Chapter
1
Murder
Clues. I’ll list the clues. A watch, a notebook, an arrow, and a dog. A little girl is lying dead in an old shed.
Chris walked into an old shed that was on the edge of the town called Tendril Hinge, to get away from a forming rainstorm. Just as he was sitting down in some hay to sleep through the storm, he saw a little girl in jeans and a red shirt, lying on the floor with a dog next to her looking equally silent, she looked as if she were asleep. But as he looked closer he noticed how pale she was! He called the police right away. Running over to investigate, Chris caught sight of an arrow sticking out of her back...the girl was had been murdered. Chris Hastings, being a secret agent, hastily decided to look into this mystery. He picked her limp body up; suddenly a watch fell out of her pocket. The man gently put her down, then examined the watch. Inside was an address. But to where? Gently he rubbed the fading letters, he observed that frilled leaves were printed around the border of the address. There was a splotch of blood on the corner, which Chris assumed was from the girl....But one never knew. Pocketing the watch, he examined the girl more thoroughly. He saw that there was little notebook right next to her. He started to pick it up, but then he heard the police sirens. They were coming to investigate.
The young man looked up, policemen walked out of their cars,
“Sir, are you the one that called us?” A policeman walked up to him.
He nodded, ”Yes I am, she is in the shed.” He pointed.
The man then walked past him. A watch in his pocket, an arrow in his hand, and a dog walking alongside him, Chris made his way toward the street. The Police checked the girl to double check, but she was certainly not alive. With that confirmed, the sergeant stood up with a solemn face, “So, Mr. Hastings, you just came in here and saw her dead?”
“Yes sir, I did. And I see how this could look bad. But I’ll promise you, I just came in here to shelter from the storm. I have proof too,” said Chris.
“Well, show me your proof.”
“I have it right here,” He took out some folded paper from his suit pocket, “Orders from my boss that I was supposed to come through this town “
The policeman grabbed the papers, “Okay, we will let you go, let him go gentlemen!”
“Thank you.” said Chris.
“And you didn’t see anything but the girl when you came in?”
“That’s right.”
“Okay. Load ‘er up men! “
Chris made his way down the road but a policeman stopped him.”Did you see anyone else around here when you came in?” He asked.
“No, why?” Chris answered.
The policeman was nodding to himself.”There have been rumors of some criminals around here. I was wondering if the same criminals that are stealing things might have done this.”
”Oh,” Chris replied.
“Well, thanks for reporting this. It’s always sad. We need to contact her parents.” The policeman walked away.
Chris got in the taxi, murmuring,”Here I come Cornerstone.”
“Sir?”
“Oh, um to Cornerstone Street, please.” Before the taxi started to go, Chris asked, ”Are dogs allowed in Taxi’s these days?"
…
When Chris paid the taxi driver, he looked up at the building,”Wow! Seventy-five stories high..”
“Yep! Yu got important business in there?” The driver asked.
Chris nodded,”Murder.”
The driver’s eyes widened,” You planning on...” the driver made a motion of sliding his finger against his throat.
Chris chuckled, ”Nope, I found a girl in a shed. she was dead. but thats not while I’m here. Like you said, just important business.”
“That’s terrible! What are you going to do with that dog?”The driver asked.
Chris remembered that he had said he would pay extra for the dog. He asked,”Know any good places to store them?”
“Sure do! Building to the right.” he pointed out the window, “They keep them as long as you want.”
Chris stepped out of the car, took care of the dog, then walked up to the sliding door of the seventy-five floor building. Chris saw a pretty young lady behind the desk, and said “I am here to see Mr. Roberts.”
“ Ah, yes, he’s on the 10th floor, room number 8.” She smiled warmly.
“Thank you!” Chris was about turn away, when she said-
“ Excuse me, but do I know you? Your face looks familiar.”
“No...Cassandra Bullock?” he suddenly seemed to see a familiar childish face behind that lovely grown-up one.
“Really? Is it you, Chris?”
“It’s a small world isn’t it?” Chris smiled.
”It sure is!” Cassandra nodded. “What are you here for? I mean you came from a long way away I know that much.”
