Finding the serial killer

Chapter 100

Chapter 100

Jake’s POV,

I woke up to a weird scene today. like really weird. like really, really weird. I woke up at six, maybe before, I was too shocked to really see the time, but it was dark enough outside to know it not too late yet. I work up to bangs and knock out in the kitchen and for a minute I completely I have company. I've been too used to of living alone I keep forgetting people don’t always live alone.

But as the reality sit in, that Jerry is more like dad and which means he doesn’t have a single bone that would push him to wake up early in the morning and go to the kitchen unless it’s because they’re hungry which is understandable because Jerry didn’t look like he’s eaten much at all.

What I see there was beyond my imagination. Jerry was just in his shorts standing in front of the fridge, eyes half opened, half closed. He was half awake, half asleep. I tried calling him to be really sure he wasn’t sleepwalking, but he indeed was. He didn’t react to any of my calls.

His hands milk and butter and maybe some berries in his hand, some cream around his mouth, some on his torso, and some that he is chewing. I'm too overwhelmed to really say much. He’s never done anything like this. Never, and from where I can see it’s definitely not because he has binge eating disorder, it’s something that he’s trying to keep inside. He had to burst someday. That day is coming in full charged speed.

I put him to bed. He didn’t wake up. I cleaned him. he didn’t move. I cleaned the kitchen, cleaned myself, put together a breakfast and then he wakes up unknown to his own antiques. I'm letting this go, just this time, because I don’t want to stress him anymore.

He sits on the table across me where I had his breakfast served already. “I'm going to a high school.” I tell him.

“Emily and I think whoever was that person was who delivered all those packages, he might be one of the students in that school.”

“You mean the killer.”

“Not sure if he could be the killer. We have to start with small steps before we take big ones.” he nodded petting his tummy. “You must be hungry.” I added. “Eat something, you'll feel better.”

“I have a stomach ache, do you think there was something in the pizza. I feel like I might throw up.” I wanted to tell him it cannot be pizza, he probably ate like two bites. I also wanted to tell him about what I earlier saw.

“It could be indigestion. I have some medicine in the bathroom.” He got up to get the medicine while I got up to put back the plates and get ready to go out. “Take care,” I tell him before he passed me a very laboured smile.

I feel the need to tell him to be happy or at least try to be happy, but I know that’s not gonna change anything. Stella was in every part of his life. his existence. It will be unfair to expect him to rip away that part from him so fast.

So, I just leave on that note. From my car to the school. Emily was already there by then.

The hallways are wide and matched with red and white paint and black floor inched about five meters till we have our first turn to the principal’s office. It smells like the floors were freshly been mopped minutes ago and soon the students are about to bust in through the doors we just walked through. It’s a weird feeling, a heavy feeling, it’s hard to describe, it’s a feeling of deep sadness that slows me down but a fast beat that’s telling me to keep walking. It’s like I don’t remember my good times in school at all, but I remember all those days when I used to drag myself to all those classes, when I would push myself to keep playing basketball. From what I do remember my school was nothing like this. There were no huge crowd, it was hard enough to get in it, not even the richest could get in, I was in for sports and Jerry was in for his brains. I used to love everything I didn’t in school, every second I was here, until I didn’t. all after I head mom and dad arguing. I heard dad telling mom that I was no longer his son, that mom has turned me into a sissy but all her fictional stories. Maybe that was why I decided to join the army, maybe that was why I decided to join the police force. Maybe I didn’t like the way mom cried that night. Maybe— dad was right, I'm still a sissy. Small things still affect me a lot more, even walking through these walls, I still remember that time and I still get so upset. I just wish every pain can just go away. Although I don’t have many good memories that I can consider good and be proud of them, I definitely remember how rebellious we were, me and Stella. She was one friend I thought I will have for like. She was so much like me, and so much not like me, unlike our friends who wanted to go on to inherit their thrones as an heir, we wanted our separate paths. She had a path she already chose, I did too. she donated so much of her inheritance and started all from scratch. Maybe it’ll just be her memories and her bravery that will be with us always.

“Hello, Mr. Wilson and Ms. Davis. I've been waiting for you.” A man, large but not wide stood outside the principal’s office in a black-grey checked suit. He was the typical kind of person every school will have who had eyes at all parts of the school, but is pretty good at playing dumb. I have a feeling he’s just that.

We shake his hand. His smile, too wide, never left his lips. “Can we see Mrs. Carmen Webb?”

“Ms.”

“What?”

“Ms. Carmen Webb.” Definitely the breed of humans I detest, and from the looks of it, Emily does too.

“Yeah, can we meet her?”

“She’s not here.” he says and today I've probably learnt to hate smiles, or at least his smiles, it’s for some reason making my mood a lot worse than it should’ve. “She’s in a meeting with the board of directors, but she’s given me the responsibilities to help you around.” well, it was foolish enough to this a principal would go around school anyway and not like we have much of a choice anyway either. I give a look to Emily who agreed to go with the flow and so we did.

“Alright, then help you get the CCTV for these dates.” I've bought a note with around the same timelines and dates when the four boxes were delivered that could get us pretty close to a perfect guess. We just need students around those that time, Jerry will help us point in the right direction.

He looks at the date like it’s tough for him to really know what it means what I've wrote down. Not that my writing his BS, I think his IQ is. “Our technician will help us.” He folds the paper twice before sliding it into his pockets. “Please follow me.” we followed the bald man as he navigates us to the damn center of the school. “Please.” He smiles horridly and holds the door open.

We were welcomed to a room that is much bigger for a surveillance room of a school then I ever guessed.

“Ms. Carmen is very strict with the discipline around the campus.” There were literally five chairs out of two is vacant but not for long. There are literally five people watching every student. It doesn’t feel too much like a free country. School feels more like a military base. I don’t know if I should be relieved for us or appalled for the students.

“Help the detectives.” He slid the paper I gave him earlier to the man in black uniform sitting on one of the unvacated chair. Then he turns back to us checking his watch, “it’s time. I should go manage the students. They make a fuss if there is no one to oversee.”

After he left, Emily and I occupy the two chairs that laid in the middle of the monitors. While we wait, the man seemed busy in his task of retriving the footages we asked for.

Five minutes.

Ten minutes.

Fifteen minutes.

“Here.” the man said pulling us out of our zones. “I've copied it for you in the disk as well.” he played it on the biggest screen there was. But all I can see and recognize are several students running in. the delivery guy had baggy clothes, who knows what he wore underneath them.

“How can we identify all the names of the students on these footages?” Emily asked.

Yeah, that could be a way.

“It’s possible. But it might take some time. members from student council could help recognize each of them. but it’s not easy.”

“How long will it take?”

“Hours. Three. Two. Five.”

“We can wait.” Emily exclaimed. “We might look around the school in the meanwhile.” She whispered the last part in my ear.

That sounds horrifying. The familiarity of this room has only been my relief ever since I've walked in through those red-white walls.

“Sure.” I whispered her back.

“We’ll wait, please do it as soon as you could.” He nodded and we left him alone to do his work.