Chapter Ninety-Three


    Clare had managed to snag a 10am appointment for Lila to see the doctor, though Lila wished she had more time to sleep after pressing ‘snooze’ on her alarm. The excitement from the show had exhausted her far more than she realised.


    She went through her usual routine at a snail’s pace. She just finished getting dressed when Clare popped her head into her room.


    “Oh, you’re awake. Good. Just make sure you bring your Medicare card, alright?”


    “Ah, thanks,” Lila replied, yawning. “Just gotta find it then I’ll head down.”


    “Perf.”


    Clare disappeared with a snap of the door. Lila turned her attention to the bags she’d taken to Asher’s. She couldn’t remember which bag had her wallet, but she was positive that it was in one of them.


    The first bag didn’t, so she zipped it back up and started going through the second bag. Something… was off about it, though.


    ‘What’s this doing in here?’ Lila thought, pulling out the envelope of photos of Marlene’s place. She was certain, without a doubt, that this had been left at Asher’s – along with the folder they’d taken from the farmhouse. She would’ve remembered packing it…


    With a frown, she looked through the back pocket that held her laptop and her heart stopped.


    The folder was neatly sandwiched between her laptop and the protective cushioning in her bag. She definitely remembered last seeing it in Asher’s drawer, hidden amongst his school stuff. How did it end up here?


    Her breathing quickened as she shakily pulled it out. One of the scraps of paper fluttered onto the floor and she placed the folder on her desk, collecting any other wayward bits of paper. Looking down at the pieces in her hand, it was undeniable. This was absolutely the folder they’d found – she had the end corners of the blueprints right in her hands.


    Trembling, she stood up, looking down at the folder. She was almost too scared to open it but did anyway. It… seemed the same as when she’d last seen it.


    “I’m sorry I had to pack away your things,” Lila recalled Marlene saying to her as she passed along her bags at the Maccas. Marlene… found the photos and the folder and put them in her bag? Why?


    “Did you find your card?”


    Lila slammed the pieces of paper she had in her hands back into the folder and closed it again.


    “N-Not yet,” Lila stammered, cautiously turning her head towards Clare.


    “Do you need a hand?”


    “No, thanks,” Lila said with a bit more force than necessary. Clare looked bemused.


    “Alllll righty then,” she drawled, closing Lila’s door again. Lila turned back to the folder. She needed to hide it, in case someone went into her room, so she piled a couple of textbooks onto it. Hopefully, the stack was boring and unrelatable enough to anyone who came in that they wouldn’t want to inspect it.


    She almost stepped on the envelope of photos, which she shoved under one of her pencil cases in her top drawer. She didn’t have time for this.


    She hurriedly shoved her hand in the next bag, grasping her wallet with relief. She checked that her Medicare card was in it before bounding down the stairs, two at a time.


    Clare joined her at the landing and they both headed to Clare’s car without a word. Lila’s mind was spinning, her previous exhaustion replaced entirely with anxiety.


    “How was the show?” Clare asked as Lila sat down in the passenger seat. Lila closed her eyes for a moment, willing herself to calm down.


    “… It was good,” Lila finally replied steadily.


    “Heard you guys got on the news,” Clare tutted, slowly exiting the driveway. “And here I was, breaking my back, earning some cash, whilst you guys were flouncing around, having a jolly old time.”


    Lila snorted. “Not my fault you were working. You could’ve come with us.”


    Clare shook her head. “No, ma’am. Special request of Gabriel. The usual Sunday girl came down with a cold. Plus, Sunday rates.”


    “Speaking of Gabriel,” Lila said gradually, glancing at Clare. “Is he still here?”


    Clare gave Lila a confused look. “Yeah. ‘Course he is.”


    “Oh.”


    “Oh?”


    “Well, Asher’s maid went with them on holiday, so I was wondering if Gabriel also went.”


    “I see. Nah, he was tearing it up on the dancefloor last night. Thought he’d break his pants again, but they stayed together somehow.”


    Lila fell silent, turning over this new information in her mind. Why did they leave behind Gabriel, if Marlene went?


    A shudder ran right through Lila. Was… Marlene in a relationship with Asher’s Dad?


    ‘Surely not, right? He’d be too old for her…’ Lila thought, shaking her head. She began to bite her nails. ‘In saying that, though… people do murder for love. Did they do away with Tabitha so they could continue their relationship?’


    Lila didn’t have any evidence that pointed to this, of course, but it was something she’d never considered before. Although… if they were in a relationship, why would Marlene give Lila the folder full of stuff about the hospital he owned? What was its relevance to anything?


    “Nervous?” Clare asked as she rounded the corner of a side street.


    “Huh?” Lila blinked blankly at Clare. Clare repeated herself and Lila sighed.


