I was waiting for Arjun at the park while Shade went on chit chatting with his girlfriend. He had insisted on meeting Arjun, and he said that he wouldn't let me go if I didn't tag him along. I had no other choice but to bring him with me.
A few minutes later, Arjun came. "Stop right there!" Shade startled on hearing me shout, and Arjun froze, stood there like a statue. "Don't move!" I said as I stood 4 feet away from him angled my hand perfectly enough that I could only see his eyes.
"What's wrong with you?" Sade asked as he hung up his call.
"I knew it!" I exclaimed. Arjun was still standing at the same position and tiled his head a little. "It's all good, come." He then slowly walked towards us still confused.
"What was that all about?" He asked confused followed by shade who gave a tight node.
"You'll find out," I said with a smile. "Anyways why a sudden call?"
"I got a case." He said, "Damon Volkov's daughter has been abducted yesterday." That when realization hit Shade. He looked at me and Arjun back and forth.
"I know" I said.
"How?"
"Do you still have the detail list from yesterday?"
"Yes?"
"Read the 7th name."
He took out the paper from his pocket and read the name, "Juliet Van doren." Then he looked at me. "How are these related?"
"Does the case of the murder of Juliet Van Doren ring a bell to you?" I asked
"Wait a sec— that means you were there yesterday?"
"She is the prime suspect dude," Shade interrupted then burst into laughing.
"Very funny" I said sarcastically. Arjun stood there like he was processing everything. "But it's alright, I can help you. Whatever it is we are still partners right?" He nodded.
As we were talking, we heard a noise. We all went dead silent as we listened to the footsteps. Then the bushes near us started to rustle. Then suddenly a hand grabbed on to mine. I grabbed on to their hand and threw the person out of the bushes. He landed hard on the ground and growled.
"Skyler?" He nodded as he rubbed his back. "Sorry, reflexes." I said as I helped him get back on his feet.
"Dude you scared the living hell out of me." Shade said as he put a hand on Skyler's shoulder. "What's up with the snooping?"
"Just came by, didn't mean to scare you all," Skyler said rubbing his back.
I then introduced Skyler to Arjun who said that he remembered him from yesterday's incident.
"Do you have any plans?" Arjun asked as he put the piece of paper back to his pocket. "Like at least where to get started with?"
"Yes," I said with a grin. "We can do the usual, What if I was the kidnapper." Everyone looked at me confused. "Listen, it's like pointing out possibilities, like if I was a kidnapper what would I have done." They nodded. "I'll go first, If I was the kidnapper, I would… umm… change her clothes and leave the clothes she was wearing before in the salt lake as a distraction." Shade looked at me amused. "Then put her phone in a warehouse which will be far away from the original place where I will be keeping her, distraction two." Skyler's eyes widened. "Then I would definitely not in my house, that would be bad for me so, I will keep her in somewhere near the border of out of the city."
"Dude, after solving so many cases you officially became a psycho." Shade said, his eyes wide and jaw dropped.
"Next who?" I asked them. "We could get some clue with our perspectives right?" I asked them.
"Great plan I'll go next," Arjun volunteered and said his perspective. "If I was the kidnapper, er, probably just smash her phone or just leave it in somewhere random. Never forget gloves."
"Umm... ok but where will you hide her?" I raised my eyebrows.
"In the abandoned farmhouse far from city. Its quiet there," Arjun said with an awkward smile.
"Me next," Shade raised his hand and jumped like a small boy. "Or wait no you go dude, Lets save the best for the end." He elbowed Skyler.
"Um, I don't know. I don't watch many crime thrillers. So probably would lock her up in my basement cause you know, everyone will think 'No one would be foolish enough to keep her in their home'", he scratched the back of his head with and awkward smile.
"Reverse Psychology, that's good," Shade slapped Skyler's back hard. Skyler jerked in pain.
"That's foolish, even if people say that, if you are like the prime suspect and have even a little evidence against you. The cops are gonna come barging into your home for search," I said my both hands on my hips.
"Yeah, shall we just finish what we started? Shade yours next," Arjun said.
