Sammy Keyes and the Hockey Murderer – Chapter Four

"So, what do we do know?" I asked, leaning against a bunch of boxes. "And what's in these boxes, anyway? Bricks?""Pucks."" Said Toews and Kane at the same time. They looked at each other and grinned.

I groaned and looked over to Casey. "Help me."He looked over at the door. "Well, we could wait until someone walks by and then begin banging."

I sighed. "But it could take forever for someone to come…"

"Not really," Jonathan said, "There's a dead person in the bathroom."

It was awkward, dead silence for about 30 seconds straight."I…er…you know what I mean."

Patrick kicked the door. "Damn, damn, damn!" he snapped. "Can't we just get out, arrest the dude, and get back to the game?"

Jonathan punched him. "Shut up. We will, soon."

I rolled my eyes but just at that moment I heard Billy and Marissa in the all started hollering at the same time. "BIILLLYYY. MARISSSAA."

But Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane did these weird banging motions against the door. You know that thing that ripped guys do because know they're ripped? Yeah, that thing. Jonathan went full fledge flying into the door, trying to barrel it down with his side."Stop!" I snapped. "There's only like, 2 feet of space left in this closet."

The door flew open and Billy stood there.

"Lord love a duck!" he cried.

We all stopped panting an gasping for air as we tumbled out of the closet for a moment just to stare at Billy. "Lord love a duck?"

"Yeah! By George, I have found you! But Lord love a duck, WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING?"

"By George? By George?" we repeated. "Where are you getting these phrases from!"

He shrugged. "It doesn't matter. Now tell me what type of sick game you guys were playing in that closet."

I gave him the dirtiest look ever and said between gritted teeth, "We were playing the game Let's Hide From a Murderer and Wait Half an Hour for Our Moron Friend to Find Us. THAT'S what we were playing."

He cringed. "Sorry?"

Marissa piped up, "But we looked everywhere for that guy and couldn't find him."

I shook my head. "Guys, there's a guy with a gun on the loose. Can we get to business?"

"Yeah, we should get to business." Jonathan Toews said. Typical. Captain behavior.

All us four kids turned and gave Jonathan a look."What?" he demanded. Casey, who obviously was all for sucking up to him. "Jonathan's right, Sammy. We should get to business."

I gave him an incredulous look. "That was MY idea in the first place!"

Toews stood up and started pacing. "Okay, I don't know who you kids are, but you guys know way too much now for me and Patty here to let you frolic away."

"Did you just say Frolik away?" Casey asked. "Like Michael Frolik on your team?"

He grinned. "Yes."

"And did you just call Patrick PATTY?" I cracked up.

"My whole team." He glared. "Sharpy. Kaney. Monty. Leddy. Nettie."

"Who's Nettie?" Billy asked.

"Andrew Brunnette." Casey piped up with.

"Andy!" Jonathan grinned.

Patrick Kane bumped his shoulder. "It's Jonathan's 'thing'. He makes weird nicknames."

I smirked at Jonathan. "Coming from the guy whose name is spelled like toes, I wouldn't have expected."

"ITS NOT SPELLED TOES." He snapped. "The word 'toes' doesn't have a W in it."

"Wait, your name isn't Jonathan Toes?" Marissa asked. Patrick Kane cracked up and Toews glared. "NO." he rolled his eyes a little. "Sharks fans."

"Hey! Don't insult us." I said. Casey, noticing the tension forming between all of us, changed the subject. "SO, guys. Killers. Maniacs. Dead bodies. Closets. Guns. Ring any bells?"

"Yeah, the bells that ring in my heart when I see you, Mr. Toes." Marissa sighed.

Jonathan just stared at her like he got this everyday. I don't know if it was the fan-girls-swooning-over-him that he was used to, or the mistaking of his name being 'Toes', but either way, he seemed pretty nonchalant about Kane grinned. "Yup. Murderers."

"Why are you laughing?" Billy shivered. "You creeper!"

"There's nothing funny about this at all." I agreed.

"Come on, Johnny Toes, let's go find a killer." Patrick yanked Jonathan along.

Suddenly Joe Quenneville and Joe Pavelski came running down the hall toward us.I know he was Joe Quenneville because Patrick ran over to him bellowing, "QUENNEVILLE MY MANNNN!"

Joe Pavelski gave them the dirtiest looks imaginable. Following close behind him was Antti Niemi.

