| “I thought she was just being paranoid after all she’s been through this week.” Kyla answered. “She would never lie to us but I didn’t believe you guys could be so…accusing.” “Have you been anywhere else but here today?” Scully pondered. “No, I’ve been home all day.” Kyla responded. “Doing what?” Doggett wondered. “Working on an English assignment, which Piper should be working on as well.” Kyla said. “Well, thank you for your time.” Scully said as she began to walk down the steps. Doggett nodded to Kyla and followed Scully. Kyla took one last look as they left and then she closed the door. “This isn’t getting us anywhere.” Doggett commented as he got into the car. “Well, we have two more people to go.” Scully said as she shut her door and started the car. “Next stop is Hannah Barnabee.” Chapter 8 6:32 PM Scully walked around the back of the house. She looked around, not seeing anything unusual. She walked out to the front where Doggett was standing at the side door. He tried the doorbell for the fourth time. “I don’t think they’re home.” Scully said as she looked up at the house. None of the lights were on and there were no signs of life. The only footprints in the yard were hers and Doggett’s. “Doesn’t look like anyone’s been here for a long time. Are you sure this is the right house?” Doggett asked. “This is what Piper said.” Scully answered. “Maybe Hannah went on vacation with her parents.” “In any case, they’re not here now and who knows when they’re going to get back.” Doggett commented. “We should talk to Piper when we go back to her house and see if she knows where Hannah is.” Scully nodded and got into the car. She buckled her seat belt and started up the engine as Doggett took one last look around. He ran over to the car and got in as Scully started to drive away. “Maxine Keil is last but not least. Piper said she lives farther away.” Scully informed Doggett. “She was the one who Piper was on the phone with when this whole thing happened.” Doggett reminded her. “Now the question is how to get there.” Scully said. She pulled onto a main road and began to drive. Five minutes later, Doggett spoke up. “I think we’re going the wrong way.” He said. “What makes you say that?” Scully asked, her eyes pierced to the road. “Well, I haven’t seen any of the landmarks that I should have seen if we were going the right way.” Doggett said. “I think we took a wrong turn coming out of Hannah’s street.” Scully sighed and turned a corner. She backed up and turned the car around and continued down the same road that they had just been down. Finally, they reached Maxine’s house after taking wrong turns, going down the wrong roads, and even stopping at the wrong house once. Doggett and Scully stood at the front door, waiting for someone to answer. A woman answered the door. “Yes, may I help you?” She asked. She wore and apron that was covered in flour. Scully figured she had been baking. “We’re looking for Maxine Keil. Is she here?” Doggett asked. “Yes, just a second.” The woman said. She turned around and walked away. Doggett and Scully could here her yell. “Maxine! The door’s for you!” A few seconds later, Maxine emerged from downstairs. She walked up to the door and sighed as she rolled her eyes. “You don’t look to happy to see us.” Scully said. “Piper told me you guys were coming.” Maxine responded. “Come on in.” She said. She opened the door as Scully and Doggett stepped in. Music that was being sung in a different language was drifting up the stairs. “What kind of music are you listening to?” Doggett asked, disgusted at the sound of it. He crinkled up his nose in distaste. “Piper told me he was tasteful.” Maxine said sarcastically. “It happens to be musica de Espanol. Take a seat.” She said a she sat down on a couch. “No thanks.” Scully said. “This should only take a minute. Where were you yesterday around six o’clock?” “I was out with my boyfriend, John.” Maxine responded. “Where did you go?” Doggett asked. “We double-dated with Cornelius and Candy, whom I’m sure you’ve already spoken to. And I’m sure Candy told you the same story.” Maxine explained. Doggett and Scully looked at each other. “We just wanted to make sure they were the same.” Doggett responded. “You think I would lie? I’m not…” “What were you doing today, just a few hours ago?” Scully pondered, cutting Maxine off. Maxine scowled. “Well, I started helping my mom bake some cookies around noon and then after we finished a few batches I went downstairs and went on the Internet. That’s what I’m doing now.” She answered. “Did you get a message from Piper over the Internet?” Doggett questioned. “Yea, I think she sent us all one. She needs support right now but since she can’t come and see us, it’s easier to communicate through e-mail.” Max replied. “When did you learn that each of Piper’s parents died?” Scully wondered. “She called me after her mom died and then she e-mailed me just a little while ago about her dad.” Max said. “Thank you, that will be all then.” Doggett said. He walked out of the house. “Maxine, could I get John’s number to confirm that you were out with him?” Scully asked. “Sure.” She answered. Scully pulled a pen and a pad from her pocket. “It’s 215-2225.” Scully wrote it down as she spoke. She put the pen and pad back inside her pocket. Scully smiled and left. She got into the car where Doggett was already waiting. She started up the engine and began to drive back towards Piper’s house. “You think Piper changed her mind.” Doggett asked. “What do you mean?” “Let’s say for instance that she did orchestrate to kill her parents and then she sent her other friends to do it while she was at lunch with us. Then she got cold feet and called Erin to stop them but she was too late which is why we found her there.” “If Piper orchestrated it at all, that could be plausible but all of her friends have an alibi.” “This could be a giant conspiracy. Everyone’s in on it. They’re all covering for each other.” “You’re thinking too big here. These are teenagers, not rocket scientists.” “You said they were intelligent for their age.” “And they are but they still wouldn’t be able to calculate something like that. It takes criminal master minds, years to come up with a plot so severe.” “How do you know they haven’t been planning this from the time you met them?” Doggett wondered. “I think what we need to do is when we get back to Piper’s house I’ll talk to her while you call both John and Cornelius to confirm Max’s and Candy’s alibis.” Scully suggested. Doggett nodded and they continued to drive in silence. Chapter 9 10:57 PM Alexander Residence Piper and Scully each sat at the ends of Piper’s couch. A large bowl of popcorn was between them. Piper picked up a cup from the ground and took a sip. Piper looked at the television. It was a home movie of her and her two sisters when they were younger. She was barely three. She sat on a small scooter as her sisters rode their bicycles around the street. Scully and Piper watched as Piper’s sister, Lynn ran right into Piper on her bicycle. Piper looked at Scully and they both began to laugh. “I’m not even going to ask.” Doggett commented as he walked down the stairs. Scully and Piper quickly stopped laughing and looked at Doggett. “Did you talk to Cornelius and John?” Scully asked. “Yup. Both Candy’s and Max’s stories check out.” Doggett said, sitting down between Piper and Scully. He put the popcorn on his lap and ate some. “So basically, we’re down to nothing again.” Scully said as she sighed. “Well, that’s good for my friends.” Piper commented. Both Doggett and Scully looked at her, strangely. “What?” “Oh, so Piper we were meaning to ask you. Hannah wasn’t at her home. It appeared as if she hasn’t been there for a while. Do you have any idea where she might me?” Scully asked. “Yea, she got snowed in and lost electricity so she went to her aunt’s house.” Piper explained. “I guess I forgot to mention that.” “Speaking of things you forgot to mention.” Scully said. “What about that English project that Kyla told us about?” |