Page 37
“Stacey Wheeler. The first girl who died. I flew back here to a fucking circus of police and paramedics. This feels too similar.”
Stacey was a shock. A quiet girl with good grades and no known adversaries. She had collapsed in between buildings too. Was found later on by a friend who said they’d run around the field and through a path in the woods only hours before. Her death was ruled an accident; the coroner said he believed she had suffered a fatal seizure following the exertion of the physical activity. It was odd that the coroner didn’t reserve his finding. Based on the weight and shape of her heart, he was cautious with his assessment, yet still cited it as accidental, rather than foul play. A nineteen-year-old, fit vegan dropped dead from a seizure, even though her family stated she’d never suffered an episode before. Ever.
“You had something going with her, didn’t you?” His eyes bore into mine, his pupils swallowing most of his colored irises.
“No! Other than mentoring her for a project she was running alongside another college in Brussels. For fuck’s sake, man, be careful with your allegations of something going on, especially considering another woman is dead.”
He downs the whiskey and signals for two more.
“Merda was murdered. That’s a fact. And all this goes down on the day your on-again, off-again faculty fuck was summoned to Anchorage? Tell me you don’t think this is all a little… questionable?”
I slug back the last of the first pour and line up my second. “Settle down, CSI, the only thing separating you from Grundy’s theories is a liter of piss in your pants. Drink your overpriced whiskey, which you are paying for, and be fucking thankful we’re not fishing Aspen out of that pond right now.”
My words were meant to solidify the fact he’s picking up the tab and snap him out of his funk, but once the spoken statement was out, it had me rethinking, too. “You don’t think this has anything to do with Arthur’s disappearance, do you?”
He shrugs, noncommittal. Together, we colluded to bring Aspen to Alaska to keep her safe. Since then, she’s been confronted by a hormonal professor with some side gripe, the same woman who is now ten hours away for an indefinite period. A fellow student dropped dead in a public area, and classes have been suspended, with at least one international student homeward bound. Whatever is going through Aspen’s mind right now, I just want to console her, hold her. Eli must come to the same conclusion I do. He downs the scotch and throws two fat bills on the table.
“We’re leaving?”
“Yeah. Given the circumstances, I’d prefer talking to Aspen face-to-face, to reassure her the college is doing everything possible to ensure her safety, just in case she gets any crazy ideas about bailing. We should have pulled her aside after Donnelyn’s outburst, and I’m kicking myself that we didn’t. This incident comes at a good time to ensure morale is as high as it can be.”
Elijah and I walk into the dormitory building with confidence, as if we have every right to be there. As we make our way to Aspen’s door, we note more police still buzzing in and out of the rooms next door. Poppi and Kristi live here. Merda’s dorm is the next building over. Eli introduces himself to a detective in charge, staying well away from the Dean.
“Can I ask why you’re inside random dorm rooms, Detective? Has the investigation gone in a direction I should know about?”
George Uska is a balding, middle-aged pickleball enthusiast who still has a decent belly overhang despite sporting activities and recreational pursuits like hunting.
“Evening, Professor. Hey, Doc. Just routine. The deceased spent a lot of time with a lady who lived here. We’re just making sure we don’t miss anything. Got to cover everything off in case the family wants to sue. Don’t you worry, we’ll be all kinds of thorough, and you can get back to teaching the fine young folk of Wyldan.”
“Thanks, George. Is it okay if I check on the occupants of the room next door?”
“Go right ahead, son.”
Son, pfft. There are less than fourteen years between George and Eli, but the difference looks at least two decades more. I’m guessing pickleball, beer, and game meat aren’t the fountain of youth after all.
We knock tentatively on the neighboring door,our faces a mask of careful concern, of course. I know that he also wants to strip her naked and shower with her, holding her trembling, soapy body in his embrace. Or is that my thoughts only? The Dean is holed up near the entrance with another group of students. Yep, nothing but concern here. Nothing inappropriate; move on.
The door ekes open with careful motion, just enough to determine who is there, while maintaining security. Upon seeing Eli and I, she hesitates for a moment before tugging it open further.
“May we come in, Aspen? We’re doing a welfare check on affected students and would like to make sure you’re okay.”
It’s a stretch, but will do in a pinch. If that welfare check involves us naked, then mind your business. Although the Dean and law enforcement are only feet away, so any nakedness has to stay mental, I’m already hard. She eyes us both with a dubious look that borders on incredulity. Of all the faculty to check on a vulnerable, female scholarship student, it’s Eli and I in her living room. Yeah, about that…
“Is this about Merda?” she says, almost whispering. “About what I told the detectives?”
Well, there’s a fucking curve ball. What did she tell the detectives? Elijah, ever the iceberg, just nods. “We’d like you to tell us too, Aspen. Can you do that?”
His hand brushes hers as she walks past us into the living room. The place is furnished with basic, typical broke college-kid chic. Books spill from rickety shelves, groaning under the weight of a peace lily that needs repotting and two lit candles. They bathe the room with a gorgeous tuberose and neroli scent and ambient light. There is nothing more mesmerizing than a dancing flame.
“Where’s Tali?” I ask, the silence indicating she is elsewhere.
“She’s at Ryan’s. They started dating after the Larch. I think he was her Larcher? Anyway, we had a disagreement last night before Amber left, and she hasn’t spoken to me since.”
I hold up a palm. “Whoa there. That’s a lot to unpack. You had better start at the start, so we can get our heads around this thing and make sure you’re not in danger, alright?”
She nods, and I want to scoop her up and take that trembling bottom lip between my teeth.
Elijah bristles. “You said Amber was here last night? Professor Donnelyn?”
