Masquerade of Lies
Page 19
“Oh, by the way...your friend Stephanie came into the police station and told us she saw Claire Miller by Miss Tillier’s house around the time she was murdered. So, we had Miss Miller come in for questioning. Turns out she wasn’t coming from Miss Tillier’s house. She was at…uh…” He scooped his notepad out of his pocket and flipped a few pages. “Chad McCowen’s house. Apparently, he lives very close to Miss Tillier’s house.” He put the notepad back in his pocket. “We had him come into the station, too. He confirmed he was with her. Apparently, they didn’t want anybody to know they were secretly seeing each other.” I looked at Josh, who had a stunned look on his face. I covered my mouth with my hand. “We tested the blood that was found on Claire’s shirt. It was hers. She said she accidentally cut her hand with a knife.”
“Well, then. That solves that mystery,” I said.
“Okay, Miss Clark. Try to stay out of trouble.”
“Okay. So you’re gonna arrest Scott, right?”
“We’re going to bring him to the station and take it from there. Goodnight, Miss Clark.”
With that, Detective Walters and the two police officers were gone. Josh pulled me into him and wrapped his arms around me. His clothes were still damp from being in the rain.
Suddenly, my mom walked through the front door.
“Mom!”
“What were the police doing here?”
***
A couple days later, I was sitting in the living room eating a bowl of rocky road ice cream and watching Dance Moms. The phone rang, so I put down my bowl of ice cream and ran to answer it; to my surprise, it was Detective Walters. He called to let me know they’d arrested Scott Harrison for the murder of Brooke Tillier. Apparently, he told the police he was at home alone when Brooke was murdered. He had a motive, and no real alibi. I was relieved he was behind bars.
When I was done talking to Detective Walters, I hung up the phone and ran through the house, looking for my mom.
“Mom! They arrested Scott Harrison!”
She sprinted out of her bedroom. “Now that’s good news!” she said.
“Yeah! I’m gonna call Josh!”
After Josh found out Claire was seeing Chad McCowen behind his back, he decided to call it quits…for good. He and I are together now. I decided Mark and I were better off as friends. Besides, he’s been MIA and acting weird lately.
I went back into the living room and collected my Motorola off the coffee table, next to my bowl of melting ice cream. I scrolled for Josh’s cell number and pressed CALL; it rang three times and went to his voicemail. After the beep, I left a message: “Josh, it’s Hanna! Call me text back! I have great news!”
***
A few weeks had passed, and for the first time in a long time my life felt normal. My mom and I were in a good place. She was even letting me borrow her car more. Josh and I were still happily together. I saw Mark around school, but we didn’t really talk to each other. Claire, Katie, and Jessica stopped punishing me for winning homecoming queen. In fact, Jessica stopped by my house the other day to tell me she decided to tell her mother she was raped by that jerk Zack. Her mother was going to press charges.
Josh pulled into my driveway. It was a Saturday night, and we were going to his house to snuggle up to a movie. I jumped in the passenger seat and gave Josh a kiss on the lips, then I put on my seatbelt.
After we got to his house, we sat on the smoky brown leather couch in his living room with a big bowl of popcorn. I convinced him to watch The Notebook. After we started watching the movie, I could feel Josh staring at me. He ran his index finger down my face, along my jawline. We looked at each other intensely for a few moments, then he leaned forward to kiss me. I felt a shiver up my spine. As he slowly moved from my lips down to my neck, I could feel his warm breath. I ran my hands through his hair. He put his hands up my shirt, and this time I didn’t stop him. He thrust his tongue in my mouth; right then and there, I knew he was the one. He stopped kissing me and looked at me with a smile that melted all my fears away. I was ready.
“Do you have a condom?” I whispered.
He nodded his head, then took my hand and led me upstairs to his room.
***
I put my shirt back on and sat down on his bed. I could feel the heat on my cheeks. The thought of what just happened made me lightheaded. Josh leaned over towards me, shirtless, and softly kissed my lips. I smiled bashfully.
“I’m gonna get a drink. Do you want something?” he said.
“Sure. Surprise me,” I replied.
He smirked and left the room. After he left, I got up and wandered around his room. I looked at some of the pictures he had on his dresser. When I noticed none of them were Claire; I smiled to myself. I walked over to his shelf of football trophies and admired them. My phone buzzed: It was my mother reminding me what time I need to be home.
“Here you go.”
I turned around, startled. He walked over to me, still shirtless, with a Corona in each hand and gave one of them to me.
“Thanks.”
“Who was that?”
“Oh, just my mom.”
He took a swig of his beer and put the bottle on desk. He walked over to his bed and put on his shirt. I sauntered towards his bed and sat down. I started to think about Brooke.
Josh sat down beside me. “What’s wrong? Do you regret what happened tonight?”
“No, not at all. I’m just sad about Brooke. I still can’t believe she’s gone.” I shifted my body towards him. “First she’s accused of having a relationship with her teacher, and now she’s dead.”
“Yeah, that was a pretty messed up thing Claire did. I heard Mr. Parsons moved to Hatersfield.” I snapped my neck in his direction.
“What did you say?”
