Liana's residence....
Liana lay on her bed, headphones on, listening to guns'n'roses' paradise city, her music gets interrupted by a call
Hello? She picks up
Hi, Liana..it's peter, the caller responded
Oh peter, how are you? she asked in a concerned tone
Not sure, he replied...I don't want to bother you but..his voice breaks
you there? she asks
yeah, he replies, it's just...it's mum.
how's she? Liana asks slowly
she's rarely holding up, he replied..I've never seen her like this, he pauses, it's like she's.. broken
I'm so sorry peter, Liana consoled
I just called to ask if there's been any development concerning Taylor's case, he replied
Liana paused for a while thinking, the detectives are unwavering in their efforts,.she replied...a sigh was heard from the other end..
but I want you to know, she continued, that my friends and I are working intentionally asides the police to find the killer and I promise you, we're going to get justice..for your family and most of all..for your sister
Peter sighs again, this time of relief.
Cedar Creek....
Sebastian!, I called out while we were less busy, any news from you know who?
He stares at me in confusion, no I don't know who
he meant the cops, piper replied, eyes on her phone
Oh! he exclaimed, well not yet, they still haven't figured out who wrote the note.
Liana's right, I replied, they are slow ass detectives...but Piper
Yeah? she replied taking her eyes off her phone
When the cops ask you how you found out about Michael, what're you gonna say? I asked
I'll tell them the truth, she replied, a text was sent to a friend by the killer and I prefer to keep that friend anonymous and I'll tell them what the text said
they're probably gonna ask for proof, Sebastian added
I know but I don't have proof, she replied,all I know is, Mike's the killer and if they focus on him they'll find their proof and I'm willing to take a lie detector test to prove I'm telling the truth
What if they couldn't crack the code? I ask
then they're dumb detectives too, she replied, and if that's the case then I'll gladly tell them what it means
One more question, I continued..when they ask how you found out about the murders happening in school, what are you gonna say?
Piper paused for a while before responding...
Because I'm an observer and I'm fairly close to the family of one of the victims
you're talking about Sierra, I say reading her, but how exactly are you close to her family?
Sierra and I used to be neighbors...but that was long before she died, piper replied
I glanced at Sebastian for confirmation, although I knew she's telling the truth
Yeah they were, he confirmed,and that's the only reason Sophie was able to confide in us.
Drama room...
since we decided to start from Michael's motive, Piper began, I did my research and found out, Keanu wasn't the only one getting bullied, Michael got his share of harassment from James and his friends.. that hatred coupled with the anger from watching Keanu's suicide video led him into taking matters into his hands, explaining the 'v' he left behind... For revenge!
Liana? I called out after observing her for a while, something's bothering you about Taylor's case, do you mind sharing?
She glanced at me then turned to look at the others.. Peter called yesterday...Taylor's brother, Taylor's family isn't doing so well, especially her mum, Peter wanted to know how close we are to solving her case. I told him the police are still on it. And the annoying thing about it is, they're focused on the wrong killer!... they're wasting their time on figuring out who wrote a note instead of the message itself! she said in an angry tone
So we need to work faster, I reply, the sooner we find proof of Michael being the killer, the faster we end this
Alright, Sebastian spoke this time,now we know his motive, figuring out his means and the opportunity he had will get us proof.
Something else I should add, piper chipped in, Michael started out in class A, a science major as a junior and sophomore but later got transferred to class B, a tech major in senior class
One can actually do that? I asked slightly surprised
Sure, she replied..what I'm driving at is, he has knowledge of both sciences and technology which explains how he executed the first four murders using scientific skills and changed his style in Taylor's case using more of his technical skills
which he must've done to throw the cops off, Sebastian added
Okay, Liana said, but we still need to know how he had access to his murder weapons like arsine in Sierra's case ...or acetone in James'
we could imply that he has access to a facility probably illegal where he must have purchased them, but we'll need proof of that, I replied
and for Taylor's case? the network sniffer and taser? Sebastian asked
It's like you said, I replied, he's likely familiar with a cop, possibly relative, which means we need to do some background check on him
I'll work on that, piper volunteered
About his whereabouts,I continued, we need to know where he was on the day each case occured, which means we'll need your tracking skills Liana
She replied with a nod
I'll help with his details, piper adds
We'll also be needing his transaction history from September last year till date, so if you could assist with that Liana, it would be helpful, I added
Sebastian, you and I are gonna review his purchases once Liana lays her hands on them, they might just lead to the source of his weapons, I said in a leader-like tone
And I'll watch out for the latest info from the police, Sebastian suggested...this is nice, us acting like proper detectives, he suddenly said smiling at us, you know we need a cool name for our group
Let me guess, you already have ideas, piper said smiling at his antics
'Murder Crew', he replied almost immediately
eww, no! you make it sound like we're the killers, Liana said in a disapproving tone
I agree, I chipped in
Not your best idea, piper said tapping his shoulder as we walked out of the drama room leaving behind a wounded Sebastian.
..................................
Kai's not in school today, I said to Piper as I glanced at his empty seat
Yeah, she replied and that's very unlike him, trust me I would know
Oh I do, I replied in a reaction- seeking tone.
"PIPER HATHAWAY PLEASE REPORT TO THE PRINCAL'S OFFICE"... the school's PA system suddenly rang out.
Sebastian and I whiplashed towards piper sitting in our middle, her eyes wide open at the mention of her name
murmurs were heard around the class,..I wonder what she did, someone said...
all I could say was, They found out
Hey, Sebastian called out as she began to stand, holding her hand, he whispered, you'll be fine just answer them exactly as you planned
She nodded before walking out
The Principal's Office
The school's principal suited up, sat elegantly, his chin resting on his knuckles, with a determined look on his face.
piper was asked to sit opposite his table, a detective sat next to her and one stood in front, arms crossed
'Michael Simmers', the one standing said, you think he's the one we're looking for, he asked
Piper nodded affirmative
And how did you discover that name, he asked again
He sent a message to a friend of mine proving he was the killer, she replied
'The killer' the other detective said facing his colleague hinting on Piper's confirmed knowledge of the school's secret.
His colleague in front of piper catching the info spoke up, and who if I may ask is this friend?
I'd rather not divulge as it is irrelevant to my note, she replied
Irrelevant?, he questioned...did you wonder why we just called for you, 48 hours after you sent that note?
I thought you just figured out I was the one who sent it, she replied slowly
Oh no, the other detective replied, that was the easy part...we decided to hunt down Mister Simmers as you suggested and I'm sure you still don't know
don't know what? Piper asked confused
That Michael Simmers died 16 months ago, the detective sitting next to her said
Piper tensed in her seat, sweat beginning to form on her forehead whilst the principal sat watching her
So I ask again, the detective standing said, Who exactly is this friend?