Chapter 16 - James

"Blake Hall? You say he's the stalker?"

"Yes. Let me tell you the whole story James. Please just listen. Before you think any bad, Blake is harmless! He is not the reason why Ali... You know." Jody speaks rapidly.

"Go on." I say. I just want to finally know something. Something like a new lead to answers. I think I'm finally on the right track!

"I found Blake in a dark alley, when he was 10. Ali was only 4 back then. You see, I have no husband no no-one, however I always wanted kids. I knew Ali since she was born, and we've always been close. Then her father left for an American girl, and her mother became a lunatic and beat her daily. Ali always used to come over to me if she was capable, and she was like a daughter to me, whom I never had."

Jody was crying, but I was too. Listening to stories about Alicia makes my mind go crazy. When the story pauses, you realise it's not real, and she's not here anymore.

"Anyway, so I found Blake, all beaten up, bleeding from several cuts, and straight away took him to ER. I stayed until I knew he was okay, then I also waited till social workers came to sort him out. Apparently, his only family member known, was his guardian Uncle, but he was the one who beat Blake up and then later drowned himself somewhere nearby. Blake had no family left, and they were gonna put him in an orphanage and me being me, I adopted him."

Pausing once more, hurt and anger was shown on Jody's face.

"Since Ali kept on coming to mine, and Blake was there, they've met multiple times, and Ali treated Blake as if he was his older brother. However, from the first time they've met, I knew Blake liked her more than just family. I told him... I warned him to get his mind off her, and I thought he did... But I was wrong..."

Jody's voice is breaking as she tries to overtalk her sobs.

"One day, Blake was 16 by then, and Alicia was 10, I went into Blake's room to get something, and I accidentally found boxes of paper and photos of Alicia... He had notes of her every move... Where she was... What she was wearing... What she said... Everything..."  disbelief in her voice.

"And then? What did you do?" I ask desperate like a child waiting to open a Christmas present.

"I confronted him. I pleaded him to stop..." she whispered "Then the next day - whoosh- and he was gone."

"What do you mean gone?"

"He packed his stuff and left. Leaving nothing but a simple note saying I'm sorry, I love you Mama. Will be back, don't worry about me.'"

"So that's it? He just left?"

"Yeah. Haven't seen him since. However as far as I have heard, he became an officer in the police force. No doubt tho that he didn't keep records of Alicia til' her death."

"So you're saying he knew it all? Knows it all even?"

*flashback*

A June morning. I was sitting in my classroom waiting for kids to arrive, slowly marking them in as they appeared.

The bell went at least twenty minutes ago, but I was still missing Alicia. Where could she be? Perhaps late again? But twenty minutes? No...

My phone vibrated in my pocket, so I took it out and it said 'unknown' as the caller.

I said "I'll be back in a bit" to the class, and rushed out the door to answer the call. I was worried incase it was something important.

I picked it up, and a voice straight away spoke-

"Girls toilet. North stairs. Alicia. You're the only one who can save her. Hurry"

And the call ended. For a few seconds I stood there in shock, then speedwalked towards the north stair toilets. No-one comes around here anymore due to reconstructions.

I got to the girls, and I hesitated, but then walked in.

However, it's not something I ever wanted to see.

*end of flashback*

"The phone call... That day was him..."

"Hm?"

"That day, Alicia committed suicide... I got a phone call the hour she did it...the person told me where she was, and to save her... It must've been Blake" I mutter.

"I know this is bad, but if you want answers James, I think he's your only option right now."

"I know Jody. Thank you so much for your help."

We shook hands and once again I was in my car. But this time off to the police station.