Chapter One Hundred and Three


    The door to the interview room burst open with such a strong force that Lila jumped away from it out of instinct. Asher marched out of it, a subdued-looking Gabriel in tow, his face contorted with anger. That didn’t seem good.


    His eyes met Lila’s and in a flash, his expression relaxed. He still seemed, at the very least, annoyed, but his eyes were filled with an ocean of relief, rather than the flickering embers of rage.


    “Lila, how’d it go?” he asked, his tone sincere.


    “My interview was fine,” Lila replied, her eyes darting over his left shoulder. Nick and another man departed quietly, as though trying not to draw attention to themselves.


    “Good, good,” Asher sighed, running his hands through his hair. “Mine… might as well have not been an interview.”


    “What does that mean?”


    “Asher, I’m not too sure whether you should discuss this here,” Gabriel warned, pulling one of their arms each with him as he made his way towards the door to the front desk. “Let’s leave.”


    Asher remained silent, letting Gabriel drag him away without any resistance. Lila followed behind as well, with Gabriel having dropped her arm gently.


    Gabriel opened the door for them, which gave a singular beep. The phones seemed to have at least calmed down for the moment – a welcome happenstance that gave Lila space to think. Lila couldn’t see her Dad anywhere, though the same uniformed police officer sat behind the counter, looking somewhat bored.


    “Where’s your Dad?” Asher questioned in a low voice.


    “He’s off getting some info from the police,” Lila shrugged. “He said at most he’d be half an hour, but I’m banking on it being more like one hour.”


    “I see,” Asher replied. Then, he turned to her, energy suddenly flowing through him, his eyes alight with excitement. “That’s perfect!”


    “Yeah,” Lila smiled, “let’s do the thing.”


    “What thing?” Gabriel asked, looking between them both. Asher suddenly looked rather shifty as he averted his eyes from Gabriel.


    “I… have to make a report,” Asher finally murmured. “About Mum.”


    “About Tabitha?” Gabriel looked incredibly confused, his eyes resting on Lila as though she would have the answers. Lila squirmed slightly, preferring instead to look towards her shoes.


    “Yeah,” Asher replied before sighing. “Please don’t tell Dad.”


    “Tell him what?” Gabriel pressed, swivelling his head between them both.


    “That I’m going to the police about Mum?” Asher’s voice rose in pitch, conveying his apparent perplexion by Gabriel’s reaction which, admittedly, confused Lila too.


    “Can I help you at all?” the voice of the officer behind the desk floated towards them, slightly warbled by the presence of the Plexiglass. Asher immediately looked at Lila, who nodded comfortingly.


    “Y-Yeah, actually,” Asher responded, his voice carrying a note of panic. “Uh, I want to file a missing person report?”


    Lila caught Gabriel looking absolutely gobsmacked by Asher’s request.


    “Sorry, mate, you’ll have to come closer,” the officer requested, gesturing for the trio to do so.


    “Sorry,” Asher said meekly once they were at the counter. The sudden blare of several phone calls going off simultaneously within the station forced Asher to speak up even louder. “I said I wanted to file a missing person report.”


    Now that Lila was close enough to the officer, she saw that his name badge read Constable Brad Henderson. He appeared to scrutinise Asher for a moment before nodding. Lila was amazed that he could tone out the noise as if it didn’t exist and carry on regardless.


    “Alright, mate. I can do that for you. So, who’s this missing person?” Brad’s voice was kind – almost paternal, though he couldn’t have been older than his early twenties.


    “M-My mother. Tabitha Wagner. Um, middle name Augustine.”


    Brad pulled a notebook closer to him, flipping it open and jotting down those details.


    “Okay. When did she go missing?”


    “28^th of December.”


    Brad nodded before staring up at Asher, his glacial-blue eyes almost bulging out of his head.


    “Sorry, December?”


    “Yeah,” Asher nodded, biting his lower lip. Lila stepped closer to him – close enough that they were almost touching. He glanced at her and his posture seemed to relax. She was tempted to grasp the hand that was by his side, but he moved it to anxiously rub his chin before she could give in.


    Brad tapped his fingers along the counter before sliding over to a computer. He rapidly typed into it, his eyes darting across the screen. Everyone was silent for a few moments before Brad wheeled himself back to where he’d been previously.


    “I just need to confirm a couple of things with my coworkers in the back. Do you know your Mum’s date of birth?”


    “Uh, I think… it’s the 6^th of September, 1979.”


    “And what’s your home address?”


    Asher listed his home address, along with what he’d last seen her wearing, and confirmed that he last saw her at home. Brad thanked him before swiftly moving to an unseen door to the right of the counter. The phones were still ringing, their piercing shrill tones pulsating in Lila’s head before dulling slightly once the door closed again.


