This time, she walked home peacefully—feeling every step, sensing her surroundings and actually enjoying the walk.
She had taken the walk to distract herself from these negative thoughts.
The note of liar was still in the dustbin of her room.
Orion was still doing his investigations.
Aunt Honey was still busy with the store.
And Wren had left them all hours ago, actually trying to enjoy the break her Aunt had given her today.
And yet, every thought spiraled back to the same case.
Fortunately, it was not a bad thing.
Now, she had a clue for her brother.
The Dolv was the maroon guy from that day.
And Sameul...
Sameul was either the cameraman that she hoped he was, or a RS agent that Orion thought he was.
Wren paused.
She had reached the point where the road diverged into two, both leading to her house. The only difference being the entry through frontyard or backyard.
She easily took the path to the backside of the house. Then, a small realization hit that if she had continued to panic, she would have run into the frontyard. Thus, getting caught by Aunt who had clearly told her to stay in her room.
Sameul, you somehow saved me.
She chuckled.
As she reached her fence, the shopkeeper looked at Wren.
"Back from your walk already? You seem happier now."
"Yes. The walk helped."
"Walks do help in calming down."
She simply nodded and was about to step into the yard when he called out from behind once again.
"What had you so upset, my girl?"
She frowned.
"Nothing."
"Well, let me guess. Argument with your Aunt? Because I saw her quite angry when she was doing something in the garden."
Wren sighed. Talkative man.
"She couldn't be. She was busy with customers. You never saw her. I keep telling you to get yourself some glasses, don't I? Keep being stubborn and I'm not helping the next time a customer tries to scam you." Wren muttered and walked away.
She smiled to herself. He was quite sensitive when she mocked his eyesight.
Well, it really was something to be ashamed of.
There were quite some times when customers would lie that the charge written on the good was less than what the shopkeeper said. And he would believe in their confident accusation.
It was later that, by some means, Wren helped him to avoid this situation.
Wren's hand paused when she reached the backdoor. She could see Aunt Honey's backside as she worked in the kitchen.
He wasn't lying. She really isn't dealing with customers. Oh, how could I forget that there isn't any customers at this hour! She is probably making lunch.
...
Guess I'll just sneak in through Orion's office.
She quietly climbed up the stairs and sighed with relief when she reached the door.
'Detective Open' signboard was hanged.
She knocked once.
...
Then twice. Then thrice.
The Dolv that knows where I live... There's a chance he can target the others in this house...
Shit
Her knocking became faster, more panicked.
Finally, the door opened.
Orion looked at her sweaty face.
"Too much negativity. I ain't dead, you know."
"Can be. Who knows?" She forced a smile.
"Hmph, I've got a lot to accomplish. I just can't die yet."
"True. You've done absolutely nothing." She muttered and pushed herself inside as he kept blocking the doorway.
"Well then, what have you done today? Other than being grounded like a kid and then sneaking out?"
"I found out that the maroon guy is the Dolv. He is roaming around in the uniform of the people he hates because," She spoke with a hint of pride, "he needs to identify people who knows the group that he despises. And I seemed to know, that day in the bookstore. My facial expressions gave me away, I know."
She watched as Orion's face lit up.
Orion was smiling with disbelief. He just shook his head and chuckled. He didn't know what to tell her.
Wren let out a small laugh. "Say thank you."
"No thanks."
He turned to get a notebook from his study.
Then he brought it and started scribbling things. Then he smirked.
"I have got it. Thanks, Wren."
"What have you got it?" She spoke with confusion, totally aware of her weird grammar.
"Asher. He is the Dolv. Who is against the RS.
Tyler, a Dolvian relative of his, was taken away from his workplace by the RS. Jeremy, Tyler's boss, allowed it. Which is why Asher killed Jeremy out of revenge.
But Asher's revenge isn't done.
He is planning something against the RS. But he is alone and stuck in this town. The police are patrolling. The gates are closed. So what does he do in the meantime?"
