My vacation was drawn to a halt the next day, when I got a phone call from my aunt telling me there were detectives looking for me. I immediately panicked, thinking they somehow found out about my being kidnapped by Mitch and how much they might have told my aunt. I rushed back to Six Forks and drove straight to the station, reciting the story Keiran told me to give that night if anyone ever asked. I walked into the station with my nerves in my stomach and threatening to come up at any moment.
“Miss Monroe, so nice of you to pay us a visit,” a detective who I believe said his name was Daniels spoke to me. He looked and acted like the typical ass hat detective with thinning hair and a bushy mustache. He also tried too hard to be intimidating. If I weren’t already so nervous, I would have laughed.
“My aunt said you were looking for me?”
“Yes, you missed your scheduled interview.” Shit, Trevor and Anya! With Mitch returning from the dead I’d forgotten about their disappearance.
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t told…”
“A phone call was placed to your aunt who notified us that you were out of town. Any particular reason why?”
“I’m transferring schools.”
“I see,” he wrote something down before looking back at me. “Tell me about your relationship with Trevor Reynolds and Anya Risdell.
“Nonexistent. We weren’t friends.”
“Why is that?” he asked with suspicion.
“Were you friends with every person you went to high school with?”
“No, but there must be a reason why one of them would allegedly attack you in a bathroom stall and receive a broken arm by Keiran Masters for the trouble.”
“It isn’t alleged because Trevor Reynolds did attack me. Instead of treating me like the criminal you should be searching for him harder. He needs to be put away.”
“We’ve called off the search.” I didn’t bother to hide my surprise as I stared back at him. “I can see this news surprises you.”
“Why did you call off the search?”
“Because there has been a new development in the case. Trevor Reynolds and Anya Risdell were both found this morning.”
“So why am I here?” I stood to leave, not really caring about the answer. I needed to get the hell out of there.
“Because they were both found burned alive in a field just outside of town. They’re dead Miss Monroe and I think you know who did it.”
Dead? He didn’t bring them back?
“Who didn’t bring them back, Miss Monroe?” the detective asked and I realized I must have said it out loud. I slowly sat back down when struggled with the realization of what I had to do. He didn’t just kill them. He tortured them. I could practically smell their burning flesh as guilt ate away at my mind. “Lake?”
I finally met the detective’s gaze when he called my name again. I knew what I had to do. “I have to tell you something.”
*
I left the station feeling numb. What I’d done felt like the ultimate betrayal but I also knew it was the right thing to do. I just never knew choosing right over wrong was so damn hard.
He killed them.
He killed so many.
He shouldn’t be allowed to walk away from that. Right?
I didn’t head straight back to my godparent’s place. Instead, I went home because truth be told I had been feeling homesick. I didn’t decide to leave because it was what I wanted. I felt it was necessary because there was no other way I could stay away from Keiran. I was as addicted to him as he was to me.
Is that why you turned him in?
I shook off my thoughts and pulled into my driveway. My aunt’s car was parked outside and I was eager to see her and maybe finally catch up. I never got the chance to ask about her tour or tell her about the break in. I shut off the car to get out but the sound of my ringing phone stopped me. I read the screen and saw Sheldon’s name so I quickly answered. Over the past couple of weeks, Sheldon had not been in the best shape.
“Hey, Sheldon.”
“Lake, oh God. He’s going to die!” she sobbed brokenly into the phone.
“Sheldon, calm down. Who is going to die?”
“Keenan’s only working lung is failing. The doctors said it doesn’t look good for him and if he doesn’t get a lung soon, he will die.”