The survivor

Wednesday
One

Dying is easy; living is the hard part.

Homicide Detective Jacob Striker knew this too well. Although ‘surviving’ seemed a better word than ‘living’. How could it not? The past two years had been cruel. His wife was dead. His daughter was an emotional void. And now, just an hour into his first shift back from a six-month stress leave, the day was turning to shit. God, it was barely midmorning, just ten minutes to nine, and already Principal Myers had called about his daughter. The last thing Striker wanted to do was pull himself and his partner, Felicia Santos, from the road, but Principal Myers had been adamant. Striker had no idea what Courtney had done this time. Or what punishments her actions would merit.

But whatever the outcome, it wasn’t going to be good.

Striker steeled himself for more bad news as he marched down the mahogany-walled corridor to Caroline’s office — yes, they were on a first — name basis now, he and Principal Myers — passing under the fighting gold gryphons of the St Patrick’s High School banners.

All around him roamed ghosts and goblins and Jokers and Batmen — a sea of eerie spooks getting ready for the festivities. Most of the students were taking the opportunity to dress up for the occasion, though a few still wore their school uniforms. The kids, ranging from thirteen to seventeen, were loud and boisterous. Their overlapping conversations mutated into one loud din in the high-ceilinged antechamber of the walkway.

Excitement was in the air. Striker could feel it.

Halloween was coming.

He stopped and looked back at his partner, who followed a few steps behind. Despite his annoyance at being summoned here again, he tried to keep things light.

‘That guy over there with the hockey mask,’ he said. ‘Looks a lot like your last boyfriend.’

Felicia brushed back a few wayward strands of her long brown hair, and smirked. ‘Technically, you were my last boyfriend.’

‘Like I said, good-lookin’ dude.’

Felicia let out a soft laugh, and Striker felt an uncomfortable moment envelop them. It had been this way since their breakup a few months back. He looked away from her stare and led her on through the mob of Grade Eight to Twelve students.

Principal Myers was waiting in her office. Her chic, cream-coloured business suit looked out of place with her Sally Jessy Raphael, Coke-bottle glasses that were barely a shade redder than her short curly hair. She held a manila file in her hands, a thick one — Courtney’s student file, no doubt — and upon seeing Striker, she offered a forced smile.

He cleared his throat. ‘I heard you needed tickets to the Policeman’s Ball,’ he joked, and when she didn’t laugh, he dropped the act. ‘Oh Christ, Caroline, what’s she done this time?’

‘What do you think she’s done?’ the Principal responded. ‘She skipped out. Again. Fifth time this month.’

Striker felt his jaw tighten. ‘Any ideas where she went? Or who she was with?’

Before the woman could respond, a series of loud bangs came from somewhere down the hall, near the school’s assembly hall or cafeteria. Principal Meyers stiffened at the sound like she’d been slapped.

‘Halloween is two days away,’ she said, ‘and I can’t wait till it’s over. All day long, the firecrackers. They never stop.’

As she finished speaking, another series of explosions rocked the room. This time, the sounds made Striker stop cold. The explosions were sharp — like the crack of a bullwhip.

Ka-POW-Ka-POW.

Ka-POW-Ka-POW-Ka-POW.

He spun around and found Felicia in the doorway. One look at her hard expression and he knew he’d heard it right.

Not firecrackers.

Gunfire.

Something heavy and automatic.