Unraveling Shadows

Part 2: Chapter 21

Sometimes, some things are meant to be kept hidden,
Sometimes secrets are the only way to protect someone else...

-Unknown  

"Me and Carla have been trying to figure things out together recently, but now we think it's important to actually discuss matters real hand in hand." Myles starts, all of them sitting in the SRC meeting room, at 9pm where there is no one at school.

Carla does not look at Myles once as he talks, she's in her own thoughts about Benjamin and what he saw and what's happened to him. She is even more shocked with what she can do and wondering whether she's losing her mind or not.

"We already knew all that," Rhyse starts, putting his phone aside on the table, "but prove it, if we wanna talk then you gotta talk too."

"The person who killed Emma Jones does archery, if not then it isn't something one person could have done alone. She was held up against the wall and stabbed with arrows. The first case."

"So, you're saying there's more than one person in on this?"

"More than two for sure." Carla cuts in. "We were there when Benjamin had died. I heard from Myles that Liam took you both to the site, but three days before that we discovered it."

Liam jumps up in his chair, "What?!"

"Yeah..." Carla awkwardly says, "On that day when you got the message that there was a spare key for the newspaper club on the yellow note the culprit gave in that envelope..." She breathes in, knowing what this is going to lead to. "Me and Myles went there and saw a photo, the culprit was there the same time we were, and replaced the key with a photo of Benjamin because they found out that we were there instead of you."

"Y-you mean they really meant what was written on the... paper? The key..." Liam stutters, a nervous gulp, a brief glance at Tyler, then back at Carla.

"They did." Myles says.

Rhyse was shaking his legs, looking at Liam with great concentration. With immense concern.

"Why would the killer give Liam a key?" Leia asks. Everyone tenses.

Tyler shifts forward in her seat, "Yeah, why would they give Liam the key to my newspaper club?" She genuinely asks with curiosity.

Rhyse snaps and slams his hand on the table, then points at Leia, "You thick-headed brat, you just had to ask, didn't you?!" Then he spins his chair and looks at Liam, "You fucking idiot, this is what happens when you do things without telling me."

"Why?" Tyler asks, "Rhyse, what's happening?"

"Nothing, school captain. Absolutely nothing." Rhyse shakes his head, crosses his arms, closes his eyes, and leans back in his chair.

"Guys, what's happening?" Tyler turns to Leia, but she shrugs.

Myles sits back down in his chair, Carla stays standing, playing with her nails, scratching the maroon purple off.

"It's not my place to tell something like this. I'm sorry Tyler..." Carla sighs, "I-I can't..."

Leia rolls her eyes, "Fine, fine, I'll say it. I was kidding Tyler, basically... Liam was threatened to either throw out all your documents or burn down the newspaper club."

Everyone looks at Leia, and Rhyse, his eyes are closed, but he smiles at this. He smiles briefly.

"Why didn't you just say so then?" Tyler lets out a small laugh, then turns to look at Liam across her, acknowledging him, "I'm glad you didn't, thanks Liam."