    “A bit,” Lila said quietly, dispelling the thoughts regarding the folder and Marlene for now. “Does… taking the Pill hurt?”


    Clare laughed. “No, it doesn’t. It’s a tiny little pill. You’ll hardly even notice it going down. As for side effects, I just had a bit of spotting when I started, but that stopped pretty quickly. Nothing else for me.”


    “I see…”


    Clare gave her a sideways glance. “Try it for a little bit. If you don’t like it, we can think about other options for you. Of course, there’s the tried-and-true condoms. While they’re fairly accurate, it’s dependent on how well you put them on. Plus, they can be a mood killer.”


    “I don’t know what kind of mood that is.”


    “You will. One day. I’d say when you’re 30, but I’m pretty sure it’ll be a lot sooner than that, with the way you’re going.”


    Lila sighed again. “Actually, with the way I’m going, I probably will be 30.”


    Clare chuckled. “No way.”


    They didn’t speak for the rest of the drive to the clinic, with Clare electing to turn up her music to such a volume that any attempts at speaking would’ve been drowned out anyway. It also prevented Lila from thinking about the folder and photos, which was somewhat helpful as she couldn’t settle on any answers in Clare’s car anyway – she’d need to look at them again for that. Eventually, Clare rolled the car into an empty parking spot at the clinic and smiled encouragingly at Lila.


    “Did you want me to go into the doctor’s office with you?” Clare asked kindly.


    “Yes please,” Lila replied instantly. Clare nodded and they left the car.


    Once inside, Clare helped Lila sign in and link her details to this visit. The receptionist pointed to a nearby set of armchairs in the waiting room. Now that they were here, waiting for a doctor to prescribe Lila the Pill, she was feeling incredibly tense about it all. For now, with the folder and photos situation in the back of her mind, she attempted to calm herself down about the appointment through her breathing exercises. It seemed to work after a couple of minutes, which she was grateful for. She probably would’ve run out if her nerves had continued to punch her in the stomach as hard as they had been whilst signing in.


    “Lila Moloney?”


    Lila looked up to find a middle-aged, female doctor with blonde hair glancing about the waiting room, clipboard in hand. Lila tentatively stood up, checking to see if Clare was doing the same. Clare gestured for Lila to move forward before following her.


    “I’m Dr Cornwall,” the doctor said politely, directing both Lila and Clare to a particular office. Lila settled into the patient’s chair, with Clare settling into the armchair opposite Lila. Dr Cornwall quietly closed the door behind them before taking her seat behind the computer. She placed the clipboard down and swivelled to face Lila, giving her full attention to her with a comforting smile.


    “So, what can I help you with?” Dr Cornwall asked warmly.


    Lila’s eyes darted to Clare before returning to Dr Cornwall’s face. “U-Uh, I… um. I think I need the Pill?”


    Dr Cornwall nodded, leaning back into her chair. “Alright. Are you sexually active?”


    “N-Not yet.”


    “How are your periods?”


    “Pretty painful, I guess. Um, they’re also pretty heavy.”


    Dr Cornwall turned to the wall next to her, pulling out a general pamphlet of information on the Pill. She went through it with Lila, ensuring she understood the benefits and side effects of the Pill. She also went through the different types and the additional effects some may have, including assisting with acne and mood swings. Lila felt a lot more comforted after her discussion with Dr Cornwall, the relief easing her tight shoulders.


    Brrrr. Brrrr. Brrrr.


    Lila jumped, halting Dr Cornwall’s sentence entirely. Who was calling her?


    “I’m so sorry, can I please check this?” Lila asked. “I won’t answer, but I just need to see who’s calling.”


    “I’ll get started on your prescription,” Dr Cornwall said genially.


    “Thanks,” Lila smiled, pulling out her phone.


    ‘What does Isaac want?’ Lila thought, her brow creasing. She selected the quick message ‘I’ll call you back’ before pocketing her phone again.


    “Sorr-” Lila’s apology was interrupted by her phone buzzing again. She sighed, taking it out. Isaac was calling again. Didn’t he read her message? She declined the call but kept her phone in her lap.


    “No worries at all. Alrighty, here’s your prescription. I’ve given you a three-month prescription, though I would like to see you in a month if you can since you haven’t been on this medication before. By the end of the three months, you’ll definitely need to come back for a refill – so please make sure you at least book that appointment. You can keep this pamphlet. Did you have any other questions?”


    Lila glanced at Clare, who shrugged. “Not at the moment,” Lila responded, accepting the prescription and pamphlet. Dr Cornwall smiled broadly.


    “Great. Please just set up your additional appointments at the front desk before you leave.”


    They all stood up and Dr Cornwall opened the door for Lila and Clare, giving them a polite ‘goodbye’, which they returned.