“I said he moved to Hatersfield.”
“Ohmigod.” I stood up thunderstruck and sprinted towards his computer.
“What’s wrong?”
“When we broke into Brooke’s house I saw Brooke’s calendar hanging on the wall, and the word Hatersfield was written on September 24th. He dashed towards me.
“That’s the day before she died!”
“I know!”
“So, what are you doing?”
“I’m Googling the last name Parsons in Hatersfield.”
“Why?” He furrowed his brow
“Maybe he had something to do with Brooke’s murder.”
“But Scott murdered Brooke.”
“What if he didn’t?” Josh gave me a quizzical stare. “Or what if he had help?”
He leaned over my shoulder. I could smell the beer on his breath. There were a few Parsons listed in Hatersfield, so I searched the words Mr. Parsons teacher in Willowdale, and an article popped up. It said that he was dismissed from Willowdale High for having an inappropriate relationship with a student. Apparently, he moved to Hatersfield and now owns a coffee shop called Parsons Café.
“Ohmigod,” I said. Josh and I looked at each other.
“Do you think he had anything to do with Brooke’s murder?” Josh asked.
“I don’t know, but I’m gonna find out.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO—WHAT YOU FIND OUT COULD HURT YOU
The next day I asked Josh to give me a ride to Hatersfield. He pulled into my driveway around ten o’clock in the morning to pick me up.
“Bye mom! I’ll be back soon!” I bellowed before I closed the front door shut behind me.” I raced over to Josh’s car and hopped in the front seat. I put on my seatbelt as he reversed out of the driveway and accelerated down my quiet street.
“So, what are you gonna say to Mr. Parsons when you see him?”
I tucked some hair behind my ear. “Don’t know yet. I guess I’ll figure that out when I get there.” I opened up the Waze app on my smartphone and pulled up the address of his café. “Do you know where you’re going?”
“No, not really.”
“Okay, I’ll tell you where to go.” I read him the directions as he drove.
“There it is,” I said pointing. Josh pulled over to the side of the road and parked in front of a small clothing store. He put the car in park and turned off the ignition. “Well, let’s go,” I said.
We unbuckled our seatbelts and got out of the car. When we reached the café I pulled open the door, and the smell of coffee hit me in the face. Most of the tables were occupied with teenagers. A guy in a navy blue apron was taking out the trash and a young lady in the same kind of apron was cleaning off a table. A covered glass cake stand full of vanilla and chocolate cupcakes sat on the counter. All of a sudden, I spied Mr. Parsons coming from the kitchen. I recognized him from his picture in the article. He began assisting an old lady. I nudged Josh’s arm.
“There he is.” We sauntered towards him and waited in line behind her. Butterflies swirled around in my stomach. It was our turn to be served.
“Can I help you?” he asked.
“Are you Mr. Parsons?”
“Yes, I own this café.”
“You used to teach at Willowdale High right?” His face got serious.
“What’s this about?”
“Do you remember Brooke Tillier?”
“Look, nothing happened between us, but I left Willowdale and started my life over. All I want is to be left in peace.”
“We just want to ask you a couple of questions.”
“Are you a friend of hers?”
“I was a friend of hers.” He looked at me stunned.
“What do you mean was?”
“You mean you don’t know?”
“Don’t know what?” I looked at Josh then back at Mr. Parson.
“Mr. Parsons…Brooke is dead…she was murdered.”
His face was glazed with shock. “What?”
“Yeah.” I lowered my eyes. “When was the last time you saw her?”
“It’s been a while. One day, out of the blue, she contacted me to apologize for everything that had happened. I told her that it wasn’t her fault, but she still felt partly responsible. She was supposed to come down on the 24th and have dinner with me and my wife, but she never showed up. I figured she just had second thoughts.” He pressed his hands into the counter and lowered his head.
Josh took hold of my arm and gently pulled me away. “Come on, let’s go”
“Thank you for your time Mr. Parsons.” As we were leaving, a lady with shoulder length brown hair and brown eyes walked in. I looked at her neck and became breathless. She wore a thin gold chain with half of a heart pendant; it looked exactly like the one Brooke was wearing.
I scurried behind her and tapped her on the shoulder.
“Excuse me.”
She turned around to face me. “Yes?” She had thin lips and light freckles on the bridge of her nose.
“This might be a weird question, but where did you get that necklace?” She fondled the pendant between her fingers.
“My husband gave it to me.”
“Who’s your husband?”
“The owner of this café. Jack Parsons.” She twisted her body and pointed to Mr. Parson.
My heart started pounding in my chest. I caught Mr. Parsons looking right at me. “Ohmigod,” I whispered as I slowly backed away from her.
“Why are you asking?”
“I’m sorry, I gotta go.”
“What’s wrong? Wait!”
I grabbed Josh’s arm and we dashed out of the café.
“What was that about?” he asked.
“I’m so confused.”
“Why?”
“He seemed so shocked. Didn’t he seem shocked to you when I told him that Brooke was dead?”
“Yeah, he did. Why what’s up?”
“It doesn’t make sense.”
He gripped my shoulder and stopped walking. “Stop. What are you talking about?”
