chapter six! So what am I defending now? ☆

The remainder of summer had flown by, filled with countless laughter-filled nights and spontaneous sleepovers with Este. Tense, heavy moments filled with the weight of unspoken words with Jason and somewhat pleasant conversations with Becca, both familiar yet complicated.

Cassie still hadn't shaken off the emotions that swirled within her after jumping into Andie's case once more. It weighed heavily on her mind, always lingering. She hadn't spoken to Pip or Ravi for a while, leaving her unsure about if they had been in contact with each other or if there were any more updates on her sister's case. 

There were moments when Cassandra considered knocking on Pippa's door, too desperate to continue and find out if there had been any recent changes or if she had come up with any new theories, perhaps due to stumbling upon some new information. She never did. She would never admit it but she was scared to do so, besides she wouldn't want to intrude or cause any disruption within the Fitz-Amobi household by having the youngest Bell show up unannounced. She assumed Pip was going to spend most days hanging out with Cara and the rest of their circle anyway.

Cassandra tried her hardest not to overthink, to resist the worry that constantly gnawed at her about what was happening. Instead, she wanted to focus on the little time she had left of the summer holidays, spending most of her days outside in the sunny weather or immersed in the easy rhythm of the Madden home, joining in on their family dinners and game nights that always got a little too competitive.

Este and her parents were always welcoming, making it clear that she was invited whenever and that her presence could never be a burden on them. It had been that way since primary school and it always served as a temporary fix and escape from the uncertainty that still bubbled within her.

But still desperately she hoped that there hadn't been any recent information contributing to their investigation that she was unaware of, wishing to remain in the loop mainly for her own peace of mind and sanity. After their last encounter, she worried that the Fitz-Amobi would think she couldn't handle what was to come and the thought of being seen as incapable filled her with immense anxiety and insecurity.

She was sure she could handle it. Couldn't she?

The call from Pippa came out of nowhere. It was about mid-afternoon, Cassie savouring the quiet of the Bell house. The sudden ring of her phone was enough to make the blonde choke on the coffee she had been drinking. "Shit!" she cursed, tone sharp with surprise, and caused Becca, who was sat at the other end of the island, to straighten up and peer over her laptop screen at her younger sister, assessing the situation.

"You good?"

"Yeah, sorry." She apologised and quickly stood to grab a handful of paper towels which she then used to clean up the small amount of coffee she spilt in the process and amidst the chaos, Pip's call was accidently sent to voicemail.

She glanced back at her phone seeing the notification from a message the brunette left and she hurriedly clicked on it. 'Think I have something new. My house, come asap.'

Cassie replied that she was on her way and tucked the stool she was previously sat on, it's screeching replicating the sound of chalk on a chalkboard. Grimacing, she made up something about going to Este's house, not wanting to rise suspicion in her sister, sending Becca a quick smile and hurrying out the door.

Deciding she wanted to drive, the journey to the Fitz-Amobi address was brief, and Cassie was immediately greeted by Pip, who led her upstairs and into the girls' room. At first glance Pippa's room looked relatively normal. Her wallpaper was cute, pulling her room together, and everything chaotically matched.

That's when she glanced to the other side and noticed the, what she assumed used to be a plain dark green wall, covered in various pictures which were connected by strings and tape. The various pictures included, the Singhs, Andie, the rest of her family, other people potentially involved, and her. It all came together as some sort of crime investigation, a murder board.

She'd also only just noticed Ravi who also stood gaping at the wall in front of them, expression a mixture of shock and awe.

"Do you think I'm crazy?" Pip asked, a sheepish smile on her face, clearly bracing herself for their responses. There was no doubt she was worried about what reactions she would receive. I mean, it looked crazy.

"100%," Ravi replied instantly.

"I was thinking more like creepy?... stalkerish maybe?" Cassandra joked, although she felt a bit on edge by the sight. Upon closer inspection, the blonde noticed the intricate detail. There was information and theories scribbled in white marker, posters and maps printed out, and it even seemed like it was in somewhat chronological order.

"This is insane." She whispered, mainly to herself, after a few more seconds of silent observation. It wasn't a bad thing, though. She could tell how much time and effort Pip had already put into this and it honestly reassured Cassandra for reasons she couldn't full explain. It was dedication.

"So, what have you got?" Ravi questioned and Cassie moved back a few steps to give Pippa the space to explain her new findings. The brunette got up from her bed, pointing to a picture of Dan Da Silva.

"Dan Da Silva. Nat's brother, he's a police officer who worked on the case."

"Yeah, Jason encouraged Dan to join the police, not too sure why though." The Bell added. At this point she thought any information could be useful in some way. Pip explained how he warned her off at the Hastings party, raising the question if he could be 'secret older guy'.

Cassie let out a hum of slight disagreement. "I don't know about you but when I think of this guy I'm thinking... like... thirties maybe? Is that a stretch?" Her voice was unsure, her face puzzled.

Pippa paused, considering the possibility. "Could he be covering for Nat?" She asked, referring to Dan.

The Singh began to un-tape Andie's Instagram pictures, rearranging them to be in chronological order and soon enough a pattern became visible. The first four pictures included all three girls; Andie, Emma and Nat up until about two weeks before her sister's disappearance. Then, it was just Andie and Emma. It was clear they had had a falling out, but why?

Cassandra's tone softened. "I honestly can't remember much. I think Andie came home one day, a little bit agitated, maybe even a little distressed. I'm not too sure. She mumbled something about Nat."

"Wait..." Pip began and Cassie swore she could see the cogs turning in her brain. "When were the nudes leaked?" The question being directed at Ravi more than her.

She knew where Pip was going with this; Andie leaked them therefore Nat had a motive. Theoretically, it would make sense but Cassie didn't want to believe it. Especially since it involved her sister. "You're not trying to say Andie did it, are you?"

"I don't know, but if she did, it gives Nat a pretty good motive." 

Heyyyy... how ya'll doin?   AHHH I'm so sorry because why am I SO inconsistent ???

Anyway, side note but why does the layout of this fic actually irk me out?? like in comparison to let it happen (which is published now btw so go check it out <3) this layout is so all over the place. actually sobbing. (I'm on my laptop so emojis are a no so just imagine that disappointed, facepalm one is here)

Okay!!! see you soooooon, Lils x