He shook his head, choking on a sob.
“You think it makes you look weak?”
“Fuck off.”
“Because you’re in the closet?”
He threw the tissue between us and banged the phone against the desk. “Because it’sJack. Because I’m in love with him.”
Silence.
And then it all came crashing into place. How The Night Warrior had slipped the threat into Hannah’s mail, how I thoughtFreddy had known my name, why Jack had been so cold toward Jill...
I clutched my phone. “You need to file a report immediately. And if you think he’s going to hurt someone, call the police. Immediately.”
Jill rubbed the top of the phone against his forehead. “Don’t you think I know that? He wants to teach The Raven a lesson.”
“The Raven,” I repeated. A shiver wormed its way down my spine to the tips of my toes.
“I’m in love with him. He keeps a spare key taped to the back of his desk drawer.” Jill rummaged in his pocket and procured a key. He tossed it between us. “I stalked. Snuck into his apartment, and he has all this stuff on The Raven. He’s hated him with a passion for years. I always thought it was because he didn’t believe in using violence to stop violence.” He glanced pointedly at his arm. “I don’t think that anymore.”
I leaped to my feet. “Do you think he’s figured out who—?”
“Yes,” Jill said, pressing something on the phone. “From the stuff I read, Jack’s been working with someone to gather information on—and lure out—The Raven.”
“Why does he care so much?”
Jill rested the phone and swiveled his chair. He fumbled through a bag and brought out a folder-full of newspaper clippings and photos. “The Raven knocked Jack’s brother down and held him until the police arrived. He disappeared just as they pulled up.”
I took the folder. “Is this what you found at Jack’s?”
“Everything. Call me pissed, but I took it all. Among a few other things.”
I marched to the shredder and fed every scrap of evidence about The Raven into it. Glancing out the windows, I was met with the view of Cathedral of Learning lit with featured lights.
The Raven’s gonna lose his wings
We’ll smile while he sings and sings
Then we’d love to watch him fly
Through a deep, dark, angry sky
Acid rose up my throat as I remembered Jack saying he would be at the cathedral party to work. I sucked in a sharp breath. He was going to attacktonight.
Fingers trembling on my phone, I rushed out of the office, dialing the police—
“Someone I know is about to commit an assault...” Jill spoke firmly into the phone.
“Tell them that it might be happening at the cathedral party,” I said. I barreled for the door. The police would take anywhere from seven to ten minutes to get to the cathedral?
My friends were across the street. I had to warn them.
I ran.
Chapter Nineteen
Ikept running.
