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Little Kilton hadn’t been the same since Pippa Fitz-Amobi died.
The town still functioned, but a part was missing that made the town feel complete – their own teen sleuth, whose murder was still unsolved.
She was found disposed of like trash in Knotty Green. Hawkins had said she was strangled in later press conferences, just like the other victims of the DT killer. He was still not much help, but he never was to begin with.
Now the town felt bare; empty because of their newest fallen angel – and he wasn’t just talking about Pip. Lauren Gibson – Pip's ex-best friend who dumped the friend group for Ant Lowe – had died a couple months ago. Her mother found her in their backyard, strangled just like Pip was.
DI Hawkins was still fucking useless. He hadn’t even prioritised solving their cases as, according to him, they were low risk. Jamie Reynolds also happened to be low-risk and look how that ended.
Honestly, fuck DI Hawkins. He was the reason why Pip had to investigate in the first place, so that SHE could mend the cracks in the cases he investigated.
Also, fuck Ant Lowe, who hadn’t even attended Lauren’s funeral. The boy who apparently “loved” her hadn’t even shown his face or said anything about her since her death. He had just dumped her and moved on with Lily Horton, who had attended Kilton Grammar alongside Pip and her friend group.
To say the least, Little Kilton wasn’t the same since Pip’s death, and Ravi Singh feared it would never be the same. It hadn’t been the same for him since April 24th, 2012, when his brother had been found dead in the woods, presumed to have killed himself out of guilt for Andie Bell’s murder.
For five years, he and his parents faced torment by fellow residents. Everyone looked at him as though he had killed Andie himself. Stanley Forbes had even published a racist entry in the Kilton Mail about Sal and his family. Daniel da Silva had turned down his questions about the case and was always quite harsh towards him in public, even after Sal’s innocence was proven. He was better now ever since Pip’s death, but why did she have to die so Dan would be nice to him? He should’ve never been nasty towards him, especially when he showed more sympathy towards Elliot Ward, who murdered his older brother to cover up his involvement with Andie’s death.
He just missed Pip. Sometimes, he could hear her voice inside his mind, but he always knew it wasn’t real; that the past few months hadn’t been a nightmare without her. He couldn’t sleep, barely ate, and had to quit his internship due to the stress caused by Pip’s death.
Because of the DT killer, he could barely function. Now his daily routine consisted of him locked inside his bedroom, only coming out when necessary. People called and texted, but he usually ignored them. He just couldn’t look at the people who he once loved without thinking about Pip.
Oh Pip... he should’ve been there for her. He shouldn’t have been at home, waiting around like a clueless idiot. He should’ve been by her side at that moment.
It’s all his fault, and nothing anyone said could convince him otherwise.
~~~~
“Still texting Zach, are you?” Jamie Reynolds snickered as he handed his younger brother a cup of coffee and a plate of pancakes. “How’s house hunting going so far?”
“Pretty good. We found a flat that looks decent and isn’t too far from yours.” Connor replied as he took a sip of his coffee. His brother’s girlfriend surely knew how to make a good cup of coffee. “We’re considering it but we’re still looking at others.”
“Can’t wait to get away from me and Nat, I see.”
Connor chuckled. “As much as I love living here with you two, I think I’m better off living with my boyfriend. I really do appreciate letting me live here since home was getting... tense.”
“Tense” wasn’t even the proper word to describe the feeling of the Reynolds's home. Ever since Pip had been killed, his mother hadn’t stopped crying. His father was better with handling his emotions, but Connor had caught him sobbing during the night. It was so bad that Connor had insisted on moving in with Jamie and Nat, who were renting a flat not too far from Little Kilton. He liked it there, although he felt out of place at times.
Once he moved out with Zach, then he’d feel better. He hadn’t been feeling well since losing Pip. He had to pause his studies at university for a while due to the stress, but now he was back and was passing by the skin of his teeth. Zach was much better, although he hadn’t been back in Little Kilton since Pip’s death. He hadn’t even attended Lauren’s funeral.
“Speaking of which, have you spoke to Mum lately?” Jamie asked. “She’s been asking for you.”
Connor winced. He hadn’t spoken to her for two weeks for no reason at all.
