Page 66 of Ancient Obsession

“It’s okay, I don’t mind.” Oliver squeezed Robin’s upper arm.

“Hi, Dave,” Robin said.

Dave nodded.

“How are you doing?” Oliver asked.

“I’m in a weird headspace. Being questioned like that was intense. They asked me a lot of really personal questions, and then hit me with something about Vera or Samira. It felt like they really wanted to pin this all on the queers in their sights instead of do the work.”

“Do the work to prove a mummy came back to life and started killing the people who opened his coffin?” Oliver said.

Robin huffed and crossed their arms. “Yeah, okay. It’s fucked up all the way around, isn’t it?” They looked off down the street, then back at Oliver. “You’re all over the local news. And I think some bigger networks have picked it up.”

Oliver slumped back against the side of the car. “Great.”

Dave squeezed his shoulder and redirected the conversation. “Have you learned anything new, Robin?”

“Gosh, I don’t know. It’s been a lot. That video Vera made of us was in her cloud account and the police were able to download it. But we didn’t do anything wrong. Dylan was the one acting threatening. And Dr. Brennan.”

“They threatened you?” Dave asked Oliver.

“No, not directly.” He pushed up from the car. “Dylan crowded me, and Dr. Brennan said some stuff. But nothing physical.”

“Everything but,” Robin grumbled. “Hey, are you still going to be in class?”

Oliver huffed. “I hope to be. I’m going to try to catch up on assignments this weekend.”

“Cool.”

The front door opened. A woman in her early thirties came out and stood on the porch, arms crossed tight, mouth a firm line.

“That’s my sister.” Robin had lowered their voice. “She’s not real happy I’ve gotten mixed up in this.”

“Robin. Come back inside.”

“I will, I’m just⁠—”

“Now, please.”

They sighed and gave Oliver a miserable look. “Thanks for coming by. I’m glad you’re out of jail.”

“Thanks, me, too.”

Robin turned away and trudged up to the house. Their sister let them go inside but remained on the porch, watching Dave and Oliver.

“Let’s go home,” Dave said, and he opened the passenger door for Oliver to get in. He rounded the front of the car, got behind the wheel, and drove slowly down the street. In the rearview mirror, he could see Robin’s sister watching, arms still crossed and face unreadable, until he turned the corner out of her sight.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Oliver took notes in class, but his brain wasn’t engaged enough to understand them. He’d written the same phrase three times without realizing it, then scratched them all out. Not only was it a Monday, but apparently word about his arrest had made the rounds on campus. He was aware of other students staring, some brazen enough to snap a picture. He tried to ignore it all, but it was difficult. And exhausting. He knew, though, if he engaged with anyone, he’d just end up all over social media even more, but with a hashtag like #angrykiller or #crankycampuskiller.

Actually, that last one wasn’t too bad.

He’d spent the weekend alternating between sleeping in their bed and napping on the couch. Dave had hovered in doorways, biting his lower lip and rubbing the back of his neck. He’d brought him snacks and drinks and completely surrendered the remote.

After class, he and Robin merged with the students in the hallway and left the Communications building. The sun-drenched quad was bright and warm. He rolled up his sleeves, but it didn’t help. Sweat prickled around his neck as they cut across a grassy section. Campus security was out in force; Oliver counted five officers on foot patrol. It should have made him feel safer, but it actually made him more nervous. Were they out to patrol and provide protection for the student body or keep an eye on him?

“What are you going to do now?” Robin asked.