    Asher let out a long exhale, placing his hands on the bit of exposed counter in front of him. Lila tentatively reached out a hand, unsure if she should try and comfort him – but after Asher began to shake, she grasped his shoulder. He looked up at her, his eyes swimming with tears.


    “I-I’m so freaked out,” he whispered, raising a hand to touch hers. Sparks ran down her arm as he brushed his fingers across her knuckles. Then, just as quickly, as though remembering something, he dropped his hand back to the counter.


    “Asher, what’s going on?” Gabriel’s voice shook. Lila had almost forgotten that Gabriel was here, given how far back he was standing. Lila and Asher both turned to look at him.


    His face was hauntingly pale. Any trace of joy or exuberance that Gabriel usually carried was so far gone that Lila could hardly recall what it looked like. He, himself, looked on the verge of tears – beyond broken.


    It wasn’t a reaction that Lila expected in the slightest. Was… he going to run off to Asher’s Dad to tell him that Asher spoke to the police?


    Asher seemed just as surprised as Lila felt. “What do you mean, Gabriel? Mum’s missing. She has been since December.”


    “Missing?” Gabriel repeated, his voice cracking. “Asher, what are you talking about? She’s on a work trip?”


    Asher crossed his arms, staring back at Gabriel with a wrinkled brow. “No… Dad told me she was missing, way back on the 29^th, I think. Her wallet, clothes, everything – it’s all at home. Even her wedding ring. She tells me whenever she’s going on a work trip at least a week in advance, more if she can help it. But she told me nothing. She hasn’t sent me anything, hasn’t called. She… there’s no other explanation-”


    “No,” Gabriel shook his head vehemently, his eyes wide. “No, no, you must be mistaken. Ivaan said that she’s on a work trip – a long project away from home. He… he tells me all the time how she’s going, that she misses you and my cooking. W-Why-”


    “Sorry about that, mate,” Brad’s voice cut through Gabriel’s denial so suddenly that everyone jumped. “Did I scare you?” Brad laughed, taking a seat.


    “A little,” Asher replied honestly.


    “Sorry, didn’t mean to,” Brad chuckled. His face changed from one of amusement to one of complete seriousness.


    “Bud, good news is, you don’t need to file a missing person report-”


    “But she’s missing,” Asher interrupted, his tone rising with a flash of frustration.


    “I’m not saying you’re lying,” Brad replied gently. “What I’m trying to say is that a report’s already been filed.”


    Asher blinked rapidly, his cheeks turning pink. “H-Huh?”


    “Yeah, I thought one would’ve been, since it’s been just over six months,” Brad said. “Means you’re not trapped doing paperwork here. All the details you gave me matched, so I’ll just add a note to the file that you came by, but otherwise it’ll keep churning on-”


    “W-Who?”


    “Sorry?”


    “W-Who filed it?” Asher gulped audibly. Lila placed her hand back onto his shoulder soothingly. He closed his eyes as they waited for Brad to respond.


    “It was someone named Ivaan Wagner. On the 29^th of December,” Brad explained softly. “All I can tell you is that it’s still ongoing. Once a resolution is found, we’ll be in touch with Ivaan. Is he related to you?”


    “Y-Yeah. That’s my Dad.”


    “Alright. Hopefully he’ll give you the outcome, but as it stands now, I can’t tell you anything else, I’m afraid. I did try, but no dice.”


    Asher opened his eyes, glancing at Lila from the side before nodding.


    “Thanks for trying,” Asher said with a genuine smile. “I appreciate it.”


    “No worries, mate. I, uh, I hope we find her soon. The guys taking on the case, they’re some of the hardest working guys I know,” Brad responded reassuringly. “Was there anything else you needed?”


    “No, thanks,” Asher replied hoarsely.


    “Did you want some water?” Brad offered, standing up.


    “No, I’m good. Thanks.”


    “Anyone else?” Brad asked, looking beyond Asher and towards Lila and Gabriel. Both declined politely.


    “Alright, well, have a good rest of the day,” Brad said with a curt nod.


    “You too,” Asher replied automatically before swiftly turning around and marching towards the chairs lining the back walls. Lila and Gabriel hurried behind him.


    They all took a seat, with Lila next to Asher and Gabriel sitting two seats away from Asher on his other side. Lila thought that it was odd that he wasn’t sitting right next to Asher, but decided not to question it. When were these phone calls going to let up again? It seemed that there were even more calls coming through than before. Working in this kind of environment seemed hellish.


    Asher held his head in his hands, his breathing becoming laboured.


    “You okay?” Lila asked after a second or so.


    “Yeah,” Asher replied after a pause, looking up at Lila. “I… I just… I didn’t realise Dad already went to the police.”


    “Maybe that’s why he told you not to go,” Lila suggested gently. “Maybe so you didn’t confuse the investigation?”


