by L. L Hunter
“Oh, my God!”
Stacey was sitting against the tiled wall beside the washbasins, staring at a blonde girl. She was lying dead in one of the toilet cubicles.
She had been stabbed multiple times.
Dane ran out to get help, and I rushed to Stacey’s side.
“What happened, Stace?”
She was sobbing and shaking. “I… I just came in and found her like that. Oh God. Oh God.”
“Come on. We have to get out of here and tell a teacher so they can call 911.”
I held out my hand toward her, but she continued sitting there on the cold floor, staring at the dead girl.
The blood pool was growing by the minute. Soon the poor dead girl would be soaked in it, and it would reach Stacey’s shoes. There was so much blood.
A minute later, a few teachers came running in and gasped or screamed. The male football coach got on his cell phone to call 911.
“Miss Miller, come on. We have to go. It’s okay,” said Mrs. White, the drama teacher.
Stacey nodded and finally snapped out of her paralyzed state. She was in shock.
I didn’t blame her. I think we were all in shock.
A girl had just been murdered in the girls’ bathroom at the back of the theater. A junior. She was only fifteen years old. Way too young to die.
The question was, who had killed her?
School was canceled for the rest of the day and the day after that. Two days later, the principal called an emergency assembly outside in the courtyard. They were usually held in the gym or the theater, but no one wanted to go near that building. Plus, the area was still an active crime scene. Police had interviewed several students, including Dane and me.
But they were still waiting to talk to Stacey. She had gone to the hospital in shock and checked over but was released and sent home a few hours later.
She stood next to me now in the courtyard as the principal went over essential things. I heard whispers all around me.
I found it odd that no one cared about whether one of their friends and fellow students was murdered at school. All anyone cared about was the status of the school Halloween dance.
It was one of the only events kids around here cared about—that, and the before school party at the Circle.
“Are you okay?” I whispered to Stacey. She was facing forward, watching the principal talking on the small stage they had set up.
“Yeah, fine. Why?”
“Oh. I just thought… I was worried about you. You haven’t been answering my texts. I heard you didn’t even talk to the police. And now you’re back at school.”
She shot me a look of annoyance. “I’m fine, okay?”
Yep. Something was up with Stacey, and I was determined to figure out what.
It seemed I wasn’t the only one hiding secrets in this town.
Chapter Ten
Curiosity Killed the Cat
The good news was the dance was still on.
The bad news was Stacey was still acting weird a few weeks after the murder in the girl’s bathroom.
I went over to her house one afternoon after school since she had left early that day because she said she wasn’t feeling well. She had a history of asthma as a kid so that meant she could be genuinely sick.
But I didn’t believe it. Not with her sketchy behavior of late.
But when I arrived at her house, there was a police cruiser parked outside.
The feeling of dread filled my stomach like a stone in water. They could just be trying to talk to her after she refused earlier. I had to find out anyway. Curiosity got the better of me. And that curiosity was going to get me killed.
My father had always said I was like a cat that way, and curiosity often killed cats.
But I was also stealthy like a cat. I snuck up to the window at the side of the house. If they had a formal chat, they would probably be in the kitchen or the sitting room in the middle of the house. Stacey’s mother was your stereotypical pastor’s wife and mother. She volunteered for everything at school and church, and when they had visitors over, she always made cookies and hot tea.
Stacey’s mother had gone from wife of a raging, abusive drunk mechanic in our old town to the wife of the town’s pastor in Summervale. Their image had gone from nothing to one of the most popular families in town. No wonder Stacey had bagged Ashton Striker.
It was a significant change for both of them.
But now she was in trouble. I had to find out what was going on.
I heard voices through the open window at the side of the two-level home. It was a cute, Hampton's style weatherboard house painting in idyllic blue and white.
“Miss Miller, are you sure that’s all you can remember about that day?” asked one of the officers.
“Yes. I’m sure,” replied Stacey.
“Please, Officer, my daughter has told you everything she knows.”
“Frankly, ma’am, I don’t feel she has told me the whole story yet.”
“I have. As I said, I walked into the bathroom, and she was already dead on the floor. I found her. I didn’t do it.”
“I don’t believe you,” said the officer. Ouch. He was harsh.
“Officer Evans, please. That’s enough now. my daughter is tired, and we won’t be saying anymore without my husband or our lawyer present.”
The officer let out a frustrated breath. “Fine. If you remember anything else, please don’t hesitate to call me.” I peeked through the window and saw the officer hand Mrs. Miller a business card before she showed him out of the house. Stacey was sitting on the floral couch in the sitting room, staring off into space. She was also chewing on her fingernails, something I hadn’t seen her do since childhood after her dad and mom would fight, or he had abused one of them.
I had to find a way to get through to her somehow.
A stick crunched behind me, and I ducked and gasped, jumping down from the window.
One of the police officers was standing behind right me.
For about a minute, we both stared at each other, standing off, neither keen to make the first move.
