GREETINGS FROM W

Five

                      Skylar

I don't know if we could do it.

We all agreed that Luke was innocent, but we had no idea how to prove it. We don't know who framed him as he said he and Wolfe had many enemies. 

Tyler suggested we go to the police and ask them to reopen the investigation, but it would be foolish us to do so.

People Luke worked for before aren't like us. They are billionaires, crazy rich men and women who have the entire world under their feet— even the police. 

It was out of the question. The police would surely relay the message to the enemies, and they'll know we're looking for the culprits. We couldn't risk it. 

"I still think this is crazy," Jay chuckled, "How could it be his last wish? I was his best friend! He should have told me!”

I frowned and shook my head, "Jay, he didn't know he was about to die."

He scoffed, "Let me remind you that he killed himself, Skylar. He prepared his death."

I was about to protest when Shadow shoved him on the couch. He wasn't one to get angry, but he was more sensitive now. 

"Don't you dare say that about him," he muttered, "Wolfe didn't commit suicide, and you should know it." he looked straight at his eyes, "How can you say you were his best friend and still believe he did that?"

Jay looked away and rubbed the back of his neck. 

I put my hand on Shadow's arm and squeezed it gently. He looked at me and gave me a small smile. 

Before we could add more words, Aleyn ran down the stairs like a storm. "Guys! Come upstairs!"

"Why?" I raised an eyebrow, "It's not a good moment."

"It's about Wolfe," he said, attracting everyone's attention. 

We looked at each other and followed him slowly. We walked by the many rooms upstairs until the end of the corridor where Wolfe's room was. 

Everyone entered but Shadow.

I looked back and saw him standing outside the door, and his eyes were fixed on the ground as if there was an invisible barrier he couldn't cross. 

"Shadow?" I called him, and he slowly lifted his head to look at me. "Won't you come in?"

He nodded and walked inside, with his eyes on the floor as he didn't want to look around his brother's room. 

"So, what do you want to show us?" Tyler asked.

Aleyn sat on the white tulip chair and unlocked the computer, which made me wonder how he knew Wolfe's password.

"He left this USB on the desk," he said, pointing at the black pen drive. "And I found these files."

I moved closer to the desk and read different names on the files. They looked like song names.

"What is this?" Kaela asked. "Can we access to his files without permission?"

"Yeah, I feel like I'm invading his privacy," Tyler nodded.

Aleyn shook his head, "Guys, he left this for us," he said, making us all confused. "It's a full album."

I walked closer to the screen to take a look at the files. Wolfe organised everything in different sections, such as music guides, composition sheets, and line distribution. I see our names everywhere, and each one of us has a part in the songs with all its instructions. 

"He indeed planned it all, didn't he?" Tyler mumbled quietly. 

Shadow looked at Jay, who shook his head slowly and walked away. 

Things were getting more confusing. I still believed that Wolfe would never hurt himself that way, but at the same time, it seemed like he knew his time was about to come. He left a full album for us as if he was aware of our reunion. 

"What are we supposed to do with this?" Kaela asked, pointing at the files opened on the computer monitor. "Should we just give up on our careers and become a music band?" she scoffed. 

"That's not happening," Jay mumbled, "You don't know how difficult it was for me to get that job. Nowadays, people rarely need photographers because of smartphones. I was lucky to find a spot in the modelling agency."

"I just finished my degree," Tyler added, "It wasn't easy for me either."

I sighed and left the room for a moment to take a breath. So much was happening, and I had no idea what to do. Wolfe's departure was a mystery, and a part of me was dying to unveil all the secrets behind it. 

Just like my friends, I couldn't give up on my career. To me, writing is like breathing, and it's the reason why I keep going on with life. But Wolfe was the first to encourage me to write, so he would never want me to stop it.

Leaving the album wasn't a selfish thought.

I looked around and spotted Shadow sitting in the stairs. Just a few moments ago, he argued with Jay for thinking he killed himself. But after seeing the content of the pen drive he left, he must have his doubts on the matter.

I sighed deeply and walked to join him, and I sat one stair behind him and patted his shoulder gently. Shadow nodded slowly and gave me a small smile from the corner. 

"Do you think he did it?" he asked after a moment of silence. 

I shook my head, "Even when I try to believe he did, I can't. I've known him for a long time, and I'm sure he would never do such a thing."

"I know, right?" he turned to look at me, "But leaving those letters... and the album..." he sighed, "I don't know what to think anymore."

"I feel like it's a message," I said, making him look at me confusingly, "Wolfe had always been a man of riddles," I chuckled.

"What if he was trying to warn us?"

"About what?"

"I don't know," I shrugged, "Luke said he had many enemies. So, what if those people are still around, looking for other victims like him and Wolfe?"

Shadow looked down and stayed silent again. 

"But what does it have to do with the album and us being a band?" he asked quietly.

"That's for us to find out." I squeezed his shoulder and stood up to join the rest in Wolfe's room. Jay was lying on the king-sized bed with his arm above his eyes. Kaela and Tyler were checking the library, which was full of vinyl discs and albums from famous local groups and international ones. 

Aleyn was still sitting in front of the computer monitor. His eyes were watering as he read the names of the songs. I walked closer and pulled the gaming chair, "May I?" I asked.

Aleyn turned his head and looked at the chair for a long moment. It was as if memories of him and Wolfe in this room surged in his mind. I was about to say it was alright, that I wasn't going to sit when he lifted his head and smiled at me. "Please," he turned the chair for me and invited me to sit down. 

"So, what's on your mind?" I asked. 

Aleyn kept moving the mouse, and opened each file again. 

"When I connected the USB, I saw something confusing," he finally said. 

"What is it?" I whispered. 

Aleyn looked at me with his emerald green eyes and rubbed his neck, "I feel like more strange things are coming." he clicked on the arrow back button until he closed all the files. "Look," he said, pointing at the name of the folder. "GFW," he whispered.

I gulped, "Greetings From Wolfe," 

Aleyn nodded, "It's like at the end of the letters." 

"It looks like a signature thingy," I said.

"I bet we're going to see many more of them."