    “Do you think I’ve confused it?” Asher asked, his voice strangled. “I-”


    “No,” Lila cut him off with a firm shake of her head. “You wouldn’t have. I’m just saying that maybe that’s what your Dad was worried about. I mean… your Mum’s his wife. I’m sure… he’s just anxious about it.”


    Asher fell silent, seeming deep in thought. Lila’s eyes drifted to Gabriel, who still looked shell-shocked.


    “Gabriel, are you okay?” Lila queried softly.


    “M-Me?” Gabriel’s shock transferred through his response as he pointed at his chest. “I-I’m fine.”


    “You don’t look fine,” Lila said doubtfully. He waved a hand dismissively, trying a smile. It was only a shadow of the smile Lila was used to seeing upon his face, which did nothing to allay her concerns.


    “What’s wrong, Gabriel?” Asher asked, turning to him. A flash of guilt crossed Gabriel’s face as he met Asher’s gaze, though it swiftly returned to one of shock and unease.


    “Nothing’s wrong with me,” Gabriel’s voice wavered unconvincingly. “Just worry about yourself, alright? It’s been an intense day. I’m more worried about you.”


    “I’ll be fine,” Asher replied quickly, sitting up straight. “Gabriel, you’re acting weird-”


    “Sorry for the wait,” Lila’s Dad’s voice called out, the slam of the door to the back-office jolting Lila. “We can go now.”


    Instantly, Lila, Asher and Gabriel stood. Lila’s Dad stopped short of them, his eyebrows creasing in confusion.


    “You all look like you’ve seen a ghost. I promise you that I’m Irish, not dead,” he laughed. Lila snorted, and he winked at her.


    “Are you coming home, Asher?” Gabriel asked stiffly. Asher looked at Lila’s Dad, who shrugged.


    “The invitation was for dinner, wasn’t it?” Lila’s Dad asked, his eyes meeting Lila’s.


    “Yeah,” Lila confirmed with a nod.


    “Then, you’re welcome back,” Lila’s Dad smiled. “But if you want to go home, I won’t blame you. Lila might-”


    “Dad!”


    “-but we’d love to have you join us for tocino.”


    Asher returned Lila’s Dad’s smile with a broad one of his own. “I’d love that.”


    “I’ll take my leave then,” Gabriel said, his voice disconcerting to Lila, though she couldn’t think why. It sounded relatively normal, after all. He hurried out of the station without another word – not even a wave goodbye. Asher, Lila and Lila’s Dad watched him go in stunned silence.


    “He’s very… abrupt, isn’t he?” Lila’s Dad said after the automatic doors closed.


    “He’s not usually,” Lila said in a small voice.


    “Yeah,” agreed Asher, his face looking perturbed by this turn of events. “It’s… a bit odd.”


    Lila’s Dad cast a glance around the interior of the station before shrugging again. “Some people get weird about police stations. It’s been a bit of a day – I don’t blame him for wanting to get out of here. Speaking of, let’s head home.”


    No one spoke on the way home, with Lila feeling suddenly exhausted. Lila’s Dad seemed to take the hint, having turned up the radio.


    Once they were a few minutes away from home, however, their peace was interrupted by a phone call ringing on Lila’s Dad’s Android Auto. Lila looked over before sitting up, her back straight with tension. The caller was Ivaan.


    “Sorry, I’ll just quickly take this,” Lila’s Dad said apologetically, clicking the green ‘accept’ button.


    “Hello, Rob,” Ivaan’s voice blasted through the speakers. Lila’s Dad turned down the volume before responding.


    “Hello, Ivaan. Look, I’d love to chat, but I think it’d be more appropriate if I do that once I get home. Is that alright with you?”


    “Yes,” Ivaan replied shortly. He paused before adding, “Is my son still with you?”


    “Yes, he’s in the car. I’ll at least say that he’s alright.”


    “Good, good. Talk to you later, Rob.”


    “Talk soon.”


    They hung up. Lila’s shoulders relaxed and she breathed a small sigh of relief. She didn’t necessarily want to sit through a conversation where her Dad relayed what happened. She’d lived through it once already.


    They arrived home not long after and, in stark contrast with the last time they were in the car, both Lila and Asher immediately unbuckled themselves and got out.


    “Well, don’t be too excited,” Lila’s Dad laughed briefly, following behind at a much more reasonable pace.


    Lila kicked her shoes off, ready to march back upstairs and hide under her bedcovers, before remembering that she couldn’t really do that if Asher was over.


    “Wanna head upstairs?” she asked as he stumbled over his feet to take his shoes off.


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    “Yeah,” Asher replied, his voice indicating to Lila that he was somewhat disturbed by something. They exchanged a meaningful look and had almost made it to the stairs when they were waylaid by an incessantly curious Clare and Daniel.


    “What happened?” Clare asked breathlessly.


    “Where did you go?” Daniel followed up immediately, not allowing even a second to pass.


