By the look of things, Stacey was beyond exhausted and was on the verge of falling down which made my interior rage vanish and rush to her aid. The soft footsteps behind me made me realize that Nat was equally soft at heart like me. While Bruno and David went to fetch first aid and ice cubes after seeing what we have done. Wow, the world has some good left in people. Anyway, Stacey was crying so hard that words didn't form in her mouth, but only muffled sounds which didn't make any sense. Alex was still talking on the phone makes me want to go and eavesdrop, but Stacey was so much in bad condition, that it looked like she was beaten to a pulp.

"Who did this to you?" David was concerned as he handed me the first aid while Nat placed the ice pack on her forehead where there was a light bruise slowly intensifying the color. Both guys were feeling frantic to know that someone has hit a girl.

"D-Den" and then she cried even harder. I hugged her and Nat rubbed her back. But, nothing seemed to soothe her.

At last Alex kept the phone down and sat right next to Stacey. Stacey looked at Alex and whimpered to his shoulders saying repeatedly that she was sorry.

"It's okay, but I will never forgive you. I helped you and this is how you pay back." With that, he got up and sat down on the beanbag with a coke.

"It was Inspector Jenkins. He, umm, have some disturbing news. Well, first things first. Stacey was the traitor in us and with her help, Den was able to plant much evidence against me in the music case and I am afraid I would have to go for an inquest."

"Oh, I can pull it back, I know it all..."

"How may I trust you again Stacey." With that Stacey was forced to look down and whimper in soft muffled noises which sounded like, what have I done? Sighing deeply, Alex continued, "Well, the other thing was Charles was murdered." He stopped right there and it felt like the whole room stopped breathing. "The autopsy revealed that he was shot in the back of his head which made him fall off from his chair. There was a tiny wound in the back of the head where it states that he was clearly gunned and the intriguing part it, this gun was no ordinary one and thus there was no trace of the bullet in his head." More silence, and less heart beat. I was feeling numb without breathing and suddenly I mustered the courage to let out my breath which echoed like a gasp. "Now the most interesting part..."

"D-Den h-has that kin-kind of g-g-gun." Stacey stammered and Alex looked at her perplexed.

"Yes, Den is the one in the county who has a license to that gun. I don't quite remember the name, but this gun needs a license and inspector Jenkins doubts petty criminals to hold something like this because it is very much expensive. This concludes to a wild goose chase because, on the time of Charles death, Den has a stern alibi to be out of town."

"B-but san-dra would not have neither would have Sam."

"I am not sure about that and Inspector Jenkins didn't quite give me the details because remember I am to attend an inquest which makes me a suspect. All thanks to you Stacey my dear."

"Who is Sam?"

"His personal assistance and well, his partner in crime; Oh Alex, I am truly sorry. I-I..."

"Stacey, what happened to you? Why did you out of the blue come running to me in this state?" Alex was slightly infuriated and urgent to get the story out of her.

"I-I..." sighing deeply Stacey wiped her tear stained face with the back of her hands and wrenching in pain, she pulled herself and blew out a sigh with frustration. "I as you all might know from Angelina, am the sister of Sandra. At least, I believed I was until she turned her back against me when they suspected that I was helping you which I planned to but that was something that I was scared to do. Well, Sandra was always the rebel to do things that were forbidden for a neat Catholic girl; like a tomboy. Our parents were very religious. On the strike of her eighteenth birthday, she vanished and my parents never went to retrieve her, saying she was the devil's incarnation. But, to me, she was my big sister and I needed to find her. So, when I was sixteen, I set out to find her and that's when I saw you guys with her. But, I couldn't confront her in front of all of you, I was scared. So I returned, but my parents knew I was away in search of her rather than a camp with my friends and thus by knowing that they kicked me out and so I came back to the place where I first saw her. And like I expected she was there but with a different person. This time, she wore such short clothes and never left her face from the other guy's face, which made me cringe and pull my dress as lower as I can. Just in time, I was to move, she saw me and embraced me like any sister and talked to me a lot and cried a lot. But, then she changed instantly after she opened her heart and said, I am to be on my own and she can't help me. That's when I was struck with so much pain that I was about to be as senseless as her when I met Alex."

"But she said her parents were gang leaders of Harrington bike gang."

"Well, they were my uncle and aunt; their name was Uncle LouiseHarrington and Aunt JenniferHarrington; both some passionate bike riders. Sandra was having the same interest as them and learned to ride with them without my parent's notice. I was such a scared cat but time and again, Sandra was the big bear of my life, she taught me much mischief and one being this riding."

"Well, when did you start planning to turn against me? From the sound of what you said, I was the only one helping you. So why and most importantly when?"

"I am sorry dear, I am truly sorry."

"Tell me, I want to know why."

"Because... I am sorry, please don't... I-I..."

"Just tell me already."

"Because I loved you"

The silence was painful. Alex had the most astonishing expression on his face. Stacey was looking down and Nat had her lips stitched in a thin line. Well, I... I was not sure how messed up my face but by the look of Brono and David, they wanted to console me so much. But whatever expression I had on my face and my numbed body made them stand their place and look at me with empathy.