    “See,” Clare said in a low voice, nudging Lila. “That wasn’t so bad.”


    “Thanks for taking me, Clare,” Lila replied genuinely. “I don’t think I would’ve gotten it myself if you hadn’t taken me.”


    “No worries, Lila. I wouldn’t have been able to hold myself back and come along anyway if you had set up an appointment.”


    Lila chuckled. Her phone started buzzing again and she declined it once more with a sigh. God, Isaac was persistent today.


    Lila set up the additional one and three-month appointments at the front desk before slipping into the adjoining pharmacy with Clare. She handed the prescription over to the pharmacist before turning to her sister.


    “Can I call Isaac back? He keeps calling.”


    “Go ahead,” Clare replied, waving her off. “If need be, I’ll pick up the medication once it’s ready.”


    “Thanks.”


    Lila stepped outside onto the concrete pathway outside the clinic, opening her phone screen. Not only had Isaac called her a bunch, but a lot of messages were flooding the Twisted Bitches’r’Us group chat. Before she could open the chat, however, Isaac called again. With a sigh, she accepted it.


    “Hello?” Lila asked.


    “Oh, thank God,” Isaac’s voice came through the phone, sounding like he was out of breath. “Lila, have you seen the news?”


    Lila’s stomach dropped. He… wanted to talk about the news? Her appearance with her family at the show was hardly anything to write home about… so… did something happen in Vanuatu?


    “No,” Lila said shakily.


    “I’m sending you a link, hold up,” his voice sounded frantic and distant.


    Lila waited for a couple seconds before a text from Isaac came through. It looked to be a link to an article from an independent news outlet – the Forestglade Press. She clicked on the link.


    ‘BODY OF TEENAGED FEMALE FOUND IN LOCAL PARK’ read the headline. Lila’s heart began to race, her mind flashing through all the female teens she knew.


    ‘At 5.55 this morning, the reporter, Julie Matthews, came across the body of an unidentified female at Flora Park alongside Honeysuckle Boulevard, posed in a sitting position on a park bench.


    ‘Her general description, from what the reporter could identify, was that the deceased was a white female of approximately high-school age. She was approximately 150-160cms tall, looked to be 45-50kgs, with long brown hair. She was dressed in a light-grey t-shirt, black hoodie, jeans and lace-up Vans.


    ‘Of particular note, the teenaged female was heavily mutilated. Her eyes were removed, along with her ears and fingertips. Her mouth was additionally sewn shut, with severe bruising across her face.


    ‘Immediately upon discovery, police were notified. The park has been sealed for crime scene investigation and is expected to remain closed for the rest of the day.


    ‘As of writing, she has not been identified. Police will be releasing an illustrated approximation of the victim later this afternoon. Should you suspect you know the victim based on the above description, do not hesitate to contact the Forestglade Police Station…’


    The rest of the article included details of how to contact the police, including where the station was, and warnings against using the emergency hotline.


    Lila placed the phone to her ear, her heart pounding in her chest. Did it match anyone she knew? Why did Isaac seem so panicked? Sure, it was terrifying to know that someone around her age had been murdered and left in a local park, but there was something about Isaac’s franticness that gave Lila pause. Did he know who it was?


    “Alright, I read the article,” Lila said into the phone, hugging her stomach with her free hand. “What about it?”


    “Lila… did you see the update?”


    “There’s an update?”


    “At the bottom. Scroll down. Past all the phone numbers.”


    Lila did so, and her blood ran cold.


    ‘UPDATE: 10.10am. Victim has been identified as Mulberry Heights High student Piper Baker, aged 16 years old. Any details on her whereabouts for the past several days must be reported to the police on the above contact details. Ms Baker was reported missing from her family home on the night of Thursday, 29^th June. She was last seen in the early morning hours of Thursday, 29^th June.’


    Underneath this was a school photo of Piper, wearing a Forestglade College uniform. Perhaps she hadn’t been able to get a new school photo yet. She looked… happy, grinning from ear to ear – a grin that had been sewn shut forever.


    “Holy shit,” Lila whispered, placing the phone back to her ear. She lowered herself to the ground, not trusting her legs to support her weight anymore. She felt odd – as though the bones in her body were replaced with lead, and her stomach was churning.


    “Yeah,” Isaac responded, his voice sounding troubled. “What an awful way to go.”


    Lila’s hands began to tremble, her face draining of all colour. “P-Piper… she’s… dead.”


    “Yeah. I sent the article to Asher, but he hasn’t responded or seen it.”


    Thursday… that was the day Piper tried to talk to them. She’d looked incredibly alive then.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    “Why are there so many details?” Lila asked in a quavering voice. “Usually the news doesn’t report this much.”