    “Why were the police here?”


    “Did you do something illegal?”


    “Again?”


    “Again?!” Daniel whipped his head to Lila in alarm, then back at Clare, who looked like a child that had been caught doing something they shouldn’t have been.


    “We’re not telling you shit right now,” Lila replied gruffly, annoyed that she’d immediately been peppered by the questions she herself would definitely ask her siblings if their Sunday had been interrupted like this. “Need a minute to process. And no, haven’t done anything illegal.” She followed up the last statement with a glare at Clare, who looked back at her apologetically.


    “So grouchy,” Daniel pouted. Clare jabbed him in the side with her elbow and he yelped.


    “We’ll call you down for dinner,” Clare said with a sunny smile, using her arm to push Daniel arm-length away from her. It was effective, but only just – he was growing pretty fast now. It didn’t stop him from attempting to swat at her, though.


    Lila rolled her eyes at her siblings’ antics before gesturing for Asher to follow her upstairs. They quietly entered her room and she left the door open – though slightly less wide now, as if the centimetres of coverage she gained would prevent their conversation from floating out to stickybeaks.


    With a sigh, Asher sat so that his back rested on her bookshelf. Lila sat opposite him, resting her back on one of her desk’s legs before deciding it was rather uncomfortable and fishing for cushions for them both.


    “Thanks,” Asher said, sounding distant – as though his mind was elsewhere. Instead of using the cushion for the purpose she’d intended, he laid it across his knees.


    “Gabriel was weird, wasn’t he?” Asher finally questioned after a few moments of contemplative silence shared between them. “I wasn’t just imagining that, was I?”


    “No,” Lila replied softly. “I felt it too.”


    “What do you think it means?”


    Lila craned her neck to see if there was anyone lurking outside her room.


    “I… I think it means your Dad lied to him. Or even you,” Lila proposed in a whisper. The following silence was heavy, as though loaded with a possibility too large for either of them to bear. If Asher’s Dad lied to Gabriel… what did that mean? Did it mean he couldn’t trust Gabriel? Or… did Asher’s Dad suspect Gabriel after all?


    Asher dropped his head, seeming deflated by the revelation.


    “My mind is too fried to try and figure it out,” he confessed in a low murmur, flexing his fingers in his lap. “But I couldn’t fight back this overwhelming feeling of pity, when I saw the look on Gabriel’s face after I told him Mum was missing. Then… it was even more intense when that police officer confirmed there was a missing person report.”


    “Yeah,” Lila agreed, leaning her head back against the desk and looking up at the ceiling, as if the cracks would line up to some words of wisdom. Of course, all it told Lila was that she needed a new paint job.


    A knock on the ajar door startled Lila, and she looked over at the offending knocker.


    “Oh, hey Dad,” Lila said lamely as he sidled in. He raised an eyebrow as he looked at both Asher and Lila sitting on the floor.


    “Not a fan of furniture?” he asked.


    “Too cold for fans,” Asher quipped, surprising both Lila and her Dad into laughter.


    “Well, looks like the visit to the station didn’t kill your wit, at least,” Lila''s Dad chuckled. “I just wanted to tell you that I’ve thrown Clare and Daniel out the house.”


    “Why?” Lila asked, sitting up so quickly that she forgot to mind her head. It connected with the underside of her desk and she clutched it with a moan.


    “You okay?” Asher shuffled forward to his knees, coming closer to inspect where she’d hurt herself.


    “I’m alright,” Lila mumbled, rubbing her sore spot. Asher looked at her doubtfully, but slowly made his way back to the bookshelf.


    “You know, I’ve never known you to be so clumsy,” Lila''s Dad observed from the doorway.


    Lila paused. Actually, her Dad was right. She never had been so clumsy – especially not to the level that she’d been experiencing lately in the presence of-


    The realisation hit her in the same instant that her face burst into a brilliant shade of red. Was she losing control of herself because… Asher was nearby?


    She refused to look at Asher, instead preferring to look over at her Dad’s slipper-clad feet. She could feel him smirking from where she sat, but didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of meeting his gaze, either.


    “Really?” Asher piped up after a beat passed. “I’ve seen Lila be plenty clumsy. The other day, she dropped-”


    “Asher!” Lila whisper-yelled, mortification plain on her face, which she swiftly hid behind her hands.


    “W-What?” he blinked at her, evidently surprised by her reaction. “I’m just sayi-”


    “Anyway,” Lila’s Dad interrupted them both, his tone bright with amusement. “I threw Clare and Daniel out the house for a jaunt because they kept trying to creep up here and listen in to your conversation. I assumed you two would want to debrief. I understand that it was a stressful experience for you both.”


    “Dad, isn’t it dangerous for Clare and Daniel to be wandering around out there?” Lila queried, her voice shaky with alarm.


