Turkey- Chapter 4

Turkey
….Chapter 4


I sat in the police station next to my mother, who was staring at the cop interrogating us.
“Where where you at the time of the murder and kidnapping?”
My mother didn’t answer so I gave him my alibi, “School.”
He looked at me sceptically, “That early?” I nodded and he wrote something down before asking, “Can anybody verify that?”
I thought for a moment, “Hunter and Sasha.”
“Friends?” He asked, and again, I nodded. He wrote something else down and another police officer came in with a piece of paper, set it down in front of him, then left again, nearly slamming the door.
The officer read it, then his eyes flickered up to me, “Says here you never went to your classes.” I told him I had gotten the news from Sasha so I ran off.
“To a mental hospital?” He gazed at my disbelieving look, “Yes. We know that too, because, you see, you had to sign in to visit Tabitha with… let’s see here, Cole Jusands. Another friend?” I kept my lips sealed. I turned to look at my mother.
“May I take her home? She’s had a hard day.”
The police officer glared at me for a moment longer, before nodding and motioning towards the doors. “We will continue this, you can be sure of that Janice.”
I nearly dragged my mother to the police car that was going to take us home. We got to the house quickly, and I took her to her room. All the blood had been cleaned out of Seraphim’s room for testing.
My mother was dumped unceremoniously on the bed, and I looked at the time. It had been a long day, and I had promised Cole that I’d call him when I got home. The time read some time after eight. I picked up the phone, and dialled his number that he had given me. He answered after the second ring, asking immediately for me.
“Janice?”
“Yeah. Hi, I got home in one piece. Thanks for looking out for me,” I said.
“Nah! Anyone would do the same thing. Just good to know you’re safe.”
I smiled at his compassionate tone, “I was going to leave, actually, but then I remembered you.”
“Where were you going?”
“To a certain night club.” I said darkly.
“OK. Be all mysterious then. Hey, tomorrow I’m going to be in town. Do you want me to stop by in the afternoon to say hi?”
I bit my lip to stop from grinning. Now here was a healthy relationship, “Yes. That would be great.”
We spoke for a few more minutes before we hang up. I then went to change my clothes. Something that would scream, I’m going clubbing. I looked in my wardrobe and sighed in dismay, because a holey T-shirt would tell people I’m allowed in the club. So instead, I went to Seraphim’s room. I looked in her wardrobe and found the perfect dress. It was short and slinky, but not too revealing. It was all black, but glittered like you wouldn’t believe.
I put it on, and did my hair in an up do. I then told my mum where I was going. She didn’t care.
I took a coat, and left for the club.
…
I found Hunter easily. He was sitting down, quietly sipping his drink, watching the dancers. I sat down across from him, and his eyes widened in appreciation at my dress. I leaned in towards him. I got down to business immediately. Immodestly
“I went to see Tabitha.”
“Mmm hmm.” He looked bored, “And what did she have to say?”
“Nothing, and you know it,” I answered, annoyed already, “But she drew something for me. I took the picture out from my coat pocket.
Hunter’s eyes brushed over the picture, “So? Do you have a point to a picture drawn by a mentally disabled person?”
I flipped the page over, “She drew the tattoo the boy had on his wrist. Remarkably similar to yours, don’t you think?” I smirked at him.
He raised an eyebrow, “And what now? Hand me over to the cops with a picture drawn by a vegetable? Ha! But I know why you’re really here,” he leant forward, “You want to save your sister.”
I glared at him. How does he always anger me without even trying?
He put his drink down on the table with a soft chink. “Your sister won’t be easy to get too. But first, you need to listen to me, and not kick me when I try to help. If you had followed my directions before hand, you would have been way closer to finding your sister. Now,” He looked at me, with a tight look in his eyes instead of the usual playfulness, “Are you with me, or not?”
I stared straight back, “How do I know you’re not lying?”
He leaned away, into his chair, “A little thing called trust. That and I would never lie to you.”
“Why?” I asked, sounding like a perpetual little child, “Why help me?”
He smiled, “Because you’re worth so much to me.”
“Really, or am I worth more to your little club which you got your tattoo from?”
Hunter sighed, “Trust is not a terrible thing Janice. It’s all part of your learning.”
I narrowed my eyes, “And what if I never learn?”
He tilted his head to the side, “Then you will never find Seraphim.”
Those words made my blood run cold. That, and the fact that I might be sitting across from a potential serial killer.
A waiter came over and placed a glass in front of me. I nodded to him as he left, and picked up the glass.
Hunter’s eyes glinted, “So you’d trust some stranger with your health rather than me?”
I looked at him over the glass, “My first lesson, remember?” I put the glass up to my mouth and drank an oversweet blend of sugar and orange. I coughed, “It tasted better before.”
“Then it could be poisoned, I suggest you put it down.”
I considered that then realised it was a test. If I put the glass down, it could be right because I trusted him, but it could be wrong because I was so submissive. If I take another sip, I’m right because I trust someone, but wrong because it could be poison.
I kept the glass in the air, but didn’t put it down, “I don’t take orders,” I said simply, “But I won’t take another sip.”