"OH MY GOD, IT'S ANTTI NIEMI!" I heard myself cry out.

Oops. He looked over at me weirdly. I wish I could say he was hot, but he really wasn't. In fact, he kind of looked like a gorilla. I gave Casey a dirty look because I could practically read his mind right now. My favorite team's players are more attractive than your team.

Shut up, I snapped at him in my thoughts. What would you know about attractive, you idiot?

I looked over. He was still smirking.

"Antti used to play for the Blackhawks, too." I snapped. "Just remember that."

Jonathan and Patrick both glared at Antti.

"What?" Antti Niemi said, hands up. "I helped you win a Stanley Cup!"
Jonathan glared some more. "Well, Cory Crawford is doing a PERFECT job taking your place. Just know that."
Niemi gawked for a moment, then shook his head. "You asshole."
"WHOA WHOA WHOA GUYS. NO FIGHTING. Right now." Joe Pavelski.

"Go away!" I snapped at him. Oops, I just snapped at a player from my favorite team on accident.

Am I turning into a Blackhawks fan?

No. No. No. No.

Joe gave me a weird look. "And you are..again..?"

I rolled my eyes but didn't dignify him with a response. Jonathan said calmly, "Whatever, Niemi."

"Yeah!" Patrick came all Hossa-Hossa in Niemi's face. "Back the EFF off."

DID I JUST USE A BLACKHAWKS TERM IN MY THOUGHTS?

"Hossa".

Oh jeez. Sammy, stop.

Niemi rolled his eyes. "Can we fix this light issue and get on with the Chicago-ass-whooping already? San Jose is getting bored already."
"You mean San Jose and Chicago fans?" Casey added. "And the problem is more than lighting now. A girl was murdered."
"What century have you been living in, Gorilla Boy?" Billy asked Niemi.

Niemi stared hard at Billy. "You know, considering you're a Blackhawks fan, I'd think you guys would be a little more grateful to me than this." He muttered under his breath, "Ungrateful fans…"

"I'm not a Blackhawks fan! I'm offended that you'd even suggest that!" Billy scoffed.

Jonathan Toews took a moment out of his serious-stare to ask, "Then why are you wearing a Blackhawks jersey if you're a Sharks fan?"
"I'm not a Sharks fan, either!"
"Then what ARE you?" Patrick asked, scratching his head. His cute curly hair got all ruffled. Sammy. Cut it out, Sammy. STOP THIS NONSENSE IN YOUR BRAIN.

"I'm a Kings fan!"
I think everyone in the hall at the moment (me, Casey, Toews, Kane, Pavelski, Niemi, even Joe Quenneville and Marissa) yelled, "GET OUT OF HERE!" to Billy.

"Why?" he whimpered. "It's still a hockey game." Then he shot a look at Jonathan. "Mr. Captain Serious, this is all your fauly. Wherever you go, death and destruction follows!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Jonathan rolled his eyes a little.

Joe Quenneville said, "Guys, I'm positive they are cancelling the game. You two need to come back with us in the locker room." He nodded to Kane and Toews.

"Wait," I said, "What about the killer?"
"They might evacuate the place. But somehow the doors outside are locked. We can't get out, no one can get in, and we don't have any reception."
Under his breathe, Pavelski muttered, "So basically, we're fucked."
"LANGUAGE, MR. NHL PLAYER!" Billy hollered. "We have ladies in the room!"
Everyone rolled their eyes this time.

I put my hands up. "Okay, so what's the point of 'evacuating' and cancelling If we can't even go anywhere? I think we've spent enough time standing around and—"

Suddenly Joe Quenneville interrupted me. "Excuse me, but who are you again? I faintly remember you guys blithering nonsense to my team earlier, but I don't really see how you serve any purpose to this situation and why you're even part of this conversation…all of you kids. Where are your parents?"

My blood pressure starting climbing. And I'm only 14, guys. I could feel my face burning and my teeth gritting.

"Wait, Joe-sy." Jonathan Toews put a hand on his coach's shoulder. "These kids…well, some of them, are actually pretty useful. And they know a lot about all this, so we should keep them around."

JONATHAN TOEWS JUST CAME TO MY RESCUE. JONATHAN TOEWS JUST TAZERED HIS OWN COACH.

I grabbed Casey's arm to steady myself.

"Don't get too excited." He grumbled.

"Shut up, even you get starstruck around him." I hissed back. "So don't you dare mock the Toews craze."