“I haven’t. I will... tonight.” Lie. He will just let the phone ring out and then make an excuse as to why he didn’t answer.
“Really?”
He nodded, despite sensing that Jamie didn’t believe him.
“Yep.”
Right as he said it, Nat had joined them at the table, her own coffee in hand. Her and Jamie shared a quick kiss before she turned her attention to Connor. Somehow, he could sense something had frightened her – something that she didn’t want Jamie knowing.
“Hey Connor,” she says, her tone quite curious. “By chance, did you see Mrs. Faversham’s cat around yesterday?”
“Um... no?” He shook his head. “Why do you ask?”
“No reason.” There was a reason, and Connor wasn’t sure if he wanted to know. “I just... found a dead pigeon in our mailbox the other day.”
“A dead pigeon?” That caught Jamie’s attention. Before he was just scrolling through his phone, not really listening in. “When did this happen?”
“Um... a couple of days ago. I thought it was just a bunch of kids messing around until this morning, when I went to check the mail again.” Nat was trying to compose herself, but Connor could see the tears forming in the corners of her eyes. “I... I saw another dead pigeon left in the mailbox. There’s no way this is a coincidence, Jamie. Something feels weird about this.”
Connor saw how his brother’s face tensed up before it relaxed, his soft features looking evidently grim. He could tell that Jamie was worried for Nat’s safety, but he had no clue how Jamie was going to react. He’d sworn off violence ever since being catfished by Charlie Green.
Jamie wasn’t a violent person to begin with – he was gentle and soft-spoken, but Connor knew that he could even be pushed to his limits. What would he do if Nat was being stalked?
“Anything else happen?” He asked Nat, hand resting on hers.
“I... I got a few weird texts asking who’d look for me if I disappeared. I don't think it's related though. A few weird calls too, but I think they’re just spam callers.”
Connor froze. He’d seen similar messages before on Pip’s podcast when Jamie disappeared. It had to be related somehow, even if the dead pigeons were just a strange coincidence.
“When did that happen?” Connor asked, his voice sounding quite desperate. “How long have you been getting these texts?”
“Uh... not for long. Connor, is something wrong?”
“No! I just...” His voice trailed off when he heard his phone ringing. He felt so relieved when he saw it was Zach calling him.
He quickly got up, thanked Nat and Jamie for breakfast, and ran out of the flat, not caring if anyone judged him.
He quickly accepted the call, heart pounding against his chest as the call connected.
“Con!” Zach cheerfully greeted. He sounded happy, despite it being a dreary Wednesday morning. “Hey! I think we should go check out this open house today in Prestwood. It looks nice and affordable-”
“Change of plans Zach. Do you mind meeting me at Jackie’s Cafe? I think I need to talk to you about Pip’s death.”
“What about her death?” Zach wasn’t getting the memo, much to Connor’s disappointment. “Do they have a suspect now? Any new leads?”
“It’s... something else. I can’t tell you over the phone, Zach. Just meet me at Jackie’s Cafe in a few minutes.”
~~~~
“I don’t think locking yourself up in your room is a healthy way of coping, Ravi.”
“Neither is working long hours at the cafe, Cara.”
Ravi was with Cara, who stopped by his house on one of her rare day-offs. Ever since Pip died, she had been taking additional shifts at the cafe. This only increased when Lauren died shortly after, even though Cara had stopped being friends with Lauren after she sided with Ant during Jamie’s disappearance.
He’d grown closer to Cara since Pip’s death. Weirdly, it was comforting to grieve over your dead girlfriend with her best friend. Nobody truly understood the pain he felt besides Cara, who had been more like a sister to Pip than anyone else.
“You amuse me, Singh.” Cara snickered, her top knot slightly shaking when she moved her head. “Got any plans today?”
He shook his head. “None, like always. I was thinking about starting that book my Mum bought for me. Have you ever read The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes?”
“Read it and hated it. It feels like a bad Criminal Minds fanfiction. Heck, Sloane is just a knockoff of Spencer Reid – and not even a good knockoff!”
“Such a positive review.”
“Hey, you asked if I’ve read it, and I gave you an honest answer. There’s no shame in being honest.”