    “I think it’s because this is an independent,” Isaac posited. “It sounds like this Julie whatever discovered the body, too. Guess the police couldn’t keep a lid on it. Probably the worst person to find a body. The police might get it taken down. It’s only been up for an hour or two.”


    Lila’s mind felt as though it was turning to mush. Not only was Piper, Asher’s stalker, dead, but… she’d seen Piper. The afternoon she went missing. Plus, the state her body was in sounded horrendous.


    “What sick monster does that to someone?” Lila questioned. Her stomach heaved – she felt ready to throw up.


    “I don’t know,” Isaac replied softly. “Honestly… I was kinda scared when you didn’t pick up at first. I hadn’t seen the update yet, and the description sounded like you.”


    “I’m a bit taller than that… plus, I’m not white.”


    “You might look it if you were dead since you’re half.”


    “Glad to know you think about that sort of thing.”


    “Please don’t twist my words,” Isaac said, his tone incredibly serious. “I’m not feeling in a jokey mood. I… I’d told Asher that I wished that Piper would die after he told me that he saw her at the shops earlier last week. Tuesday or something. She kept stalking him, you know. Despite everything.”


    “I know,” Lila’s voice cracked, tears threatening to overflow. “We saw her. Thursday afternoon, at the shopping centre. She… tried to talk to him.”


    “You what?” Isaac’s voice sounded pitchy, as though he was teetering on the edge of a panic attack. “Wait, wait, wait. Lila. You guys… didn’t do anything to her. Right?”


    “Of course not,” Lila replied sharply. “Why would you even say that?”


    “Lila, it looks bad. She stalked Asher, and you got caught up in it. She bullied you so hard this year, Asher was so scared you might hurt yourself. I told him you were a bit more resilient than that, but he was terrified, even though he was dating Holly.”


    “Isaac, no matter what she did, there’s no reason to murder her,” Lila said, her voice wavering. “Seriously.”


    “Look, out of everyone I know, you guys have the most reason to kill her. I’m not saying that you did, but… be careful. Alright?”


    “I will,” Lila replied quietly. “Thanks for letting me know, I guess.”


    “Stay safe. Please. If some sicko is out there murdering high school girls… just… I don’t want to tell Asher that you’ve been murdered.”


    “I won’t get murdered,” Lila responded, though fear was beginning to build in her throat. She wasn’t going to be murdered. Isaac was being dramatic.


    “Good. Take care. See you at school.”


    “See you. A-And take care, too. I don’t want to explain to Elise that you’ve been murdered, either.”


    “Huh? Elise?”


    Lila winced. What a time to slip up… “Yeah, she… she wouldn’t want the guy who works all those shifts with her to disappear. Then who will she boss around?”


    Isaac was silent for a few moments. “… Guess you’re right. She can be a bit bossy.”


    Had she saved it? She wasn’t sure – but whether she had or hadn’t seemed so minor in the face of the news. Isaac said goodbye again, which she returned, before hanging up. She stared at her phone until the screen turned off.


    Lila had no idea what to do. It felt like some kind of awful joke. It wasn’t real. It couldn’t be real. Piper… murdered? Left for dead on a park bench?


    Eyes gouged out, mouth sewn shut, fingertips and ears cut off?


    Who even thinks to do that? That kind of stuff only happened on TV shows.


    But… it had to be real. Isaac had no way to upload an article like that onto the Forestglade Press. Plus, he was almost too honest to try and pull something like this. He also had nothing to gain if he was trying to deceive her.


    Lila bit her thumbnail, grinding the tip with her teeth. Did the news reach Asher in Vanuatu? Isaac sent him the article, but Asher hadn’t opened it. How would Lila break the news to him? How would he even feel? Would… he feel relieved? Piper’s torment of him had finally ended… but at what cost?


    “Heya spacey, ready to go?” Clare’s bright, peppy voice felt wrong – incongruous with the heaviness weighing on Lila. She looked up, the effort required to do so feeling insurmountable.


    “Whoa, what’s wrong? You don’t need to start these today if you want to take some time to think about it,” Clare’s eyes were full of concern as she squatted down next to Lila, placing a manicured hand on Lila’s shoulder.


    “… That girl. The one who bullied me. She’s… dead,” Lila whispered, her eyes fluttering shut. Her stomach was spinning like a washing machine, her heart crashing against her ribs almost to the point of bruising.


    “What?”


    “She… she’s been murdered.”


    “M-Murdered?”


    Lila’s lips began to tremble and Clare pulled her into a hug. Lila could hear Clare’s breathing was shallow, as though she couldn’t take in enough air.


    “Let’s just get home,” Clare whispered, squeezing Lila’s shoulders. “We can talk about it there.”


