The Mysteries of Megan Glen

Secret Book Club: 5

Callie’s apartment complex was nice, peaceful. It took about half a minute to intimidate the landlord into giving us a key to her apartment. All Sam had to do was flash his badge and tell him we were on a case and he could be arrested for withholding evidence. He didn’t waste any time after that.

Sam knocked on the apartment door first, saving the key as a last resort. It turned out we didn’t need it, Callie opened the door quickly. Even though I had seen her picture, the sight of her was still odd. She was short and skinny with a blonde bob cut and a sweet smile. But criminals come in all shapes and sizes.

“Hello, can I help you?” She asked in a sugary voice.

I nodded once, stepping forwards. “Can we have a look around your apartment?”

“Why would you do that? I don’t even know who you are.” The constant fiddling with her necklace said otherwise. She might have been able to act ignorant, but I was certain she was smarter than she appeared. How else would she have managed the first six break-ins without leaving any clues?

“I am a detective, ma’am and she’s my assistant,” Sam stated, making me scrunch my face up in distaste. It should have been the other way around, but no. I didn’t have the right ‘qualifications’.

Callie nodded slowly and I could see the wheels turning in her head. “Alright come in,” she held open the door and we entered the apartment.

Her apartment was messy, covered with clothing and papers and books. A computer sat in the back of the room with a notebook and writing utensil next to it. I looked back at Callie; she had small fresh marks on her wrists from using the computer, yet it was turned off. I went straight for that.

“Megan, what are you doing?” Sam asked, but I ignored him. I flipped through the notebook and then turned on the computer. A word document titled ‘A Great Mystery’ was open. Callie rushed over and shut off her computer.

“I’m an author okay?”

I looked around the room once more before back at the notebook in my hands. Names were checked off on the first page; along with Kumara and Jim’s, there were all the other houses that had been broken into in the past two weeks.

“You’re writing a mystery novel based on your club,” I realized. “That’s why you were breaking into all those houses. It wasn’t anger, although that might have been what gave you the idea for the story in the first place.”

Callie paled. “How did you know about the club?”

“Inside source,” I muttered. “Did you break into the houses?”

To my surprise, she nodded. “It was me, arrest me. I’ll even admit it in court.”

Sam instantly had her in cuffs. “Good job Megan, I have no idea how you got her to admit it so easily, but you did find her which is worth a lot.”

“No, it’s too easy! Why would you admit that? We don’t have enough proof to arrest you if you say you didn’t do it…” I crossed the room to join the two of them. “Why are you giving in?”

She smiled a sad smile. “I threatened to tell about the club a couple weeks ago and if anyone finds out that a bunch of cops know about it, they’ll think it was me. Going to jail is better than dealing with them thinking that.”

“Why- what happens if you break the rules?”

Callie didn’t flinch, but her eyes got hard. “You die. We took a pact to join the club and signed the agreement. We all got a copy of the rules; mine is in that notebook.”

“Then it must have been more than a book club.” Sam said exactly what I was thinking. Callie thinned her lips, shuffling uncomfortably in the handcuffs.

“No, it was a book club for most of us. That is all I will say.” She looked up at Sam. “Are you ready to arrest me yet?”

He looked over at me for an answer and I nodded. “You take her in, I need to look around here a bit more and then go talk to Kumara and Jim again, but I’ll take a cab.”

“Alright, good luck,” he replied, towing Callie out of her apartment. She didn’t try to resist. Once they were out of the room, I flipped through a few more pages of the notebook until I came to a page titled rules.

 No telling outsiders about the club.

Once you’re in, you can’t get out.

Always listen to the leaders. That made me pause; who were these leaders? They must have been the people that started the club. Who ever heard of murderers running a book club?

We will solve our mysteries ourselves.

Meetings are held every week; attend them on a regular basis.

We see everything, remember that. If you break one of the rules, you will be out of the club forever. Do not consult the police about this or you will be brought down.

I furrowed my eyebrows, reading through the list again. I had just solved a case, I should be celebrating, but obviously, something bigger was going on here. This club was starting to look like something highly dangerous rather than a group of booklovers. It was time to visit Jim and Kumara again.

The couple didn’t come to the hotel room door when I knocked, but I could hear them inside. I knocked harder and eventually Jim’s head poked out, his face frightened. He relaxed when he saw me. “Come inside, now.”

I followed his orders and he locked the door behind me, using the deadbolt. “What’s going on?”

“We got a text,” Kumara mumbled from one of the beds. She was crying hard and shaking harder. Jim looked worried, but didn’t move to stand by her.

Instead, he handed me his phone. “Read it.” Confused, I looked down at the message in my hands. It read this:

To whom it may concern,

One of us has betrayed us, breaking into our houses. She was arrested. She hasn’t spoken of the club, but she may, feeling that she is safe. Don’t worry; she will be taken care of soon enough. To those of you who have broken the rules of our sacred club, you will pay for what you have done as well as those you told.

The number was blocked, but at least we knew it was from someone in the club. How did they know about Callie already? Someone told them, obviously, but whom?

“They’re coming for us,” Kumara sobbed heavily. “They’re going to find us.”

“Do you know who this is from?” I asked, handing Jim his phone. His hands were shaking as he took it.

Kumara’s sobs grew louder. “It’s from one of the leaders.”

I turned to Jim. “You need to tell me everything about this club of yours, right now.”

“We don’t know much,” his voice was quiet, full of fear. “The leaders started it; most of the members joined, thinking it was an ordinary book club at first. They never came in contact with us except to make sure we knew they were still there and that was only through texts.”

“So all you do is read books? Remember, lying could cost you your life.”

The crying stopped and I spun around. Kumara was staring at us. “You can’t help us, no one can. The leaders are in control of everything.”

“We can arrest them,” I argued. “I need the name of everyone in this club. I’ll get cops to guard your room.”

Jim sat next to his wife, wrapping an arm around her. “Ask your boss.”

“I don’t have a boss,” I replied, confused.

“Officer Colby,” he whispered. “He was in the club.”