AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Why did the band break up?"Finn asked."I read somewhere that there was some bad blood because of it."
Cameron chuckled, shaking his head."Bad blood?Let me guess, you read about it on that cheesy old blog, the Jesters Chronicle?"
Sheila and Finn waited, watching Cameron.
He sighed, dropping the smile."Sure, there was a bit of a division at first—some of us wanted to keep the band together while others were ready to move on.But we all reconciled eventually.Nobody held a grudge against anyone."
"Really?"Finn asked skeptically, leaning back in his chair."No lingering resentment?No hurt feelings?"
Cameron shrugged, a faint smile playing on his lips."Life's too short for grudges, man.Besides, we were young and stupid, full of big dreams and unrealistic expectations.We all just needed to grow up, you know?"
"Tell me, Cameron," Sheila began, her voice low and steady as she leaned against the table, "did you keep in touch with Roy after high school?"
Cameron paused for a moment, his eyes reflecting a distant memory."We talked once or twice over the years," he admitted."Always bringing up the idea of getting the band back together for a night, but it never happened."His expression turned somber, the weight of Roy's death and that of his family members settling heavily upon his shoulders."I just wish we had one more chance, you know?"
Sheila nodded, sensing the raw emotion behind Cameron's words.She took a deep breath, inhaling the bitter scent of stale coffee and old linoleum that permeated the room.It grounded her, reminding her of the importance of the task at hand."What can you tell me about him?"she asked."What was he like?"
"Roy was a stand-up guy," Cameron said without hesitation."A loyal friend, always there for you when you needed him.He was athletic, too—played football and ran track in school.And he met Jane, his wife, at the high school."Cameron's face softened at the mention of Jane, his voice taking on a nostalgic tone."They were great together.You could tell they were meant to be.Everyone knew they'd end up married."
As Cameron spoke, Sheila could see the genuine affection he held for Roy and his family.She couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the man who had lost someone so dear to him.But she also knew that, in this line of work, emotions could be a double-edged sword—they could either propel you forward or drag you down into a dark abyss from which there was no escape.
Finn leaned forward, his eyes narrowing as he contemplated Cameron's words."Did Roy have any enemies?Anyone who might've wanted to hurt him or his family?"
At first, Cameron shook his head, but then he hesitated, biting his lower lip."Actually," he began cautiously, "There was this one girl back in high school, an ex-girlfriend of Roy's.Lisa Cartwright—she was a homecoming queen.They broke up, and on graduation day, she made a big scene, accusing Roy of abusing her."
"What kind of abuse?"Finn asked.
Cameron frowned, looking genuinely puzzled."I never got the full story, to be honest.It was so long ago, and most folks didn't pay it much mind.Roy denied everything, of course, and there wasn't any evidence to back up her claims."
Sheila watched Cameron carefully, trying to gauge his sincerity."So, what happened after that?"
"Nothing really," Cameron replied, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret."Everyone just kind of chalked the matter up to Lisa being...well...Lisa.Between you and me, I always thought she was a bit...unstable.Dramatic, you know?It's possible she made the whole thing up just for attention.But like I said, I haven't kept up with her, so I don't know where she is or what she's doing now."
As he spoke, Sheila couldn't help but remember her own experiences in high school—the petty rivalries, the desperate need for validation.Could Lisa Cartwright still hold a grudge against Roy Hubbard all these years later?And if so, would she go so far as to murder his entire family?
Cameron glanced at the wall clock and sighed."My break's over.I need to get back to work."
"Thanks for your time, Cameron," Sheila said, offering a warm smile as she shook his hand.
Finn nodded in agreement."We appreciate it."
As Cameron left the break room, the door swung shut behind him with a quiet click, leaving Sheila and Finn alone amid the hum of vending machine and the faint smell of burnt coffee.They exchanged a glance, assessing each other's thoughts.
"What do you think about this ex-girlfriend, Lisa Cartwright?"Sheila asked, her brow furrowed.
Finn leaned back against the counter, arms crossed."Seems odd that someone would hold onto a grievance for so many years, but people can be unpredictable."
"True," Sheila said."Maybe Roy's decision to move back to the area rekindled the old grievance.Either way, we should find her and see what we can learn."
"Agreed."
Sheila pulled out her phone, tapping the screen as she searched for Lisa Cartwright's name in the hope of finding an address.As she scrolled through the results, her eyes caught on an article written almost twenty years earlier.The headline made her heart drop: 'Local Woman Found Dead in Apparent Suicide'.She clicked on the article, scanning the text for more information.
"Listen to this," she said, her voice somber."A few years after dropping out of high school, Lisa Cartwright committed suicide by overdosing on prescription medication.Her friends described her as troubled and distant, but they never expected her to take her own life."
"Damn," Finn muttered, running a hand through his hair."That's tragic."
Sheila continued reading, her eyes widening as she found a quote from Lisa's father, Albert.'As far as I'm concerned, someone did this to her.She wouldn't have done such a thing, not if she hadn't gone through such terrible suffering.And the person who did it is going to pay the price—I'll make sure of it.'
