COLD

°Chapter Three°

Wesley Wood came late. 

Too late he couldn't save Audrey.

His feet were still glued to the ground in shock and horror. He hadn't moved a muscle even after he had called the police in terror.

He had found Audrey's lifeless body lying in a pool of blood in her spacious bedroom.

Profuse blood was oozing out of the bullet wound on her brow. She had been shot once on the forehead and twice on her chest, probably to make sure she died on the spot.

But something made his heart stop about the cold murder of Audrey.

Her throat was slit EXACTLY like the frog's.

And eerily, she had the "cross with a tail" sign scrapped on her forehead.

To make things worse, the killer had sprayed the wall using a blood red spray can. The eerie message was written in bold.

"GAME ON!"

He had left that for Wesley to see. That's why the criminal made Audrey call Wesley. Whoever he or she was, they knew that he'd come running when he heard those gunshots.

And then they left this cryptic message for him.

Game On? What the f**k did that mean?

Wes was still staring at the b****y scribbles in Audrey's bedroom in disbelief when one of the detectives from The Kingsville Police Department (KDP) sauntered towards him.

His badge read, Darren Todd. He was tall and lean. His smooth brown face and deep sparkly brown eyes would brand him "handsome" but one thing was undeniable about Detective Darren, he had impeccable taste in suits. Especially the fit Grey suit he was in right now.

He stretched his hand out to Wesley primly.

"Detective Darren," he showed off his badge.

"Wesley Wood."

"I know your dad. He did business with my father some few years back."

Wesley didn't find any of that information relevant. Especially at this specific horrific time. But being a detective, Darren was already used to all these dead bodies, Wes thought.

"Oh, great," he shrugged it off, showing lack of interest.

The Detective cleared his throat and switched to a stern serious tone.

"Mr. Wood, Do you know anyone who might have done this to Ms. Audrey Yang?"

"No sir."

"You're the last person Ms. Yang called before her death. Is that correct?"

"Yeah... ."

"She didn't tell you something? Anything?"

"I just heard muffled squeaks... "

"So there's nothing she told you? Completely nothing?"

"No..."

"How was your relationship like with Ms. Yang?"

"Sorry sir but how will that irrelevant information help with catching the killer who is out in the streets walking free?"

"As far as i know, I might be talking to the killer right this moment."

Wesley's brow crinkled with bewilderment, then it slowly turned to anger.

"Are you calling me a killer."

"Everyone is a killer until proven innocent."

"Well, sir, you're looking in the wrong direction!" Wesley snapped. "Because I am not the killer! Why the f**k would I do all this then call you guys? I am not stupid, sir!"

"Killers are not stupid either."

Wes glared at him and rolled his eyes.

Darren stared at Wes for a moment, as if he was trying to magically read his eyes. He didn't hesitate to glare back at him, his teeth gritted tightly.

Wesley's phone rang in his pocket.

Tyler.

Oh s**t! He had asked to come do his assignment in the evening at his place. He decided to decline the call. He'd immediately call him after he was done with this d**k of a detective.

Wes retorted. "Are you done with your questions, sir?"

"I think I am, just one more thing..."

"What?"

"That sign Ms. Yang had on her brow, have you seen it before?"

His stomach lurched. "Yes."

Darren's eyes lit up. "Where?"

"On a slaughtered frog in my desk this morning."

If he was disgusted by the information, he didn't show it. The detective's face was blank of any emotion.

"I see we're dealing with a saddist here."

"Can i go now?"

"Why would someone kill a frog and drop it inside your desk."

"I don't know, sir," Wes muttered impatiently.

"Could you know anyone who might have done that to you? Because that dead frog is definitely linked to Ms. Yang's murder."

"I don't have names, detective."

"Anyone you're beefing with at school?"

The list was long. He and his 'g**g' didn't get along with most of the students in Kingsville College. To them, the students hated them because they couldn't be them.

Wes shook his head. "No one."

He didn't know of anyone who would do such a sick diabolical thing. The ones he knew would just get into fist fights but murder? No!

"That's all for today, Mr. Wood. I'll contact you if some questions arise..."

But Wes didn't want to ever see his face again. But unfortunately for him, he would be seeing Detective Darren often since Wes was an important piece in this investigation.

"Please keep safe," advised Darren. "From the look of things, I think you're a target... If not the killer... I'll be calling you in for more questions, Mr. Wood. Have a good evening."

Wes fled out of the crime scene in a rush, desperate to have fresh air knock his nostrils. He felt suffocated.

The minute he stepped outside, he bumped into Mrs. Yang, yelling and crying hysterically.