    Lila nodded and Clare helped her up, refusing to let go of her hand until they reached her car. For once, Clare’s music didn’t contain any EDM. This playlist was almost entirely dedicated to Taylor Swift. Clare hummed along to a couple of songs though her voice sounded fractured somehow.


    Lila stared blankly out the window the whole way home, half-expecting to see Piper along the road, hiding in a bush, or creeping around. Of course, that eventuality would never happen – ever again. Piper was gone.


    Suddenly, the drama surrounding the events of Term One felt miniscule. To realise that the same Piper who had stuck photos of Lila up in the boys’ bathrooms would be dead only months later… she couldn’t fathom it.


    Even more so, to realise that Piper had disappeared the day she chased after Asher and Lila – only four full days ago – was disturbing Lila far more than she thought it would. What had Piper wanted to say? Did… did she know she was going to be murdered? What did she know? Or rather… what had she known?


    Then… there was Isaac’s accusation. Lila knew that it had been an offhanded remark, given how quickly he backpedalled, but it did look bad. It looked even worse that they’d seen Piper the day she went missing – after she was reportedly last seen. Would… would the police be after her and Asher? Was she going to be arrested for a crime she didn’t commit?


    Clare brushed her hand against Lila’s shoulder, causing Lila to almost leap out of her seat.


    “We’re home,” Clare said in a low voice, her eyes seeming unsettled – wary, perhaps.


    “O-Okay.”


    Lila left the car and immediately headed upstairs to her room, diving under the bedcovers. Clare entered LIla’s room a couple of seconds later, placing the medication from the pharmacy on top of Lila’s stack of textbooks.


    “So… what happened?” Clare questioned lightly, wheeling herself close to Lila’s bed via the desk chair. Lila emerged slightly to look at Clare.


    “Someone found her in a park this morning. She… her…” Lila couldn’t finish the sentence, her words catching in her throat. The details were far too horrible to repeat.


    “How do you know all this?” Clare asked, her voice serious but not unkind. Lila wordlessly opened the article on her phone and passed it to her sister.


    Clare’s eyes widened with shock as they flew down the article. When she was finished, she looked up at Lila, her face almost completely devoid of colour.


    “Who even does that to a high school kid?” she whispered, returning Lila’s phone.


    “I… don’t know,” Lila replied uneasily. “I seriously don’t.”


    “Please don’t go out alone, alright? This isn’t a suggestion. It’s not safe out there.”


    “Surely it’s more unsafe for you, with your job in the city.”


    Clare took a deep breath before meeting Lila’s worried gaze with a steady one of her own. “I’m an adult, Lila. Plus, there’re so many eyes on me, not to mention cameras. I drive there and back. Don’t worry about me.”


    Lila pressed her lips together, drawing her knees to her chest. “Should I go to the police?”


    “Why?”


    Lila’s eyes flickered to Clare’s. Should she mention the fact that she saw Piper the day she went missing? Or… would that firmly place her as being a suspect? The prospect of talking to the police was terrifying. Would they accuse her of being the murderer? Wrongful convictions weren’t impossible.


    “I… knew her,” Lila finally said. “They might want to talk to me.”


    “I’m sure they’ll find you if they think you might have something relevant to say,” Clare replied, her tone logical. “You need some time to process at least – don’t stress about going to the police for now.”


    “… Yeah.”


    Clare sighed heavily, rubbing her forehead. “I can’t believe it. That’s an insane way to be murdered. I’m glad they didn’t have any photos, but I don’t think I’m going to sleep tonight.”


    “Neither…”


    Clare gave Lila a hard look. “I wouldn’t blame you at all if you don’t feel any sympathy for her.”


    Lila stared at Clare in bemusement. “Where’d that come from?”


    “She bullied you,” Clare said plainly. “I’m not saying you don’t feel any sympathy – just that, if you didn’t, you don’t need to feel guilty about it. Besides, it’s not like you killed her.”


    “Ah…” Lila stared down towards her hands. “I… I’ve been looking over my shoulder a lot more since finding out P-Piper had been stalking Asher and me… it’s strange, knowing that… she can’t anymore.”


    Clare reached over and smoothly patted the top of Lila’s head. “I bet it is. I think you should rest for the day. It’s a lot of information to take in.”


    “Okay. Thanks, Clare. For today.”


    “No worries.”


    Clare had almost made it to Lila’s door before she turned around. “This… sounds a bit silly, considering what we were just talking about, but… are you going to start the Pill?”


    Lila’s eyes darted to the packet on top of her desk. “Yeah. I’ll take the first one today.”


    “Alright. The best way to ensure it’s at its maximum effectiveness is to take it at exactly the same time every day. Put a daily alarm, or at least a reminder, on. Probably better to take it at night or in the morning, y’know, basically before or after school. But you can figure that out, I’m sure.”


