Alexander's Disappearance

16

        The pastries no longer looked appetizing anymore. I took a picture of the license plate and quickly stepped back into my car. My pastries in the paper bag were shaking and I could feel my body become paralyzed. My mistrust for others was already bad, but now it's worse. Ben was no longer a kind, friendly driver, but more of an enemy in my eyes. He was no longer someone I could interact with. To think that Ben was in on the scheme, scared me, because if he was, then who else could I not trust? Why did he lie to me? Why did he drop Alexander off and lie to me? 

       I wanted to scream but before I could, my phone rang again. 

       It was Priya.

      "Priya?"

      "Did you hear about—"

       "Yes. Yes, I did," I interrupted.

       There was a pause before she spoke again. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..."

       "I know. I know," I whispered as I leaned back as my car drove for me. I stared into the distance with tears rolling down my cheeks. "Priya, can you do me a favour?"

       "Anything.

       "Stay out of this case," I spoke solemnly. "I'll inform you if I want to, but for now, stay out of this case. I'm going to try and investigate this on my own. Don't talk about the case, don't do... anything."

       "What? You—"

       I ended the call quickly.

      This was for her own good. How could I involve my best friend in this situation? The police will be after me, and they'll interrogate her if anything happens. This was not my intention. Priya would stay in the dark. West and Arkham know that we are best friends, she'll be the first person they'll talk to. Luckily, they don't know about Noah.

      Again, my ringtone went off and this time it wasn't Priya calling me back. It was my mother. I hesitantly answered, waiting for a million questions to bombard me.

       However, throughout the car ride, we talked normally, casually almost. My parents comforted and I pretended to cry. It was psychopathic behaviour but I didn't care. They shouldn't know anything about this. We talked about Alexander, and for once, they spoke well about him. Although they didn't completely hate him, they never complimented him as I expected them to. When I arrived home, I ended the call. I turned to stare at the paper bag. I shouldn't eat the pastries. I was tempted to eat it, but I shouldn't eat it. Ben was someone that I could not trust. He could've done something to it. But why would he ever poison me? What would he gain from poisoning me? Sort of like an assassination attempt if he did... Ben could be a hitman. I can see him as one. But if he ever did, I'll make sure they find the white car. I'll make sure they'll find out that I died from the pastries... I mean, even Alice could be a witness. 

       Perhaps I was just going insane. It'd be irrational for Ben to do that and Ben is a rash character. 

      A little squirrel scurried past and I immediately thought of an idea. I ripped a chunk of the Danish and chucked it at the squirrel. He stood there and ate it while I watched it eat.

      Nothing happened to him.

      Maybe in a little bit, he'll die?

      Whatever. I'll just eat it. 

      I got out of the car with the pastry bag in my hand. As I entered the house, the police were already inside. Weirdly enough, with the pastry bag in my hand, I didn't react casually but more so as if I was still putting on my mask. My sadness was so automatic that I must have conditioned myself to feel this way whenever I saw the police. "I already heard," I mumbled as I locked the door. I took my shoes off and turned around to face the detectives. The smell of Alice's cooking was making my stomach grumble. West and Arkham had this gloomy look on their face, and I must have been a psychic because the next word that came out of their mouths was that were was no lead.