"Ah right, Yeah so cool hiding her and putting up distractions and all cool cool. Well if I was the kidnapper, I'll surely just slit that sweetheart's throat and dump her in a septic tank in some abandoned place, you know, decompose," he looked up to see Skyler standing there, his mouth wide open and Arjun blankly staring at him with is palm on his hand and I looked at him with my eyebrows raised. "Why you all acting shocked, come on who would even be able to tolerate that brat for even an hour. If someone can tolerate her for even a whole day I will pay you a hundred pounds." Skyler coughed. "And you don't count." he said pointing at Skyler
"It's a human we are talking about." I said. "You called me a psycho for just putting up distractions and here you are thinking about a well executed murder."
"Runs in the family I guess" Skyler coughed and I gave him death stare.
"We know this ain't real and we are looking for possibilities," He turned to Arjun. "This could be a possibility, how can we be sure she's not dead?"
"He's got a point," Arjun agreed.
"See that's what I'm talking about," Shade snapped his fingers. "Detective kid got my point." I rolled my eyes.
"So cruel," Skyler said under his breathe.
"Well compared to yours, mine is better, and logical." Shade said Skyler let out a sigh.
"Well well no arguing ok?" I raised both my hand. Shade ignored me and turned towards Arjun.
"Detective kid." Shade called out to Arjun. "You rewind the stories all and think of something which will make sense. We can discuss the result tomorrow?" He then looked around. "It's getting dark." Everyone nodded and the meeting was officially dismissed.
That night while I was lying on my bed Shade's words replayed in my mind how can we be sure she's not dead? What if he was right? What if she is not alive? No its not has not even passed 24 hours since she is missing. She would be alive, I hope.
It was almost midnight when I got a call from Alex. "This is insane I mean hear me out. Sam you there?"
"Its almost mid night. What's so urgent? New crush or something?" I rubbed my eyes and let out a yawn.
"Yeah about that. Julien and I are no longer together."
"WHAAT?" I screamed into the phone. You got to be kidding.
"I am serious. And FYI don't do that again. You bursted my eardrums." Alex giggled from the other end of the call.
"But you guys were together for like 8 years and just broke up all of a sudden. What's wrong, Alex tell me."
"Come on its nothing much. It felt like we don't you know we just like the link the spark." Alex said. She tried her best to hide the pain with humor but I could feel it.
"You sure you're alright? Should I drop by?"
"No its fine, I'm fine really. No big deal." She said with a laugh. "But I called you to tell you something else and we really went off topic here hon."
"Spill it."
"I got a call from Mare, you know from highschool." Alex said in a serious tone.
"Oh, how can I forget her. Its been so long since we talked. I missed her tho. But why a sudden call?" Mare was a friend from high school, More like Bestfriend. Me, Alex and Mare we were a trio back in the day. After all the prom incident I just laid low and lost contact with so many people including her. Looking back at it now I feel like a total fool to do that.
"She heard about all the Volkov situation here and wanted to check on us." Alex sighed. "Do you think its real?"
"I donno." That's all I could say, we don't have any idea what's going on. "If it is, then her life is at risk."
"Karma" Alex coughed. "had been toying people for years, its karma that's got her. It always does." The last sentence came out softly.
"You sure you are ok? Nevermind, be there in 10."
"No, you don't have to come its all fine." Before she could finish I hung up the call.
I took my keys, picked up an unopened icecream I bought for my own distresses got into the car and drove to her apartment.
"I told you it was alright – wait is that honeydew? Do they even exist?" She said in awe as she took out the icecream.
"Want to talk or do anything else?" I asked her as she came back from the kitchen and handed me a spoon.
"Don't you have to go to work tomorrow?" She took a scoop and put it in her mouth. She tilted her head back and closed her eyes enjoying the icecream. "Oh this feels heaven."
"Yeah." I took a scoop and put it in my mouth. Dear god, I definitely think giving it to her was a better choice or this thing is way worse than my mental misery. "Goodness gracious, how you eating this thing?"
"How dare you insult my cutie boo." Alex narrowed her eyes. "If you have work tomorrow why you here? Go get some sleep, I'm fine with this baby over here." She raised a scoop and stuffed it in her mouth.
"Let's watch a movie and then I'll leave." I handed her the TV remote.
"Ok Sire." She said as she hovered through Netflix.