"Let me talk to him," Pierce demanded. Xander was seated in an interrogation room as we looked on from the other side of the glass.

"Pierce, you're not on his case," Eliza replied without looking at us. Xander twiddled his thumbs and suddenly stood, pacing around the room at uttering things to himself.

"He threatened my client. I have the right to question him." Eliza attempted to stop him, but he had already pushed past her and entered the room.

"What the hell is he doing?" said another officer. I turned to recognize him as the second half of the duo who interrogated me.

"He...just let him do this, Eugene," Eliza replied. He looked ready to refute her response, but ultimately refrained from saying anything else.

"Sit," Pierce offered the boy. Xander looked hesitant at first, but with jittery hands, he collapsed onto the chair. Pierce Prescott opened up his briefcase and presented the potential killer with several pictures. He lied them out neatly. I couldn't see one of them, but the others depicted Carson's dead body and a mug shot of a man. "You didn't kill Carson, did you?"

"I did," he replied. "I killed Carson Harris."

Pierce shook his head. "I know you didn't. Don't lie to me, Mr. Masefield."

"I'm not lying." Xander kept his head towards the ground, his eyes refusing to meet Pierce's. "I shot and killed him."

"So, you used a Glock 29 and shot Carson Harris in the chest, and then left him to die in the parking lot?" Pierce asked. Eliza raised an eyebrow.

"No," Xander said. "I killed him in the abandoned hotel lobby."

"Police found him with a bullet to the chest, shot by a Glock 29."

"The...that's right," Xander replied. "I shot him in the chest."

Pierce sighed. "Xander, Xander, Xander...I think you're a good kid; well, at least have the potential to be one. But I mean, how much more loyal can you get? You're taking the fall for something you didn't even do! Very noble, very loyal, very brave. But you're a shitty liar, kid. Very bad. Could use some work."

"I'm not lying! I killed Carson Harris!"

"No, you didn't." Pierce pushed all of the pictures forward, and then jammed his finger on the mug shot. "You don't wanna end up like your father, do you? You're not your father, Mr. Masefield. I would know. I put him in jail."

"Y-you what?"

"After he killed that little girl and your mother, kid. Wanna end up like him? Wanna admit that you killed Carson Harris?"

"I...I..."

"Tell me, Xander! Tell me that you fucking killed Carson Harris!" Pierce screamed. I was taken aback by his burst of anger.

"I...I want my lawyer," Xander stammered. His voice was choked up and broken. He was no longer the Wolf who grabbed me and waved a gun at me--he was an orphaned, loyal friend who fucked up big time and realized that he wasn't in control anymore.

Pierce cleared his throat and gathered up his belongings. "You might not be going to jail for murder, kid, but you are for assault and illegal possession of a firearm. Get it together and we might be able to strike up a deal."

"I don't make deals with the Devil," Xander muttered.

"Oh, it's just me." Pierce flashed a forced smile and adjusted his tie. "And I'm much scarier." He exited the interrogation room and met up with us. Eliza looked as though she was about to say something, but Pierce interrupted her. "If he says anything, does anything, thinks anything, I am the first person to know. Understand me?" He didn't wait for an answer because he already knew what it was. "Avery, let's go. They collected your statement. They don't need you anymore." Officer Eliza set a hand on Officer Eugene's chest to stop him from interfering. I waved a goodbye and followed Pierce out the door.

"What was that all about?" I asked as I caught up to him.

"I hold a grudge," Pierce Prescott replied through gritted teeth.

"What did Xander's dad do to you? Besides get pissed that you put him in jail?"

"Oh, the occasional death threat, and a few other things that I won't go into. Did he hurt you, Avery?"

"I...I, um, think I'm okay," I quietly replied. He nodded. He knew I was lying, but I wasn't sure if he cared or not. He held the door open for me, and I nodded to him as I took a step out of the building. I don't know if I can do this anymore, I thought somberly. "Pierce, I--"

My sentence was cut off as I colided right into a man's chest. "Ah, Miss Carter!"

I backed away, bewildered. "Um...I'm sorry. Who are you?"

Pierce rubbed his face into his hands. "Mother of God," he groaned. The man stuffed his hands into his suit's pocket and laughed heartily.

"Pierce, buddy!" he joyously said. He attempted to clap my lawyer on the shoudler, but Pierce held up a hand to stop him. The man frowned. "Come on, man! It's been nearly a decade!"

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Pierce inquired. I probably would've laughed at the situation if not for the previous events that had unfolded.

"You probably know why, pal!" The man flashed a smile towards me. His blonde hair was totally slicked back and his blue eyes shone like a wolf's. He reached a out for a handshake. "The name's Yancey Bellford, journalist based in Philly!"

"Um...hi," I greeted, shaking his hand. "I'm Avery Carter. How do you and Pierce know each other?"

"No. No. I've had a shit day, Yancey, and I cannot handle this right now. Avery, I'll be in the car. Yancey...I...nope. Just nope." Pierce threw up his hands and trudged away from us. That's when I began to laugh.