    “Thanks for the tip.”


    “You’re welcome. Uh, I’ll just… briefly chat to Daniel. Tell him not to bother you today. And I’ll let Mum and Dad know when they come home.”


    Lila swallowed hard, her mouth feeling as though her tongue had been replaced with sandpaper. “Y-Yeah. Thanks again.”


    Clare gave Lila a compassionate smile before leaving. Lila remained in her bed, not moving a muscle, for what felt like hours – almost as if paralysis had taken hold of her limbs.


    Now that she was alone, she began to contemplate a question that she’d felt too terrified to even dare think about before. Who could have done this to Piper? Why? What had she done to deserve being murdered, let alone


    mutilated


    like that?


    One possible answer she could come up with was that Piper had a new stalking victim. One that didn’t take too kindly to being stalked in the slightest. But… that seemed unlikely, given her attempt to talk to Asher on Thursday.


    Even more petrifying was the possibility that it was a random attack – one by a psychopath, or someone deranged. If that was the case, and Piper was an unfortunate victim of opportunity, then Lila couldn’t be sure of her safety. Had Piper been snatched at the shops?


    Shuddering, Lila wrapped herself tightly in her blankets, almost to the point of suffocation. Strangely, it comforted her as she continued to mull over Piper and her murder. She wasn’t making any headway with any answers about it, her mind descending into a spiral of fear and pity. No matter what Piper had done to her and even Asher, she didn’t deser-


    A new thought smashed through her mind, shattering her musings like a hammer to glass.


    Did… Marlene do something?


    The sudden disappearance of Asher, his Dad, and Marlene seemed to be timed conveniently well. Of course, there weren’t any details as to the time of death, or how long she had been in the park before being found, but… if Marlene was hired security… and Asher had been stalked by Piper…


    Lila flew out of bed, tossing aside the textbooks. She opened the envelope containing the photos of Marlene’s place. She’d taken photos of the corkboard.


    She rapidly flicked through the stack of photos before finding several of the corkboard in question. She gently removed them, sitting down in her chair.


    The first was of the front of the board, with pictures of Mr Snugglebutt, Asher’s family, Marlene’s barista colleagues, and whoever else. Lila flipped this one over, taking in the next one. This was a close-up of one side of the front of the corkboard, and the next was of the other side.


    Thump. Thump. Thump.


    The beat of her heart rattled her ribcage like a church bell, tolling the arrival of a potential, blood-curdling answer to a sinister question. Did Marlene stalk, kidnap, and murder Piper?


    With a quivering hand, Lila unearthed the next photo. It was a wide shot of the majority of the inside of the board – all covered in photos of Piper. A shot of electricity went right through Lila as she absorbed every detail she could see. The photo wasn’t the best quality, but it did well to fill in Lila’s memory of what she’d seen in person.


    The next couple of photos were detailed shots of the interior of the board. Lila placed all of them on her desk so she could see them at once. She could faintly see some of the Post-it notes, listing Piper’s details. Why did Marlene have all these photos of Piper? Lila shuddered as her eyes landed on the small photo of Piper outside Lila’s house, a wave of repulsion threatening to overcome her. Piper had been wearing all black in that photo – what… had she been doing that day that she was standing outside Lila’s driveway?


    ‘Even though she’d been expelled… she still kept up her stalking… even… when Asher told her she had no chance,’ Lila thought with a heavy sigh. Why? Why had Piper continued to go to such lengths, after being suspended, then expelled and placed in a new school? Was she that obsessed with Asher and felt threatened by Lila still? Or was she just mad that technically Lila had gotten her expelled, and had been plotting something outside her house?


    ‘She expelled herself,’ Lila thought firmly. If Piper hadn’t done any of the things that she had in Term One, she’d probably still be at Forestglade College.


    ‘Would she still be alive?’


    This question lingered in Lila’s mind as she continued to peruse the network of photos on Marlene’s corkboard. If… Piper had stopped stalking Asher, as she should have, at the outset – when she’d first been caught – then would Marlene have needed to intervene? Looking at the sheer amount of photos, and photos of Piper in a Mulberry Heights uniform, Lila wasn’t confident that anything could’ve been done besides… well…


    She peered closely at some of the notes on the board. One stuck out to Lila – ‘OBSESSED’. Immediately under this was another word – ‘Why?’, which was underlined several times.


    Lila crossed her arms under her chest, contemplating hard. Given that she herself had a crush on Asher, it wasn’t hard to pick reasons why people would fall for him. Even if one ignored his personality, interests, looks, and who he was as a person entirely, being the only child of the CEO (and part-owner) of the only private hospital for a fair distance was sure to be attractive to some.


