Halfway Gone
Eight
If there was one thing Kim learned from Rosie, it was staying strong. After that anonymous caller who descended her into tears, she chose to ignore the caller, deciding to not let it get in the way with what she was doing, but she’d only decided this after Nick came to her aid when she’d called him.
After crying next to Nick, as he tried his best to comfort her, he was the one who told her to hang in there and not let the call to get to her. After all, they were both sure Rosie would have wanted Kim to stay strong in the end. However, ever since Kim told Nick about the phone call, that was the only thing the pair talked about.
“Maybe you should trace the call,” Nick suggested as the pair made their way to the school library for study session. “It could help with her case.”
Kim shook her head. She still found it distressing how Nick couldn’t say Rosie’s name allowed, but she didn’t blame him. He probably got a worse blow than she did.
“I don’t know how to do that,” she admitted as they entered the library. She found an unoccupied desk and pulled out the empty chair. “And what if the trace just leads back to some crappy pay phone in the streets of LA?”
Nick sat down next to her and placed his History book onto the table. “And what if it’s an actual cell phone?” he pointed out.
“Highly unlikely, Nick,” Kim said confidently, as she pulled out her copy of the History book from her bag.
“Give me a chance. I think I know how to trace the call. My brothers got me into this kind of thing – bad influence, I know. But I have a feeling I might be able to trace it.”
Kim raised an eyebrow not wanting to know anymore. Since when did Nick become some tech genius? Just as she was about to speak, a voice cut her off.
“I’m really sorry, Kim,” Ivy frowned, appearing out of no where as her locks fell over her face. She pushed them back behind her ears as she sat down next to her. “I couldn’t get anymore information from my dad about Rosie’s case. I checked his office and really, her file hasn’t been updated.”
“Do you know when the police are going to close the case as a suicide?” Kim inquired.
Ivy shrugged. “My dad says to give it about a month,” she responded. “The police would rather do a month’s paperwork than solving an actual case, that’s why the city is dysfunctional.”
Kim nodded in agreement but didn’t say anything. So, she didn’t have anything to continue on with – not after her accusation towards Cheyenne, but Ivy hadn’t known about that. Nor did she know about the anonymous caller.
“I’ve been thinking about another suspect,” Kim explained. “Rosie dated quite a few guys in the last year before she was last with Nick. I think I might go talk to her latest ex so he might give me something to work with, you know, Chris McMahan. I told him to meet me here.”
And as if on cue, a familiar masculine figure walked through the entrance of the school library, and friendlily gestured towards Kim once he spotted her. Immediately, Kim excused herself and approached the figure.
“How are you holding up, Kim?” Chris asked, as he faced her.
Kim stared back at him, and took in his profile. He had short, messy, dark blonde hair that fell just above his eyes and a pair of light green eyes. His tie on the school uniform was not done up properly and his shirt was untucked. He stood still, hands in his pocket as he waited for Kim to respond.
“Fine,” she lied. “How about you?”
However, she was still troubled by her best friend’s death, along with the mystery of her killer. It felt like it was something Kim had to do. It was a way how Kim thought she could pay Rosie back for not being there on the night. For leaving her phone in her locker by accident, on the night Rosie needed her.
“I’m fine,” he replied after a moment.
But when Kim looked at him, she could tell he was saddened by Rosie’s death. Could he possibly still be in love with Rosie?
“Where were you in the early hours of Wednesday, March tenth?” Kim asked. It was the date she heard the news about her best friend.
“I was at home, sleeping,” he answered calmly.
“Do you have anyone to confirm your alibi?” she questioned.
“You think I killed Rosie?” he guessed.
Kim ignored his question. Chris could read Kim just like a book, but Kim was surprised that he didn’t react how Cheyenne did when Kim accused her. Was he expecting this? Could he possibly of killed his ex-girlfriend? Did he even have a motive?
“Do you still… love her?” Kim asked slowly, as she met his eye.
