Page 113 of The Deceptions
It's a great day to be alive.
"Love you, too. By the way, your bestie Carter texted you." He grins, waving the bright phone in my face. I rear back, squeezing my eyes shut. But it does nothing. Now, there's a shining light trapped behind my eyelids, slowly blinding me. "Probably something important. You’re lucky the texts don’t disappear until you’ve opened them."
"Probably. It might be able to wait until after the sun comes up," I groan, but my heart pounds in my chest with anticipation. I've waited so long for him to send me everything I need.
"You going to survive?" he whispers, putting my phone on my pillow and releasing my wrists. "You know with..." Hegestures to my stomach, no doubt frowning. If I hadn't been blinded by the damn phone, then maybe I'd be able to read his expression.
"I always do, don't I?"
Jordy snorts at my answer. "Uh, yeah. Sure. You call that surviving? I've had to console you more than once. I won't be here to do that. You know, I actually got a damn lead from the museum last night. Might have some footage of my thief after all."
"Keep me updated?"
"Ditto. Be careful here, Liv. There's something so off about this damn place. And the people?" He whistles softly, shaking his head.
"You mean them?"
"Besides them," he murmurs, stroking his chin. "Everyone on campus gives off weird vibes." That's the understatement of the damn century. Everyone walking the grounds of Greenwood University is a goddamn villain.
"Wade walked me home from the store last night and told me about the kid who got attacked in his dorm. He didn't know anything about it." Just another thing on my mysterious list of bullshit about this place. Can't this case do me a solid and solve itself?A girl can dream.
"Ask fucking Carter. He'll hack into the damn White House if he has to," Jordy snorts.
"Planned on it," I groan. "I'll check our database first and see if there's anything on it. Also, your keys are over there.” I wave to my desk, and he picks them up.
"Good thinking. Love ya, Liv. Be careful. Call if you need me. And for the love of God, don't get yourself killed." With one more kiss on my head, Jordy heads out the door as quietly as he came in and leaves campus.
I'm sad to see him go. Having him here has really helped me come into my own as Oliver. Sometimes, you need someone familiar to help walk you through the trials and tribulations of your newest case. And Jordy, no matter how annoying, is my person through and through.
"Now that I'm awake," I mutter, looking at my phone.
Carter
Your goddamn information. Make sure you save this shit before it disappears into the ether. Now, fuck off.
He's always so pleasant, but damn, did he deliver the goods like he said he would.
Miles Brummet, a student at Greenwood University in Greenwood, California, was found dead this morning, lying on the stairs of the administrative building. Police suspect major foul play and are looking into every possible lead, including bringing the FBI in to handle matters.
I scroll through more of the article, keeping everything brief and without descriptions. Until I get to the part about his missing organs. Everything was taken from him like a damn buffet for vampires. If they existed, that is.
Police indicate they have no leads at this time on the disappearance of his organs, but they will be interviewing several suspects in the coming days, trying to track down their whereabouts.
Carter
I know you'll be fucking asking for the transcripts of the police interrogations, too. So, I did you a goddamn solid and took care of it. You're fucking needy… Although, you'll be fucking disappointed. They gave up on the investigation within a week… Fucking kid died and they gave him a few days. The FBI was never involved. Wasn't even called. Sounds like you got another shitty case full of murdery assholes. Have fun!
That's an understatement. Ugh. Why wouldn't the FBI get involved with this? And no police investigation? The article must have lied to soothe the people of Greenwood. Strange, though, that Miles was the only one mentioned as being torn apart. Were there others? Probably. Like the kid who was attacked in his dorm room. I need the details on that to see if it's connected in any way possible. Probably is. There's no coincidence in investigations. It's all leads that take you to the killer.
Now, if only the killer would show their face.
Carter
Also, here's the address of the creeper looking you up. It originated from this address: 501 Greenwood Way. It looks like some ancient type of house, twenty minutes from your location.
Such a pleasure to work with, I swear.
I shake my head, rereading the address a million times to make sure the words say what I think they're saying.501 Greenwood Way.Pins prickle my skin. A coldness engulfs meas all the blood drains from my face. Oh, God… That's not just any address. Nope. It's a familiar place. I almost wish it were someone I didn't know. It would make my life easier. Instead, I get this. Another blast from the past. Nathanial Franco. The man who killed me. And now, his address has eyes on my every move. Great. This is fucking fantastic.
