Page 73 of Distortion
I shake my head. ‘I found it in my apron just now.’
‘What?’
‘There ... have been others.’ I dig them out of my bag. ‘One was in my welcome pack. The other I found in my room.’
‘This one’s the third?’ she asks, pointing at the latest one.
I nod.
‘And ... are they right?’
‘I was on the river on Saturday, so I think whoever is writing them is watching me. But I don’t know about the rest. My mom did pass away. That’s why I was brought ... it’s why I came here. Her funeral was the morning of the day we met.’
‘I’m sorry,’ she says.
‘Why?’ I ask.
No one else has said that to me, not even at The Heath.
She glances at me. ‘It’s just a thing people say. Well, they’re supposed to say it. But I really am. I imagine it’s tough to lose a parent.’
‘We weren’t close,’ I mutter, a little uncomfortable.
Lu seems to sense my unease because she picks up the paper and turns it over. ‘Have you shown anyone else?’
‘No. Who would I show?’
She shrugs. ‘I don’t know, your stepbrother?’
I snort. ‘Like he’d care.’
She gives me a look. ‘Do you think it’s him, or his two friends?’
I think about that for a second. It had crossed my mind, but I shake my head. ‘These notes want me to look into my mom’s death. That would mean being in Richmond. The guys want me gone. I don’t think it’s them.’
Lu considers the notes. ‘They’re not really saying anythingbad. The first two are a little weird. But this one ...’ She looks at the third note in her hand. ‘It’s pretty creepy. You could take them to campus security, but what are they gonna do? Same with the Richmond PD.’ She taps on the counter. ‘Who do you think it could be?’
‘I don’t know,’ I say honestly. ‘Maybe one of the other guys in KIP? They’ve been messing with me. Maybe one of them is trying to scare me.’
I frown. That idea clicks into place as I say it out loud. ‘I’ll bet that’s it,’ I mutter, thinking of how those three juniors have been. I roll my eyes. ‘It’s just one of them.’
‘Kinda dark, though,’ Lu muses. ‘Using your mom’s passing like that. Was there anything weird about it?’
‘I don’t know that either. It was a car accident. That’s all I was told.’
‘Okay.’ She nods. ‘Leave it with me. I’ll do some asking around and see what I can find. Be careful and let me know ifyou get any more of those things, or anyone else tries anything, okay?’
‘Yeah.’
She gives me a smile that I think is meant to be reassuring, but she still seems alarmed.
‘It’ll be fine. As you said, it’s probably one of those immature asshats fucking with you. Now, come on. Pull it together. The natives out there can see us talking despite the sign. They’re getting restless and you know how they are when they don’t get their morning caffeine fixes.’
I attempt a grin at her as I tie my apron on. I stuff the notes into my back pocket and start helping. At least this will keep my mind occupied.
The shift goes quickly,and before I know it, it’s almost four and Lu is waving me out. ‘Come on,’ she says. ‘We’ve done our time. Want to go have some retail therapy before we suit up Dagorhir-style?’
‘I’d love to,’ I reply, ‘but I have to go check my emails before I meet you in your dorm.’
