Cops and robbers
1070 Words
I save the note in my pocket and call Noah immediately.
Some of my baggage may get lost, but I don't really care about that. Pictures of Hansen being murdered flash in my mind, numbing my sight. Fortunately, these images fade away with his voice.
"Eric? Are you ok?"
"I-I just need to know if you're fine."
"Of course, I'm fine. I was having a great dream with cakes and cookies."
I sigh in relief, he's ok. "I'm sorry Noah, I just..."
"You just what?? Are you going to tell me what the f**k is going on?" He demands, his voice rising as he speaks.
The murderer already knows about Noah. It would be stupid if I didn't tell him now. He is in danger.
"Uhm... Where are you?"
"In my house, where else would I be?"
I roll my eyes. He’s more sarcastic than I remembered. "Could you come to the airport?"
"WHAT? Don't you have school?"
"Not exactly. I'll explain you everything there."
"Are you asking me to skip school just to go out with you?"
"It's really important, Noah."
He doesn't say a word. I'd sprint towards him right now, but I don't know where he lives. In the past he trusted me when no one else did. I hope it doesn't change, ever.
My flight has left, and the clock announces that it’s already five in the morning.
Around me, the people keep walking, greeting friends and family with happiness or saying goodbye with sadness. I just stand there in silence with fear, waiting for a response at the phone.
"Alright. We'll talk. I'll be there soon."
"Bye."
I hang up with a stupid smile on my face. Yes, a serial killer is going after me, but that doesn't diminish the impact this little moment has in me.
After getting back my baggage, I call my mom to tell her that I changed my mind in the last minute. Although she gives me a lecture about how money doesn’t grow in trees, she is understanding about the situation.
Once that call has ended, I wait impatiently at a coffee shop in the airport. I buy two coffees and sit by a table outside so anyone who walks in can see me.
It's inevitable for me to relax. I just keep looking around me, trying to find a suspicious person.
Noah sends me a text asking exactly where I’m at. I answer immediately.
He arrives in a matter of minutes.
"Hi. I bought you this." I say, handing him the cup as he sits in front of me.
"Save that for later. I want to know what's going on. Eric, I don't remember you. I tried, but I can't. If all of this is linked to something of our past, I-"
"No. It isn't." I cut him off, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Have you seen the news? Someone was murdered the day we went to that party."
He frowns, playing with his cup as he had done before at Starbucks.
"What with that?"
"I-I witnessed it." I confess in just a whisper, taking out the note the killer left for me and showing it to him. "He's after me. I didn't want to involve anyone, but- Somehow-"
"This is a joke, right?" He says in astonishment after reading the note in silence.
"No, it isn't."
Then, he covers his face with both of his hands. "WHAT THE f**k MAN? DO YOU WANT ME TO GO WITH YOU OR SOMETHING?"
"NO. This is a hundred percent serious Noah. I'm not asking you to go with me to Fairford. I just want to make sure that you're ok."
He leans back on his chair, still hiding his face behind his hands. "Have you called the police?"
"Not yet."
"WHAT THE f**k ARE YOU WAITING FOR?"
"I'll go personally to the station."
"I'll go with you." He says, uncovering his eyes.
"Are you ok with skipping school then?"
"If I go to school, I'll probably end up dead. No, thank you."
We take our cups and rush towards the exit. Noah sends a text from his phone in the moment we enter the car.
"Who are you talking with?"
"Felix."
I start the engine. "Will you tell him about this?"
"I don't want my boyfriend to be involved. I just told him a stupid excuse. NOW DRIVE."
"Alright, sorry."
After very negative comments about my driving skills, we get to the police station. Only a couple of detectives have arrived. Fortunately, I know one of them.
"Will!" I call him, forgetting about all the formalities.
He approaches us with a worried look. “Eric, how have you been?"
"Not really. Remember what I told you before? About my weird fear of being chased by the murderer?"
He laughs slightly. "Yes, why?"
Noah takes out the note and hands it to the tall, brown-haired man as I explain: "Someone put it in a pocket of my jeans."
The smirk on Will’s face fades away. He takes a deep breath and points at my friend. "I suppose you're Noah." We nod. "Are you a couple or something?"
"NO, NOT AT ALL." Hansen’s answer feels like he’s just smashed the broken pieces of my heart with a hammer.
"He's just a friend." I add, coping the pain in my chest.
"Alright." The detective concludes. "Another cop will keep an eye on you two for today. I need to investigate this." With that, he walks away.
Noah and I look at each other, not knowing exactly what to do. We return to the car. But this time there's no rush in going anywhere.
"What kind of bullshit is this?" He asks while rubbing his face with his hands.
"Noah, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"
"What's done is done. Do you even know who could have done this?" He interrupts me, now lowering his arms and looking straight through the window of his side.
"No. And, honestly, I don't think the police will do much."
"Why do you say so?" He asks, looking at me.
“They didn’t think I had actually been chased by the murderer in the first place."
He sighs. "Are you planning on playing cops and robbers?"
"No but having an idea of who is trying to kill us would be nice."
- Writer
