Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 60676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 303(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 303(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
I nod.
Then, I get the hell out of there.
I know they’re clutching at straws because they don’t know who did it, and I’m the best option because I was the one who found her. I left nothing at the scene, even I’m smart enough to have not touched a single thing when I found her. I got the hell out of there so there isn’t a single ounce of my DNA on anything.
Heading back to campus, I see the sun is slowly setting on the horizon.
It’s my first night back, and I really didn’t want to come. Addison and Serenity are rotating with the kids until Spike gets back on track, and I felt awful leaving them. Addison wasn’t giving me a choice, but I fought her on it for a good while. She was right in the end—this is important, and I can’t bail out now, even if every part of me wants to.
Reaching my room, I exhale as I unlock the door and push it open.
I gasp when I step inside and see that on the wall, painted in bright red, is the word murderer.
Stumbling back, I grip my chest as I try to process what the hell I’m looking at. Someone came in here and spray painted my wall. My throat is tight as I frantically try to figure out what the hell to do. How did someone get into my room? Okay, it’s not hard to access a room once you’re in the dorm, because they’re only flimsy locks, but still.
It must be another student.
Turning and rushing out of the room, I go out to the front entrance to locate the security guard that gets around during the night. He clearly doesn’t do a good job because somehow a girl got murdered on campus and he had no idea about it. Not to mention the times I’ve snuck Spike in. Still, he’s the only person I can go to right now, that can contact someone to help me out.
When I find him, sitting and staring at his phone, I tell him what has happened.
Staring at me, almost bored, he exhales and calls through to student services.
Within twenty minutes, the head of the department is in my room with me, staring at the wall. She’s a nice lady, kind but firm, and I can see the utter disgust in her eyes as she stares at the word that has been sprayed onto the clean painted wall. She’s not happy about it, and, well, neither am I.
“I’m so sorry, Ciara,” she tells me. “I’ll get you another room for the night and have this one cleaned up. We’ll change the locks, and I’ll be making a statement tomorrow. If I catch whoever did this, they will be immediately expelled.”
Nodding, I take a shaky breath. “I didn’t even know Alyssa. Now everyone thinks I murdered her. All I can see her is empty expression in my mind. I’d never hurt someone ...”
Squeezing my shoulder, she smiles at me. “I know that. If I had any doubt, you wouldn’t be here. Alyssa was ... troubled. She was from the very first moment she started here. I had more than one incident with her and other students.”
Interesting.
“Do you think one of them hurt her?”
She shrugs. “I honestly don’t want to accuse anyone of anything, but she had a lot of enemies around here. She could be ... mean. Don’t get me wrong, she wasn’t always like that, but there was certainly a trail of drama following her.”
I keep that in mind.
“Come on, let’s get you into another room.”
She helps me with my things and gets me into a room that is empty tonight. Once she’s gone, I stand in the dark silence, wondering if this is even worth it. Should I just be done with this dream and go home to be the mother and partner I’m meant to be? Maybe this quest is causing more trouble than it’s worth.
I just don’t know anymore.
“IS IT TRUE?”
Paulie finds me the next morning on my way to class. After a fitful sleep, I got up early and went for a walk. It seemed to help calm my nerves.
“What?” I question, walking toward the main building.
“That someone spray painted your wall?”
I whip my head around and stare at him. “Who told you that?”
“Everyone is talking about it.”
Of course they are.
“It’s true.”
He gasps, pressing a hand to his mouth. “Do you know who it was?”
I shake my head. “No, but don’t worry, I’m going to get to the bottom of this.”
“You know I’ve got your back,” he nods, throwing an arm around my shoulder. “We’ll figure this out. If anyone says a single word to you today, you tell me, and I’ll have their god damned head.”
I smile. “I have no doubt. Don’t worry about me, though. I can handle a few gossiping students. I just need to go to my locker and swap books; I’ll catch you after class?”