    “They’ll be fine,” her Dad grinned, “I sent them to the nearby Woolies for some snacks.”


    “I see…” Lila figured that Clare would be driving – the Woolies was too far to walk to, after all.


    “I’ll leave you to it,” her Dad said with a smile. “By to it, I mean debriefing. About the interview, specifically. If you need me or your Mum, we’ll be downstairs watching TV.”


    He left the door ajar as he departed, his footsteps heavy on the stairs down to the living room. Eventually, Lila couldn’t hear anything anymore and she sighed, rubbing her head again.


    “What’s wrong with being clumsy?” Asher inquired lazily, watching her intently with his head tilted to one side.


    “N-Nothing,” Lila replied, averting her eyes from him again. A faint blush rose on her cheeks as she was reminded of her particular reasoning as to why she was clumsy all of a sudden. Had Asher’s presence weakened her usual equilibrium somehow? That… was a problem. While it was true that being around him made her heart flutter and stomach take flight – surely none of that should affect how her two feet were planted on the ground.


    “I… don’t like seeing you hurt, though,” Asher added quietly. “You should keep an eye out on your surroundings, things like that. Make sure you’re holding things properly.”


    “I feel like you’re being condescending.”


    “I don’t mean to be. Sorry. I… I’ll stop talking.”


    “It’s fine. I’m the idiot that can’t get her bearings.”


    “We all have our moments of clumsiness. Nothing to do with being an idiot or not.”


    Lila wasn’t sure what to say to that, so remained silent, looking down at her interlocking hands in her lap.


    “I… guess we shouldn’t waste the opportunity your Dad’s given us,” Asher said after a few seconds of awkward silence. Lila’s heart leapt to her throat as she looked up at Asher. He looked rather concerned, his brows knitted together again.


    “U-Uh, f-for what?” Lila questioned, clearing her throat to beat back her heart into its rightful place.


    “To debrief?” Asher’s eyes met hers, confusion evident in the way his head tilted again. Then, without warning, his face turned a bright red and he tore his eyes away from Lila. “Y-Yeah. Debrief,” he added in a low voice.


    “Makes sense,” Lila replied, exhaling deeply. Was she… hoping he’d make a move?


    ‘Don’t be stupid,’ Lila reprimanded herself. ‘He’s not going to. At your parents’ house or otherwise. Stop wishing for something that’s not gonna happen.’


    “What happened in your interview?” Asher asked, tapping his toes together idly, leaning his head back against the bookshelf. Lila relayed as much as she could remember of her interview – lingering for a moment on the photo of the farmhouse.


    That seemed to pique Asher’s interest as he straightened up his posture, bringing a hand to his chin.


    “This bloody farmhouse,” he muttered once Lila had finished her recounting.


    “I know,” Lila said, shaking her head. “I don’t know what the deal is with that building, but it keeps popping up. It makes me want to look at it again.”


    Asher pursed his lips before meeting Lila’s gaze. “What’re you doing next weekend?”


    “M-Me?”


    “… I don’t see anyone else here.”


    Lila blushed again, suddenly feeling stupid for having said anything at all.


    “Sorry, that was rude,” Asher quickly said, dropping his hand from his face. “Sorry.”


    “Ask stupid questions, get stupid answers,” Lila responded with a half-hearted chuckle. “Anyway, um, I don’t think I’ve got anything on except for practice on Saturday.”


    “Perfect,” Asher replied. Lila could have sworn a glimmer of excitement flashed across his face – but his expression had returned to neutrality so rapidly that she might’ve attributed her own excitement as being his. “Come over, if you can. If you want to. Uh, after practice, if you want. B-But I get it if you’d be tired. Sunday’s fine too.”


    “I’ll see,” Lila said. “Who knows, maybe I’ll come over both days.”


    “That’d be fine, too. I don’t have any plans.”


    Lila smiled at him before a new thought occurred to her. “Why’d you ask?”


    “About whether you’re free?” Asher gave a sharp, nervous laugh. “‘Cause we have reason to go back to that creepy-ass farmhouse again.”


    Lila tried to not look ecstatic at the prospect. Perhaps there were more clues waiting for them – something they’d missed the last time they visited, due to the excitement of Mr Snugglebutt and the folder of information. Maybe… they’d figure out its connection to Piper, now that they knew that she had known about it.


    “Alright. Sounds like a plan.”


    Asher grimaced. “I was afraid you’d say that.”


    “Why offer it as an option if you’re afraid?” Lila laughed incredulously.


    Asher ruffled his hair abashedly. “I know you wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about it if we didn’t go check it out again.”


    “You’re completely right.”


    Asher chuckled and they fell into a comfortable silence – one that could stretch on forever without feeling awkward. Though, as time ticked on by, more questions floated to the surface of Lila’s mind.


    “How’d your interview go?” she asked, readjusting her cushion behind her so that it protected her back from her desk.


