Dedicated to BoldnBeautiful 💞

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            “THANK YOU FOR having me, Mrs Martinez,” Johnson shot her a smile as she stood aside from her doorway, letting him in.

               In a swift movement, she shut the door as she led him to the living room. “The pleasure is all mine, Mr Johnson. Would you care for anything to drink?”

            “No, thank you, but I appreciate the offer,” He sat down on one of the three leather couches as he adjusted his cushion behind his back.

            “Just give me one minute, would you? I'll be right back,” The lady smiled, before she disappeared into a room.

             Johnson nodded curtly as he interlocked his fingers together. He looked around at the living room that was full of shiny gold awards displayed on a wooden shelf platform high above his head.

            The furniture was all white and the rug beneath him was a print of grey, white and black. Large portraits of artwork were hung up on the white walls, painting them with colour and adding a little zest to the otherwise monochromatic house.

           A flat screen television was set up in front of him, attached to the wall with large speakers that stood beside it. Apart from the TV, there were framed photographs of Mrs Martinez, a man who Johnson presumed to be their husband and a girl who took had Mrs Martinez's hair but inherited her father's eyes.

             Johnson pressed his lips into a flat line as he stared at one of the family pictures.

            Mrs Martinez was in her swimwear, with something wrapped around her waist and Mr Martinez had his arm around her in his swimming trunks. His other arm around his daughter dressed in a bikini. Her eyes were shut and she was pressed against her father's side, her head thrown back in laughter.

            Her parents mirrored her expression as they, too, had huge grins on their faces.

               At the back of his mind, Johnson was envious of how Mr Martinez had a seemingly loving wife and a beautiful daughter, in addition to a family that he could call his own.

           “Sorry, I went to make myself a cup of green tea,” Mrs Martinez apologised. Her voice pulled the investigator out of his thoughts as he remembered the reason he was there in the first place.

           “It's quite alright,” Johnson said.

            “Right. I don't want to beat around the bush and waste your time,” Mrs Martinez set down her china tea cup down on the glass table that separated Johnson and the television.

           “I would like for you to tell me what you know,” The investigator started off, looking at the brunette seated to his left.

          “Alright, ” She said. “I have a daughter named Isabella. She is currently sixteen going seventeen in November. Isabella goes to the local school here, Melrose Academy,”

           Johnson nodded his head.

           “My husband and I enrolled her in the school ever since she was ten years old. We've never really had problems with her welfare and being,” A dark look crossed Mrs Martinez's face. “Well, until last week,”

            “What happened?”

            “Last Monday, she came home from cheerleading practice. My husband was out and I was here preparing a casserole for dinner. When I saw her, I was startled. She was pale and looked like she had seen such a fright,”

             Johnson frowned.

             “I asked her what was the matter because I was concerned. She turned to look at me with a black eye and scars all over her face on her arms and her legs,”

              “Is she being bullied?”

               “That's what I asked her and she said 'no'. She said she was fine and there was nothing to worry about. She claimed that she got injured during her cheerleading practice,”

             The lady turned to look at the investigator. “Now I don't know a thing about cheerleading, but I didn't think you could get that injured from doing it. I mean, I know it is difficult, but from the way Isabella looked, she looked like she was...well, beaten up,”

             Mrs Martinez reached for her cup as Johnson let this news sink in.

            “Even though I was skeptical, I dismissed it temporarily until a few days ago, I was doing the laundry and I found a note in her skirt,”

             “What did it say?”

              “It said that ‘We are coming for you’ and at the bottom, it was signed D.A.B,”

              “Do you have any idea of who could have done this?”

              “I have no idea, Mr Johnson. Isabella has never been bullied before and I don't believe a student from Melrose Academy could pull such a stunt,”

              “Does she usually walk home?”

              “Yes. She insists on it. But she doesn't walk home alone. Her friend Dawn lives a few houses down from ours at a children's home,”

           “Was Dawn injured from the cheerleading practice?”

           “Dawn isn't a cheerleader, from what I know. I don't believe she got hurt or injured in any way,”

           “So why do you think D.A.B sent Isabella that note?”

            “I don't know why they are targetting her. She is just a teenager!” Mrs Martinez let out a sigh. “It's strange, though,”

             “What is?”

             “Did you see today's headlines about the kidnap of the Prime Minister's son and his two friends?”

             “Yes, I did,”

            “Well, isn't it strange that D.A.B has been after teenagers? I personally know Jace, because he was dating my daughter a little while ago. Jack Peterson and his other friend - Parker Andrews, I believe - must be around the same age bracket,”

              Johnson's eyebrows raised for half a millisecond before dropping down to their original position. He hadn't noticed that at all! “Wait a second, didn't you say that your daughter attends the Melrose Academy?”

               “Yes, that would be correct,”

              “And don't Jack Peterson, the Prime Minister's son, Parker Andrews and Jace Alexander Hamilton all attend the same school?”

             Mrs Martinez almost choked on her tea. “W-Why, yes. I believe so. What are you implying?” 

            Johnson suddenly remembered the note that was in his pocket. “It's nothing, Mrs Martinez. I just think it is odd that your daughter and Mr Peterson were targeted by D.A.B. Speaking of which...may I see the note that your daughter received?”

             “Of course,” She got up from the couch and disappeared for about a minute before returning with a piece of paper in between her fingers.

            Johnson stretched his hand out to receive it. His fingers opened the folded piece of paper. In cursive writing, it was written what Mrs Martinez had said: ‘We are coming for you - D.A.B’.

            But the handwriting was familiar. He had seen it before somewhere. 

           Maybe, he thought with his heart and mind racing, maybe because, it is the same handwriting as the one in the note that I found in the Game Centre.

           The note that wants me to hurry.

          The very note that is in my pocket right now. 

A/N • Question: If you had a time machine, would you rather go several years back into the past or go several years forward into the future?

(My answer: I would go several years back in time to the past. I want my future to be a surprise and plus, I've always wanted to live in the 20s and 30s ❤)