WARNING: This is the sequel to 'Mirrors', another story of mine. I HIGHLY recommend reading it before you read this one. Thank you!

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Chapter 1: I Become a Roof Jumper (sort of).

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Hello, all! Um, I see people have decided to continue reading this online journal thing of mine. That's nice to know. Oh, and thanks for all the positive feedback on my last entries. I've decided to group this thing into, like, sections based on cases and stuff, basically.

Right, right, for those who are new, my name is William Watson, but I go by Liam. My dad (he's a doctor) suggested that I start recording things that happen to me ever since we moved from London to New Hampshire. And let me just say, there is a lot happening around here; much more than I could ever have anticipated.

Anyways, on with the show – erm, story.

0-0-0-0

I felt like a bird.

I could see for miles. In fact, I bet I could see all the way back to London from up here. Well, okay, maybe not that far, but to be fair, I was pretty high up.

The city of East Linford spread all around me. People looked like dolls. Trees looked like… erm, smaller trees. I was higher than all the other buildings surrounding me. I was powerful. I was tall. I was on top of the world.

Okay, okay, not really. I was just on top of my four-story school building, Linford Middle School, keeping hold of a spool of skinny, copper wire as my best friend and locker partner fed it through the ventilation system. Every now and then, I'd feel a tug on the wire, and so I'd unravel it a bit more.

Sadie hadn't bothered explaining exactly what the wire was for, and I hadn't bothered asking. It was probably for something dangerous and slightly illegal, as were most of the things she did.

I did wish she'd hurry it up, though; my dad was supposed to arrive any minute to pick me up and drive me across the city to the local swimming pool, where I had swim team practice in fifteen minutes.

We were cutting it kind of close.

I pulled out my mobile phone and sent her a quick text:

Almost done?

She replied almost instantly.

Just shut up and keep hold of the wire. –SH

I rolled my eyes. Hopefully that meant she was almost finished.

Leaning back against the cool railing, I let my eyes drift close. Spring was in the air, though it was only mid-February. A week or so ago, a heat wave had entered the region, melting the snow and causing mass flooding in the more mountainous areas of the state. I wasn't complaining at all – I was definitely a summer person.

Down below, on the street, cars zoomed past. A lorry truck rumbled by, carrying trash bags away from the city. School was out for the day; Sadie and I were the only ones still hanging around. That was good, though – the less people to witness whatever it was we're doing, the better.

I opened my eyes when I heard a vehicle pull in through the front drive of the school. It was a familiar silver car.

"Hi, Dad!" I yelled down as my dad slid out of the driver's seat. He looked around, confused. "Up here!" He tilted his head up. I waved my arm wildly.

Even from all the way on top of the school building, I could see his skin drain of all color. He stumbled back against the hood of our car, throwing an arm back to support himself.

"Liam!" he practically screamed. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" He covered his face with his hand. His shoulders were shaking violently.

"Uh, I'll be down in a minute," I shouted down at him.

Well, I hadn't expected him to be angry of all things. Maybe a little ticked that I was doing something dangerous, but to break down and sob?

I unraveled a few more yards of the wire and tied the spool to a steel post nearby. Sadie could function without me, I was sure. I sprinted to the ladder and threw my bag down the door. Then I descended after it.

The ladder to the roof let out in a storage closet on the fourth story of the building. I hadn't known there even was access to the roof at all, considering this was a middle school full of rowdy teenage dare devils. They could at least lock the hatch.

Cautiously, I peeked out the door to make sure no one was in the hallway. Luck was siding with me for once today, since there wasn't a soul in sight. Grinning, I slipped out and dashed to a staircase. I flew down the steps three at a time, taking sharp turns around the corners.

When I finally reached the commons, I slowed my pace, trying to act as if I'd been innocently getting help from a teacher or something, as there were still secretaries in the front office. I smiled at the pretty blonde with the red lipstick as I passed.

I shouldered my way out the front door. Dad had managed to compose himself a little, but he looked positively murderous.

