Captured: Luke's Perspective

Chapter 7: Tick Tock

After the doors opened, I saw an old woman curling into a ball and leaning against the wall. The lights sprang back on, but it kept flickering, like a firefly.

I turned off my flashlight and examined the woman. She had long white hair with grey eyes and a sunken mouth. Her nose was the size as a button. She wore a long hospital gown.

As soon as she looked at me, she frowned. "Are you June?" I asked softly. She rose up from her spot and stared at me. "What are you doing here?" she asked. "This is the hospital," I reminded her. Or what was left of it, I thought. The woman shook her head. "No," she stated. "This is my house."

I gave her a puzzled look. "Is your name June?" I asked in wonder. The woman continued staring at me then hesitantly nodded. "My name is Luke," I introduced. "Your brother hired me to investigate what happened to his wife."

"But you look sixteen," she replied. Her expression was a bit sad but cheery. "I'm actually seventeen," I corrected. "Do you want to go outside so we can talk?" "But this is my house," she protested.

I didn't want to make her upset so I took her by the hand and promised her that if I was finished talking to her, she can go back to her "house". June reluctantly took my hand as I led her out of the building.

When sunlight reached her skin, June recoiled then hurried back into the hospital, but I gave her a reassured look. June sat down on the sunbaked sidewalk and looked up at me.

"Can you tell me about where you were before the murder?" I asked. "I was going to the grocery store to buy some champagne for Natalie and Alexander," June explained. "But when I came home, I saw Natalie on the floor with a bullet on her back."

"Did you and Natalie get along well?" I asked. June sucked her cheeks and let out her breath. "I was very skeptical about Natalie and Alexander being together, especially my parents."

"I read in Alexander's diary that you were all Christians," I said. "We are Christians," June said. "But that doesn't mean that people will always hold hands and sing Kumbaya. There were some...conflicts about how the Parkers react to other neighbors."

"Reactions?" I asked. "Just this one time," June began. "I caught the neighbors putting graffiti on their windows. I tried stopping them, threatening them that I should call the police, but they just laughed at me."

"Did you call the police?" I asked. June nodded. "What did they say?" June let out a bitter laugh. "They said, 'We're busy, come back another time'." I stared at her in disbelief.

"Even though I never liked Natalie," June admitted. "We were always there for each other, especially my mother and father. Every day, we replaced the painted windows with news ones, but the neighbors wouldn't stop harassing them."

"Are you really sick?" I blurted. June looked at me in surprise then sadly nodded. "Personality disorder is a very lousy disease," June sighed. "Your brother said that you have bipolar and dementia." I said in confusion.

"My brother says a lot of things that he doesn't know," she snorted. "What are the names of your neighbors?" I asked. "I will try and tell them all," June said. "You got a piece of paper?"

"I'll try to remember them," I said. She cleared her throat and gave me the names. "Earl Grey, Harry and Jerry, and someone else, I don't remember."

"That's fine," I insisted, shaking her hand. "Thank you for the conversation." A woman with a nurse outfit came out of the hospital and discovered June sitting on the sidewalk.

"There you are," she said, taking her by the hand. "Let me take you back to your room, okay?" June smiled and squeezed her hand. The nurse gave me a dark look and disappeared into the hospital, along with June.

I looked back to the purple building and sighed. Cole wouldn't be leaving for about one hour. Running my fingers to my hair, I walked over to the dance studio and entered the building.

The insides of the studio was enormous. The walls were bathed in baby blue, the wooden floors smelled like lemon polish, and dancers were leaning against the horizontal poles.

The old woman in a black dress, probably the choreographer, was sitting in her desk, telling them to take a break. Dancers were lining up to the water fountain, except for Cole who was stretching her legs.

When she saw me, she grinned and walked over to me. "Hey Luke," Cole said. She wore a black tank top and matching pants. Her brownish-black hair was clutching against her neck.

"Hey," I said, trying not to drool. "I've talked to June Hilton." "What did she say?" Cole asked. She looked worried. I repeated everything June said. "June didn't kill Natalie?" she asked. I shook her head. "I only have the list of the neighbors that she gave me," I said. "I am going to give Seth the names and ask him if-"

"Hey Cole," Zach said, walking up to her. "Are you ready for.." His blue eyes saw mine. "Hey Luke," Zach beamed, chuckling embarrassingly. He wore black dancing gear, the same as Cole's, except he had a woolen cap.

"Hey," I said without enthusiasm. Zach looked at me then at Cole. "Are you two a couple?" he asked. Cole and I blushed. "Nope," I answered. "We're just friends." Cole nodded along with me.

My phone suddenly buzzed again. It was Seth calling me. "I have to go," I insisted. "I'll wait in the car." Cole gave me the keys and smiled. I ignored Zach's curious look and left the dance studio.

"What have you found, Seth?" I asked. "I managed to track down the parents," Seth explained. "They are teaching at California University." "Good," I said. "I also have some names for you to look up."

"Name them," Seth beamed. I gave him the three names and asked him if he could send me the addresses. "Will do, Grouch." Seth replied. "How's Zach and Cole doing?" I raised my eyebrow. "How did you-" "It was all they were talking about at school," Seth said. "Zach and Cole, together like two peas in a pod."

I gripped my phone tightly and stared at the car window. "Are you jealous or something?" Seth asked suddenly. "No," I said sharply. "I am okay with them dating." He bursted out laughing. "Wow," Seth whistled. "That is the dumbest lie I have ever heard."

My cheeks grew hot. "Shut up," I mumbled. "You are okay with them dating?" Seth asked. "That sounds like jealousy to me." "Shut up," I repeated. "Are they kissing right now-" "Goodbye," I stated firmly, hanging up on him.

I unlocked the car with the keys and sat in the passenger seat. Now that my i***t brother Seth isn't distracting me, I could focus on the case.

I thought about calling Alexander for more information about the murder. Just then, I felt something under my foot. I lifted my foot up and inspected the object: it was a piece of paper with letters from a magazine pasted on it.

I picked up the sheet and studied it. Stop digging or I will take something you want. What does it mean? I didn't understand what the threat was telling me. All of a sudden, I heard a loud explosion.