Episode 41: Secret Crushes and Scheming Questions

Aubrey Lance, S.S. (Supernatural Sleuth) -- Season 1, Episode 41: Secret Crushes & Scheming Questions

Lockley parked just down the street from ProScoop, on the opposite side of the street in parallel parking. 

My parent’s car was nowhere to be seen, but I was certain they were nearby… somewhere. Trenchcoat Man and the cheer hawks would be there soon, too. 

I’d called shotgun in Lockley’s car, as usual, but now that I was staring out the windshield at the front window of ProScoop, I was having second thoughts. Maybe this was reckless. What if the bad guys were watching this place? What if ProScoop dude was in on it? Worse yet, what if Chloe’s disappearance had nothing to do with me or with magical gifts at all, and ProScoop dude was a psychopathic killer who had lured Chloe outside and murdered her—and we were about to be next?

Collin leaned forward, staring at me between the front seats. “You’re freaking out, aren’t you?” 

“No,” I said, turning away. 

“Yes, you are,” Lockley said softly. “It’s okay, Aubs. You can take a minute. We don’t have to go in right away.” 

That was sweet of her, but every moment we sat here was a moment Emery or Chloe were still out there, waiting for our help. I drew a breath. “Yes, we do.” I unclicked my seat belt and shoved open the door. “Let’s go.” 

Collin and Lockley walked on either side of me as we headed to the crosswalk, waited for the green Walk light, then crossed the road and made it to the ProScoop entrance. 

My pulse sped as I spotted Devin through the front window. He was working tonight. 

Collin leaned near me as he pulled open the door. “What are the odds this is all a misunderstanding and Devin is just a normal dude who has no clue about any of this?” he whispered. 

“And that he just coincidentally made it onto the suspected supernaturals list right as all of this was happening?” I whispered back. “Not likely.” 

We followed Lockley toward a corner booth, where she slid in. I slid in next to her, and Collin slid in across from us. 

“I’m just saying,” Collin said, leaning forward and keeping his voice low, “if he's a normal human and we launch a conversation about Chloe and then start yammering about magic and fire, he’s about to have a very weird day.” 

A figure approached the table. I expected to see Amy, one of the usual waitresses, but when I looked up, it was Devin. 

“Oh!” I said. “Hi.” 

He smiled. “You skipped the counter, but there’s no line right now, so I came over to see if you guys wanted to order—” His gaze locked on me. “Oh, wait. It’s you. I haven’t seen you here in a while. You used to come in with that other girl, the one who ran away—Chloe, right? Have you heard any updates?” 

I gaped at him, unprepared for diving right in like that. 

“I’m sorry! That was insensitive.” Devin blushed, then his expression shifted to compassion. “I shouldn’t have asked. I know it must be hard for you. I’m just… Well, I’ve been worried for her.” 

Across the table, I saw Collin’s eyes widen. 

I forced my gaze back to Devin. “I—um, thank you. But no, there are no updates.”  

I stopped, uncertain where to go next. Devin looked sincere enough, but this conversation had already taken a sharp turn away from what I’d imagined. 

“She seemed nice,” Devin continued, “not like the type to run off and leave her family… not that I knew her well. I’ve checked the local news reports but there doesn’t seem to be any more information on—” He blushed. “I’m sorry, I know it’s not my business.” His eyes locked on mine. “I really am sorry about your friend. I hope she turns up safely.” 

Collin’s eyes narrowed. “Yeah, about that…”

I cut him off. “Did you talk to her at all that day?” I asked Devin. “I mean, before she disappeared? She’d said she was coming here and her car was found out front.” 

Devin shook his head. “The police mentioned that, but no. I never saw her at all that afternoon. It’s weird, actually, She must not have come inside. I would’ve noticed.” 

“How can you be sure?” Lockley asked. “You must get a lot of customers in and out.” 

“I, uh—” Devin said, and his blush returned tenfold. “She’s hard not to notice. At least for me.” 

I gaped at him. Was it possible ProScoop boy had returned Chloe’s crush this whole time? “Wait,” I said. “What do you mean by—”

Collin grabbed my arm from across the table. “Okay, well, that’s all for now,” he said quickly. “There’s something we need to do outside, Aubrey. Remember?” 

Right. We were supposed to get Devin to go outside or near a window. 

But how? That part of this plan seemed woefully underdeveloped. 

Collin slid out of the booth and I followed suit, with Lockley close behind me. 

“Wait,” Devin said. “Don’t you want to order some ice cream?” 

Lockley cut her eyes to Collin. “I want to order ice cream.” 