    Asher looked at her darkly. “Like I said before, it may as well have not been an interview.”


    “What does that even mean?”


    “They seemed disinterested in the interview altogether. They kept talking about sports, school, whether I had a… girlfriend.” He grimaced, but carried on, his face splotchy with red. “It got to the point where I asked why I was even there.”


    “Did Gabriel say anything?”


    “He… suggested that maybe they were setting up some kind of rapport. But all it did was piss me off. That Nick guy was such a dick.”


    “How so?”


    “He was just… condescending. Not just to me, but to his second. His second tried to move the conversation to Piper, and Nick said, ‘Whoa there, are you sure you want to talk about that?’ with this smarmy look. Eventually, I just ignored Nick. I told his second that I saw Piper the Thursday before she died, and then Nick jumped in again, all like ‘Are you sure you want to put that on record, buddy?’ Made my skin crawl. Like, yes, I want to put that on record, so you can do your job and follow up? Man, Belinda sounds far more competent, at least.”


    “Did you manage to tell them anything else?”


    “Just that she tried to talk to me and I didn’t want to hear it. When I talked about the stalking, that’s when Nick finally looked serious. His second looked horrified when I told them about my PE shorts being in her locker. Then the second asked if I hated her. I said I sure did, after what she did to you – then they asked me to explain that. They seemed appalled, then I said that I was happy that she’d been expelled. That I’d never want to go within a few metres of her, let alone close enough to kill her. Then-” Asher gave a heavy sigh. “-Nick jumped back in. He was all, ‘Whoa, buddy, we’re not trying to say you killed her’. I asked why. That’s… when Nick went even weirder.”


    “Even weirder?”


    “Yeah. He seemed like he hadn’t expected that question. He was all flustered. I challenged him again, and that’s when the second jumped in. Asked me where I was on Sunday night. I said I’d been away since Friday night in Vanuatu, and only got back yesterday. After I said that, their attitude changed completely. Nick gave this really off-putting laugh and said, ‘See? You couldn’t have done it. She was murdered on Sunday night’.”


    Asher smirked before adding, “The second looked panicked that Nick said that. I feel like he wasn’t supposed to tell me that.”


    “She was murdered on Sunday night, huh…” Lila tapped her thigh as she pondered this new information. “I did get that vibe, after Belinda asked where I was on Sunday night. But to have that confirmed… makes me wonder what happened to Piper between Thursday, when we saw her, and when she died on Sunday.”


    Asher shivered. “I don’t want to think about it, to be honest.”


    Lila nodded. “Neither. Doesn’t mean my brain won’t be mulling it over for the next few weeks though.”


    Asher gently rested the back of his head on the bookshelf again. They were quiet for a few seconds before Lila met his gaze. What was he thinking about, behind those intelligent, golden-brown eyes?


    “I think I heard you yelling at the end there,” Lila murmured, looking at her photo wall.


    “Ah. Yeah. I was. Essentially, after he told me that she died on Sunday, I started laying into them. Asking what they were doing to make this place safe again. Nick looked surprised that I was so mad, but I just couldn’t keep looking at his face anymore without feeling angry. The interview had been such a waste of time up until that point. At least, until they actually asked for my alibi – which I basically forced them to ask about. I just felt like they were making a big show of giving a shit. Honestly, I was pretty disgusted. Kinda thought my Dad was right by the end – that going to the police was a mistake.”


    Asher scowled, folding his arms across his chest. “I told them they gave me zero confidence that it was safe out there, and if that was the case, what’s the point of the police. They just sat there and took it, which made me even more mad. Like at least try and deny it, y’know? Maybe come up with something that they’re doing. If they told me they’d increased patrols at night, or anything like that, I wouldn’t have been so mad, y’know. Even Gabriel looked shocked that I was so riled up. But… why wouldn’t I be?”


    His eyes rested on Lila’s face before he looked down at his knees. “Some psycho’s killing teenaged girls in horrific ways. I… I can’t… I don’t want that to happen to you.”


    As the words left his lips, Lila felt a strange warmth flood her veins, bringing with it a swooping sensation in her stomach. He… didn’t want that to happen to Lila?


    Though she tried to tell herself that this was to be expected, since she didn’t want it to happen to anyone ever – even Piper, she couldn’t help but feel giddy by the confirmation… and the look in his eyes – protective and worried all at once. It strangely attractive.


    Lila took a deep breath, tilting her head away so she wasn’t tempted to look at him again. “… Thanks. For being concerned for me. I… I’ll try not to get killed.”


    “There’s no trying about it, Lila. Don’t get killed. Please,” Asher’s voice broke and he buried his face in his hands. “It’s… been adding to my nightmares, since coming back. Instead of seeing Piper’s body, mutilated like that, I see yours.”