“Well, just some official business. But it’s been interrupted by a little incident...” Chris’s voice faded slowly
“Would it be impolite of me to ask what kind of little ‘incident’?” Cassandra wondered.
“Well,” Chris sighed, “I found a girl, in a shed. Dead.”
“Oh dear. What happened?”
“I’m not sure. All I did was call the police, I had to hurry here for...something important.” He gave her a grin and leaned forward on the desk. “How about you? What have you been doing all these years?”
“Going to school, and I work here for some extra money.”
“Nice. Umm, I guess I better get up to Mr. Roberts, he’ll be waiting.”
“Oh yeah, floor 10, room 8. See ya later, I guess.”
Chris said,” How about a movie tonight?’
“Oh, I would love to. But I’m busy. I told my mom I’d take her out.”
“Okay.” Chris made his way to the elevator.
Behind him he heard. “Maybe another night?” He smiled.
***
Chris was walking down the hall and and turned to room five’s door. The number 8 was etched into the door and had a long gouge across it, like a scar. Knocking, Chris heard a man’s low voice grunt for him to come in.
Chris opened the door and a short stubby man sitting in a chair came into view.
“Yes?” The man peered up at Chris through his glasses.
“Uh...Ahem” Chris cleared his throat. “My name is Chris Hastings.”
“It’s a cold day outside.” The man said looking intently at Chris.
“Yeah, but I always keep the hood down on my convertible.”
Slowly the man raised his eyebrows and stood from his seat, “Over here.” he walked over to a tall bookshelf with rows of books with brown leather covers and gold rings around the bindings. There was a book near the top with red leather and Mr. Roberts, checking the room to make sure they were alone, started to pull the book out. At that moment the bookshelf did a sudden turn and opened into another room. Hastings waited. The man hustled Chris into the hidden room. Once inside Hastings saw that Mr. Roberts had closed the bookshelf behind him and Chris was all alone, he thought.
“You again?” There was a soft voice coming from the corner of the dim room.
Chris looked around the room with his intense blue gaze. Then he stopped short.
“Oh no! It can’t be.” A slim lady stepped out from behind a curtain.
“Chris Hastings.” she said with a sigh.
“Annabeth? Is that really you?” Chris was dumbfounded with unbelief.
“Yes, me. Your half sister.”
“I had...didn’t know you were with the agency!”
“I didn’t know you were either.”
They stood in silence for awhile, then Annabeth looked at Chris.
“I’m sorr–”
“Lets not talk about it.” He interrupted her solemnly. “Come on, we got lots of work to do.”
“Chris–” Annabeth started, with a desperate plea in her eyes.
“No. Lets sort through the plans while we wait for others, okay?”
“But...” Her voice faltered when she saw his eyes. They were hiding a feeling. Hostility? Regret? Together they walked over to the table in which the plans had been set.
***
Soon 5 others slowly showed up like drips from a leaky faucet. They assembled around the table and Annabeth sat a the head of the table and addressed the crowd
“Ladies and gentlemen, all who are agents,” She said with a smile. “We are gathered here to discuss the Falcon Plans.” Everyone began to whisper as Annabeth said this.
One of The oldest men there spoke up with concern, “I thought we decided these plans were too dangerous to use. It will kill at least five hundred people. Counting our own.”
“It also may be our only hope. And you all need to know it well enough that if it comes a time for it to come into play, you all will need to know how to use it correctly; because you won’t have time to learn it any other time. Got it?” Chris was surprised by the authority in her voice.
“Fine.” The challenger settled with that answer.
“You all understand?”
There was nodding and a few reluctant to agree but they did eventually. After a long discussion the party broke up and the room became empty, except for Chris and Annabeth.
When they had come out into the hallway, Annabeth said, “Chris I want to explain-”
“Why you were so mean to me, and out of the blew, ran away from home? And why you were so secretive?” Chris shook his aching head,”I don’t want to talk about it!”
“Chris there were reasons...I couldn’t say anything.” She looked pleadingly, “You know, The agency and all.”
But Chris said bluntly,”You know, I’‘m glad I had no younger siblings to act like that towards, once you were gone..” Chris started to walk away, but then she called, “Chris! Wait - Can’t we talk about this over supper sometime?”
He stopped in the doorway for a moment, “Fine, tomorrow.”
