I walked out. I tried. I ignore the attendant as she tries to call me back. It is always the same reason, 'your mother is struggling'. Screw her. I never wanted her as much as she never wanted me and blames me for her stupidity. She got her stupid perfect family and is now trying to throw it all away. I wish they put me into foster care instead of this.

When I'm out in the waiting room I don't see Ethan or his dad so I just walk out the door. I don't stop I just walk out not looking for anything. Every emotion I lost is coming back to me. My head is flooded with the worst memories making me want to drown myself. 

 I jump back when I feel a strong hand enclose around my wrist. I turn to see a familiar face.  

Grayson.

Oh shit Grayson is still here. He was supposed to leave.

"What happened Anna?" He was genuinely concerned. I hated that. I didn't deserve that. I didn't want that. 

"Doesn't matter. You can go home now." I was pushing him away. I was walking away. I was ignoring my every urge to melt into a pit on the floor and die.

He just looked at me with his silver grey eyes and said, "I'm not leaving without you Anna."

I looked down and my hand and realised his hand was still wrapped around my wrist. I stole my hand back. 

"I already told you to leave you need to leave" I snapped.

I started to read his face before squeezing my eyes shut. I don't want to know. I don't care, I don't want to know.

"Anna," He said softly, "What happened?" He tried to reach out to hold my shoulders to force me to look at him but I stepped backwards. 

"I don't want to know right now," I said while taking another step back. The more distance between us the better. "Just go okay."

"How will you get home then Annabelle?" He asked, trying to get me to look at him again, "I came here because I knew you wouldn't be alright to drive yourself home."

"Shut up Grayson. I'm fine." I think I was yelling but I looked straight into his eyes now, "It's too much to handle all your stupid complicated emotions. I Just need a break. Okay. I'm fine."

"Anna you're not fine you just walked out of the building completely oblivious to everything around you. You didn't even hear or see me when you walked by. So you're not fine. Something happened so just get in the car."

I was full of white hot rage. A rage that even in the worst times I suppressed deep inside me. I knew this rage. I knew where it came from. Who it came from. I didn't want it. I didn't want to show it. It wasn't going away.

So I took one last look at Grayson before I sprinted. I was fast. I did track at school as my required sport and Grayson was wearing a suit. I found my way to the side of the building where there was a tall tree. I don't think twice and somehow launch myself to the first branch. I climb all the way to the top and hope that Grayson misses me. I climb around the branches till I find a comfortable spot that is still out of sight. After around a minute I see him coming round the side. He is walking at a quick pace and has a clear look of annoyance on his face.

"Annabelle I know you're mad but you can't just sprint off." He stops in his tracks. Shit he spotted me. "Seriously you climbed a tree" The lines of his face are so clear to me the movement is so familiar. I've seen this face before. I narrowed my eyes on him. It was the same face he had when Jameson pushed him into the pool on his birthday. Why that face right now?

"Anna. You know I see you."

I scoff, "Real creepy dude." His face cringes when I call him dude, "Look next time a girl runs from you don't follow her." I climb down to a lower branch so I am still above him but I have a better view.

"Well are you going to tell me why you ran." I was surprised he didn't already have an answer

"Grayson, Grayson I thought you were smarter than this."

"Because of what happened when you spoke to your mother" Eh said it as though he was trying to get me to realise my feelings. What I like to say it is 'calmly mansplaining'.

"Slow the mansplaining blondie I was just annoyed by your presence" I watch his face shift to be annoyed again. I feel better already.

"Real mature Annabelle."

"Yep. Anywayyy, let's go I missed out on a whole day of mystery solving to figure why your gramps left everything to mystery girl." I don't understand why people don't always just ignore their problems. Its so much easier than facing them.

"A minute ago you were furious at me and now you are just fine? What's going on? I've never seen you switch this fast." He was so curious you could hear it in his voice.

I hopped down from the tree and said, "I was bored of that conversation. Let's go blondie. Show must go on before you get stabbed several times."