    “I promise I won’t get killed,” Lila said softly, picking at her nails in her lap. “Besides, I’ve got school to worry about. How am I meant to get good grades if I’m busy being murdered?”


    Asher stared at her for a moment, his expression teetering between aghast and amused. It seemed that amusement won as he started to laugh – a sound that reverberated throughout her tiny room. It looked cathartic as he clutched his stomach. Lila smirked before joining in.


    “I… wow, that’s something insane that I would say,” Asher finally said after sobering up.


    “I’m glad my dumb joke made you laugh so much,” Lila grinned. “Just trying to lighten the mood.”


    “Yeah, I think we need it,” Asher replied, wiping his face and revealing his own grin. “C’mon, let’s play some more board games.”


    It wasn’t too much longer when Daniel and Clare returned, armed with all kinds of snacks.


    “Didn’t know what you liked,” Daniel said, tipping his bundle onto the dining room table next to their board game. “So we kinda got one of everything.”


    “I’m very basic,” Asher stated, selecting a packet of TimTams to open up and share.


    “Thank God, ‘cause these raspberry licorice twists are mine,” Clare declared, opening up the packet with glee and sitting next to Lila. Lila wrinkled her nose.


    “Go hard,” Lila said plainly, taking a TimTam and biting into it. “I don’t think anyone’ll fight you for it.”


    “Eh, I won’t, but Gabriel probably would,” Asher smirked, meeting Clare’s gaze. Both Lila and Clare stifled a giggle after exchanging a look.


    “Who’s Gabriel?” Daniel asked conversationally, biting the head off an orange snake. “Also, who the hell did that? That looks like the dumbest move ever.”


    “Don’t be rude,” Lila huffed, tossing a TimTam at his forehead. He tried to catch it with his mouth and instead headbutted it onto the table, cracking it into two.


    “That was sick,” Daniel laughed, throwing one part into his mouth. The Moloney siblings and Asher played a round or two of board games, their rowdiness kicking up a notch, before Lila’s Mum requested assistance in setting up for dinner.


    Tonight’s dinner of tocino and accompaniments was delicious as expected. Though all of Lila’s family members looked suspiciously at Lila and Asher every so often, no one dared to ask about their visit to the police station. It did help that Lila’s Dad would steer conversations that got a little too close into a different direction.


    They packed away the dishes into the dishwasher as a group before Lila and Asher headed back upstairs, the door open as usual.


    “So… I guess… it’s time for me to go soon,” Asher murmured reluctantly, leaning against the bookshelf again.


    “I guess so,” Lila replied just as reluctantly, taking her place opposite him. “But… at least I’ll see you tomorrow.”


    Asher gave her a soft, tender smile. “At least there’s that.”


    They continued to look at each other contentedly for a moment before Lila realised what she was doing and averted her eyes. She thought she heard Asher sigh, but he didn’t say anything.


    “Are we going to be eating lunch as a group again this term?” Lila eventually asked, her tone somehow shy. It would be nice to just eat with Asher… but she’d missed Elise and Grace these holidays. Especially now that Lila knew what was up with Elise – she definitely needed to spend some time with her. “And having morning tea separately?”


    “We can,” Asher replied, his expression guilty. “I’ve neglected Isaac these whole holidays. I think I need to hang out with him for a bit.”


    “Yeah, I think so too,” Lila smiled, remembering Isaac’s request for Asher to message him when he got back. “Have you messaged him since coming back home?”


    “Yeah, we had a chat last night. He was happy to hear from me, but he demanded morning tea with me tomorrow.”


    “He probably has quite a few McStories for you,” Lila chuckled.


    “I’ll have to ‘grill’ him about how it’s going with Elise,” Asher smirked. Lila pushed his leg with her foot for his terrible pun and he chortled.


    “Anyway, we need to figure out a time next week for something important,” Asher suddenly added, sitting up straight.


    “What?”


    “For Daniel.”


    “For… Daniel?”


    “Actually, lemme find him real quick,” Asher insisted, standing up.


    “He might’ve gone to his room?” Lila suggested, also standing.


    Asher stepped out of Lila’s room and knocked on Daniel’s door.


    “Whaaaat?” Daniel called out, his voice irritated.


    “Can we come in for a sec?” Asher asked, glancing back at Lila.


    “Sure,” Daniel replied. “By we, I’m assuming you and Lila?”


    “In the flesh,” Asher responded, swinging open the door. Daniel spun on his chair to face them as they both filed in. Lila curiously crossed the room to Daniel’s bed, sitting on it cross-legged, as Asher folded his arms against his chest and leaned against his desk.


    “What’s up?” Daniel asked, offering Asher a bag of snakes. Asher shook his head politely before speaking.


    “New term’s tomorrow. I’ve been trying to get the Banker stuff sanctioned by the school, and I’ve got to get some more backing from a couple more teachers, but essentially you’ll need to reveal who you are.”