But finally, he did.
And his words chilled me to the bone.
“You know what they say about cats, Miss Ryder. I wouldn’t go sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong. It might get you killed. Look how it ended for the first few girls. Have a good day,” he said in a warning, albeit slightly threatening tone, before walking toward his cruiser.
I stayed pinned against the side of the house until he drove away.
Chapter Eleven
Heavy like a Lie
The Halloween dance was this week. The feeling of anticipation and excitement was heavy in the air, just like the warning that hung over my head and Stacey’s lie. The dance was what everyone needed after a tough first month of the school year. But I got the feeling it would only be the band-aid over the proverbial wound that was this town and its secrets.
That night, while I was preparing dinner for my dad and me, the door opened, and I listened for the sound of his leather shoes on the wood floor.
They finally came after a short delay. I smiled, putting on a façade as he walked into the kitchen with a look of worry on his face. My smile sank, and so did my heart.
“Hey, Dad, what’s wrong?”
“Oh, nothing. Long day at work. How was your day?” He kissed my head and grabbed a beer from the fridge before leaning against the kitchen counter. He took a long drink.
“It was fine. The Halloween dance is this Friday night.”
“Oh, that’s nice. Are you going with anyone?”
Now was the time to drop the bomb and find out if what Dane had said was true, and our parents were really dating each other.
“Yes actually. Dane O’Connell. Did you know he lives next door?”
I watched his face for a reaction. There was a slight hesitation, where his eyes widened in surprise, but he covered it up with another swig of his beer.
Okay. Not th
e reaction I was hoping for.
But he finished his beer, set down the empty glass bottle with a loud clink on the counter, and looked at me.
“Oh, that wouldn’t be wise. You know I’m dating his mother?”
I was silent for about a minute, trying to come up with an appropriate response. But I came up blank.
Dad walked over to the fridge and took another beer and walked out of the room.
I followed him.
“Dane told me, but I didn’t want to believe him. Are you in love with her?” he sat down in his favorite armchair in the lounge room and flicked on the TV at low volume. I sat on the nearby love seat.
“We’ve only just started dating, but I like her very much, yes. What about you and Dane? How long has that been going on?”
My face heated. “Um… I met him at the party before school at the Circle. I… I really like him.”
He took another drink before continuing. “That’s nice.”
Something was up with him too.
“Dad, what’s going on? Not with Mrs. O’Connell and you, but what happened at work?”
“Oh, I got a big development contract today, but I’m not sure I should take it.”
“Oh, congrats. Where? What for?”
“For the old asylum. They want to build a holiday resort and golf course on the site.”
I froze.
I knew that asylum well.
I had once been a patient there. And the woman I put there was still a resident, among others. But they weren’t the only reasons we were worried.
“I see,” I said finally.
“But it’s okay. I won’t be accepting the contract.”
“Why? You know, if they knock down that place, it would hide everything. Isn’t that a good thing?”
“Yes. But it would also unearth a lot of things. I can’t let that happen. Some secrets should stay buried forever.”
I had an idea. “Well, I could sneak in there and find anything that might reveal our secret. No one would ever know.”
He looked at me, alarmed. “You don’t know that. The walls have eyes and ears. People will find out.”
“I’ll be careful. Promise.”
He nodded and took another drink of his beer before turning up the volume on the television.
And that was the end of the conversation. I stood up to leave the room.
“Dinner will be ready in a minute. Okay, Dad. Don’t worry about that thing. You should take the contract.”
He smiled. “Thanks, Darce.”
As I ate my dinner in silence that night, I began to plan how I would break into the one place I told myself I would stay away from.
Chapter Twelve
Fright Night
I adjusted the corset on my costume and took one last look at myself in the mirror. I looked great. And I hoped Dane would think so too. Tonight was the annual Halloween Dance. It was a favorite of the other students, but it was my first time tonight.
The dress code? Anything paranormal or horror related.
So, I was going as a vampire—a rather sexy vampire, at that. My boobs bulged from the tight black bodice of the dress I had picked up at the local thrift store. The skirt was made from black and red tulle, and the sleeves were lacy and puffy. I had on bright red lipstick and dark-winged eyeliner. I also had a set of plastic vampire fangs, which I would slip in later. They were in my purse now as they were uncomfortable. I wondered what Dane was dressing up as…
As I thought of him, I saw a flicker of movement through the window. I smiled when I saw Dane moving about his room. He wore jeans and a white t-shirt, through which you could see the shape of his abs and the bulge of his biceps. I stood at the window while I checked I had everything and wondered why he was dressed casually and not in costume… when he turned, and his face gave me a start. He smiled, gave me a small wave, and gestured for me to come outside. I smiled and ran to the door. Dane was coming out of his front door when I opened it, and I could see his face more clearly.
He was a zombie.
I laughed. “Nice costume.”
“Thanks. You look amazing too.” He walked over to me and leaned in to kiss me, but I pulled back.
