Deadly Obsession

Chapter 20

(3rd Person's POV)

It's already past 8 in the morning and students of Jacksonville high are already milling around the small campus although the Halloween party ended almost 1 am last night.

Most of them still looked as if they had too many shots from the Jack Daniels that Alexander Reynolds and Terry Simpson smuggled later last night but they were forced by their mummies and daddies to go to school today.

Even Principal Smith is late but that did not stop Jacksonville High to resume it's classes.

The students are already removing the Halloween decorations at the main hall of the main building. Helena's classmates are already cleaning the hallway while she just stood on the corner of the spacious hall that held the various trophies and awards that Jacksonville High. She had little sleep over what happened last night and can't get it over her head.

She stared at the hanged mannequin of a white lady that is hanged at the middle of the hallway. She cannot see the face for it is very far and is facing away from her but she has an odd feeling that something is wrong with it.

She saw Diana Hansen, one of her classmates point at it. "Hey, Dylan and Thomas! What about that deco? Can you bring that down?"

The two boys she called approached the mannequin and both scratched their heads.

"I can't remember putting that in there. The janitors must have been the ones who put it there." Dylan said while trying to have a look at the deco. "Wow, it seems to be ugly... And real."

That was the moment when two dead and dead cockroaches fell from the mannequin.

"Yuck! Put that away!!" Diana shrieked and the two boys just laughed.

Then, Chuck Taylor, the basketball varsity captain chose to speak. chose to speak. "Uh... Guys, I don't think that that is a Halloween decoration..."

All of them stared at the hanged mannequin.

"M-my God.." Jane Austin muttered. "I-is that a dead body?!"

Somebody screamed and moments later, the hall is already in chaos. That is the moment when the hanged corpse suddenly turned around and Helena came face to face with the swollen skinned corpse of the once beautiful girl that tried to ruin her face last night... Her face cannot be easily recognized because it was badly swelling and is bloody but her baby blue eyes are opened wide as if she is accusing Helena of her demise... Amanda Brown... She screamed and suddenly, everything became dark.

(CI Robinson's POV)

"This is really a f****d up case." I muttered as I watch my people lower the corpse that was found hanging on the ceiling of the main hall of Jacksonville high. All students except for Helena are asked to go home and the school was closed for further investigation.

Agent Allen Taylor who is currently taking down notes by my side nodded in agreement. "I really pity that Helena girl. This is the sixth murder that is connected with her in just a span of three months after all."

"How is she?"

"Still unconscious. Some agents are guarding her. Some of her classmates told us she screamed before she fainted. Nobody wanted to touch her because they're afraid they'll be next." He answered and I shook my head. Poor girl...

"So who is this time?" I asked Detective Ashley Greene as she approached us.

"We just ran a search at our system. Nobody can identify her easily with that swollen face but all of them are betting that it is Amanda Brown. She haven't shown up today and they have the same features except that the corpse seemed to be tortured to death based on those horrible marks and swelling on her skin. And if you just saw those cockroaches that came out of her mouth... They're horrible." She even stuck out her tongue in disgust. "Only a psycho can do this. You see? Kill a girl and hang her corpse in school like a Halloween decoration."

Taylor took a look at the girl's photo and shook his head. "Real pity. She's kinda hot though."

"Stop being a pervert! That kid's a victim." Greene scolded him.

"What does the note say this time?" I asked. She just handed me the ziplock that contains the usual stalk of lavender and the small piece of paper.

She bragged her beauty and now she doesn't have it anymore. Such an ugly way to die isn't it?

"Isn't there another one? What does this mean?" I frowned.

"The victim had a cat fight with Helena last night. She was with another girl, Riley Keenan. She almost ruined Helena's face with a rusty metal but was stopped just in time."

"And where is Riley Keenan?" I asked.

"At home. She is with her boyfriend, Julian Ashcroft all morning. She broke down after hearing the news."

"Julian Ashcroft, you say? Isn't he the Department store owner's son? One of the two cousins we saw hanging around the Blackthorn's residence?" I frowned.

"Yes. Apparently they have been dating for a few months now and that boy is actually a bully. He has been bullying Helena for years now according to some of the students."

"Typical rich brat." Taylor snorted with disdain beside me.

"How about the cousin?" I asked.

"He is out of the list of possible murderers. The student council told me he was with them the whole night even when the party ended at 1 am. And Amanda, along with Riley was asked to leave the party at barely 8 pm. And the boy only leaves his post when he interacts with other students."

"Another dead end." Taylor said.

"You are right. Damn it! They're actually my two possible suspects." I said grimly.

"I forgot to tell you this but Lucas Parker's case was not just a simple hit and run. You know, the transferee boy who helped Helena when she was soaked in pig's blood. Turns out he also helped her at Brooklyn when she was kidnapped by Piedro Constantino. His tire was shot and the investigators in Brooklyn thinks that he was run over by the unidentified car when he went out to check it."

"Damn. So the killer don't just kill the bullies. He or she also tried to kill the possible knight-in-shining-armour." Taylor grimaced.

"He hasn't woke up yet, has he?" We need to question the boy, fast.

"He was badly injured. One of his arms and both his legs were on cast. His dad is really devastated but it's a good thing he is not blaming Helena for his son's demise. I'd say the man is a saint."

"That's good. I'm tired of all those shitty parents running to my office and asking me to arrest Helena." I frowned at the bad memory.

"I hope we can solve it already. I'm tired of all these murders. They're just teenagers for heaven's sake."

"I wish for that too. Or soon, Helena's own life would be in real danger."