Chapter Three

It had been a few days since I’d started researching into the voices I was hearing, and if I was being honest I hadn’t really found much to go on. I’d added a few more notes to my work book but so far I was at a bit of a dead end.

The day after Ryan and I had discovered that some of the voices I’d heard were from the 1920’s, I’d looked all over websites that let you trace back your family tree to see if I could find anything. Maybe they were my ancestors? I knew it was a long shot, but it was worth a try. I even spent hours looking through old newspaper archives that held any information about shootings. None stuck out. Great.

Today it was Friday, and instead of being out dancing and drinking with my friends, like any normal 19 year old would be, I had opted for a night at the library, to try once again to shed any light on my ‘voices’.

I was alone. Erin was out again with Jason. I’d made my opinion pretty clear on that to her, 3 dates in 3 days was moving a bit too fast, but then again Erin did like to do her own thing so I wasn’t about to stop her. Even Ryan was out clubbing tonight, and he hates clubbing with a passion. But I guess when you put a pretty little blonde in a tight fitting dress into the equation; well that changes his mind pretty damn fast.

“I am not jealous.” I told myself under my breath. “I’m not!”

I wasn’t jealous because really what would be the point in that? Ryan was one of my best friends, so it was highly unlikely that any girl �" not matter how cute or hot she was �" was going to change that, right?

Right.

I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t ever thought of Ryan in THAT way, because I had. It must have been just over a year ago. I’d found myself looking at him more often, thinking that he was cute or how nice his eyes were. I’d blush when he said something complimentary or even anything at all. But he’d paid no attention to me, I was just his friend and that was that. That was all it ever would be.

I glanced up at the clock quickly and grimaced when I realised that I’d been sitting here for half an hour already just daydreaming.

“Stop thinking about him.” I twisted a strand of hair around my finger.

“Stop thinking about who?” A voice asked, as a bag landed on the desk next to where I was sitting.

“Nobody.” I answered guiltily.

“Well don’t be offended if I don’t believe you.” Erin slipped in to the chair next to me.

I rolled my eyes. “ What are you doing here anyway? I thought you were out tonight with your lover?” I stressed the emphasis on my last word.

“Don’t complain. I thought I’d give you the pleasure of hanging out with your bestest friend in the world.” Erin smiled.

I laughed. “Cancel on you did he?”

“Yeah, right at the last minute too.” The smile on Erin’s face had now turned into a scowl.

“Hence the get-up?” I said, referring to her ‘favourite’ blue dress that she was wearing. Well I say dress, it’s really more like a shirt.

Erin pouted. “I looked too good to change into boring old jeans and a t-shirt.”

I looked down at my own attire, which coincidently was just jeans and a t-shirt. “What, you don’t like the way I’m dressed?”

“There’s nothing wrong with the way you’re dressed.” A voice answered for Erin.

“Ryan!” I almost jumped out my seat. “Don’t sneak up on people like that!”

“Sorry.” Ryan apologised, though he didn’t seem very sincere.

“Sure you are.” I muttered.

“But really, you look good.” Ryan stared at me a few seconds before quickly adding on, “Both of you.” A bit hastily if I might add.

“Well duh!” Erin answered.

It suddenly dawned on me that Ryan was here too. “Why are you here? I thought you had that date tonight?”

Ryan shrugged his shoulders. “Wasn’t really my type.”

“You seemed to really like her when you met her last week. I mean, she’s blonde hair, blue eyed �" what’s not to like? Don’t take this the wrong way, but if I were a guy �" I would.” I said before I could stop myself. Once the words were out of my mouth I noticed how stupid I sounded.

With a smirk at Ryan, Erin began to tap her fingers on the sides of her chair before cheekily adding, “Well Ams, I think our Ryans more into brunettes with green eyes lately.”

Ryan turned a pretty interesting shade of red, and I was confident that I probably had too.

“Erin! Cut that out.” Ryan hissed, though I could tell he was trying to hide his embarrassment.

Could Ryan like me? As in like me, like me? In a more than friends way?

I groaned inwardly, as if I didn’t have enough to worry about. Now I had to add the possibility of my best friend fancying me to the list. Fantastic.

To cover up my own embarrassment, I got back to the reason I’d ended up at the library in the first place. “Are you here to help me then?”

“Yep. Found anything useful?” Erin rested her head on hands.

“I was going to look more into old newspapers, and see if there’s anything about this shooting.” I told them my plan of action.

“I thought you already did that?” Ryan asked.

“I did some. But I’m guessing there might be more of a selection here.” There was that, and the fact that I didn’t want to get square eyes by staring at a computer screen for hours on end. I’d done enough of that lately.

“To the archives.” Ryan led the way.

It took a good half hour for us to find the correct section of newspapers we were looking for.

“Which side of the decade are we looking at? Beginning, middle or end?” Erin asked from across the aisle.

“Any.” I told her offhandly, already buried in a stack of papers.

“Way to narrow it down.” Erin moaned.

“It’s a 10 year period, Erin. I think that’s as narrow as we can get.” Ryan said sharply.

Erin retorted with something catty, but I drowned out their conversation and focused on the more important subject at hand.

“I think I found something.” I had to stop myself from shouting too loud. I didn’t know if either of them were listening to me, but I started to read aloud anyway. “A fatal shooting took place outside of Danny’s Bar last Thursday night. The three men were found… oh…never mind.”

Nope. That was most definitely not it. Unless the 2 women I’d heard weren’t women at all, but very feminine men with women’s names. Unlikely.

I was almost on the verge of giving up when Erin called out to Ryan and Me. “Hey guys? Come check this out.”

I didn’t hold much into hope with what Erin had found, but I was surprised at what I saw.

Last Thursday (21^st October), a rare shooting took place in downtown London. Outside new club, 19. The suspects have yet to be caught, but police are on the lookout for the 5 known criminals who are believed to be behind the shooting. 20 year old Dorothy Winters died at the scene, while her friends 19 year olds Henry Morris, and Ruth Jenkins died later in hospital from their injuries.

There wasn’t any need to read any more. This was them. They were real, and we’d found them.