Two Plane Tickets Exposed a Murder Chapter 2

The screen lit up. A deeply familiar face appeared on the display.

Looking at that face, my brain completely short-circuited.

I snatched the phone right out of Martha's hands. I stared dead into the screen, my fingertips trembling uncontrollably.

Martha exploded. She pointed a manicured finger at my face and shrieked.

"That's it! I am pressing charges! Get your parents on the phone right now!"

On the screen, Noah's face twisted into a harsh, impatient scowl. His voice was freezing cold.

"So I don't answer your texts, and you pull a stunt like this?"

"I told you it's over. We are done. Are you really going to be this pathetic?"

"You're not just harassing me. You're terrorizing my parents. You dragged the cops into this. You are out of your mind!"

"Have some damn self-respect. Leave me and my family alone!"

I stared at his furious expression. The fog in my brain instantly vanished, replaced by a terrifying, razor-sharp clarity.

The real Noah was gentle. He was soft-spoken. He would never, ever speak to me with such brutal venom.

We had survived the hell of finals together. We had mapped out our entire college lives on sticky notes.

He knew my favorite coffee orders by heart. He used to hold me for hours when I had anxiety attacks.

He had never even raised his voice at me. Not once.

A human being doesn't fundamentally change their entire personality in three days.

And there was something else. Freddy and Martha had never cared for Noah. They treated him like a burden. There was absolutely no way they would rush over here to defend his honor just because a classmate thought he was in danger.

I snapped my head up. I glared directly at his parents, my voice turning into a lethal whisper.

"You two are hiding something. Are you the killers? Or just the accomplices?"

"That guy on the screen is not Noah! Why are you helping an imposter? Where is he?!"

Detective Harrison's face turned to stone. He signaled the officers.

"Call Pamela's parents. Have them come down here immediately."

He paused, giving me a stern, unforgiving look.

"Your behavior is officially crossing the line into harassment. You cannot weaponize the police department just because you got dumped."

"Especially when the guy is sitting right there on video. This murder theory is completely fabricated."

I couldn't hold back anymore. I screamed at the top of my lungs.

"That is not him! Something happened to him! You are letting them get away with it!"

Freddy and Martha exchanged a lightning-fast look. For a fraction of a second, I saw sheer, naked panic flash in their eyes.

But they quickly covered it up with loud, obnoxious outrage.

"You absolute lunatic! You belong in a straitjacket! How dare you accuse us of murder!"

"We were trying to be nice because you're just a kid. But this is too far. Wait until your parents get here. They're going to pay for this!"

Harrison watched the circus unfold, his jaw clenching in frustration.

"Take her down to the precinct to cool off. We'll wait for her parents there."

A female officer approached, gently trying to guide me toward the door.

I fought back, digging my heels into the carpet, keeping my eyes locked on the Lawsons.

"He is in danger! You cannot just walk away from this!"

"Look at their faces! They are terrified! They know exactly where he is, and they might be the ones who hurt him!"

"This is a potential homicide. You can't just brush it under the rug. You need to search their house right now! You need to prove that he is actually safe!"

"A video call proves nothing! Deepfakes exist! Actors exist! If you don't search that house, I will never stop fighting this!"

Detective Harrison went silent.

He looked at my desperate, unwavering expression. Then he glanced at Freddy and Martha, noticing how unnaturally stiff they had become. Finally, he gave in.

Freddy and Martha went pale. They immediately started to protest.

But under Harrison's sharp, authoritative gaze, they eventually had to grit their teeth and agree.

Harrison grabbed his police radio, barking out orders.

"Get a crime scene unit and a couple of detectives over to the Lawson residence. I want a full sweep. Do not miss a single detail."

I took a massive, shuddering breath, forcing myself to swallow the panic, and followed the police to Noah's house.

The short drive felt like an eternity.

It felt like an invisible hand was crushing my lungs. Every second was pure agony.

When we arrived, the house was already crawling with cops. They were checking every room, dusting surfaces, shining flashlights into closets.

Noah's bedroom was perfectly organized. It was almost too clean.

There wasn't a single thing out of place.

Soon, the lead CSI approached Harrison.

"Detective, the sweep is complete. No blood trace, no signs of a struggle, nothing suspicious whatsoever. The girl's homicide theory is a bust."

Martha crossed her arms, sneering at me with absolute triumph.

"See? What did I tell you? You are a delusional psycho! Do you believe us now?"

"When your parents show up, I am going to have a long talk with them. I'm going to make sure they discipline you so you never pull a stunt like this again!"

A loud ringing started in my ears. But my gut instinct hadn't wavered for a single second.

I turned to the detective, my voice cracking with desperation.

"Detective Harrison, what if the crime scene isn't here? What if it's somewhere else? Please, you have to keep looking!"