"Uh, hi?" I said as I approached him. He shook his head and got back in the car, starting the ignition. I hesitated, but followed his lead and slid into the passenger's seat.

The silence was deafening as he backed out of the space and turned onto the main road. His eyebrows were furrowed in a furious glare, making him look sort of like a really angry hedgehog. His knuckles were stark white against the steering wheel.

I cleared my throat. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" he said, trying for an oblivious tone.

"For going on the school roof. I know it was dangerous, but –"

"You damn well know it's dangerous!" he barked suddenly, making me jump in my seat. "It was reckless, and stupid, and I don't care what your reasons were for being on there. I never want to see you on the roof of a bloody building again, understand?"

I nodded sheepishly.

"Jesus Christ, Liam, you nearly gave me a heart attack. I thought you were going to j – " He broke off, sounding like he'd choked on his own words.

"Trying to what?" I prompted softly, fiddling with the strap of my bag and most decidedly not looking at him.

He took in a deep, shuddering breath. "I thought y-you were trying to kill yourself or something by jumping."

"Oh." I blinked and fell silent. Then, another thought struck me. "Dad, erm, did you know someone who had… you know, jumped?"

He fixed his gaze on the red stoplight we were stopped at and tightened his grip on the wheel.

"Once. A long time ago."

I waited, wondering if he was going to tell me more, but he didn't. He never did.

0-0-0-0

Swim team practice that afternoon was grueling. Coach Davis pushed us harder than he'd ever done before, but I'd hardly paid attention. I couldn't stop thinking about what had happened earlier with the roof and my dad and all of that. By the end of the hour, though, my arms and legs were definitely feeling the ache that came with swimming twenty-and-a-half laps.

Dinner was a silent and miserable affair. Dad mostly just pushed the food around on his plate and ignored my half-hearted attempts at conversation. It was clear that he was still upset. I knew I shouldn't have asked about the reason he was so afraid of tall buildings. I know he hates talking about his past.

God, I was so stupid sometimes.

After I'd done the washing up, I decided to just leave him alone for the rest of the evening. I retired to my room and pulled out the book I'd been reading. A Study in Pink, it was called. I'd borrowed it from Sadie a few weeks ago.

It was absolutely thrilling. See, the story was about this genius detective who, I wasn't going to lie, somewhat reminded me of Sadie. Anyways, this detective and his new flat mate, from whose point of view the story is told, go around solving a string of "serial suicides".

Much to my irritation, however, Sadie had seen fit to black out every single name in the book besides the minor characters, which made it so extremely difficult to follow the plot. I'd taken to calling the detective 'Martin' and the flat mate 'James', for lack of better names.

I'd been reading it religiously over and over whenever I had the chance because it was just that good.

I had just gotten to the climax (again) where Martin and the cab driver are about to take the pills, when my phone chimed. I checked it. It was a text from Sadie, so I quickly opened it.

They accepted me into their little 'club'. –SH

I knew immediately what she was talking about; our school had started up this little club for people with naturally red hair. I thought for a moment before texting back:

Anything suspicious? –Liam

Loads. Especially how none of them actually have naturally red hair. –SH

New case, then? –Liam

Definitely. Oh, and there's been a murder on Amelia Avenue. –SH

...and? –Liam

I found a blonde hair at the crime scene. –SH

Hoarding evidence again, are we? –Liam

As always. This particular blonde hair is interesting, though, seeing as it's been dyed a suspicious shade of ginger. –SH

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Author's Note: Annnnnnnd, I'm back! With the sequel! Finally! I apologize it's taken so long to get this up. I've been trying to keep up with homework and whatever, which leaves me with little time to write. But now that I've got the plot basically formed in my head, plus the extra time I'll have in my creative writing class, I hope to get chapters posted quite quickly.

I decided to keep with the spirit of the "online journal" thing I had going in the first chapter of Mirrors, hence the little blog entry at the top. Don't worry – that is not a regular thing. I'd only expect one with the first chapter of each new story.

Anyways, I hope this meets your expectations for the sequel! Please let me know what you think so far in a review!

Thanks!

-Sketch