    “So this year, I started getting my grades up – if I become second in line, or even third in line for Dux, there’s no way he wouldn’t know who I am. Then, we’d get to talking and then dating and then he’d propose and we’d get married and I’d have it made!”


    The echoes of Piper’s screeching, from that day forever ago, intruded on Lila’s pondering. ‘Have it made’? Piper had spoken of nothing about who Asher was as a person. But wanted him badly enough to want to get married to him. Was… it just about money? A cushy life? It wasn’t as though Asher was stupid or would forget about what Piper had done to him for years. Had she been delusional enough to believe she could worm her way back into his good books and eventually get married – despite everything? What about her own ambitions for her life? Didn’t she have anything that she wanted to do or achieve for herself?


    Lila really didn’t know Piper at all, besides the ugly sides of her. But Piper had friends at Forestglade College. Quite a few, actually. There must’ve been good sides to her, too. Ayla, at least, had seemed rather fond of Piper, and Ayla wasn’t a bad person…


    Frowning, Lila wondered how that group would be taking the news. It would surely spread like wildfire – after all, Isaac had come across it somehow…


    Then, ultimately, Lila’s mind drifted to Piper’s parents. From the notes on Marlene’s board, her parents were Kerry and Nigel Baker, and she was an only child. Lila supposed that her parents would have to know why Piper had been expelled. How had they taken that news at the time? How were they taking this news now? To know that their only child had been brutally murdered and that the lurid details of the crime were freely accessible on the internet…


    Lila turned her attention back to the board. The quality of the photos meant that she couldn’t see the specific details of the photo through the window – the one that showed a corkboard full of photos of Asher – but she did remember, in rough terms, thinking that it had been taken at Piper’s house. How had Marlene found out where Piper lived?


    Lila shook her head. Surely she was being biased against Marlene, due to Marlene’s odd behaviour. She wouldn’t kill Piper… after all, it wasn’t like Piper was dangerous. Especially not to Asher.


    In saying that, Lila vividly recalled Piper’s words – “There’s no way I’m going to stop until I bury you in the ground.” – with a shiver. Did Marlene think, after following Piper around for what seemed to be a considerable amount of time, that Piper was dangerous after all? That she needed to be… eliminated?


    Lila tapped her desk absently as she continued to ruminate. Hired security services wouldn’t have orders to assassinate people – right? That seemed a step too far, especially for the family of the CEO and part-owner of a private hospital. It wasn’t as though they were high up in the government or high society or doing something shady that required such high-level protection.


    Or… was that what the documents from the farmhouse were trying to point to?


    Lila looked down at her desk, carefully setting aside the photos she’d laid out and pulling the folder closer to her. She paused, the memory of what she and Asher had found in the farmhouse, aside from the folder, crawling to the forefront of her mind.


    Blood. The room with the blood, or something, on the carpet – the same room that had chains in it. Was the reason why Marlene took the photos of the farmhouse, if it had been Marlene, to conceal the fact that she had kidnapped Piper and was holding her there? Was the blood Piper’s blood? Had Asher and Lila just missed Piper’s torture when they visited again on Friday morning?


    Timing-wise, it was possible that Piper could have been kidnapped after they saw her on Thursday. Then, the photos were taken from the envelope after Lila and Asher had returned to his place… the murder then could have happened in the farmhouse after which the body was moved elsewhere. Finally, when Lila and Asher investigated on Friday morning, they would have been none the wiser. Had… that been why Marlene was late to get to her barista job? She was busy disposing of evidence and lost sense of the time?


    If the mysterious patch was blood, it had been dry, with a crusty residue on top… Just how fast did blood dry?


    Lila was about to Google the question on her phone when she narrowed her eyes at the folder. Its existence was inherently confusing, in the above scenario. Why bring a folder of evidence related to the hospital her employer owns to a murder scene? It’s not like Marlene didn’t live literally just up the road – she could have kept it all inside her house. But… if she needed to bring it to a murder scene, and she was in a hurry to leave to get to work, then it made sense for the folder to be left behind – Marlene had just forgotten it.


    Lila stretched a hand out, lightly brushing the cover. It was obviously important – but for what? There were so many questions, so many possible theories. Lila didn’t feel intelligent enough to string any of them together with the evidence she had at her disposal. But… with Asher gone, and their plans disappearing with him, Lila had some time to look through the folder. Perhaps… she’d glean something…


    Just as she was about to open the cover, her phone buzzed.


    ‘That’s right… the group chat was going off,’ Lila thought as she diverted her attention to her phone.


    Opening her notifications, it looked like just the group chat had new messages. Scrolling through them, Lila could see that Elise and Grace were discussing the murder – in general, freaking out about it. The latest message was from Elise, who mentioned that her parents were considering making her relinquish her shifts for the rest of the holidays so she could stay safe at home.


