“I had it with me...onme... on the day we met.”
His eyes narrow, confusion furrowing his brows. “What do you mean you had it on you?”
“The necklace. The heart pendant. Remember that? There’s a memory card inside.”
His gaze drops to my neck. “Where’s the necklace, Hailey?”
“I tore it off when I remembered the day Alex gave it to me.”
“Your birthday,” he says. Of course he knows. He read my diary. “What did you do with it? Don’t tell me you threw it away.”
“No, I... I hid it. I stashed it in my suitcase—it’s got a secret pocket. And my suitcase is—”
“Either at the bottom of the lake where Matthew’s car was found or checked in as evidence,” he cuts in, turning to Ryder. “What are the chances the card’s intact?”
“The car was underwater for a week, Boss, so the odds are fucking slim at best. It depends whether the necklace cavity is waterproof or the card water-resistant. Both those things might give us a fighting chance.”
I nudge Carter’s shoulder. “You didn’t let me finish. I didn’t take all my bags from Lakeside. Two are still there... including the one with the necklace. Chloe has them.”
38
CARTER
The same chill that shook me when I first set foot on Lakeside campus all those weeks ago slithers down my spine as Koby parks his sleek Range Rover in my old favorite parking space.
Something disturbing pollutes this air, an echo of the past, of the despair and torture endured by the old asylum’s patients.
It’s early Sunday morning, meaning the staff are off-site, enjoying their weekend away from the students. The only person here with authority is the janitor. I bet he’s lurking in the shadows, watching our every move.
“I think I should go alone,” Hailey says, looking at the tall, gothic building peeking between the trees.
I don’t grace it with a reply, flinging the door open. My heavy boots crunch the gravel as I spin to help her out. No fucking way will I let her out of my sight.
It’d be careless not to assume my father, her father, or any number of others have eyes and ears here in case we show up.The sole consolation is that we’re a long way from Ohio and Pennsylvania. Neither Rhett nor Blaze can teleport here at a moment’s notice, but they’ll know we came, and they’ll wonder why.
My wristwatch shows it’s barely past seven am. Another consolation: this place is a ghost town at this hour. We pass a total of five people, all huddled in a tight group outside the theater, probably waiting for their friends. I bet they’re shooting last-minute scenes for their final movie project.
Memories hit me square in the jaw as I push open the heavy door to the girl’s dorm, letting Hailey inside first. Every nook and cranny reminds me of our moments here. Moments that led to her becoming the center of my world.
I carried her up the first flight of stairs after she got lost in the woods. I imagined fucking her against the walls of all the corridors we pass. I watched her hips sway as she climbed the second narrow staircase and spent countless precious minutes kneeling outside her door picking the lock. I spent many more precious minutes inside that room with Hailey over, under, or beside me.
I have half a mind to pick that lock again and take Hailey on the desk overlooking the forest...
If only there was time to waste.
Before my fantasy turns to reality, she’s outside Chloe’s room down the hall. Inhaling a deep breath, she shakes the tension off her arms and raises her hand. Every knock shakes the silent corridor like a thunderclap.
There’s an almost immediate commotion behind the wall. A deep groan, some mumbling, then a thud as if Chloe rolled out of bed, hitting the floor with her whole body instead of her feet.
Hastened steps resonate as she rushes across the room and the door opens wide in one sharp tug. Chloe looks a little confused, her hair like a rat’s nest, mascara smudged around hereyes. I guess they had a party on the other side of the lake last night. Either that, or she’s bathed in vodka. The stench wafting off her could get my lightweight Hailey drunk within the hour.
“Hailey!” Chloe exclaims, stumbling forward to wrap her arms around my girl. “Oh my God! Where the hell have you been?! You have any idea how worried I was?” She shoves her away, looking her up and down as if expecting her to be injured. “Are you okay? Are you back for good?”
“I’m okay, but I’m not staying. I just came to pick up my bags. You still have them, don’t you?”
It’s only now that Chloe’s attention latches onto me. A soft shudder shakes her, and the incredulous look on her face morphs into dubious fear.
Last time we spoke I barged into her room, barking out demands. My temper was all over the fucking place... looks like it left a lasting impression.