"You know, I was roommates with Pierce back in Princeton. He hated me." Yancey smiled. I wanted to like him, but I really couldn't bring myself to find any likeable features of the reporter. Maybe it was his name. Maybe it was the fact I was getting better at reading people: this Mr. Bellford was not a kind man. "Good reason, I suppose. I bothered him relentlessly. Good times, I may add." He whipped out a card from his pocket. "So, I'll get right to the point, Miss Carter: I'm a reporter. You're a suspect in murder. I saw Pierce was on the case, and the sad tale of Romeo and Rosaline taking place, so I saw my chance. I'm bringing this story to the rest of the nation, Avery Carter." My heart thudded and my face fell. "So, would you like to give me an inside scoop on the murder of Carson Harris?"

Yancey Bellford was selfish and predictable. Maybe that's why I didn't like him. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to go." I took his card from his hand. "If I have anything to say, you'll be the first person I tell. Anyone who annoys Pierce is a friend of mine." Maybe when I was ready to tell the public the truth, I'd contact the journalist to get the word out. But for the time being, my lips were sealed. I began to saunter away from Yancey when he called out from behind me.

"The truth always gets out, Miss Carter! I'll find it out no matter what." I didn't have to turn around to see that he was smiling and laughing like a hyena. I followed Pierce into the car and slammed the door shut behind me.

"I don't like him," I stated bluntly. "He's like you but honest and friendly."

"Don't ever compare me to that man. Trust me: I'll be keeping you out of jail, and he'll be doing his best to put you in there."

"Why would he do that?"

"Yancey always liked to plagiarize and forge every single thing he ever wrote. If he thinks that you killed Carson Harris, then the rest of the world will think you killed Carson until we get in the courtroom."

"Why does it change once we're in the courtroom?"

"Because that's my court, kid." Pierce smirked and began to reverse in the parking lot. "Hey, you think if I hit him with my car, the cops would arrest me?"

"Not if they met the guy."

"Hey, you're acting more and more like me every single day kid!" Pierce laughed. I began to join him and then shuddered. I don't think ever wanna be like you, SSoaB.

"Dropping you off at the house, kid?" he asked. I nodded, and then recalled what my dad told me about Carson's father. I'd stop by there next. I pulled out my phone.

Conversation name: Sherlockians

meet me at my house for our next step

Landon: on it. i'll be watson

Liam: Be there in ten

Dakota: -_- I'm watson and I'll be there soon

Landon added Katherine to the conversation

Landon: kattie come to avery's

Katherine: I'll be there in a few.

I smiled and shoved my phone in my pocket. "What, planning something without me?" Pierce asked.

"My insider sources said to check out Carson's dad. He might've wanted Carson alive for some other reason than love."

Pierce nodded and pulled into my driveway. "Text me if you need anything. I'll get Eliza to investigate for me."

I thought of when Eliza held her partner back from stopping Pierce from questioning Xander. "Pierce...what was that all about--back at the police station, I mean."

He shrugged. "A story for another day." He flashed me a grin as I stepped out of the car. "I still owe you one."

"I know," I called back. I then shook as I thought of his conversation with Xander. The Devil owes me one. I walked into my house and heaved. I looked out the glass to see Katherine pulling up to the house, soon followed by Dakota with Landon, and then Liam several minutes later. We settled in the living room. Dakota immediately went on her phone while the others looked at me, ready for orders.

"What's the plan?" Landon inquired.

"We're gonna go check out Carson's dad's dealership."

"Why?" Dakota asked, peeking up from her phone.

"To see why he wanted Carson out of jail."

"Because he was his son, genius," Landon replied. Katherine frowned and sat down on the couch. "What's wrong, Kat?"

"I...I thought you guys must've known. Sorry. I shouldn't assume things."

"Known what?" I inquired.

"The affair. The divorce."

Liam squirmed uncomfortably in his chair. He probably still wasn't over his parents' divorce that finalized last year. "His parents were getting a divorce?" Dakota replied.

"Yeah. His dad cheated on his mom. But she fell out of love with him a long time before that. You could just tell."

"So then he especially wanted Carson out of jail because...?"

"Because then his wife wouldn't leave him. She only stayed with him because they couldn't afford not to with Carson going to college and all. Sometimes I think Michael cared a helluva lot more about himself than his family." And now he probably doesn't wanna anything more than to have his entire family back. Dakota's eyes suddenly lit up in alarm.

"Hey, Avery? Before we leave, can I ask you something? About Amy?"

"Can't it wait?" Landon groaned. Dakota stared daggers at him.

"No. No it cannot." She grabbed my arm and yanked me into the kitchen. I heard Katherine begin to tell Liam and Landon more about what had happened with Carson's parents.

"What's wrong?" I worriedly asked.

"I decided to look up the scholarship Carson had won. Apparently, they have a whole website dedicated to the works. And Carson's photos are still here. And there's one here that wasn't in the pile that we found," she replied in a hushed tone.

"What is it?" I whispered.

"Well, Avery, I think we know now who killed Carson Harris."

"Who?" I demanded. I took the phone from her and examined the photo.

Her smile hadn't broken yet. Back when she was gregarious and her face lit up when the camera hit her.

She was holding a wilted rose and wearing a vicious smile. Her hair was wet, like maybe it had been raining when the picture had been taken. Everything felt so real, like I could climb into the picture and relive the memory. 

"K...Katherine?" I uttered. Dakota nodded. I clicked the photo to see the title.

The Girl Who Killed Me.