    Daniel’s face paled. “W-What?”


    “At least, I’m hoping it doesn’t come to that, but for the school to accept it as a legitimate business activity, and something that could therefore be protected by the school, you’ll need to tell them that you’re the Banker.”


    “W-What if I don’t want that to happen?”


    Asher’s eyes travelled to Lila’s. “There’s… a couple of things going on behind the scenes with those Grade 12s. I think if you don’t get this backed by the school, they could do some serious damage to you, your reputation and your business.”


    Lila’s skin began to crawl as she started to catch Asher’s hidden meaning behind his words. If… Daniel didn’t do this, could he get caught up in the drug scandal? They were going to tell her Dad about it eventually – which likely meant busting the whole morphine ring. The ring that was technically financed by Daniel up until recently – if the embezzling had stopped since implementing the Square system.


    “Lila, I’m scared,” Daniel eventually admitted after a pause. “What if I get in trouble?”


    “That’s what sanctioning it is for,” Lila said reassuringly. “That way, the school’s accepted that it’s happening and you won’t get in trouble for it. It probably means you’ll need to pay them rent or a cut or something, but it’ll also mean that your business will be advertised more freely. I see it as a win-win. We can see what to do about keeping your identity hidden from the customers, but to sanction it, you’ll need to reveal who you are.”


    “Will Mum and Dad need to be involved?”


    Lila looked nervously at Asher, who sighed heavily.


    “That’s why I’ve been campaigning mostly by myself,” Asher revealed. “If the Dux of Grade 11 is recommending it to be sanctioned, I don’t think they’ll need to go that far and tell your parents.”


    Daniel exhaled deeply, bringing a hand to his forehead. “I… I guess even if they do tell Mum and Dad…” he sighed again, biting his lower lip. “It needs to come out at some point, right? I mean, these juice boxes look more and more suspicious by the minute.”


    “Look, sometimes you have to keep secrets from your parents, but sometimes you need to let them in on what you’re doing. It can be safer that way, instead of taking it all on by yourself,” Asher said sagely. Lila pressed her lips together to prevent herself from expressing that perhaps it was hypocritical for Asher to offer such advice. Of course, her saying that to him would also be hypocritical.


    “Alright,” Daniel relented. “Can you give me some time, though? I… need to prepare. I really didn’t mean for it to get this big.”


    “Of course,” Asher nodded. “I’ll still need some time to get all the teachers lined up anyway.”


    “Thanks, Asher. For thinking about all of this. I was just gonna keep it underground. But… I guess that means that anyone could just betray me and turn me in to the school.” Daniel winced, rubbing his arm in a self-soothing gesture. “That’d definitely turn out worse for me than if the school accepts it.”


    “Yeah. It would,” Asher agreed. His phone began to buzz and he pulled it out of his pocket.


    “Marlene’s here,” he said forlornly, looking over at Lila. “Time for me to go.”


    Lila slowly stood up, unable to hide her own sadness from her face.


    “See you around at school,” Daniel said, waving as they exited.


    “See ya,” Asher replied, softly closing the door. They went back into Lila’s room, with Asher picking up his bag and the gift from the show.


    “I’ll send you a pic of where I end up putting this one,” Asher said, squeezing the stuffed duck.


    “I’ll critique its location,” Lila promised with a smile. Asher grinned at her and they traipsed downstairs, with Asher saying goodbye to Lila’s parents and Clare on his way to collect his shoes.


    “I made extra tocino for you to take home. Share with your family,” Lila’s Mum said, bustling over to the kitchen and interrupting him from putting his shoes on. She took a loaded takeaway container from the fridge and placed it into Asher’s free hand with a smile.


    “Thank you,” Asher beamed. “I’ll be sure to share it. It’s really delicious, Mrs Moloney.”


    “You’re too kind,” Lila’s Mum replied warmly. “Take care.”


    “You too,” Asher responded politely. Lila’s Mum nodded before returning to the living room. Lila unlocked the front door after shoving her feet into slippers.


    “You don’t have to walk out with me,” Asher said, shaking his head.


    “I know I don’t,” Lila replied. “Therefore, I will.”


    Asher smirked in response and off they set into the darkness, towards the headlights of Marlene’s car.


    “I’ll see you tomorrow,” Asher said after he and Lila greeted Marlene.


    “Yeah,” Lila nodded. “We’ve got English before morning tea.”


    “Perfect,” Asher grinned, his eyes twinkling. “Can’t wait.”


    “Neither,” Lila uttered softly, stepping back from the car. Asher slid into the passenger seat, closing his door. Marlene then slowly drove off, both of them waving at Lila, before disappearing altogether into the inky blackness of the night.


    Now that he was gone, Lila felt exhausted. It had been an incredibly long day. Crawling into bed sounded like a perfect idea.