The Blood Files, Case #1: Before I Wake

by Joelle Ayers

  Jealousy is a strange animal. It was entirely possible Liz and Cody’s moment in his car wasn’t as private as they thought and this guy, in a rage, did the unthinkable.

  Josh saw my wheels turning and stopped pacing.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “We have to go back to Olivia’s.”

  He breathed deep and I knew he was going to protest before he even had the chance to get a word out. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  I took a pair of shoes from the closet and sat to slip them on. “It’s the only choice we have. This guy could be anyone and he might just be the key to setting my brother free.”

  I stood and, to my surprise, Josh blocked my way. Our gazes locked and I waited for him to explain himself.

  “Don’t you think you’re going at this kinda hard?”

  My brow tensed and I felt my hands beginning to shake.

  “Wouldn’t you want me to go at it ‘kinda hard’ if it was you rotting away in prison?” I asked. “Cody can’t defend himself, remember? Which means those of us here on the outside have to be advocates for him.” I searched Josh’s eyes. “I thought we were both advocates for him.”

  He was silent. Silent enough that I practically heard his thoughts. And that’s when it hit me.

  “You think he did it, don’t you?”

  His answer didn’t come quickly enough and I came to my own conclusion.

  “I think you should prepare yourself for anything, Vi—for the possibility that the truth might line up with what the lawyers and judges have already declared; for the truth to line up with what you believe it to be and for the possibility that it won’t make a difference.”

  I had nothing to say. It felt like Josh was giving up and… I couldn’t afford to go at this alone. Was I prepared to say that to him? No.

  But I needed him.

  His hand landed on my arm and I wanted to pull away, wanted to be angry, but it was Josh. There was no one on this planet harder to get or stay mad at. I suppose because his intentions were always clear. He only ever aimed to protect me and I knew that’s what this was about now even before he said it.

  “I just… I don’t want to see you hurting any more than I already have.”

  And there it was. His reason.

  I understood why he thought this might not pan out. I even knew the odds weren’t in my favor. But more than any of those things… I knew I had to try.

  Brushing past Josh with wetness pooling in my eyes, I stayed on my path.

  “I have to go.”

  My wrist was taken gently and I stopped with my gaze locked on the exit. I knew he wanted to stop me again, knew he wanted to protect me from the potential disappointment, but instead… he said something I knew went against his instincts:

  “Then, I’m coming with you.”

  *****

  I should have been more nervous about knocking, but I guess I felt like I had to be brave because I had something to prove to Josh. I needed him to see I still believed in this.

  Behind me, he waited with his back braced against the wall, the contrast of his dark t-shirt standing out against stark-white paint. It wasn’t until we heard footsteps on the other side of the door that he stood upright again, giving the appearance of being a unified front. Even if I wasn’t so sure we still fit that description.

  A set of bewildered eyes stared back at us and it didn’t take long to realize Olivia was no happier to see us today than she was the last time we visited. At least she didn’t try to slam the door in our faces, though.

  Yet.

  “You’ve got a lot of nerve showing up here.”

  I nodded and held her gaze.

  “I know and completely agree, but we need your help.”

  She scoffed at the request.

  “Are you kidding me? I’m still not even sure you weren’t the ones who leaked the diary.”

  I took a deep breath, fighting the sense of defeat that struck.

  “Listen, I know you don’t know us, but all we have to offer you is our word. We didn’t have anything to do with that. We’re trying to help. We’ve got no reason to exploit Liz’s death even more than it already has been.”

  Olivia was silent and I didn’t look away. It was then, in those quiet seconds that passed that I heard it. A song—Coral Road’s “Out of Time”, lulling from an apartment somewhere down the hall. The same song Josh and I were listening to when the call came in from Olivia about the diary. When she shifted to lean against the doorframe, I refocused on her, thinking she might actually believe me.

  But it was her question that made me certain. “How can I help?”

  Those words were like music to my ears. I snatched the small notepad and ink pen form my back pocket, deciding to strike while the iron was hot.

  “King Midas—as Liv’s best friend, you have to know who that is.”

  Olivia’s eyes fluttered before her gaze slipped to the floor.

  “I don’t think… I shouldn’t say—”

  I took a chance and reached to touch her arm. “Olivia, please. If you know anything…”

  Her teeth clamped down on her bottom lip while she thought.

  “I’m not comfortable giving up his name, but I can at least point you in the right direction.”

  For now, that’d have to do.

  “Pull up the Bradford Shores University employee directory and just… see if anything stands out to you.”

  Employee directory?

  Olivia slinked back inside without another word and the door was gently latched shut. Josh and I were left standing in the hall, staring at one another, dumbfounded.

  Employee directory.

  *****

  There was no time to waste. The first thing Josh and I did when making it back to our apartment was get on the school’s website. I quickly found the staff section and scrolled. At this point, I wasn’t even sure what I was looking for.

  Last name King.

  Last name Midas.

  Initials K. M.

  Anything!

