The Death Of Lewie

"My dog died.”

Will sat down with us. His face was ashen. He had dark circles under his swollen eyes. He was crying the whole night.

“Lewie died?”

He nodded numbly. “Yeah. He died.”

The four of us sat around a round table. Me, Oliver, Kate and Will.

“I’m sorry.”

We all knew how much that dog meant to Will. After his parents’ divorce, it never left his side.

Personally, I don’t understand this sort of attachment to a mutt, but oh well, it’s not my mutt.

“How did it happen?”

I surveyed their expressions. It’s an activity that I enjoy. Trying to figure out what my friends were thinking is a great brain workout for me.

Will was devastated, as expected. Beside him, Kate had a face full of sympathy. Oliver was… disturbed.

Oliver.

God damn Oliver.

I hate him.

I don’t even know why.

His face irritates me in ways I can’t understand.

His voice sends shivers up my spine.

Like when someone scratches their nails against a whiteboard.

It gives me a headache.

“He was hit by a car.”

Oliver seemed paler now. The death of the mutt seemed to affect him more than Will.

I wonder why.

It’s not like he did it.

Though, if he did, and I got him to prove it, I can take him down.

That would bring me the greatest of joy.

Watching his life crumble in front of his eyes.

“I gotta go.”

Oliver suddenly stood up.

“Where? Why?”

“I have a hangover from the party last night.”

“You can’t leave! Lewie just died! We should plan a funeral or-”

“Let him leave.” Will waved his hand dismissively. “Whatever he needs to do, I’m sure it’s urgent. Besides, it’s not like there is much of Lewie left to bury anyways.”

There was a silence that stretched out for a while before Oliver turned around and left.

“Hey man, I’m sorry for what happened for Lewie.”

I slide closer to Will, taking Oliver’s empty spot. Putting on my best sympathetic face, I placed my arm around his shoulders.

“If you need anything, I’m here.”

He seemed to buy it.

Of course, he did.

Who would suspect the quiet girl to have a dark mind?

“Thanks, Robin.” He gave me a hug.

I hate any kind of physical contact, but I let this one slide.

He was so sad after all.

I wouldn’t want to come out as more of a jerk than Oliver.

***

For the next few days, we avoided talking about Lewie.

Will was still in a dazed state, spacing out every now and then.

I have half a mind to tell him to get over it, but then I would be the bad guy.

Besides, I have a hypothesis on what has happened.

All I have to do is get him to confess.

So I wait.

Kate was trying to cheer Will up.

She was being extra nice to him and telling us funny little stories that normally would make him laugh so hard it’d hurt my ears.

But that didn’t happen.

I doubt he was listening at all.

I don’t blame him.

The stories are annoying.

Oliver was acting more and more distant now.

No, he was more paranoid.

He was constantly looking around as if he was scared something will suddenly jump out and drag him away.

When asked why he was acting this way, he brushed it off as not feeling well.

On the rare occasions that Lewie was mentioned, he left the table immediately with a concealed look of guilt on his face.

Will didn’t care. He said that whatever Oliver had to do must be far more important.

Though the light in his eyes became dimmer every time he left.

The funeral would take place next week.

Will wanted it done as soon as possible.

“I can’t keep dwelling in this pit of sadness.”

I fully support his decision.

Constantly being hugged is taking a strain on me.

Cheering him up is tiring.

***

One week after the funeral, Will came with a determined look on his face.

I felt dread at the bottom of my stomach.

What was he going to do now?

I knew that it was going to be pointless and useless.

Oliver was back to normal after the funeral.

Back to his annoying, cheery self.

He didn’t even attend it.

He said that he had a doctor’s appointment.

Kate was quite angry, but Will said that it was fine.

“Just let him go. His doctor’s appointment is far more important than seeing the half-flattened corpse of a dead dog.”

Will had a plan.

He wanted to catch the killer of Lewie.

He said that he got inspired by a crime tv show he was watching last night, where a couple of kids were trying to find the killer of their dog.

Eventually, they found him, though they went through quite an adventure.

Will said that by sitting around mourning Lewie’s death won’t do him justice.

The police weren’t going to help.

“We can only rely on ourselves.”

Kate was enthusiastic.

She believed that this was the best way to get Lewie revenge.

Of course, me, the good friend, supported their decision.

I had an inkling on who was the killer.

Oliver said he supported the decision, but he looked pale.

He said he wasn’t feeling well and left.

“You know, he has been making excuses like this for quite a while.”

“Ever since Lewie died.”

“I’m sure there is nothing wrong.”

Oh Will oh Will, ever trusting in his childhood friend.

“I don’t know, it just seems like something fishy is going on.”

I never understood that expression, but here was my chance.

“I’ll go talk to him.”

***

I cornered Oliver two days after the conversation.

I knew for a fact Will didn’t say anything, and Kate trusted me to talk to him.

Oh, Kate.

Poor Kate.

The pawn in my plan to ruin Oliver.

I am sure I know what had happened.

Through the power of deduction.

People may say I’m like a real-life Sherlock Holmes.

But I feel much more like a Jim Moriarty.

Working on the other side of the law.

Living that exciting, criminal life.

Every fairy tale needs a good old fashioned villain after all.

“What’s up with you?”

We were in a secluded location. Sort of like one of those dark alleys in movies.

Except it wasn’t night time, and I wasn’t about to kill him.

“Nothing, why?”

“It just that you seem more… distant.”

“I’m not feeling well.”

I smiled and walked closer to him.

“Come on Oliver. We both know that’s not the reason you’ve been acting this way.”

He backed away nervously.

“What do you mean?”

“You killed Lewie.”

His face was so pale now. He was so scared.

Yet he wanted to defend himself.

“You’re lying! How can you accuse me of that!”

A fighting spirit.

I respect that.

Even though he doesn’t have much fight left in him.

“Lewie was killed on Monday morning. Where were you on Sunday night?”

“I told you on Monday! I was at a party!”

“And where might this party be?”

“At 113 North Street…”

“You would have to pass by Will’s house to get there, right.”

“That still doesn’t mean that I killed Lewie!”

“Don’t forget I live right across you. At 2 am Monday morning I saw you pull into your driveway. You stumbled out of the car. Drunk. Drunk driving is a serious offence, you know.”

“I know that!”

“Just checking. I distinctly saw blood on your driveway when I woke up at 9 am. Then Will came and announced the death of Lewie. You seemed scared since then, scared as if someone will come and call you out.”

“I didn’t do it!”

“Then you wouldn’t mind me telling Will about my discovery now, would you? Since you are so adamant that you didn’t do it.”

He was so pale now. His body was trembling.

He let out a shaky sigh and gave in.

“Fine. I did it. I killed Lewie. I was drunk and wanted to get home quickly. I didn’t see him. I can’t believe you figured it out.”

“Elementary, my dear Watson. Elementary.”

Ok, it’s a Sherlock quote. But I admire his intelligence. It would be a shame to not use it at such a fitting time.

“Robin, can you promise me something?”

I had to be a nice friend again.

This could be interesting.

“Sure.”

“Promise me that you won’t tell Will, ok?”

I smiled.

“I promise.”

I had a completely different plan in mind.

The next morning I found Kate.

Poor Kate who can never keep a secret.

Who would immediately spill under pressure.

She was perfect.

“Hey Kate, I need to tell you something.”

“Sure, what’s up?”

I flashed my predatory grin.

“Can you keep a secret?”