Zac looked over at Katie nervously as Taylor's car pulled into the Hanson driveway. Katie had said barely three words the rest of the day. He was beggining to worry.
They got out of the car, and went inside. There were two police officers standing at the counter in the kitchen with Walker, Judy, and Diana.
Katie wordlessly walked over to Judy and hugged her. Judy sighed. "I'm sorry Kate. I'm sorry." She said.
She pulled away from Judy, and looked at the officers. He handed her an envelope. "This if for you. We found this in Jeramy's things. It's addressed to you. He confessed to everything." The officer said.
Katie nodded, took the letter, and went outside to the Hanson's porch. Zac watched from the kitchen window as she went outside and sat on the porch's swing.
"Let her be." Diana said, coming up behind him.
Zac silently nodded, and backed away from the window.
Katie,
After everything that's happened, I know you think I'm crazy, but I'm not. You might not believe me, because of what I'm about to do. I'm sure you're aware of what's happened, and I know you're scared. I am too. I'm scared for you, and for Zac, and for myself.
Judy frowned, confused. "So, let me get this straight. The older brother was a schitzo?"
The officer sighed and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Borderline, we think. He hadn't been mentally asessed in years."
"How so?"
"They locked themselves up in that house. Just the three of them. I'd feel safe to say that Nick hadn't been to a doctor in nearly two years. And a mental illness that serious can progress quickly."
"So you think he was."
"Possibly, yes."
Judy sighed. "So, what does this have to do with Katie?"
"That's a good question. And I have the answer." He reached in his bag and pulled out an envelope. He opened it and took out negatives from a camara and held them up against the light.
"These look familliar?"
Judy squinted and looked at the pictures. She gasped after a few moments. "These are...."
The officer nodded. "I'm afraid so."
"Oh my. Who took them?" She asked.
"Nick. Schitzophrenia comes and goes. The person can be perfectly fine fifty or sixty percent of the time, and then wacko the rest. He was a very smart boy, when he was in school. Then when he got sicker and sicker, he dropped out. I suppose it was frusterating for him. It had to be. From looking at this boy's room, he had a fascination with photography. And that would fit, for the boys' deceased mother was into photography before she died."
"So...it was Nick taking the pictures?"
"Yes."
I won't say that I'm not jealous of you and Zac. I am. I see what you have together, and I know that no matter what I do, I will never be able to break that up. That makes me so sad. You're the most beatutiful thing I've ever seen. I though so ever since the moment I laid eyes on you. You have such a kind heart; you were always nice to me, no matter what people said. I never meant to scare you. Nick didn't either. He can't help it. I'm sorry for all the trouble we've caused you. Nick was too sick to realize what he was doing, and I was too scared to stop. I hope you don't hate me. Please don't.
"So it wasn't who we thought it was?"
"You mean Jeramy?" The officer shook his head. "No. It was his brother the whole time. Jeramy was just trying to act as a cover up. We're not sure why."
"Wow. Katie thought for sure it was him." Judy frowned. "But what about all the phone calls? She said that someone would call her and not say anything."
"That's a common trait of a stalker, especially a teen one. It was Nick, and from what we understand, he only made the calls when he was ill."
Judy nodded. She knew Katie was going to have a hard time with this.
I don't know what I'm going to do. I know that I'm going to do something. I have to. I can't go on living like this. After you read this, I hope you never have to think of me again. It was stupid that I'm even here, and everything that's happened is stupid. I can't do this anymore. For me, life is unbearable, and I know it won't get any better, and there's only one way I know how to make all the shit going round in my head to stop. I know I can never have the one thing I want, and that's you.