  Josh must’ve noticed I was overwhelmed because, in the midst of a frustrated sigh, his hand came down on mine. The feel of its warmth seeping through my skin, and it was moments like this, when he seemed very much human, that it was hard to believe he was anything but. My eyes went to his and a smile was passed my way.

  “I’m sorry if I put doubt in your head earlier.”

  I nodded. “It’s okay. I know you were just trying to protect me.”

  He hadn’t moved his hand yet and it was confusing. No, it wasn’t uncommon for us to be semi-affectionate toward one another. After all, we’d been friends for so long I lost track. However, this… it felt different.

  As if he heard my unspoken thoughts, he pulled away and his eyes went back to the computer screen. Mine did, too.

  “King Midas,” he muttered to himself as I scrolled further down the page until he yelled out a startling, “Stop!”

  At his command, my heart did just that. It stopped. “What? What do you see?”

  Josh took the mouse from me and I watched as the cursor moved across the white background.

  Until it landed on a name.

  Xavier Goldberg.

  “King Midas,” Josh repeated. “…The man with the golden touch.”

  I glanced over at him and tried not to get too excited.

  “You really think that’s him?”

  Josh shrugged. “Could be.”

  I stared at the name again and double-clicked on it, pulling up the professor’s profile on the site. He was young and handsome—definitely the kind of handsome that could get college-aged girls’ attention. There were pictures from various campus events and I didn’t want to get my hopes up. If our assumptions were right and Liz was in fact talking about a member of the university’s staff in her diary, there was one thing this man had that my brother didn’t.

  Motive.

  The need to protect his job alone would have been enough. And dating a student
would’ve definitely put that in jeopardy.

  “Well, it looks like we’ve got our new suspect,” Josh said, smiling a bit from what I could see in my peripheral. However, I wasn’t so sure about that.

  Enlarging a picture from a charity gala just last year, I corrected Josh’s statement.

  “Or… two suspects,” I breathed as we stared at the smiling brunette in the photo. “Meet Mrs. Goldberg.”

  —Chapter Eight—

  I should have felt guilty for using my sleuthing skills to find Goldberg’s home address, but I didn’t. We started at his office on campus, but learned that he’d just left for the day. While I could’ve put off visiting him until tomorrow, that didn’t feel like an option. Each day my brother sat in that cell was another day I failed him.

  “I think it’s safe to say you’ve officially gone too far,” were Josh’s final thoughts before stepping out of the rental car. I let the words bounce off me because I was determined.

  “Do you even know what you’re gonna say?”

  Again, I ignored him, but when he gently took my arm, I stopped about halfway up Goldberg’s driveway.

  “This is about the dreams,” he said flatly. “Because you think that’s really Liz visiting you.”

  I lowered my gaze to the newly poured cement beneath our feet.

  “Trust me, I’m the last person to refute something strange or paranormal, it’s just that…”

  I turned and faced him now, finishing his sentence when my eyes landed on his.

  “You’re looking out for me. I get it.”

  And I did. But no one knew what it was like having a dead girl living inside their head, taking over whenever my defenses were down during sleep. While the visions were certainly an inconvenience, I don’t know that I would’ve had the courage to stand up for her or Cody otherwise. Liz’s persistence was strong enough that it lit a fire in me and, well, here I was. Standing in the driveway of a man who could have easily gotten me kicked out of school for showing up like this. But, I wasn’t alone. There was someone beside me with less at stake, and yet, here he was, risking it all for me.

  Because that’s what real friends do.

  I locked my arm around Josh’s and we continued up the sidewalk together. I didn’t even hesitate to ring the doorbell. Whatever happened from here, just happened.

  A half-smiling man answered the door and I recognized him as Professor Goldberg right away. I’d never taken his class myself, but I stared at enough of his pictures on the school site to know we had the right house.

  He was younger than I first realized. I mean, as far as professors go—maybe in his early thirties. And he had that dark haired, blue-eyed thing working for him.

  “Um… Can I help you?” he asked, prompting me to clear my throat.

  “Yes, actually. You’re Professor Xavier Goldberg, correct?”

  When he nodded, I felt more confident moving forward.

  “We’re sorry to bother you at home, but… I needed to discuss an urgent matter with you.”

  He looked so confused, but his expression was still polite as he tucked his hands into the pockets of his dark slacks.

  “Well… I… sure, I guess. My wife is on her way home with dinner, so I suppose I have a moment. This is about school, I’m assuming,” he added with an easier smile. “I think I recognize you from around campus. You’re with the Chronicle, right?”

  Crap… he knew who I was.

  “…Yeah, I am. You read the paper?” I held my breath, wondering if he also knew my last name.

  “This is a little embarrassing, but… no. I wish I could say I did, but there doesn’t seem to be much time these days for leisurely reading.”

  “Oh! No big deal.” I breathed a sigh of relief as I smiled. “Most of our stories are just fluff pieces anyway.”

  “Do you need info from me for something you’re working on?”

  He was so nice. Almost too nice to grill him like I was about to, but I kept my priorities in line and his feelings weren’t very high on that list.

