He looks up from his tablet, his expression dark. “This.”
He flips the tablet around and shows me what looks like a paused video from one of the security cameras around campus. On it are Damon and Eden, Jordan’s stepsister, but what really stands out is how Damon has his arm draped over her shoulders like she’s helping to support him.
“What the…” I mutter and unconsciously lean closer.
Grimly, Jordan unpauses the video.
I watch the screen, and it only takes a few seconds to see that I was right. Damon is limping, and it’s hard to see since the video is zoomed out, but it looks like he might have some sort of wound on his temple. He’s also bent over awkwardly and favoring his right side.
“When was this?” I ask, keeping my tone carefully neutral as the video stops. The time stamp on it tells me what time it was taken, but not the date or location. “And where?”
“Three weeks ago, on Friday night.” He turns the tablet around and taps on the screen a few times. “That video was taken by the Minerva building.” He flips the tablet back around and taps the play button on the screen.
On it is another video of Eden and Damon from the security cams, only this time they’re walking up to the main gate of Romeo House together. I watch as they pause in front of the open gate, and they have a brief conversation about something before Eden reaches into Damon’s side pocket to retrieve what looks like his ID card. The two of them then tap their IDs against the sensor and walk through the gate together, with Eden still supporting an obviously injured Damon as they make their way up the path to the main doors. They pause again to tap their IDs, then they disappear into the house.
“She stayed for almost half an hour, then left.” He puts the tablet on the island. “Carter is using the security cams to track their movements to give us a timeline of what went down.” Jordan gives me an appraising look. “But I need you to look into Damon and see if he’s someone I need to worry about.”
I bite the inside of my cheek so I don’t tell him that it’s obvious from the video that Damon was hurt, and the odds of him trying anything with Eden in that state are slim. Not zero, obviously, but still slim.
“I can do that,” I tell him instead.
This isn’t the first time he’s asked me to look into someone, and Jordan’s obsession with making sure everyone with a dick stays far away from his stepsister is legendary around campus. It’s not surprising that he’s zeroed in on Damon like this.
“I want to know everything,” he continues. “I have Carter doing a deep dive on him, but I want you to get me facts from the ground. Find out everything you can about him: his reputation, his role in the Keepers, his routines, connections at school, everything.” He gently taps the tablet. “I need to know if he’s going to be a problem.”
“I can do that,” I tell him again.
“Good.” He picks up his cup and swirls the dark liquid around inside it a few times, then puts the cup back down on the counter.
Jordan never fidgets. Something is rattling him, and I don’t think it’s just the Eden situation.
“Is there anything else going on that I need to know about?” I ask, making sure I keep my tone casual.
“Nothing I can share right now,” he says, giving me a pointed look.
I nod to let him know I understand. I was right; thereissomething going on, but for whatever reason, he can’t tell me.
“Do you need anything else?” I ask when he looks back down at the dark screen of his tablet distractedly.
He glances back up and shakes his head.
I motion to the fridge. “I’m just going to grab a drink, then I’ll get started.”
He nods again and taps what looks like a random pattern on the island with his fingers.
My mind is already spinning as I grab a soda and head out of the kitchen.
What the fuck happened to Damon? He’d obviously been hurt, but how did Eden get mixed up in all of this?
Instead of heading back upstairs to check in with Carter, I head for the main entrance.
Carter is a literal genius and the most capable person I know when it comes to tech, but he’s not good with people. He understands machines and math, but human nature trips him up.
He’ll find everything there is to know about Damon and track his every move before and after whatever happened to him, but he won’t be able to filter out what information is important or know how to interpret what he finds.
That’s where I come in, and while I’m used to sifting through the mountains of data he gives me, there’s a more efficient way to get the info I need.
Tucking my soda under my arm, I pause in front of the main door and pull my phone out of my pocket.
