Our Story: Harvey's Life

Tour?

   "Of course you know him. You kissed me in front of him," Tess smacked him and everyone began clearing their throats, making weird faces. "What? He was caught in the moment."

     "No. I've seen him before that exhibition. I just can't remember," he slammed his fist on the table.
"It's cool dude, give yourself some time." She advised. "One of the girls gave me new information. She said the voice she heard was an elderly man's voice. I think she saw him though. I had the recording on my phone but it's gone now."

        "Forensics just contacted me," Diana stood up and turned on the computers in the room.

"Why?" Tess asked.
"The families of the victims requested for a second autopsy so I just got the results."

"It said they were strangled before their body parts were cut off. I saw pressure marks on their necks." Tess described.

   "Oh my God!" Diana said and brought her palm to her mouth.

"What? What's wrong?" Mitch moved closer to her.

"Look at that," she pointed to the last line on the report.

    Everyone stood up and fixed their eyes on the spot, even Jason joined them.

"Cardiopulmonary arrest due to multiple organ failure," Jason read out.

  "That means their parts were cut off before they died. Strangling them also didn't kill them. They were kept in the basement alive?" Tess said to herself, not even believing her own words.

    A body went down.
     Eva.

  "Eva," Caleb slapped her gently, trying to call her back into consciousness.
  Tess moved to the fridge and brought water. They spilled it on her face and she slowly regained consciousness.

  "I think that's enough horror for one night," Tess stood up and pulled Jason. "You guys can stay here for the night," she walked out.
"Goodnight!" Jason greeted while being dragged out.

   "Goodnight," She waved to him.
"Woah,hold it right there," he pulled her to a stop. "I'm spending the night here."

  "No, you're not." She removed her wrist from his grasp and walked into her house.
Barb was walking around in the kitchen with her phone.
"Hey Mom,"she walked closer to her.

"Tess," she hugged her. "I was just about to call you. "

"Oh,I was in the cottage. My team's spending the night there. They got suspended."

   "Because of you?" She gasped.
"Seems like it."

    "Do you want dinner?"
"Nah, I already ate."
"Let me guess, chocolate?"
"You guessed right!" She proceeded to the stairs.
"You know, you really should eat more. I don't want you fainting around anymore."
"I'm not gonna faint mom."

   "How sure are you?"Jason entered.
"Jason," Barb greeted. "What a wonderful surprise!"
"It's not a surprise. He's been here the whole time. We came to the diner together. He was with me in the cottage and I told him to go home!" Tess ranted and pulled him back towards the door.

   "I only wanna stay here tonight incase you faint again. Grandma said I could stay. I agree you're slim but Barb can't carry you," he explained.
"I'm not gonna faint, bye!"

"You know, he's actually right."
"Mom!"

"Let him stay the night, I'm not gonna let him drive this dark at night." Barbie pulled Jason in as Tess gave him the death glare.

   "If looks could kill, I'd be six feet under by now," Jason whispered into Barb's ear.
"I know, right?" she whispered back.

       Tess shook her head and went upstairs. She laid down on her bed as she thought about the events that kept happening to her.

     Civilians couldn't get information about her that easily. Her job wasn't registered in her citizen ID. He knew her mother. It was either James had a very good hacker or he had a connection in the force. A connection meant, a mole.

   No,that couldn't be possible. She dismissed the thought. You saw death face to face, her subconsciousness filled in for her. That's means you're growing stronger, she tried to assure herself.

  "Hello?" Someone knocked.
"Come in!" She said while sitting up. Jason peeped in. "What do you want?" She asked.

  "A tour," he replied meekly with a smile.
"I'm not interested," she laid back down.

"Give the boy a tour!!" Barb yelled from downstairs.

"He's not a boy! He's a grown ass man who just loves to see me get riled up!" She stood up and led the way.

        She started with the living room, kitchen and the dining. Then, she took him to their mini cinema, game room and showed him the gym outside. Then, they went upstairs, she started showing him the rooms upstairs and opened each door.

   "These are the guest rooms," she pointed to four bedrooms. "And that was my grandma's room."

  "Barb's mother?" He asked to be sure.
"No, my stepmom's mother."

"You liked your grandma but not your stepmom?"
"Yeah, is that weird?"
"Somehow."

     He moved to the door and tried to open it.
"It won't budge. Is it jammed?" He tried again.

"I locked it."
"Why?"
"Because, I don't like people going through her stuff."

      She turned and pointed to one of the rooms,"That's yours for the night," and entered hers.

"Thanks!"

       She rolled around, trying to get some sleep but it wasn't working. Images bugged her. At first, she saw a pool of blood, then a severed hand, all this pictures kept coming to mind. She stood up, went to the bathroom and washed her face.
     She crashed back onto the bed but it was still not enough. She tried reading. Reading always makes everyone fall asleep, right?

    It didn't work.

Okay,this is weird.

    It had been two hours yet,she couldn't sleep. It was just not happening. She closed her eyes really hard trying to fall asleep but it was futile. She gave up.
     Her eyes were peeled open and they stated into nothing. It was lonely. Like every other night she spent in the house when she was in high school.

    Those nights were lonely.

   She stood up and walked downstairs. She heard rumbling in the kitchen.
"Jason?" She called out.
"Yeah?" He came into view.
  
     Damn, he was shirtless. His body was glistening with sweat. Wow.
Just wow.

   "Nice abs," she complimented and walked to the fridge.
"Thanks, I've been working out," he chuckled even though he knew she was teasing.