She was right. He hadn’t been honest himself regarding his own feelings towards Pip’s death. He kept telling everyone that he was fine, but that was far from the truth – the truth being that he hadn’t been fine for a long time. Pip’s voice in his head kept encouraging him to go on in life, but he couldn’t unless he found her killer, who was still at large.
He no longer suspected Daniel da Silva. He did seem suspicious, but something felt wrong when placing him as the killer – as if there was something that proved his innocence, although Ravi couldn’t figure what it was. Maybe he just didn’t want to strain his friendship with Nat, who truly cared about her brother even if they weren’t close.
“You’re right, and I hate it.” Ravi sighed. “I just wish... she was here right now.”
Cara knew who she was. She was Pip, when Ravi didn’t have the courage to say her name aloud. She didn’t blame him, as the pain was still fresh even after a few months later. It was 2019 now and the scars were still fresh on those affected by her death – not to mention Lauren also dying under slightly similar circumstances.
Wait.
Cara suddenly remembered the dead pigeon from Pip’s funeral. It had been discovered by Lauren in Pip’s backyard, along with a cruel message that had been sent to Lauren’s phone. Who will look for you when you’re the one who disappears? was the message, and it was enough to leave a permanent mark on Cara’s soul.
Cara remembers now.
She remembers Pip mentioning dead pigeons and weird messages right before she died.
She looked at Ravi, who was still waiting for her response. Did he know? He had to have known, given how he was always by Pip’s side. He was the Chief Inspector to her Sarge; two peas in a pod that could never be replaced. He was her person, and she was his, even after she was gone.
“Cara?” Ravi called out to her. “Cara? Is something wrong-”
“Did Pip ever mention finding dead pigeons and receiving weird messages before she died?”
“What?”
“Ravi, was Pip being stalked right until her death?”
He was silent, but that was all Cara needed for an answer.
“And you never told me this, even though she was my best friend!”
Cara stood up, disgust creeping upon her. How could Ravi not tell her?
“I couldn’t tell you Cara!” He yells out as she storms out of his bedroom. “I didn’t think he’d kill Lauren! I thought it wasn’t connected! I thought-”
“You thought what?” Cara stops in her tracks and faces him, tears streaming down her face. “You thought what Ravi? Lauren was killed by whoever fucking killed my best friend! What if they plan on killing me next? What about Nat? Becca? Naomi? Heck, maybe even Steph!”
“Cara, please-”
“No! You have no idea what I’ve been through Ravi!” Cara cuts him off, far too angry to hear him out. “Because of this fucker, I lost Pip! My own best friend... she was like a sister to me!”
“Cara, I understand-”
“You don’t. You’ll never understand because you were just her boyfriend! Why couldn’t you tell me about what was going on with her? I could’ve helped!”
“You couldn’t have because I didn’t even save her!” Ravi snaps, his eyes glassy with tears. “If I couldn’t save her, then you wouldn’t have either Cara!”
“That’s not true!” Cara retorts, despite knowing that he had a point. She just wanted to believe that she could’ve saved Pip; that she could’ve prevented living in this lifetime where Pip did not exist. Maybe then she could’ve saved Lauren, who really didn’t deserve to die. “I could’ve saved her! You were just a bad boyfriend!”
She realised the impact of her words far too late. She saw how Ravi froze on the spot, tears that he was trying to hold back being let loose. Cara tried reaching out for him, but he stepped away, repulsed by her mere presence.
“Ravi, I’m sorry-”
“Go away Cara.”
Fuck.
She really messed up. Maybe she could try to save herself, but it wasn’t looking all that good.
“But Ravi-”
“Fuck off Cara!”
“Ravi-”
“Go away!” He begged, tears pouring down his face. “Just go away Cara! Please go!”
He wasn’t going to let her speak, and he had all the right to not want to hear her. She had just called him a bad boyfriend when he was far from it. She may have been upset over Pip’s death, but that gave her no right to attack Ravi, even if he had withheld vital information from them.
As she turns to leave, she looks back at Ravi, her top knot loosening from the sudden movement. He was standing there still, eyes looking down at the ground to avoid looking at her.
“I’m sorry Ravi. I really am; I wouldn’t hate you if you didn’t forgive me.”
Then she left, not looking back. Pip was probably watching her from above, shaming her for her nasty attitude towards Ravi – Cara wouldn’t blame her one bit, even though she was dead.