Her eyebrows raised as she saw the connection.
She started speaking excitedly as she understood what Orion was signalling.
"He plots to find people that can support him. Because he can't do it alone. So, he wears a uniform identical to the RS agents. And he roams around. Then finally, he enters our bookstore and bingo, he found what he needed! A dumb pawn! A person who reacted at once, just like he wanted! And he assumed I am a detective who knows the RS!
And to keep you safe, I agreed with his assumption. And now, HE THINKS I AM A LIAR!"
She spoke with a glued smile on her face which felt more unhinged as he kept listening to her.
"Wait wha—" Orion's brows furrowed deeply.
"How do you know he thinks of you as a liar?"
She kept smiling but then her face turned into a laugh-cry.
"I-I found this note on my window this morning." She whispered as she took out a piece of paper from her pocket. "There's noth-nothing to cry about. I am not being threatened or anything. It's something I could've also reacted strongly but-"
She felt a knot on her throat and felt even more embrassed. It was nothing to cry about. I thought I had calmed down. Why must I cry all of a sudden?
"I just got scared that he knows exactly which window is my room even though we all have curtains. And if he knows that much, he certainly can break into our house and attack someone if he wanted and that someone could be you or Aunt or me-" She blurted out then hid her face in her hands, wiping her tears aggressively.
Orion just looked at the girl crying in front of him as she kept overthinking about death.
She too, was afraid to die.
Nothing surprising, quite rational actually.
But that was not his Wren. Not his sister. Not the little girl who was the one that grew up a daredevil since the beginning. The girl who would keep him optimistic at all times. The girl who would smile at crime scenes as she thought about her brother. The girl who would dare to throw a knife at a customer. The girl who would dare to roam the streets of a town where murderer lurks.
He pressed his lips. "Wre—"
"No. I'm sorry for this negative stuff. You were right about too much negativity. I guess I should just take a break from all this. I won't roam the streets and try to poke my nose in your cases. I-I think that's better for both you and me. I won't be near you to share my pessimism so it would help you a lot."
She took a deep breath and turned her head up, as if taking the tears back in.
Then with a small smile, she nodded and he nodded back.
She was right, he thought. She really should take a break from these things.
"Also, Wren." He called as she was about to leave the room.
She looked at him over her shoulders. "Yes?"
"Maybe staying away from Sameul will help too. You know, he is a suspect in this case after all."
She furrowed deeply. "No."
"What now?" He groaned.
"No." She repeated, this time her voice sterner.
"This is for your safety."
"This is for your concern that we might become lovers."
They both glared at each other. Before he could open his mouth, Wren interrupted again.
"For your information, he is not a suspect in this case. Your suspect was the killer, the Dolv. Whom you named Asher by God knows how. I won't question you though. I trust you in that one."
"Well, thanks for believing in me. Truly helpful. Yet, you won't accept the fact that Sameul is also one of our—"
"He isn't. Only Asher was the suspect. I helped you solve the case. You go find and arrest that guy before he escapes. Done. Sameul has nothing to do with that."
"Well, he might be a Red Scorpion agent."
She was completely annoyed by now. Yes, He could be. But he was not their target.
... Sameul... That guy...
Wren remembered how Sam understood her thought process. Wren remembered the head pat and how he had calmed her down. She did not have to force her tears back or bolt her panic. When Sam was there in that alley, her fear had just faded away.
She looked into Orion's eyes. "He may or may not be a RS agent,
but he means no harm to me. You don't have to worry about my safety around him."
Orion's eyes narrowed as his brows lowered.
"Quite protective about that guy, aren't you?"
"I'm happy about that." She smiled. A genuine smile. It was true that she was not ashamed to protect him. After all, when she was feeling so vulnerable in the streets, he was the one who made her feel protected.
Orion sighed. "I will never understand you."
All he got was laughter as she left the room and slammed the door shut.