Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 100294 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100294 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
“No.” I pull him back. “This involves all of us now. We all go,” I push. He’s not the only one that can demand things.
He hesitates. “I can maybe get you because he’s hooking up with your sister.”
“Luke.” Now I’m the one growling. He better not call what we’re doing hooking up. Who am I kidding? He’d probably kick his own ass.
He keeps going. “But he’s not going to want to be telling random students shit.” I get that.
“Fill us in,” Georgia says.
We walk down the hallway together and stop outside a closed door.
“Normally he keeps it open,” Luke says, knocking. “Bennett? We need to talk.”
“Come in,” he calls back.
Bennett’s office is exactly what I’d expect—dark wood, leather chairs, walls lined with books. He looks up from his desk.
“Morning,” he says, his eyes going from me to Luke and softening a fraction. Luke might have lingering resentment toward his brother, but Bennett loves Luke. I can see that clear as day. They didn’t have a lot of love growing up. I bet that makes it hard to express it later on in life. Even though these circumstances aren’t ideal, I’m thankful that they’ve at least brought these two a smidge closer.
“Morning,” I say back a tad too quickly. I’m way too eager, but I have a lead! See, this is why they say you should sleep on it.
“The girl,” I say, stepping forward. “Twenty years ago. The one who died. Who was she?”
“What?” He gives me a perplexed expression.
“Yesterday, when you and the police were trying to warn us about Grant.”
“Oh.” His brows rise in realization. “Yeah, I don’t know. I didn’t ask. I wouldn’t likely know the person, and this is the police’s responsibility,” he reminds us, but I’ll be forgetting it the second I leave this office.
“Damn,” I mutter. I’m not giving up, but I want it to appear that way. I’ve already got Luke hovering. I don’t need Bennett, and likely my sister too.
“Go be teens and leave this to the authorities.”
“Right.” I nod in agreement, lying.
“Thanks,” Luke says to his brother, giving him a chin nod before leading me back out of his office and toward the kitchen.
“Georgia.” I head over and drop down in the chair with her. Those curls of hers are extra unruly today. Wonder if it has anything to do with last night. “Yesterday, remember, it was mentioned that another girl died like twenty years ago the same way.”
Her eyes widen, and I know we’re on the same page. “The library. That’s where we can try and figure out who it is.” She starts to get up.
“Hold on,” Luke says, putting his hand out in a stop motion like he’s Thanos with the Infinity Gauntlet and the mere act can halt my movement.
“Thanos over there,” I hear Georgia say from beside me, and I can’t stop the small laugh that slips out. “You were thinking it too?” I nod.
Luke drops his hand. “You all stay here with Grant and my brother. I first need to go talk to Joey.” Yeah, that’s not happening. We don’t need Luke hauled down to the station next. He won’t be as lucky as Grant because he’s gonna put up a fight. Then they will have a reason to hold him.
“Shop’s closed on Sundays and Mondays.” I cross my arms, relieved. “So we can’t talk to him today anyway.”
“I,” Luke is quick to correct me. “I can’t talk to him today.”
“Agreed. No one talks to Joey today, then.”
“Oh, I can find his ass today, bet.”
“Luke.” I grab his arm. “Pump the brakes.”
He looks down at me. “Madeline—”
“We don’t even know if Joey’s involved yet. We need more information before we go charging over there.” I give his arm a squeeze. “We need facts first. Plus, we don’t want to spook him if he really is involved in this somehow.”
“Information is power,” Georgia adds, her voice small but steady.
Luke exhales through his nose, his muscles tense under my hand, but he doesn’t pull away. “All right.”
“To the library we all go then.” I drop my hand from his arm, already moving toward the door.
The campus is quiet as we walk. A few students drift toward the dining hall or back to dorms. The normal hustle and bustle of the campus is muted with the curfew and all classes, sporting events and practices being canceled until Wednesday.
Grant was able to do his computer magic and get us the name of the previous victim, Rebecca Chen. So, we are not going in completely blind. Now, we just need to find anything and everything about her that we can.
The library is nearly empty when we arrive—most students are still sleeping. The librarian at the front desk barely looks up from her phone as we pass.
“Basement,” Georgia whispers, pointing to a door marked Archives. “That’s where they keep the old stuff.” Of course she knows this place like the back of her hand.