~~~~
Hours Later
He figured it out.
Connor Reynolds knew who killed Pip and Lauren, along with the murders that Billy Karras was originally believed to be behind.
He finally figured it out with Zach’s help. He was so bloody grateful to have Zach by his side, or else he would’ve never figured it out.
He had a plan: he was going to tell Nat and Jamie about his and Zach’s discovery, then go to the police. They’ll finally be able to close Pip and Lauren’s cases, finally solving the mysteries that plagued Little Kilton.
As he unlocked the door to their shared flat, he felt a wave of anxiety wash over him. He was just so nervous about bringing up Pip to Jamie and Nat, who often avoided talking about their deceased friend as it was the reason why Connor had moved out in the first place. They knew that it struck a specific nerve in Connor, given that he had been friends with her since year four, hence why they chose to never bring her up when he was around.
But now, as he had figured out her killer, things would finally go back to normal. It wouldn’t bring Pip or Lauren back, but it would finally bring closure to not only them, but her parents and Joshua too.
“Nat! Jamie! I figured it out!” He called out into the flat as he stepped inside, setting his keys aside on the table next to the door. “I know who killed Pip and Lauren! I figured it out! I figured it... out?”
His voice trailed off as he saw his brother lying on the floor, not moving.
“Jamie?” He called out to him, his tone quite shaky. “J-Jamie? What are you doing on the floor? Jamie?”
Jamie didn’t respond. Connor stepped closer, his heart practically racing a marathon every step he took closer to his limp brother.
“Jamie?” He called out again. “Jamie? Jamie? Jamie, this isn’t funny-”
He froze when he saw the giant stab wound on his older brother’s chest. He had no time to react when he felt someone grab him from behind, their arm locking tightly around his neck.
He couldn’t breathe. Everything around him was going dark. He tried to speak, but nothing came out except incoherent whimpers.
He was going to die. He knew he was going to die. Right as he was about to solve the murders, the murderer comes for him and his brother. What a fucked-up timeline he lived in.
Then, just as everything seems to vanish, the grip on his neck releases. He falls onto his knees, desperately sucking in all the air he had taken for granted before.
The freedom didn’t last long, as he is swiftly grabbed again and pinned to the floor, his arms secured above his head. The attacker wore a black balaclava that obscured his identity from Connor, who was still trying to fight back despite his limited movement.
“Let me go!” He screamed. Where was Nat? Did they already attack Nat? “Let me go! Help! Help! Help-”
The attacker quickly silenced him by pressing a soaked rag against his face. He struggled for a few minutes until he slowly went limp, succumbing into a state of slumber. It would keep him knocked out for a couple of hours – maybe even a day if the attacker was lucky.
He couldn’t leave him here though. If he woke up too soon, then he’d alert the police – not to mention that he heard his voice. He had no choice; he had to take Connor with him along with Nat, who was currently tied up in the boot of his car. He was leaving Jamie behind however, as he was already close to death. He’ll probably be dead soon, given how serious the wound on his chest was.
This wasn’t a part of his original plan. He was originally meant to kidnap Nat, who he had set his eyes upon last year at her funeral. It was risky considering she was Dan’s younger sister who had a prior criminal record, yet again he had managed to kill Little Kilton’s own nosy hero. Lauren Gibson just hadn’t been enough to fulfill what he felt when killing Pippa Fitz-Amobi – he needed more, and Nat da Silva seemed like she’d fill what he desired after Pip’s death.
Jamie Reynolds had fucked it up. He just hadn’t realised that Jamie was home, as his plans for the day had been cancelled. He had to stab Jamie, as he was significantly stronger than he was. He was lucky that the bastard didn’t enjoy resorting to violence after what happened to him last year.
Everything was going according to plan, until Connor Reynolds came back. He thought that fuckwit would’ve stayed out longer, but he was wrong.
And now here he was, shoving Connor into the boot of his car alongside Nat, who currently laid there tied up. This wasn’t a part of the plan, but plans change, and he just had to adapt to it.
He couldn’t let anyone find out that he was the DT killer.
Nobody was supposed to know that he was Jason Bell.
Nobody knew.
And nobody was going to find out – he was certain of it.