"You're really strange sometimes Annabelle."

I tap his shoulder, "Poor you buddy. Let's go."

—------------------------------------------------------------------------

The car ride home was silent. I decided to make it even more difficult so I sat in the backseat. It felt like Grayson was my uber driver. The best part was how much I knew it pissed him off. As soon as we got back to the hawthorne house I jumped straight out of the car.

"Thanks for the ride Gray." Then I vanish into one of the many secret passages. It felt nice to disappear. to vanish like once before.

I mentally prepared myself before I went to find Jameson. I knew it would be a tough conversation. I opened an app on my phone. Not that he knew but a while ago I put on a tracker on his phone. He was in the library closest to his room.

—--------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey Jamie." He looked up to me. Jameson was balanced on the railing of the staircase in the library.

"Where have you been? Me and M.G found some crucial answers." Jameson said while smiling. A true smile. I don't know if it counts though since he is drunk.

"Oh yeah. I had to take my brother to see my mother who is officially in her fourth rehab clinic." I say kind of sing songy.

Jameson dropped down from the railing, "I'm drunk right now you know."

"I know."

"Bad time to tell me."

I shrug, "Now or never"

He looks defeated. I look depressed. We really are the perfect duo.

"Okay done with sappy shit what did you find."

He eyed me, "kind of ruined that moment an-"

"Kiddo, just tell me," I call out to him from below.

He walks to stand next to me sliding down the railing, "My Grandfather chose our middle names."

"Did he?"

"Yep But I'm not sure how it all connects" His head tilted to the side the tiniest bit. Jameson was trying to think of all the possible reasons and possibilities. I decide to profile.

"I picked the middle names of my grandchildren. I knew what my plan would be eventually. I knew they could be part of a story a riddle. I would make sure they loved the games. They loved to win. To solve puzzles. To look in between the lines." I stopped when I thought of my letter. Solve the words you are given.

A hint. What about these words can be solved.

"What are you thinking Annabelle?"

"My letter had something, He told me to solve the words you are given."

The sign off.

"Something else?" Jameson asked.

"The sign off of my letter was trust. That's what my middle name means Faye. It also means Loyalty and belief. Your middle names must be related to the meaning. That's what he was trying to tell me. That's the hint." I suck in a breath. I figured it out. I watch as the realisation of what i just said hit jameson. He then furrows his brow and starts to pace.

"How do we know what meaning it is for our names?"

"I don't know. It would make sense for it to be something. Winchester is a rifle. It is most likely things like that."

"You have it Anna. This is why I needed you on my team." His smile made the room feel lighter. For a second I was able to forget about my mum and everything that happened and just feel happy.

"You should see if Avery has any other ideas." I was probably ruining the moment but this has sparked an idea of my own.

"Okay? Are you going to be fine?" He said cautiously trying not to set me off.

"Yeah I'm fine I just had an idea of my own." I say with a grin on my face.

Jameson smirked, "Make sure you fill me in on it An."

"Maybe later." I say as I turn around and walk away.

My cold case was getting warmer. I just had to find Daniel Brown. Jameson reminded me of a message he sent on a chat.

"Teen girls are so difficult. Are there any good ones?"

On the profile it was told he was 19. When people talked about teens you would think 14-17 year olds. Amerie was 17. This was a comment to draw in. It is the start of manipulation. This isn't the first time this user has used this trick. They must have wanted a new target. A new young girl to trick. Why did Amerie, a smart girl who rejected nearly all the guys fall for this one? Why was he so special?

Was she special to them?

Or Just another object in his game?

You sit there and you wait for the girls to reply to you. You look for someone who is a little challenge. You don't want it to be too easy. This one is fun. She is all smiles and rainbows but she seems to not like talking to the other men. You can get her. You will get her. It will be fun for both of you. In the end you will win the game. You always win the game. 

A/n

I was a little annoyed about this chapter. I couldn't get it right. 

Thank you so much for 1.6k views. I am so thankful for anyone who is reading. 

Hope you like it.