“His wife is wearing Brooke’s necklace. At least, I think it’s Brooke’s necklace. Her father gave it to her when she was three. That lady said her husband, Mr. Parsons, gave it to her, and it looks like the exact same necklace that Brooke had.” I continued to walk. “He could have killed Brooke and gave her necklace to his wife. So, either he’s a really good actor and he did it, or the real killer is still out there.” I forcefully opened Josh’s car door, jumped in and pulled the door to close it.
Josh walked around the front of the car and slid into the driver’s seat. I began fiddling with my phone.
Josh placed his hands over mine. “Look that could be any necklace.”
I looked away from my phone to look at him. “Yeah, maybe.” I buckled my seatbelt and Josh did the same, before he started the car and sped off into the street.
***
Josh pulled into my driveway and put the car into park. He then turned to face me. “Don’t worry about anything, okay. If he did it, it’s only a matter of time before they catch him. We’ll figure something out, and prove that we’re innocent.”
I pressed my lips together and unbuckled my seatbelt.
“I hope you’re right.” He leaned in to kiss me before I stepped out of the car. “Thanks for coming with me.”
“No problem,” he said with a smile. “I’ll call you later.”
“Okay.” I smiled back. “Bye.” I closed the door and stood there, watching as Josh reversed and drove away. Then I padded up the walkway to my front door and went inside.
***
Later that night after dinner, my mother and Hank went out, so I was home by myself. I went to my room and slipped on my pajamas. I decided to make some popcorn and watch a movie on Netflix. I was browsing the comedy section when there was a knock at the front door. I sprinted towards the door and pulled it open to find Mark standing there.
“Mark! Hi!”
“Hi Hanna.” I crossed my arms over my chest.
“Where have you been?”
“I know. I’m sorry. I’ve been dealing with some stuff.” He wore a grey pullover hoodie and black track pants. His hands were stuffed in the front pouch pocket of his sweater.
“Is everything okay?” He had a wounded look in his eyes.
“My grandfather passed away. He had a stroke.”
“Oh my gosh! Mark, I’m so sorry.” That explains why he’s been so distant. I put my hand on his shoulder.
“Is it okay if I come in? I could really use somebody to talk to.” I thought about it for a moment. I didn’t want Josh to be pissed at me, but I felt bad for Mark.
“Sure.” He padded past me and took off his shoes before taking a seat on the couch. I closed the door and sat down beside him.
“Is anybody here with you?” he asked.
“No, it’s just us.” He leaned back on the couch and placed his hands on his knees. His face was twisted in anguish.
“Do you want a drink or something?”
“Water will be fine.” I nodded my head, then stood up and sauntered into the kitchen. I pulled open the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. I went back into the living room and handed it to him. “Thanks,” he said in a low tone. I sat down next to him on the couch. I bit my lip. I wasn’t sure about what to say, but I knew I had to be careful with my words.
“I’m really sorry for your loss.” He took a swig of his water and turned his head to look at me. He offered a smile.
“It just happened so fast. One minute he was here and now he’s gone.” He placed the water bottle on the coffee table. “Who am I gonna go fishing with?” he muttered.
“What?”
“He used to take me fishing. My father’s always busy with work, and my mom…well…she doesn’t fish. So, my grandfather and I…that was our thing.” He looked down at his hands.
“Th
at must have meant a lot to you.” I rubbed his back.
“It did,” he whispered. A single tear rolled down his cheek. He gazed at me deeply and edged a little closer. “Thanks for being here for me.”
“No problem.” I bit my lip. He leaned forward to kiss me, but I brushed him away with my hand. “I’m sorry…I can’t do this.
I’m with Josh,” I said in a hushed tone. He lowered his eyes and backed away from me. The room grew quiet. The phone rang and pierced the silence. I dashed across the room and picked it up.
“Hello?”
“Hanna, it’s Detective Walters.”
“Oh, hi.” I sank into one hip.
“Are you alone?”
“No, I’m just hanging out with Mark.”
“Mark Edwards?”
“Yeah. Why?” There was a pause.
“Hanna. I need you to listen to me very carefully, and not react to what I’m about to tell you.” The sound of my heartbeat roared in my ears. I grasped the phone tightly in my hand.
“Okay.”
“We confirmed who killed Brooke Tillier.”
“Who?”
“Mark Edwards.” My stomach dropped. I stood rigid with terror. I slowly turned my head to look at Mark, who was still sitting on my couch.
“Are you sure?” My arms blossomed with goosebumps.
“I’m afraid I am. An employee of a burger place found a blood stained shirt and knife in the dumpster and called the police. The knife had Mark’s partial prints, and the blood on the shirt belonged to Brooke.” At that moment, I gazed at Mark hoping he didn’t know who I was talking to or what we were talking about. The series of events flashed through my mind. The texts…the notes in my locker…what happened at the prom. “Be careful. Mark Edwards is disturbed. This isn’t the first time he’s done this. He’s dangerous. Try to stay calm. The police are on their way.”
“O-okay.” I hung up the cordless phone and padded back to the couch. I couldn’t bring myself to sit next to him, so I stood. I bit my lip and crossed my arms over my chest.