"I'm going to do everything in my power to keep Domino safe. I'd suggest you find someone too." I went to the door.
"I did. That was Blane to me! Look how that turned out. Maybe that's what the asshole is doing. Taking out all of the side characters until only the main ones are left. Isn't that what they do in the movies? Blane had no one who gave a shit about him.Even me. I mean, we'd hooked up a few times, but not enough to make it official. He was an easy pick. Ruth too. Everyone saw you and Swayze toss her away like garbage last year. The killer knew no one would care about her. If that's the case, who do you think is next? Mitchell, Chitra? Or maybe you?"
The way she said that made my bones chill. I turned my head toward her. Had this all been some elaborate ruse? Was it her all along? She played all of this off far too well.
"You can stare at me all you want, I'm not confessing to anything today or tomorrow or any other day. I didn't murder anyone."
"What about Elliott Spencer, or did you forget about that?"
Her face paled. It was the same reaction from before when I'd told her.
"I didn't kill him!" She stood up abruptly. "Actually, no. I need to know. Come on." She grabbed her keys off her desk and came around the desk.
"Where are we going?" I asked as she shoved my hand from the door, opened it, and stormed out. I followed behind.
"You're taking me to go see Elliott."
Rule 42 - Koi
Keep your memory sharp.
"Do you think this is a good time?" I followed behind Marisol, climbing into her golf cart despite not wanting to leave the park. I was supposed to be with Swayze and Domino, keeping her safe. Instead, Marisol was turning the key and speeding off back toward camp.
"Good as any. You've mentioned Elliott three times now. I didn't want to believe you, but since you won't shut the fuck up, I want proof. How did he die?" she asked through gritted teeth.
"I don't know. I think he was stabbed in the neck, maybe? I'm not sure how long he's been there."
"How do you know it was him?"
"Marisol." Pity flooded me as her steel persona started to shake. "He'd been freshly dug up. I knew his face."
She drove us through camp right to the edge of the woods and parked.
"Take me to him," she demanded. I hesitated, staring at the trees behind her.
"What if this is a trap?" I asked.
She crossed her arms."What are you talking about?"
"There's a killer on the loose and I'm starting trouble. If it's you, this is the perfect time to kill me."
"And if it's you, then this is the perfect time to kill me," she pointed out. "What if this was your plan all along? Lure me in with this sick story about the only person I've ever loved being dead and buried here, only to have a knife and shovel ready to go somewhere in there?" She paused and then smirked. "I guess the question is, do we trust each other?"
I didn't trust her one bit, but I also didn't think she was the killer. Marisol was too hotheaded. While she could have planned it out, their actual deaths would have shown more passion at the scene. I stood, opting to take her into the woods to see Elliott.
"When did you guys break up exactly?" I asked, trying to make some kind of conversation. I'd never been a fan of Marisol, even before Swayze made the dumb decision to sleep with her. I always hated going to their house because she would fawn all over us in a cringy, younger sister way. Every time she'd come down to talk with us, I was always reminded of her sister.
Four years ago
"Thanks, Lolita, these are great." Fabian snatched a cookie off the tray. I saw the Risky’s housekeeper more than their actual mom and stepdad. Swayze and I leaned forward on the couch and grabbed a snack too.
"Are we playing?" I asked, waving my controller at the screen. This game had just come out this week and we'd been trying to get through it every day after school.
"Yeah, yeah." Fabian stuffed the cookie into his mouth and started the mission. We played for an hour, making good progress, when we heard the front door open and a girl started shouting. The three of us let out a collective groan.
"Well, that's our cue." Swayze started to stand, but Fabian punched his shoulder, making him go back down.
"Fuck off, man. Just be quiet and she won't know we're in here," he whispered. We paused the game, muted the TV, and waited for his annoying little sister to walk through the house and go upstairs to her room. It was hit or miss with her. Sometimes she'd ignore us completely, other times she was strapped to our hips, begging for attention. It was sad, really, but also super fucking annoying.