Audrey's mother was a single mom. She seemed like a sweet funny woman the few times he had been with her at dinners. And all those times, she was always laughing and making a joke about something. To add onto that, Mrs. Yang loved her only child, Audrey, unconditionally, with her entire heart. She said Audrey reminded her of her late husband who succumbed to lung cancer. She reminded her of the man she had fallen deeply and irrevocably inlove with.

It broke his heart that this lively vibrant woman had her young daughter's life taken away from her in such a gruesome manner. It even broke his heart even more thinking that this death was somehow eerily linked to him.

"They just said they took my daughter to a mortuary!" she cried. "They are saying she's dead! They are lying! Tell me they are lying, Wes! Audrey can't be dead! My baby can't be dead!"

Mrs. Yang shook Wesley's arms in panic and trauma, begging him to tell her that her daughter was alive and all this was some sick prank Audrey was playing on her.

But it was not.

This was the reality.

And this reality was horror itself.

He didn't even know what to feel anymore. How to act anymore. He was numb. Speechless.

He might have secretly hated Audrey and how clingy she was but there's not a day he wished death on her.

Wesley sighed in relief when a bunch of two policemen dragged Mrs.Yang away from him. He lacked the skills to handle or calm down a mourning mother.

He was walking towards his new black Benz when his phone suddenly buzzed.

It was a message.

A message from Audrey?

What!!!

How is this possible.

He quickly opened the message.

"An eye for an eye"

"A tooth for a tooth"

"Blood for Blood"

His heart sank.

These were the exact same cryptic words on the b****y note in his desk.

He quickly rushed back to The Yang house and stomped towards Detective Darren.

Wes showed the detective his phone.

"I've got something."

****

Wesley drove along the gravel driveway and parked his car at the lot in his posh compound.

He stepped out and immediately, Tyler attacked him with questions.

He had been waiting for him at the front porch for hours, wallowed in worry and disbelief. Now atleast Wesley was here to explain what he really meant in the call.

"What do you mean Audrey is dead?"

Wes took in a deep breathe.

"Let's get to my room. I'll explain everything."

First thing he did when they got to his room was take off the "hideous" suit and slide into a pair of grey sweatpants and a grey sweatshirt.

Tyler slumped on the king-size bed, tossing his duffle bag on the floor.

"That hideous suit is a bad omen. I'll burn it to ashes!"

"Can we get to the part where Audrey died!"

Tyler was dying to know what really happened. If it's true Audrey was dead but his colleague, Wesley, seemed hesitant.

Wes filled a glass with water from the blue bottle on the bedside table and swallowed some antidepressants from the chemist.

"I thought you were off those!"

"You thought wrong..."

Wes took in a deep breathe and plonked on his bed. He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. It had been an awful day. A day he'd live to remember.

"So," he heaved a sigh. "Audrey is dead. And I think her death might be linked to the death of the frog..."

Tyler listened keenly as Wes narrated a real horror movie, just that this time it was a reality.

After he was done telling him about the terror, Tyler frowned,

"Someone is after you, Wes..."

****

The following morning, Wes was still distressed and in disbelief about Audrey's death but atleast he didn't wake up from one of those nightmares.

He was dressing up for school that early morning. He was a little delighted that he didn't have to wear a suit to school today. His dad had gone on a business trip last evening, Estelle had told her son at dinner.

His mother had noticed his sullen mood and asked him about it at the dinner table but he just shrugged it off and lied it was nothing. He was not ready to disclose to his mom that Audrey, whom she'd only met twice, was dead. She'd end up asking a lot of questions and make a mountain out of the situation. He didn't want that.

Someone flipped the door open as he put on his black leather jacket.

Candice.

The pretty young housemaid.

God! She was pretty as hell.

His face immediately lit up when he saw her. And for a moment, he was able to forget all the horror happening. She had that beautiful effect on him.

"Shut that door!" he grinned at her.

Swiftly, she shut the door.

In a flash of light, he pulled her into his arms and they kissed passionately and fiercely, both so hungry for each other. He swooped her in his arms and carried her to his bed. She lifted her dress and parted her legs so he could dig himself inside her.

Someone opened the door suddenly.

They both parted instantly.

Estelle.

His mother.

Wes jerked back immediately and started tieing his belt, his head bowed down. Candice pretended to wipe the bedside table.

"So this is why you're always in a good mood at the breakfast table," Estelle scoffed at her son sardonically.

"Mom, I told you to be knocking before you enter my room."

"And now I know why," she glared at Candice from head to toe.

"Don't tell dad! Please!"

"I didn't see anything," said Estelle.

Wes smiled. "Anyway, why are you here?"

"Detective Darren is here to see you. I hope it's not something you did at school!"

Wesley zipped his pants and bolted out of his room. He had no time to talk to his mom. Maybe Darren had found the killer.

The detective was seated on the couch, his feet tapping as he looked around the huge house.

The minute he saw Wesley, he stood up and said,

"We tracked her phone."

****