As Evil As Murder

11 | Hopeless Smiles, Desperate Cries

"And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by the ones who could not hear the music."
-Friedrich Nietzsche
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Anger can bring you to the center of attention but silence can make you invisible.

Who would want to be invisible, you ask? The clever folks.

They aren't the ones in the corners with social awkwardness or the ones with a hoodie over their faces. They are the people who just spoke with you a few moments back, asking how your day was and whether you want any help with your works, all the while hiding behind a mask. They are the ones to watch out for because while the rest of us are left scratching our heads, they laugh silently.

Someone, somewhere is laughing at us right now, I thought while I looked at the newly fixed board in front of me. There were three boards in the wall. One for finding out where Lucas came from, one just for the threats, disappearances and one simply empty. CJ and Gloria had asked me why it was there but I couldn't give them a proper answer. I just knew there was something more to this story.

"Weren't we going to go see Elise?" Gloria asked impatiently. "I took a day off from work today but if I do it again, you will have another murder to solve."

"I need to ask Elise the right things okay?" I snapped, not taking my eyes off the board. "We just put up the board, let me try to find a connection."

"Good luck." She knotted her hands and sat down on one of the couches with a fake pout.

"This is messed up," I said under my breath, looking at the board in the middle.

That one contained all the threats I could remember. Strange words filled up the space, each message different from the last, as if it's written by a group of people rather than just one.

-Bonafide.

- 11:35

-When does an angel become a monster?

-In everyone's blood there is trust.

-You will die. It's written in the stars.

-Careful who you talk to.

These were just some of the messages I remembered receiving the two weeks before my cell went missing. After Heath's death, it stopped. I didn't know what to think of it. Coincidence? Maybe. But what is ever a coincidence with murder?

"This is so freaky," CJ said, standing next to me and gazing at the boards. "I still can't believe you didn't tell me about this sooner."

"You were the first one to know about the threats." I countered.

"And the last one to know about the murders." She looked sideways at me with a serious expression. "I know I'm not the greatest influence to be around, but you do trust me right?"

"Of course I do." I laughed, "I live with Gloria, anyone is a better influence than she is."

"I can hear you!" Gloria yelled in the background and I rolled my eyes.

"Still, Charlotte," CJ's voice rose an octave. "We are okay right? You know I would track down this person and boil their hands, don't you?"

"What's with the sudden sentiment?" I wondered, looking sharply at her. "It's not like someone is after me personally."

"Are you kidding?" CJ pointed at the boards, then around the room with all the newspaper cutouts and her finger even laid in Lucas's direction. Her face turned solemn. "Someone is after you personally."