Page 53 of What Happened on Roslyn Street?
I press my lips together. “You’re still waiting on proof?”
She nods, taking another sip of her coffee. “And I’m relieved to see you waiting as well. I’ve been worried about finding his body with a stake thrust into it. His being at the wrong place at the wrong time is not proof, darling. You’re in all of those places, too.”
“I don’t know what else to do!” My breakfast sandwich and cup of tea have both gone cold. “It’s all moving too slowly. At this point, there will be another death on campus before we can bat an eye.”
“You need to escalate things.”
“How am I supposed to do that?” I let out a bitter laugh. “You won’t let me escalate with a stake, and I already spent a night grinding on him!”
Saying it out loud makes my face hot. I wish I could say I hadn’t been myself, that it was the liquor, but the truth is…
Dancing with him was the first time I felt like myself in months. I’ve forgotten how to have fun—and some would say I was never fun to begin with. But dancing with Caldwell, his words whispered in my ear, it was…
I need to getlaid. That’s it.
“You need to kiss him,” Margaux says, echoing a far more appropriate version of my thoughts.
I gawk at her. “What?”
“That’s how you escalate things,” she says. “If you think his game is seducing the unexpected and doing away with them, then…”
“I need to let him seduce me.” My blood runs cold.
“And you need to make sure I’m nearby when you do it,” she says. “It doesn’t need to go too far—just enough that you know he’s trying something—and I’ll step in.”
She makes the plan sound so easy, but I know it’s not. If she moves too slowly… I’ll join Poppy. I’ve been chasing death since arriving at Strode, but I realize now that’s something I’m not ready for.
“Fine,” I say, sounding more confident than I feel. “You want me to escalate things? I will.”
“Tobey.” She leans in closer, her eyes blazing. “Donotdo this without me. I’m serious. If you run off without me again, I’m going to…”
“You won’t do anything.” I roll my eyes. “But you’ll be there this time, I promise.”
Professor Cruz calls my name.It’s unexpected. The last time I lingered after class was for the short investigation. They haven’t bothered me since, which is both a relief and a frustration. These investigators really are useless if they’re giving up this easily.
I freeze as he says my name, still stiff as I join him at the head of the classroom.
Professor Cruz looks at me with a gentle expression,leading me to believe he isn’t coming to me with the worst-case scenario, but… things do seem to get worse by the day.
I smile tentatively. “I hope you got my essay submission.”
If only it could be something so simple. I would welcome the stress of a missing paper over the horrors of Strode.
“I did,” he says. “That’s not what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Oh?” I adjust the strap of my bag. “Then… what is it?”
“I want to make sure you’re being safe in your investigations,” he says bluntly. “I’m sure you’ve noticed, but the investigators the school hired are…”
“Terrible at their job?” I supply.
“I wouldn’t go that far.” He chuckles. “But they aren’t coming up with anything of substance. I was wondering if you had something that could help us.”
I can’t help it—his words make me preen with pride. If he’s asking about my findings, he must think I’m better than the professionals. And you know what? He’s right.
I have a lead for this thing, and they’re flailing around accusing innocent humans—or werecats. Whatever they think I am.
“I may have a hunch.” I bite at the inside of my cheek, suppressing a smile.
