*** In a Private Channel ***

TREVOR: Hey Paige

PAIGE: Hey?

TREVOR: I know you're probably on your way to class

PAIGE: Yeah. I've got Chem class starting in a few

TREVOR:  Oh, okay...

...I just wanted to let you know that I do know what obsequious means

PAIGE: Um...okay...

TREVOR: Fawning, ingratiating, sycophantic...

PAIGE: Um, Trevor?

TREVOR: Yeah...

PAIGE: Did you just look that up on your phone?

TREVOR: Oh...yeah...

...busted!

...heh...

...I guess I just didn't want you to think that I didn't know what the word meant at all

...because I did!

...just not really in context

...or in way that I could describe it

PAIGE: Okay, well that's cool

...no one's judging you

...well maybe Zoe a little bit

...but she judges EVERYONE!

TREVOR: Heh...yeah, I know

...it's just that you guys are all really, really smart

...and I'm...well I'm...

...let's just say academics is not really my thing

PAIGE: No worries...

...we've all got our own thing 

TREVOR: Yeah...

...I just don't want you to think that, you know, I'll be slacking on this project or anything

...because I won't!

...I'm not a slacker!

PAIGE: I know...

...none of us thinks that about you

TREVOR: Yeah, okay, but it's really important that YOU don't think that about me

PAIGE: I don't

TREVOR: Oh, okay 

...cool

PAIGE: Um, Trevor

TREVOR: Yeah?

PAIGE: My class is starting

TREVOR: Oh, yeah. Of course!

...I guess I'll talk to you later then?

PAIGE: Sure

...ttyl...

 *** Later that Day ***

ZOE: Okay, guys. I did some sleuthing 

JACE: Cool. What ya got?

ZOE: Well, I found this...

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

PAIGE: So, there is an Arnold who lives here in Keene!

TREVOR: Nice work, Zoe! Good thing we've got a hacker on the team.

ZOE: Dude, it took two minutes on Google. No hacking required

JACE: Okay, given that no one ever moves out of this podunk town

...I think it's safe to assume this guy is related to the Arnold who owned the perfume shop

...I mean the town is too small for it to be a coincidence, right?

PAIGE: Is there an address listed for him?

ZOE: Yeah

...it's 535 Willow Lane

...you know what, I'm gonna go by there during lunch

...I'm totally curious now

PAIGE: Do you think you'll talk to him if he's there?

ZOE: I mean, yeah, why not?

...don't you guys want to know more about the Arnolds of Keene, New Hampshire?

TREVOR: Totally!

BIANCA: Well be careful, Zoe

ZOE: The dude's 70 years old, Bianca

...I think I'll be fine

PAIGE: Okay, well, while Zoe checks out the house

...I'm going to run over to the Historical Society

...I know they have town ledgers that I can probably use to look up the history of the house

BIANCA: Plus, there's that creepy town historian

...what's his name?

PAIGE: Edgar Reinhart

BIANCA: Yeah, Mr. Reinhart 

ZOE: Herr Reinhart is more like it!

BIANCA: He really weirds me out!

PAIGE: All right, guys. Look, he's not that bad

...and he probably knows more about this town than anyone

...so let's tone it down some, yeah?

*** Later that Day ***

ZOE: Well, not much to report here

JACE: What? You mean about the address you found for that Kenneth guy?

ZOE: Yeah. I did my drive-by

...and it looks like there was a house there...once

...but all you can see now is the foundation

PAIGE: That might be because it burned down

TREVOR: Wait? What? You found that out at the Historical Society?

PAIGE: Yep!

...Reinhart let me make a copy of a photo of the house

...here it is

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

JACE: Oh, dude. The place was torched!

ZOE: Okay, well then, what I saw makes sense now

JACE: I wonder if it was accidental or if there's a much bigger story here?

ZOE: You mean an intentional fire?

JACE: Yeah

ZOE: Hmm...maybe the Arnold's were run out of town?

TREVOR: Um, guys...

PAIGE: Yeah, Trevor. What's up?

TREVOR: So I brought my Grandpa's box of photos for us to go through during study hall

PAIGE: Yeah...

TREVOR: And he's got a copy of that picture too

PAIGE: Okay...

TREVOR: Hold on!

...let me make up some excuse to get out of Government class

...then I can show you guys what I'm looking at

...hang on a second

...I'll be back!

ZOE: Has anyone noticed that we're ALWAYS waiting around for Trevor?

BIANCA: Well, his grandpa does seem to have the best source for photos 

PAIGE: Yeah, I think it's worth the wait

BIANCA: Okay, well, while we're waiting...

...how's everyone doing today??

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

...no takers?

...okay, well I found out that I got an "A" on my English paper so I'm totally stoked! Yay!!  \ (•◡•) /

JACE: I thought we agreed...no chit chat

BIANCA: ⚆ _ ⚆  

...I'm just trying to be friendly

ZOE: And while we're at it, no emojis

BIANCA: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ But why not? 

ZOE: Because it makes me feel like I'm Snapchatting with 12 year olds

BIANCA: Oh, boo! You guys are no fun!  (.╭╮.)

TREVOR: Okay, I'm back

ZOE: Thank God!!!

PAIGE: All right, let's see this picture of your's

TREVOR: Here you go...

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

ZOE: WHOA! 

...is that

...if you zoom in

...what is that on the left!

PAIGE: It looks like a man

BIANCA: Why is he all fuzzy like that??!!

JACE: Guys, chill. It's an optical illusion

...the guy probably moved when the picture was taken

BIANCA: OMG! He's creepy!!

PAIGE: Okay, I wrote down what was on the back of my photo

...it said Ames Baker in front of the Arnold home, 1936 

...what does yours say, Trevor?

TREVOR: Same thing

ZOE: Okay, so who's the dude on the left? 

...and why isn't he mentioned in either photo?

BIANCA: Oooh...this is getting weird ◔̯◔

JACE: Yeah...it kinda is

...I mean, who are these Arnold people?

PAIGE: I don't know 

...but I'm going back to the Historical Society tomorrow

...we need to get to the bottom of this!