"I loved you very much. I never knew when I started to love you but when I did I was so angry at you and Nat because at first, I thought you were a couple. But then Alex started to talk about this fat girl in class making him go crazy and when he brought her here, I was furious; of course, I was not planning to avenge you then. I was so heartbroken that I went to the pub next street and drank away. Sandra found me there with Den and them...umm, made me talk and when I said what was bothering me. Den had this glitter in his eyes which I never realized was so ruthless. He planned the seed of revenge and he said he will help. I was not in my mind, and by the time I came to my mind, I was so stuck."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I was so angry that Sandra said many things to just infiltrate me. Then, we..." pointing to me and Nat, she said, "started to hang out and came to know that Angela was so broken inside. By then I was knee deep in hurting you. Slowly, I started to show less interest in doing as per his command. Yesterday, he said something which hit me home. He asked me to plant this camera in your practicing ground."

Alex perched from his peaceful stance and started at her with clenched fists.

"But, I couldn't do it and I said so. Thus they beat me."

"Are you speaking the truth? I promise if I come to know that this was a lie, you won't be beaten to death; you will be killed and fed to piranhas in the Amazon."

"Aleexx..."

"I assure you, Stacey, I will do it. Now once and for all, have you planted any in the practicing ground?"

"Like I said, I was not able to, so no."

"Brono, David... ask Inspector Jenkins to provide any assistance to check the perimeter for everything hidden, that she has planted."

"There are only a few, to be honest."

"I can never believe you again Stacey. My good opinion about one, if lost... then it's lost forever." With that, Alex got up and walked away. Brono was already on the phone speaking with inspector whatever Stacey has said, while David who was standing by Brono's side, was shooting darts at Stacey.

Nonchalantly, she eyed Alex's back and kept her gaze glued until he was far away; more like vanished.

Without taking her eyes off the path where he just went into my room, she said, "I did a grave mistake for which I deserve no forgiveness; I know. Alex is a good man, and I feel so bad to have cheated him for such a stupid infatuation as love. You are lucky Angelina. I am going; one day when you can, just tell him how truly sorry I was. I am going to the inspector and tell him everything. Thus, Alex will be free from that music case and from me and Den and everything that was disturbing him. I am sorry you all. Nat, you have been planning to do a stunt with me which was your dream, I am sorry to have grounded you there, I wish you all the luck. I am sorry."

"Good knowing you Stacey. But, I can't believe you when you say there is no camera in the practicing ground. I hope you find a good life and sorry, I won't and will never forgive you." With saying that Nat got up and went to find Alex leaving behind me alone with Stacey; I got up and looked at her and shook my head to walk out, just to get some fresh air.

Everything was happening so fast, that my mind was a hurricane. My mind was having a hard time thinking what will happen if she has planted a camera in the ground; then... oh my God, that means...

"Inspector will be here with a tech in a jiffy."

"Good to know Brono. Thanks."

"I can't believe she did that just because of jealousy. I never understood women and thank God I am into men."

I had to chuckle at him while he held me in his arms looking at the thick foliage in front of us where the sun was pouring buckets of glimmering gold dust upon leaves. I felt calm just by looking at this thick green. From a corner of my eye, I saw Stacey mounting on her bike and riding away. The dust whirled many complex textures behind her back making my heart go with her. There was a nasty feeling I had in my mind but couldn't quite put my finger on it.

As the sun settled down, the dust calmed down after she and Brono held me comfortingly as I cried for nothing in particular.

"See this is what I told you, I can never understand women. Why are you crying?"

Half an hour; half an hour seemed like a thousand miles to me as I stood there with Brono watching the sun and the glimmer. Half an hour was the time taken by Alex to calm his jittering sense and walk around to where I was standing and hold my hand which was empty. This made Brono, silently slip away from me, but I held on to him. When I needed him, he stood by me, that doesn't mean when my boyfriend comes, my friend should leave. Brono smiled and nodded at me as he understood my pleading eyes and so he stood there for a few more minutes and I felt content. I heard a sniff and then a swish of fruity scent which belonged to Nat and she too joined our hands and there we stood, as concrete as true friends could be. Alex held onto Nat and kissed my forehead and looked at me dreamily with so many emotions passing through his chocolate eyes. As David walked in, he saw the gesture we were in and didn't hesitate to squeeze in catching on to Nat's fingers. We stood like a big wall of strength for each other. Twenty minutes later, the scrunch of gravel and doors slamming open and shut made us come back to reality and we faced a very shocked looking inspector.

"Creating a human wall are we?"

"From the turn of events, we surely need the strength that we can get from those who doesn't plan to cheat on our back," Alex replied coolly.

"Ok, on my way back, I met Stacey and she was shredded. She was badly beaten up and I requested her to go for a checkup immediately seeing the size of the bruises and I had a complaint filed against her assaulter but she waved it off. Stubborn she was, so I made her go to the emergency after our chat. She told, what has she given Den to plan against you and where has she planted the cameras. Hmm, please ask your friends to show Wilson around."

"Sure..." Brono walked up placing his hands on the shoulders and dragged a very geek looking tech from door to door. Poor Wilson was a young man who stammered quite badly when he was around strangers. But, Brono was doing a wonderful job and he was loosening up.

"So, now that you are off from the music file as her confession was reliable. From what she gave us, I and my boss think we can squeeze a search warrant in his warehouses and apartments. Well, shall we have a cup of tea while my tech here does his job?"

Slowly, time slithered away making us anxious by each passing seconds. As per Stacey's confession, she hid fourteen of them in a different part of the house and that was what this tech guy got after a thorough search. After his third round, Inspector Jenkins assured us that there was not one more in this place and that Stacey was actually true to her word.