The old library was well hidden as always, the passageway concealed behind the patchwork of posters on Callam’s wall.
Just as well, it meant that Casey could get to work without anyone walking in and asking stupid questions.
Casey looked at all the books around her, the maps and notes she was slowly putting together. Almost everything was there, everything had been analyzed. She ran a hand over the timeline before pulling the small semi transparent note out of her pocket.
‘Beware of your Destiny, it will always come back to hunt you.”
Eyeing the board, she noticed the tracing paper was about the same length as the paper she thought was morse code.
‘Here goes nothing.’ Casey thought to herself before putting the paper on top. The lines matched up under words, highlighting an assortment of them.
Destiny. Come Back. Hunt.
This could mean anything… unless…
Casey started thumbing through her notes again, pulling sheets of paper, bringing up police reports and stolen medical records.
The Turkish writing left at the scene, the hidden room in the library, the phone.
Destiny.
Casey didn’t want it to make sense, for the pieces to start fitting like this. There had to be another logical explanation, but there wasn’t. Casey collected her things, head racing. She had to talk to the detective, she had to tell someone about…
“Kader.”
They stood in the doorway, friendly looking as ever.
“I was just about to call you.” Casey tried to keep her voice level, her tone calm. But it was no use, the two of them had known each other for too long. Kader didn’t seem any type of suspicious, so Casey held out hope. Perhaps she would get out of this unscathed.
“Oh? Find something interesting?” Kader wasn’t moving from the doorway, eyes locked on Casey’s.
Casey’s heart was beating so hard she was sure Kader could hear it. She couldn’t help but steal a glance at the board, where that tiny piece of tracing paper was still sitting. Kader followed her gaze, before looking back to their partner.
“Smart.” They huffed before continuing, shaking their head a little. “I’m guessing you’ve worked it out then. No need to continue this little game then, right Cass?”
“What do you mean?” Casey’s voice did not convey the panic that she felt, her voice somehow steady despite the adrenaline coursing through her veins.
“Oh come on dear, I can see you figured it out.” They drawled, leaning on the doorframe. Their voice was no longer the one Casey recognised, instead now something darker and deeper. They gestured to the room around them, covered in clues. “I can see it all here, and I know how smart you are.”
In any other moment, the complement would have made Casey blush bright red. But here and now it fueled the anger starting to form. The shaking was no longer from fear but instead from irritation.
“This entire fucking time. It was you.” Casey spoke through gritted teeth, her hand slowly moving to her phone. If not to call for help, at least to get this on tape.
A confession for her trouble, a record of their sins, something to make this all worth it.
“Don’t even think about it.” Casey finally saw the small object in Kader’s hand, a small knife she knew they could throw with blinding accuracy.
“You said you were helping me! You said you wanted to see me succeed. But it was all a big fucking lie wasn’t it? Just a charade to save your own ass.” Casey could feel the anger bubbling, the frustration pouring out of tears that had started to form.
Kader stayed silent, playing with the knife in hand. Anyone who knew them less would take it as a sign of disrespect, but Casey knew her best friend. The words she was throwing at them were having an effect and both of them knew it.
“Did you ever even care about me?” Casey continued, notes now discarded. “Or was that all an act too? You told me you loved me. How could I have been so stupid to have believed you.”
Kader opened their mouth to respond before closing it again, unable to find the right words for what they wanted to say.
“Say it out loud. Tell me I was never truly yours. Gloat about how smart you are, how well your plan worked.” Casey was now just trying to hurt their now former friend, punching out words she knew would leave her an opening, even if it was breaking her in the process. “Finish this. Tell me how you really feel.”
Kader no longer looked smug, instead hurt starting to spread across their face. There was not even a moment of silence before they replied, seemly against their own will.
“You want to know what I really feel? God fucking damn it, Cass I love you.” Kader’s words came out all at once, a tangle of frustrations and a need to reassure. There was no trace of the smug expression from earlier, just a look of hurt and a very fidgety knife.
“I’ve loved you for years, before any of this even came to mind. But I knew you would never love me back, not if you knew of the crimes we… I had committed. You talked about loving the stars and the moon but I am no simple space Casey, I’m the fucking sun. I let you get to close. And now you’re getting burnt.” Kader kept Casey’s eye the entire time they spoke, the words clearly the truest thing they’d said all day, all month perhaps.
“I never wanted to hurt you this way. But if I didn’t you wouldn’t only get hurt worse. And I would rather slowly drive myself insane then be responsible for you getting hurt.”
Kader took a step back, Casey realizing only a second too late what they were doing.
Closing the door with a snap, and locking it with a click, Kader leant their forehead on the door as Casey banged on it to be let out.
“It’s for the best you stay in there.”
Casey just kept clamoring to be let out, banging on the door and yelling obscenities, hoping to be heard by people she knew would never pass the door.
“I’m sorry.” Kader whispered. “I really wish it didn’t have to end this way.”