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Sidney sat at a desk, sipping a cup of water. The sheriff's jacket hung over her shoulders, and she looked pale and shaken from what had happened. Beside her, Adora sat close, her father's jacket also still over her shoulders as her hand was resting lightly on Sidney's arm to comfort them both and her head softly laid on Sidney's shoulder.

Dewey typed into the computer, his expression troubled, but he could not find what he was looking for.

"Did you find him?" Sidney asked, her voice small.

Dewey glanced at his notepad. "Are you sure it was the Hilton?"

"At the airport." Sidney confirmed, her eyes darting briefly to Adora, who gave her a reassuring smile, despite feeling like she could break down any minute. She had been in another attack. Adora was glad that at least Sidney survived with her this time, but she couldn't help but go back to that night over at Casey's house.

"He's not registered there." Dewey softly said. "Could he have stayed somewhere else?"

"I don't know." Sidney admitted, rubbing her hand over her forehead in frustration. "I guess."

Dewey leaned in. "Don't worry, Sid. We'll find him."

Sidney nodded numbly, staring at her cup. Adora squeezed her arm gently, leaning in close. "It's going to be okay, Sid." She said, her tone steady. "They'll figure it out."

"Dewey, the mask just came in." Another officer said, setting a paper down in front of him. Dewey stood up, gave a quick ruffle to his daughter's hair, and told them he'd be right back.

In the sheriff's office, Billy Loomis sat in a stiff chair, his arms crossed defensively. Next to him was his father, Hank Loomis, whose stern face mirrored his son's defiance.

"Let me ask you this. What are you doing with a cellular telephone, son?" Sheriff Burke asked, his voice sharp and pointed as he leaned forward, staring at Billy.

But Billy's attention wasn't on the sheriff, nor on the questions he was being grilled with. It was on Adora, who was sitting on the other side of the wall with Sidney. Her hands were resting on her lap as she whispered something to Sidney, her expression soft yet full of concern and fear.

Billy's gaze lingered, his eyes tracing the curve of her face, the way her hair caught the light, the subtle way she leaned in to comfort Sidney, and the tenderness in her movements. His pulse quickened, his mind spiraling away from the interrogation entirely.

"Hey!" Sheriff Burke's voice snapped him back to the moment. Billy's head jerked toward him, his composure cracking for a brief second. But the sheriff hadn't missed where the boys attention had been.

"Everybody's got one, Sheriff." Billy spoke, holding up his hand in self-defense. "I swear I didn't make those calls."

"Why don't you check the phone bill, for Christ's sake?" Hank asked the Sheriff and even a stranger would know that the man would rather be anywhere else but here. "Call Vital Phone Comp. They got the records of every number dialed."

"Thanks, Hank. We're on top of it." Sheriff Burke's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the youngest Loomis and his voice grew colder. "What were you doing out at Sidney's tonight?"

Billy shifted in his seat, his arms tightening across his chest. "I just wanted to see her, that's all."

"And last night? Sidney said you crawled through her window last night too." Burke said and his tone was hard.

Hank Loomis turned to his son, surprise flickering across his stern face. "You went out last night?" He asked, his voice edged with disbelief. It was clear he hadn't noticed his son's movements. But he hadn't bothered to check in with him either.

Billy hesitated for a moment, his confidence faltering. "I was watching TV." He stammered. "I got bored. I decided to go for a ride."

Burke's eyes narrowed, his suspicion deepening. "Did you happen to ride by Casey Becker's house?"

Billy's jaw tightened as he shook his head. "No. I didn't." he lied, his voice steadier now, a defensive edge creeping in. "Sheriff, I didn't kill anybody." He added, his tone rising slightly, frustration cracking through.

Burke leaned back, folding his arms as he regarded the boy critically. "We're gonna have to hold you, son, till we get those phone records."

Billy's composure crumbled further, anger flashing across his face. "This is crazy. You know that? I didn't do it." He said and without waiting for a response, he turned his head sharply, his body following suit as he shifted in the chair.

His gaze locked back onto Adora through the glass wall. She was still seated beside Sidney, her presence calm yet clearly tinged with worry. Her lips moved softly as she spoke to Sidney, but Billy couldn't make out the words. His anger seemed to melt away as he watched her, his expression softening. It was as if she were the only anchor holding him steady.

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Billy's voice cracked with desperation, his hands twitching around in his handcuffs as two officers where leading him to a cell. "Sidney, Sidney, come on, you know me! Adora, look at me, come on!" He pleaded, his eyes wide with a mix of panic and frustration.

Unlike Sidney, Adora did look around and she still couldn't bring herself to believe that Billy was capable of the things he was being accused of. It didn't make sense to her. She had known him for years, and despite his flaws, this wasn't him. She did believe him but they just had to wait until they proved that Billy wasn't the person who had called them.

Tatum stepped closer to her cousin and Sidney, her concern evident as she spoke softly, trying to calm them down. Sidney had tears rolling down her face and Adora was staring at the wall in front of them, looking like a ghost trapped in her own thoughts and body. She couldn't shake the feeling of unease, like something was terribly wrong, but her mind kept returning to Billy.

"We are going to get you out of here, okay? Are you two okay?"

Sidney nodded, wiping her tears with the back of her hand, her voice trembling as she spoke, "I... I don't know. I'm so confused, Tatum."

Tatum looked at Adora, but her cousin remained eerily still, her eyes vacant. "Adora?" Tatum's voice softened, knowing something wasn't right.

Adora blinked slowly, snapping out of her trance. She looked at Tatum, her face pale and distant. "Yeah, I'm fine." She said quietly, though her tone lacked conviction.

Meanwhile, Dewey and Sheriff Burke were talking in the background about the ghost mask. Dewey's voice was frustrated as he tried to make sense of things. "They sell this costume in every five and dime in the state. There is no way to track the purchase."

Sheriff Burke nodded, his face hardening. "What about the cellular phone bill?"

Dewey shook his head, his expression grim. "We're pulling Loomis' account. We won't know anything till morning."

Tatum, unable to keep her impatience in check, threw her hands up. "Oh, come on!"

Dewey looked over at her, his voice cool. "Think he did it?"

Sheriff Burke gave a thoughtful, almost regretful sigh. "Twenty years ago, I would've said 'not a chance,' but these kids today, damn if I know."

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Words: 1274

Posted: December 19, 2024

Rewritten: Saturday March 29, 2025

Reposted: Saturday March 29, 2025

Thank you so much for reading again! Be sure to comment and vote! Love you guys!!

xoxo Katherine