The 10

44

Isabella walks up to Kate's door, knocking. Listening to high heels click and clack, Laura opens the door with a smile.

"Isabella!" she cheers. "Hi, come in, come in."
"Hi, Mrs. Winters." Isabella peeks behind her. "Is Kate here?"
"She's up in her room."
Isabella nods and makes her way up the stairs.
Knocking, she opens Kate's door slightly. "Hey, got a minute?"
Kate turns in her desk chair, smiling. "Of course, what's up?"
"I just left Detective Sherman's office."
"Why?"
"They called me in about Mr. Parker."
Kate's eyebrow lifts. "Why? He's dead."
"Exactly what I said, but I guess they're really cracking down on trying to get Christopher, so he and Michael are going through everyone's files trying to connect Christopher to them somehow."
"In other words, connect Christopher to them by comparing them to me."
"Exactly," Isabella nods. "So they asked me what Mr. Parker was like, and at first, I said he was a decent teacher, but they weren't asking about his teaching abilities. You know what they were asking about." Kate nods. "So I told them, and now they want the video from the necklace I wore."
Kate shakes her head. "Fuck. Why now? Why are they suddenly in such a hurry to find him? It's been just about a month. I mean, my dad escaped, and they had him back in less than two days." Kate tucks a hair behind her ear. "But now, after almost a month, they're suddenly in such a hurry to find him?"
"I'm not disagreeing," Isabella nods. "But what I do know is that one way or another, Christopher's going to end up getting caught- he's going to end up back in jail. I don't want to see him taking you with him."
"Never going to happen." Kate laughs.
"So you weren't behind his makeover?"
Kate's head jerks to the right. "What?"
Isabella laughs. "Please, like my mom doesn't watch the news."
Kate sighs. "Please don't tell anyone."
"I would never. You're my best friend."
"Thanks." Kate smiles.

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That night, Kate and Isabella are having a girl's night while Christopher remains outside the house watching the shadows bounce around the walls from Kate's window. Noticing headlights getting closer, Christopher ducks behind a car.

Detective Sherman puts his car in park outside the Winters's home, looking up at the dimly lit house. Grabbing his phone, he dials the household.
"Hello?" Laura asks.
"Hi Mrs. Winters, this is Detective Sherman."
"Oh, hi. How are you?"
"I'm fine, thank you, I just wanted to let you know that I'm outside for surveillance."
"Oh, thank you, what for?"
"My department and I are just about a hundred percent sure that Christopher Samuels may return to your home at any given moment so I will be here until his capture."
Laura pauses. "Oh,"
"I didn't mean to scare you, Mrs. Winters. I'm just speaking in reality."
"No, of course, I appreciate it."
"Have a good night, Mrs. Winters."
"You too. I guess I'll call you back if I need anything."
"Please do."
Sherman watches as the living room lights diminish.

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Around midnight, Christopher rises, peeking at the car that hasn't left. Seeing the headlights are off, he assumes the driver is asleep or gone and stands. Sherman lifts his eyes from the file in his hands when he notices a silhouette shortly ahead of him. Turning his headlights on, he watches as the person turns. Sherman's eyes go wide when he realizes it's Christopher.

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Chuckling, Christopher turns and begins running. Sherman grabs his receiver and throws his door open, chasing after Christopher.

"This is Detective Sherman," he breathes into the mic. "I'm chasing suspect Christopher Samuels. Southbound on 3rd Avenue."
Christopher cuts through a neighbor's backyard, planning to circle and lose Sherman and whoever else comes around for him. Pausing behind a tree, catching his breath, he hears approaching sirens and, with a sudden burst of adrenaline, runs towards Belmount Avenue, running straight into an approaching cop car. Rolling off the hood, he continues past them as the cops run out of their car. Sherman turns left off Kate's street and hears from his receiver where Christopher's heading.
Pumping his legs, Sherman cuts through the street and someone's backyard, joining with his backup crew. Watching a car speed past him, he continues straight ahead, listening to his receiver.
"Last seen on Belmount Avenue." someone shouts. "Lost track of the suspect."
"Too fucking bad," Sherman screams. "Find him!"
Pausing on Sherlock, Sherman looks left and right. Red and blue sirens can be seen at every corner, neighboring streets, and zipping past him from all directions. Breathing deeply, he listens to cop after cop announce that they've lost Christopher.
"Fuck!" he screams, throwing his receiver to the ground, hearing it break in two.

That morning, Laura sits on the couch sipping coffee while Kate and Isabella are in the kitchen attempting to bake cookies. Laura's show is cut out as the news begins a broadcast.
"We're sorry to interrupt your scheduled program. Last night around midnight, a high-speed chase occurred off of 3rd Avenue. Detective Sherman is currently standing by with Chase at Belmount Avenue. Chase?" The woman finishes.
"Thank you, Anne." Chase smiles, turning to Detective Sherman. "Detective Sherman, I understand you believe in having chased escaped convict Christopher Samuels last night?"
Sherman scoffs. "I know I did."
"How are you so sure?"
"He turned and looked at me. There's no missing him."
"Please," Chase deters. "Tell us what happened."
"I was sitting on 3rd Avenue, looking after a family, and I watched him stand from behind a car, I turned on my headlights, and he looked at me before running. I called it in and chased him. We tailed him here, to Belmount Avenue, and lost sight of him."
"If you look behind me," Chase interrupts as the camera pans. "You'll notice the many officers and police dogs chasing for the inmate."
"We're tracking from here to the highways, back towards 3rd where he was first seen, and to the next county over if necessary." Sherman finishes.
"Appreciate the time, Detective, and of course, good luck. We hope you find him."
"Thanks," Sherman mumbles, meeting with a fellow officer.
"Okay, that'll do it here on Belmount, back to you, Anne." he smiles.
"Thanks again, Chase. We now take you back to your scheduled program. And of course, once again, if you Christopher Samuels, please anonymously call the police and report anything you see. Thank you."
The woman disappears as the three girls stand there, mouths agape.
"Jesus Christ." Laura mumbles.
"You mean to tell me," Kate shakes. "He was outside, and we didn't even know?"
"I'm grateful Detective Sherman was out there."
"He was?"
"Yes, he called a few hours prior."
Isabella sighs. "That's a relief."
"Yeah," Kate mumbles.

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Peeling off, tires squealing, Christopher heads to his hideout. Breathing heavily and panicking.