Once Upon a Steamy Night
Chapter Sixteen

Scot waited until the coast was clear before he headed towards Claire's front door. He rang the doorbell and ran to hide at the back door. His heart almost jumped out of his mouth when the back door was pulled open by Adam as he glared at him.

"What do you want, kid?" Adam growled, "I have something important to do!"

"How did you know I was here? I rang the front doorbell," Scot asked.

"You are in no position to speak or ask me questions so start spilling your bloody guts!" Adam barked.

"Fine. We've established the fact that I don't trust you and I want us to have an understanding which is, I only want to save Claire," Scot said. Adam's eyes widened slightly. "You don't trust me? That must have taken you a lot of guts."

"I'm not here to joke, Adam. I'm here to warn you to desist from any further incriminating actions against the laws of this town," Scot said. Adam chuckled. "Who made you this town sheriff?"

Scot eyed him suspiciously. "I've warned you."

Adam eyed him with a look of pity and anger. "No one threatens me, kid, do well to remember that, and while you run around playing Sheriff remember your late parents."

Before he could blink or ask him a question the door was slammed in his face. Scot felt more determined to continue his investigation and that led him to break into the morgue.

The moment he stepped his foot into the morgue he regretted it. He was dressed as one of the attendants and he has done well to disguise himself properly.

He headed towards the places where all dead bodies were kept but there was no sign of Ryes and his wife.

Strange, he mused.

He checked every single room but there was no sign of them till he got to the room marked KEEP OUT.

The room beckoned on him and even though Scot knew he shouldn't go in he found himself heading inside and that's where he saw them.

Their bodies were shriveled and shrank like a body that has been burnt but he knew this was not a fire accident.

Their eyes held enough pain and so much suffering. Scot knew that whatever had killed them had done it very painfully.

According to the real autopsy reports, there were no physical wounds on the bodies and as he glanced at them he saw there were no physical wounds but whatever had killed them had drained their life force. "...safe in here. I didn't tell him a thing..."

Scot ducked under the bed immediately as the footsteps echoed down the hall coming towards the room.

The door opened and he was able to see the feet of the two men. From their voice, he recognized them as the Captain and Mr. Jerry.

"Did he mention the new evidence he found?" the captain was asking.

"No, he just said he wanted to look at the bodies," Jerry replied.

"Call him up right now and tell him you're considering his request but what evidence did he find? "the captain ordered.

Scot pulled out his phone and silenced it immediately while eavesdropping on them.

"He's not picking up," Jerry said.

"Try again later, we need to find out what he knows."

"He's your responsibility, Jones. Keep him in line else the council might decide to take care of him.

"We need to get rid of these bodies," Jones said.

"Isn't that supposed to be during the trial or after it?" Jerry asked.

"Yes but with Scot poking his nose now he will find something, and we don't want that."

"Like father like son!" Jerry snorted.

Scot stopped himself from gasping as he waited for them to leave the room before he crept out of the morgue and ran towards Claire's house.

***

Claire stared at her father as he recounted his experience with Scot and how he almost ripped his head out for threatening him.

"I can't believe I once considered him a friend," Claire snapped.

"He's biting more than he can chew," Adam shrugged.

The doorbell rang and Claire pulled the door open to see a panting Liam.

"What is the problem?" She asked worriedly.

"I need to speak with you and Adam," he replied.

Adam stood up, fuming.

"What do you want, Scot? To threaten me again?"

"No, I saw the bodies of your parents and an autopsy report," Scot explained.

Adam arched a perfectly carved brow at him. "So? What's your boring point?"

"I think Captain Jones, Jerry, and the council knows what happened to them," he replied.

Claire's eyes widened from shock. "Why do you think so?"

Scot played the voice recorder that he had recorded from when Jones and Jerry had been talking.

They listened to the recording in silence and Scot told them about the dead bodies and how it was. Adam's lips had drawn together in a tight smile when he heard that the council was aware of Claire's innocence. "This could only mean that someone in the council has framed her," Adam mumbled.

Scot nodded. "I will try to find out more."

When Scot left, Adam stared at Claire. "What do you want to do?"

She shrugged sniffling. "I don't know. I just want to know who had me framed and why."

Adam nodded. "I know what we can do about this, Claire."

"I hope it's not what I'm thinking, dad?" She asked, cocking her brow at him.

"We don't have a choice. We move tonight."

***

Claire stared at herself in the mirror and stifled her giggles. They were all clad in black leather pants, a black singlet, and a black leather jacket. Her hair was pulled into a tight bun.

"Is this all necessary?" Adam grumbled as he stared at his black ski mask.

"I think we should always dress the part, dad," Claire smirked.

"Let's go already, I'm using a cloaking spell!"

She held his hands, and he chanted a spell, they disappeared and appeared in a dark room. Claire found a source of light by making a small flame in her palm.

"Amazing. You haven't even learned the fire element, but you can use it," Adam commented.

Claire nodded and looked around the room as a cold shiver enveloped her body. She saw the bodies of her parents and a strangled gasp left her throat.

She wasn't even aware of the hand Adam clamped around her mouth all she could see were the cold eyes of her parents. The way their bodies were so dark unlike when they were alive. She could remember how happy her mom was and how social her dad was and now someone had killed them and framed her!

How dare they?!

Her breathing quickened as she stared at the dead blank faces of her parents and thunder rumbled in the sky.

"Not now, Claire!" Adam said.

She ignored him as she focused on the power coursing through her veins.

"If you do this now then you are no better than the one who harmed your parents," Adam whispered.

Finally, he stopped and took a deep breath before glancing at him.

"What do I need to do?"

He smiled at her. "Touch them and think of all the best times you remember and how they were when you last saw them."

Claire held their cold hands and tried the first time, but it was blurry with tears and she couldn't focus. She took a deep breath and concentrated and then she saw them.

Her parents had been so happy when they were alive she didn't know that it was possible to miss someone this much but at this time, she missed her parents.

They were laughing and teasing each other when she had left for her school when suddenly, she heard noise followed by the intense ear-splitting scream of her parents. She had tried desperately to see the face of the murderer, but it was as if whoever did it didn't want to be found.

When she removed her hand, the vision faded, and she sighed.

"Nothing?" Adam asked.

She nodded. "It's almost like that person who did this doesn't want to be found."

"You need to sleep, Claire. I'm sure we'll find out who," Adam said.

As she was walking out of the room, she saw piercing green eyes followed by a maniacal cackle and an ear-splitting scream.

She fainted.