He nodded once and turned to stare back at Kim. “Yeah,” he answered casually. “I’ve been loving her for a while now.”
After crying next to Nick, as he tried his best to comfort her, he was the one who told her to hang in there and not let the call to get to her. After all, they were both sure Rosie would have wanted Kim to stay strong in the end. However, ever since Kim told Nick about the phone call, that was the only thing the pair talked about.
“Maybe you should trace the call,” Nick suggested as the pair made their way to the school library for study session. “It could help with her case.”
Kim shook her head. She still found it distressing how Nick couldn’t say Rosie’s name allowed, but she didn’t blame him. He probably got a worse blow than she did.
“I don’t know how to do that,” she admitted as they entered the library. She found an unoccupied desk and pulled out the empty chair. “And what if the trace just leads back to some crappy pay phone in the streets of LA?”
Nick sat down next to her and placed his History book onto the table. “And what if it’s an actual cell phone?” he pointed out.
“Highly unlikely, Nick,” Kim said confidently, as she pulled out her copy of the History book from her bag.
“Give me a chance. I think I know how to trace the call. My brothers got me into this kind of thing – bad influence, I know. But I have a feeling I might be able to trace it.”
Kim raised an eyebrow not wanting to know anymore. Since when did Nick become some tech genius? Just as she was about to speak, a voice cut her off.
“I’m really sorry, Kim,” Ivy frowned, appearing out of no where as her locks fell over her face. She pushed them back behind her ears as she sat down next to her. “I couldn’t get anymore information from my dad about Rosie’s case. I checked his office and really, her file hasn’t been updated.”
“Do you know when the police are going to close the case as a suicide?” Kim inquired.
Ivy shrugged. “My dad says to give it about a month,” she responded. “The police would rather do a month’s paperwork than solving an actual case, that’s why the city is dysfunctional.”
Kim nodded in agreement but didn’t say anything. So, she didn’t have anything to continue on with – not after her accusation towards Cheyenne, but Ivy hadn’t known about that. Nor did she know about the anonymous caller.
“I’ve been thinking about another suspect,” Kim explained. “Rosie dated quite a few guys in the last year before she was last with Nick. I think I might go talk to her latest ex so he might give me something to work with, you know, Chris McMahan. I told him to meet me here.”
And as if on cue, a familiar masculine figure walked through the entrance of the school library, and friendlily gestured towards Kim once he spotted her. Immediately, Kim excused herself and approached the figure.
“How are you holding up, Kim?” Chris asked, as he faced her.
Kim stared back at him, and took in his profile. He had short, messy, dark blonde hair that fell just above his eyes and a pair of light green eyes. His tie on the school uniform was not done up properly and his shirt was untucked. He stood still, hands in his pocket as he waited for Kim to respond.
“Fine,” she lied. “How about you?”
However, she was still troubled by her best friend’s death, along with the mystery of her killer. It felt like it was something Kim had to do. It was a way how Kim thought she could pay Rosie back for not being there on the night. For leaving her phone in her locker by accident, on the night Rosie needed her.
“I’m fine,” he replied after a moment.
But when Kim looked at him, she could tell he was saddened by Rosie’s death. Could he possibly still be in love with Rosie?
“Where were you in the early hours of Wednesday, March tenth?” Kim asked. It was the date she heard the news about her best friend.
“I was at home, sleeping,” he answered calmly.
“Do you have anyone to confirm your alibi?” she questioned.
“You think I killed Rosie?” he guessed.
Kim ignored his question. Chris could read Kim just like a book, but Kim was surprised that he didn’t react how Cheyenne did when Kim accused her. Was he expecting this? Could he possibly of killed his ex-girlfriend? Did he even have a motive?
“Do you still… love her?” Kim asked slowly, as she met his eye.
He nodded once and turned to stare back at Kim. “Yeah,” he answered casually. “I’ve been loving her for a while now.”