  “Yes and no,” I answered, squeezing Josh’s arm when I realized I was still linked to him. “I do need info from you, but… probably not for what you’re thinking.”

  The kind smile on Goldberg’s face faded a bit.

  “Oh? Then what can I do for you?”

  I sucked in a bunch of air and, as I exhaled, made the purpose of our visit clear.

  “We’d like to talk to you about Liz Hardy.”

  The last traces of that smile left now and I watched the color leave his skin.

  “What about her?”

  I swallowed hard and decided it had to be all or nothing. I couldn’t be bold enough to show up on his doorstep, but too weak and afraid to speak my mind. So, I took a direct approach, deciding to come out guns blazing.

  “We know you and Liz were involved in some sort of long-term affair.”

  The word ‘affair’ made Goldberg wince a bit and he put his hands out to quiet me.

  “I don’t… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  I let go of Josh and slid my bag off my shoulder, pulling out key pages from the diary. Ones that made mention of special dates they’d taken, gifts he’d purchased for her. Was I positive we had the right person? No, not positive, but I had a hunch. And in order to get him to cooperate, Goldberg needed to believe we were positive.

  “Care to change your mind about lying to us now?” I asked, shoving the evidence back inside the folder.

  His eyes darted all around his property—at the elderly couple walking past with their dog, at the young children riding their bikes down the street, at a neighbor watering his grass. There were too many eyes for him and this sudden oncoming paranoia made me more certain we had the right guy.

  “Come inside. We shouldn’t talk out here.”

  When he turned his back to lead us in, I shot Josh a look, not believing we might actually be getting somewhere with this.

  The heavy, wooden door was closed behind us and then Goldberg addressed us again.

  “Okay, I don’t know what you two think was going on between Liz and I, but… we were just friends. She took my class a few semesters ago and we found some common ground. We both had a thing for bad Kung-Fu flicks and we got together sometimes to watch them together, but I swear, that was it. If that paper you had says anything else, it’s a lie.”

  His eyes were shifty and, even if they hadn’t been, I was sure he wasn’t being straight with us. There were things Liz described about him, intimate things I hadn’t shared. There would have been no point in lying within the pages of her diary, pages no one was ever supposed to read but her, and there was no point in giving him a coded name if their dealings were innocent.

  “You’re not telling the truth,” I blurted. “And I think you may have been so desperate to keep your secret about Liz that you were willing to take her life.”

  Goldberg put his hands out before him, motioning to calm me down.

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa… are you serious right now?”

  He took a step back, bracing his elbow against the railing leading up the stairs of his large home.

  “You went from accusing me of sleeping with this girl to accusing me of murdering her?” He paused for a moment. “Liz’s killer was caught months ago. And besides, I wasn’t even in the country when she was attacked.”

  The tension in my brow ceased as shock spread through my body. “But… your wife. She could have—”

  “Not that it’s any of your business, but my wife was with me. We were celebrating our anniversary in Paris.”

  I said nothing. Couldn’t. I was so sure…

  “And, again, not that I owe you anything, but I have proof.” Without another word, Goldberg traipsed down the narrow corridor that ended at his study door. He took a thick book off the bookshelf and thumbed through it while coming back to Josh and I in the foyer.

  “See? It’s in our scrapbook. Ticket stubs from the plane, from the shows we saw wh
ile we were there, pictures of us with the performers… everything.”

  The book was turned toward Josh and I and then shoved into my arms. My eyes scanned the proof, the evidence supporting Goldberg’s story. Evidence that shot a million holes in my theory.

  “So, are we done here? Because I’m running out of patience and, when that happens, I can’t guarantee I won’t report this to the dean in the morning.”

  I handed the book back and tried to hide the devastation settling into my heart. “We’re done here.”

  The door slammed behind us as soon as we stepped foot on the porch. I moved toward the car quickly—not because I didn’t want to be here when Mrs. Goldberg returned, but because I needed to keep moving in order to keep from crying. If I stood still too long, if I thought for too long… I might fall apart.

  Around the second time I dropped the car keys in the driveway, Josh came around to take them from me, deciding he should drive this time. We rode in silence. All the way home. At our apartment, I climbed out quickly and bit down on my cheek to keep everything in.

  Don’t cry, Violet. Don’t you dare cry. This doesn’t mean it’s over. This doesn’t mean… he’s not innocent. Don’t you dare cry.

  “Vi, wait,” Josh called behind me as I hurried to my room. I just wanted to be alone.

  His big, stupid foot wedged between my door and the frame, preventing me from shutting him out and I was at the end of the line. What little strength I had to fight the tears had all but disappeared. The first fell when I turned to meet Josh’s gaze, wondering why he couldn’t just let me hurt in peace. But… I knew the answer to that: Because he was my best friend and my pain was his.

  Which sucked for him because I had quite a bit of it in this life. He stuck around though. For whatever reason, he didn’t mind so much that I had more downs than ups lately.

  Big, strong arms swallowed me up and I leaned into his shoulder, letting my tears fall onto his t-shirt. I didn’t say a word, neither of us did, but I was positive he understood.