out of here."

I didn't have a plan, but I knew what I was going to do. It wasn't going to be easy, but it was better than nothing. Find who Cain is--

The music started playing. It seemed to be coming from the walls. The soft melodious sounds made me stop in wonder.

"Hey, what's-" CJ looked at the ceilings as if people were looking down at us, much like the angels in the tapestry.

"It's a song-" I started, but a sharp clunk interrupted all of our thoughts.

"Hello hello!" A fourth voice in the room said. CJ jumped slightly, and all of us observed our surroundings.

"Come on, don't be dumb. I'm obviously behind the screens. Or in this case, walls." The voice was cheery and uplifting, that I got more confused. I raised an eyebrow and looked at Lucas, who blinked rapidly.

"No one's going to speak?" The man said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Alright, where are my manners? I'm Ethan, cue gasps - yes that Ethan - how are you doing this fine evening?"