“Oh, great!” Devin smiled. “I can take your order here, or you can do it at the counter.” 

“A cup of mint chocolate chip would be great.” Lockley smiled back at him, then turned to me. “What about you, Aubrey?” She gave me a pointed stare. 

“Oh,” I said. “Um… cookie dough?” 

“One cup of mint chocolate chip and one cup of cookie dough, coming right up,” Devin said, scribbling them down on his notepad. “Anything for you?” He looked up at Collin. 

“Fine. Chocolate,” Collin said quickly. 

“Just plain chocolate?” Devin asked. 

“Yes. Chocolate.” Collin turned to Lockley. “Now can we please go outside?”

Lockley ignored him, smiling at Devin as he scribbled down Collin’s order. “I’m paying for them. Can I pay at the counter?” 

“Sure.” Devin smiled back. “Just let me go ring it up. It’ll take a few minutes to make them.”

“No worries,” Lockley said. “Could we wait outside, and have someone bring them to us when they’re ready? We much prefer being outside.” 

 “I’m the only one on shift right now, and I’m not supposed to leave the counter unattended,” Devin said. “But I suppose if there’s no line, I might be able to bring them to you as long as you’re right outside. If not, I can at least wave to you to come get them or something.” 

Lockley gave him a charming smile. “Perfect. Thank you!” 

Her smile was contagious. Devin smiled back. “Of course.” 

He hurried around the counter to the register to ring it up, and Lockley headed over to meet him. 

“You’re a genius,” Collin whispered to Lockley as we followed her. 

She glanced back and smirked. “You’re just now realizing that?” 

Lockley paid for the ice cream, then we headed outside the shop to wait, in hopes Devin would follow us out. 

“How do we get him to stay out here long enough to ask him questions, even if he comes?” I asked as we stepped outside. 

A couple of girls squeezed past us on the sidewalk, heading into ProScoop.

A moment later, Devin was waving wildly at us from inside the store. 

“Well, I guess I’m not a genius,” Lockley said. “Let’s go get our ice cream.” 

All three of us went back in to find Devin already taking the next customers’ orders. He nodded at us and gestured to the end of the counter. “Your ice creams are down there. Have a great day!” 

We grabbed our ice cream and left.

“Well, that was a flop,” Lockley said once we were back outside. “Maybe we can go back in, and—”

Collin spun, walked a few paces down to a trash can, and dropped his whole cup of ice cream in the bin. 

“What’s your deal, Collin?” Lockley snapped. “We weren’t done talking to him, and I paid for that ice cream!” 

“He doesn’t know anything,” Collin said. “That right there was the classic look of a fool in love from afar. He’s probably never even spoken to Chloe, or even if he has, she has no clue he likes her, right?” He looked at me. 

“Well, I mean—you’re right. She had no clue he was interested, if he is interested. I heard what he said, and I thought the same thing, but then I thought maybe he didn’t mean it that way.” 

“He meant it that way,” Collin said with a deadpan look. “Trust me.”

I sighed. “Well, if Chloe were here, she’d be thrilled about that.” 

“I’m sure she will be,” Lockley said gently. “But first, we need to find her. And we didn’t manage to get him outside.” 

We all looked at each other, acutely aware that we were likely being watched and overheard at that very moment. 

“Is there anything we gleaned from this encounter that could actually be useful?” 

I sighed. “Well, if he’s telling the truth, then whatever happened to Chloe must’ve happened quickly and very discreetly, for him not to have even seen her. She was parked right out front.” 

“His interest in her could be more than a crush,” Lockley said, then waved off Collin’s glare. “I’m not saying you’re wrong about him liking her, but I mean, he came right to us. That’s a little odd. So he’s either very invested in knowing what happened to this stranger he was crushing on, or… maybe he has a guilty conscience?” 

“We didn’t get the chance to bring up fire or magic,” I said. 

“He seems clueless to me,” Collin said, “even if he is on the Suspected Supernaturals list. They said there was fire magic in his bloodline, but fire wouldn’t explain what happened to Chloe. From what the others said, there are supernaturals just living among us all over this city, right? It could just be a coincidence.”

“We won’t know until we ask,” I said. “We just need a way to get him outside.” I glanced around, then took a deep breath. “This is going to be embarrassing.” I sighed. “But here goes.” I tipped my ice cream onto my shirt—gasping as the cold soaked through the fabric—then threw my ice cream on the ground hard, where it splattered in a cold, dripping mess all over my pants. 

“Aubrey!” Lockley called out. “What are you—”

I ran toward the ProScoop door and yanked it open. “Excuse me! I’m sorry—I need napkins. Could you bring some?”

***

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