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My parents led me out of the station, and we drove to the hospital to visit Jason. I told him in person that we had closed the case. That his mother’s killers were going away for a long time. At this news, he broke down and cried while I hugged him close.
The next morning, I woke up to find the case was all over the web and the news. Much to my dismay, the focus was on me, the ‘junior sleuth’ who never gave up and had broken the case wide open, who solved a murder case once before and was sure to have a bright future as a detective. Little did they know I was going to shoot for the ‘private’ variety.
Working on this case only solidified those aspirations. A police detective would never have gotten away with breaking into a house to find evidence. They would have had to wait for a search warrant, and by the time it was granted, evidence could have easily been disposed of. There were restrictions in place. There were reports to file. It wasn’t something I wanted to do.
Over the next six months, Jason and I lived in a sort of romantic bliss that I had never thought possible. I fell hard for him, and we often expressed our regret for not having explored a relationship in all the years we’d known each other. Unfortunately, we let the societal constraints of high school dictate our paths, and it was sad that it took the murder of Jason’s mother to finally bring us back together.
We celebrated my eighteenth birthday together on December twelfth. Jason, along with his father and sister, joined our family for Christmas dinner, where we exchanged gifts and sang carols. Dr. Kenilworth showed off his skills with an acoustic guitar to lead us all.
At midnight on New Year’s Eve, Jason and I kissed. On Valentine’s Day, we ate at a fancy restaurant. We went to senior prom and ended the night alone in his bedroom. Finally, we threw our hats into the air at graduation and celebrated with family and friends at our joint party.
Then the day came when I moved away.
The moving truck was loaded, and my mother’s car was fastened on the trailer connected by a hitch to my father’s SUV. Jason and Gwen had come by to help with the move, though the movers handled most of it. It was nearly time to leave.
I hugged Gwen first. “I’m going to miss you so much.”
“I’ll miss you too,” she said, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. “I will Facetime you every night.”
“I’m going to hold you to that.”
When I hugged Jason, I didn’t want to let go. “I wish we had more time.”
“Hey, the University of Miami and Louisville are both in the ACC,” he winked. “I’m going to be playing down there eventually, and there’s no way I’d miss a chance to visit you.”
I pulled away and kissed him. “I look forward to it.” For a moment, I only looked into his eyes, afraid to say what I wanted to. Finally, I forced myself to say it anyway. “I love you.”
“I know,” he said with a roguish smile. “I love you too.”
“And you’ll Facetime me all the time too?”
He nodded emphatically. “Absolutely.”
“Holly,” my father called, “We’re heading out.”
I gave him a wave and turned back to my friends. “Bye. I love you both. Don’t forget about me.”
Gwen couldn’t resist the tears any longer, and they broke free as I climbed into the SUV. I waved as we pulled away until we turned off our street, and I could no longer see them. I let out a sad sigh and faced forward.
Ahead of me was a new life. I’d solved two murders before I turned eighteen and was off to a new city where I would pursue my dream of becoming a successful private investigator. It was thrilling and nerve-wracking at the same time.
My parents had a 90s rock playlist on the radio, and I was settled in for a long trip. Reaching into my bag, I pulled a book from the side pocket and ran a hand over the dynamic cover that could have been better if the title had been in a different font. It depicted a shadowy figure on a wet street. At his feet, a body and a pool of blood. With renewed curiosity, I opened the book to the first chapter. It was time to start a new mystery.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
D.A. Schneider is an author of multiple genres who makes his home in Louisville, Kentucky. He has two sons and started his writing career in 2007 with the self-published novel, Avenging Autumn. After trying for some time to break into the comic book industry with his artwork, D.A. instead decided to focus fully on writing. He signed with KGHH Publishing in 2017 and Poe Boy Publishing in 2020. D.A.’s latest releases are the horror novels The 9 Ghosts of Samen’s Bane and the Ghost Hunter Z Trilogy. His work has also appeared in several short story anthologies and online literary magazines.
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