    Did you tell them that Isaac is working with you mostly? Lila sent.


    LILA! Finally you responded. Everything okay??? came Elise’s immediate reply.


    Yeah. Just… processing, Lila replied.


    It’s terrifying, Grace sent.


    Clare told me I had to stay home, basically, Lila sent.


    My parents said the same, Grace replied. Something stirred in Lila’s mind. Wasn’t Grace in Adelaide? Perhaps she meant when she returned to Forestglade.


    I mean, did you have many plans for the rest of the holidays Lila? Elise asked.


    I did originally. With Asher. But he went to Vanuatu, Lila replied with a heavy sigh. She hadn’t told Grace and Elise that tidbit, though she’d assumed that Isaac would mention it to Elise.


    Lucky, Grace sent. Lila wasn’t in too much of a mood to relay the whole dramatic events that had surrounded his departure via message right now, so settled on saying nothing in response. They exchanged a few more messages about how Piper’s murder was horrible and how no one deserved that, though there wasn’t any more of significance. Lila hesitated to tell them that she had seen Piper the day she disappeared. She wasn’t exactly ready for more accusations to be levied against her and Asher.


    Eventually, the group conversation abruptly ended when both Elise and Grace had to go, which left Lila back to her thoughts. Where was she…?


    ‘Ah, the folder,’ Lila nodded to herself, opening the cover gently. Her first step, she supposed, would be to repair the pages as best she could. She opened up the images on her phone of the jigsaw job she and Asher had completed the other day and began taping everything together with a roll of clear tape.


    Surprisingly, as she was trying to be incredibly careful, this took a few hours. At about 5pm, a knock sounded on her door and she yawned, closing the cover on her current progress.


    “Yeah?” she asked, bringing down some textbooks to cover the rest of her desk.


    “It’s me again,” Clare said, opening the door. “Can see you’re working hard with your schoolwork on your break.”


    “Yeah,” Lila shrugged noncommittally. “Not like I’ve got much else to do. It’s… a good distraction.”


    Clare gave her a sympathetic smile, stepping in but remaining close to the door. “I just wanted to tell you that Mum and Dad are home. Mum’s freaking out and Dad’s trying to calm her down. She’s saying things like she’ll put both you and Daniel in homeschooling, but I’m pretty sure she’s just saying that ‘cause she’s all riled up. I said you needed some time to yourself, so they said they’ll just get takeaway and you can eat in your room if you need.”


    Lila half-heartedly smiled. “Thanks, Clare. That sounds good to me.”


    “Alright. I’ll let them know, and I’ll text you what we’re getting and you can send me what you want.”


    “Thanks, sis.”


    “Another thing,” Clare said, folding her arms across her chest. “Tomorrow’s Tuesday.”


    “Sure is.”


    Ordinarily, Clare would’ve rolled her eyes or otherwise responded to Lila’s comment, but she soldiered on. “We’re still going to Bounce tomorrow, yeah?”


    Lila blinked at Clare. “Thought you said I shouldn’t go out anywhere.”


    “Yeah, alone. But you’ll be with me. We’ll drive there and back, and we’ll stick together. I… had thought about giving it a miss, but since you’ve paid for it already, we may as well go. Plus, it’ll be a good breather, I think.”


    “Ah, Asher’s Dad sent me money for the tickets, so we can give it a miss, I guess. I won’t lose money.”


    “It’s up to you. I just thought you might end up having fun and forgetting about everything for the moment. Might give you some clarity, too.”


    Clarity, huh… that sounded tempting.


    “Alright,” Lila’s smile was a bit brighter than her previous attempt. “We’ll go.”


    “Great,” Clare grinned at Lila. “Maybe I can even show you a couple cheer tricks if I’ve still got ‘em.”


    “Didn’t know cheer tricks involved trampolines.”


    “Not like you’re gonna toss me in the air.”


    “Touché.”


    Clare smirked. “See ya later, sis.”


    “See ya.”


    Clare closed the door behind her. Lila rubbed her eyes, slowly spinning back towards her desk. She hadn’t really been taking in any details of the pages she had been working on, mostly because she was concentrating on lining them all up. But what she had absorbed just made her far more curious about her Dad’s investigation of the hospital. Were these documents relevant to his investigation? Or was Marlene, or whoever previously owned them, working on their own separate investigation? What was it all about? Why were so many people interested in the hospital?


    She’d have to go into her Dad’s study, it seemed. Maybe, now that she had Asher’s lockpicks, she’d be able to find something out.


    For now, though, Lila’s mind felt far too crowded to work properly. Giving it a rest for the day – or at least, for the next few hours – sounded like a great idea.