“Oh, my make up! I worked on this for ages. I don’t wanna smudge it yet.”
He put his hands up in surrender and settled for giving me a peck on the cheek.
“Sorry. So, are you excited for tonight?”
“Yes. I can’t wait. So, what exactly goes down at these things?”
“Well, there’s the dance, of course. The teachers get a little nervous because most girls come in sexy outfits and grind against the guys. The dancing gets a bit… risqué. They even spike the punch bowl. But that’s not the best part.”
“What’s the best part?”
“Well, one of the classrooms is designated as the Rendezvous Club. That’s where all the fun happens.”
“Sounds… scandalous.”
“It really is. It’s where teens go to make out or hang out in private with their dates. It’s set up like a speakeasy, but with no alcohol, of course. Most of the time, someone will sneak some booze in there.”
“Sounds cool, but I really wanna just go hang out with Stacey and Ashton and for you and I to dance.”
“We will. Oh, and I forgot to tell you the best part. There’s an after-party.”
“After-party?”
“Yep. No adults. Free booze and food. Loud, inappropriate music. This year it’s at a new, top-secret location, but I have the scoop.”
I smirked. “Oh, yeah. What is it?”
“It’s at the old psych hospital next to Summervale Cove Lighthouse.”
My heart kicked up its pace a notch, and my stomach fluttered. The same psych hospital I needed to break into.
“Really? Well, then, I can’t wait.”
This was my chance. Once I was inside the psych hospital, I would sneak off and find what I needed, and no one would ever know.
When Dane and I walked into the school hall that night, hand in hand, the party was already in full swing.
“I’ll go get us some drinks. Be back.” He kissed my cheek and walked toward the drinks table.
I spotted Stacey standing with Ashton, the other band members at the side of the room seated at one of the tables. There were two other girls there, obviously the other members’ dates.
“Hey, Stace.”
She turned and smiled when I tapped her on the shoulder, as the music was too loud to hear.
“Hey, girl! Oh, my God, you look hot!”
“You do too.”
Stacey was dressed in a short silky red dress and a matching pointy witch’s hat. Her hair was down, and she had dyed strands of it red and pink. She also had stockings held up by garters and black velvet heels. The other two girls were dressed as a sexy fairy and another sexy witch, but in purple, respectively. I could see what Dane meant by risqué now.
“Where’s your other half?” asked Ashton, coming over to hug me.
“Hey, Ashton. Dane’s just gone to get some drinks. I can’t wait to hear you play later.”
“Thanks, it should be better than the rehearsal,” joked the bass player, Dylan Storm. But no one, especially Stacey, found it funny. I decided to intervene.
“Hey, wanna dance?” I asked her, taking her hand.
“Sure.” She downed a red solo cup of something on the table and followed me onto the dancefloor.
Chapter Thirteen
The Rendezvous
Stacey and I danced to something upbeat for a while before the beat changed to something a little slower in tempo. She spun me around like we used to do as little girls.
“So, you and Ashton seem to be going well,” I said, trying to make small talk. I had to keep her mind off the incident in the bathroom.
“Yeah. We’ll be going into the Rendezvous Club when he gets off stage later,” she said, smiling.
I smiled in return. “Oh, good. I’m happy for you.”
“Wh
at about you and Dane?”
“Yeah, we’re good. I don’t know if Dane is going to ask me there or not, but he told me about it, so he might.”
She nodded. “Good. I don’t want you to hear the whispers before they start.”
“What do you mean?”
“You should know that Dane has kind of a… reputation at the Rendezvous Club.”
I shook my head. “I don’t care what he’s done in the past. He’s with me tonight. He’s my date.”
“I know. But I just thought you should know. People might say things.”
“I’ve got a thick skin. I’ll be fine, Stace.”
The next song was also slow, and Dane chose that moment to cut in.
“Hey, do you mind if I interrupt?” he asked Stacey.
“Sure. I’m going to find my Rockstar before he goes on stage. See ya, love birds.”
When Stacey leaves, Dane hands me my drink and stands closer, placing his hands on my hips.
I noticed he didn’t have a drink.
“Where’s yours?” I asked, gesturing to the red solo cup in my hand.
“Oh, I drank mine. I found one of my friends over by the drinks table.”
I nodded and took a sip. It was fruity, fizzy, with an obvious alcoholic after taste that numbed my tongue.
“Oh, what is this?”
Dane laughed. “It’s the famous punch. I warned you, didn’t I?”
“You did. But I didn’t expect it to be like that.”
He laughed again. “You’re welcome. So, are you having a good time?”
“Yeah. I danced with Stacey. She and Ashton look cozy.”
He nodded. “Yeah, Ash seems content with Stacey.”
“What do you mean?”
“I just mean that Ashton doesn’t do serious. But for him and Stacey… they’re different. He seems serious about her.”
I nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I noticed that too.”
“So, um… the Rendezvous Club. Are we… do you…”