Hunter rolled his eyes, muttering something under his breath that sounded remotely like stubborn turkey.
“I’m a turkey?” I asked, amused.
He looked up, “Yes.” He grinned, his teeth a flash of white before the nightclub went black. The lights had turned off.
Over the loudspeaker came the announcement, “Now is the time that everyone’s been waiting for, Lover’s Hour. Turn to the person next to you and ask them to dance.”
The light’s turned back on and I looked over at Hunter, “My cue to leave.”
“No,” Hunter held onto my wrist, “Just one dance, please?”
I actually considered for a moment before shaking off his wrist, “Not while my sister’s life is in danger.” I took the drink I had left and sculled the rest of the sugary liquid, feeling Hunter’s piercing eyes on me.
“I have to trust someone right?” I said to him, “And I figure at this moment, it’s not you. Not until I get my sister back.”
I walked out, missing the words that Hunter murmured. If only I had stayed, then I would have heard the words; clever, quick learning turkey being said at me.
…
The next morning, I was in my room, surveying my surroundings. My room really sucked! I must have been an extremely bland person. I had cream coloured carpet, cream bed sheets, cream curtains, cream everything!
The only thing coloured was my diary and that was green.
Wait, I thought, my dairy. Didn’t she, I, say that some strange guy was following her and her friends around. Maybe that might hold some clues.
I picked up the diary and found the sections where I had turned pretty depressed. I went through them and when I read what I needed too, I threw the diary into the open door that led into my private bathroom.
What she had written had nearly killed me:
Dear Diary,
I met the boy who’s following me. He showed me a tattoo on his wrist. It was a snake!
He acted like I should know what it means.
Damn blonde crazy guy!
I was puzzled about the blonde part, but then I remembered that Hunter belonged to some wild club. There were probably heaps of members.
I went into the bathroom to pick my diary up, and a strange smell reached my nostrils. It was wafting from the bathtub. The shower curtain was closed, but I knew that something strange was behind there.
Slowly, I crept towards the curtain. I put my hand up to draw it back, but then I was worried that it might be some kind of animal that was hurt, so I picked up the toilet brush, quickly knocking the curtain to the side.
I screamed in panic. In the shower was a bath of blood. And at the head of the tub was a hand, a human hand! I slipped over, hitting my head on the side of my sink. My head felt numb for a second, before I regained full capability of my mind.
I wriggled into a sitting position and took one more look over the side of the tub, in case the Police wanted me to describe exactly what I had seen.
There was nothing there.
I put my nose on the side, and sniffed all around the tub, but the smell was gone as well. I saw blood in the corner of my eye, and I turned, holding the toilet brush as a weapon, but again, nothing was there. I realised it was my hair, sticky with blood from the fall.
I took one of my towels; cream coloured of course, and held it to the side of my head. I groaned softly in the pain that my mind finally recognised.
The doorbell rang downstairs and I toppled out of my room, still holding the towel to my head. I opened the door, and their stood Cole.
“Cole! Hi!” I said, grinning at him.
He frowned at me.
“Yeah, yeah! I’m not a morning person.”
He smiled then, “I can see that,” and he motioned at my towel.
“Oh, this? This was a random mishap in the bathroom. Nothing to be worried about,” I tried to sound perky and confident, but instead I sounded like an ignorant kid.
Cole put one hand on each of my shoulders, and pushed me inside the house.
He made me give directions to the kitchen, and once in there, forced me to sit on one of the chairs their.
Cole went to my freezer and took out a packet of frozen peas, wrapped a clean tea-towel around them, then made me hold it to my head. After a minute of that, he peeled the towel away from the cut and inspected it.
“Not deep, so no need for doctors or hospitals. It’ll be okay. Good thing it was a temple hit, so I can put a bandaid on it!” He took a bandaid from his back pocket.
“Yes nurse,” I joked, “And what makes you a doctor?”
Cole puffed out his chest, “I live on a farm, so I’m always prepared.” He deflated, “Plus my dad made me get my level 1 first aid certificate.”
“Nice.”
He grunted an agreement as he opened the bandaid. He placed it on softly, but I still winced in pain.
“You know,” he winked at me, “I don’t think you can walk to school. Good thing I brought my horse.”
I ran to the window, “Seriously?”
He chuckled in the corner as I stared in disappointment at the car in the driveway.
“Yep. That’s my horse. Want to know why?” I nodded, “Well, it’s a mustang.” He cracked up.
I stared at him in disbelief. I didn’t get it.
He looked me over, “OK. I think you’ll be good for a while. Let me drive you to school.”
“You have your licence?” I didn’t get the horse joke, but I do know the law.
“I’m eighteen. Still at school, but I’m allowed to get my licence.”
“Eighteen!” I squeaked, “God, I feel so young. I’m only sixteen. Well, going on seventeen, but that’s irrelevant.”
Cole leant in close, “I think that’s very relevant,” he breathed, and I felt like giggling.
We drove to school laughing and yelling out the windows. Again, I was so very happy, but when I got to school, the weight of my sister’s disappearance weighed heavily on my shoulders.
I saw Sasha, and she gave me a huge hug before walking to her first class, which was English, with me. But first I had to find somebody.