Gingerbread Man: A Marlow and Sage Mystery (A Nursery Rhyme Suspense Book 1)

by Lee Strauss

  Sage and Nora had gotten ready at the same time, and both looked too good to take out on a “date” with Jake. What was she thinking?

  “Ready?” Sage said.

  Teagan put on a smile. “Yup.”

  She let Sage and Nora carry the conversation as they walked under violet skies. She’d met a total of two guys since she’d arrived (met used figuratively in Marlow’s case) and had accused both of them of being capable of something as evil and devious as rape. Maybe she was the one with the problem. Jake was a nice, decent guy. Marlow probably was too. She was just paranoid.

  Still, Teagan was glad Sage and Nora had agreed to come along.

  They arrived at the burger joint just off campus near the arena before Jake did. Sage and Nora took one side of the table while Teagan sat alone on the other side. Of course Sage wouldn’t sit beside her like she usually did. Jake was coming and it would be weird if he had to sit beside someone else.

  They ordered sodas, which arrived just as Jake blew in.

  “Sorry I’m late.” He looked at Sage and Nora. “Company. Cool. Hi Sage.” He reached for Nora’s hand. “Hi, I’m Jake.”

  “Nora.”

  Teagan swore she blushed. Or maybe it was just the reflection of her red hair off the neon lights.

  They talked about sports and politics, music and movies. Everything but the attack. Actually, Sage and Nora and Jake did most of the talking. Sitting so close to Jake and knowing he’d invited her personally made Teagan feel shy and nervous. She was happy to let the girls carry the conversation.

  In fact, Nora and Jake seemed to have a lot to say to each other. They were both from Michigan, they both liked to cross-country ski, they both had an annoying little brother that they loved to death. They were both athletic.

  Jake flicked his wrist and stared at his watch. “Oh, I gotta go.” He turned to Teagan. “Are you ready?”

  “Sage and Nora are coming too. We’ll meet you there.”

  His mouth turned into a half grin as his eyes flicked to the opposite side of the table. Nora’s eyelashes fluttered.

  “Cool,” Jake said. He dropped enough bills on the table to cover his and my burger before leaving.

  “He’s nice,” Nora said, not catching Teagan’s eye. “Have you been dating long?”

  Teagan was pretty sure she said this was their first date back in their dorm when she begged them to join her. “We’re not really dating.”

  Her gaze remained cool. “Oh.”

  Watching the hockey practice was fun only because Sage and Nora had come along to keep Teagan company. Mainly it was cold. Teagan waved good-bye to Jake when it was time for them to leave. They were keeping their pact to not walk alone after dark and Sage wanted to get back to study.

  By morning the news feeds were buzzing. The rapist had been caught. Apparently the son of a senator had been arrested.

  Such a huge relief. They could breathe easy and go on with their lives.

  Teagan sighed. Now she felt bad for ignoring Marlow Henry all week. Was it too late to check in and say, “Hello”?

  10

  

  He folded his lips in as he read the news feed on his tablet and kept his face blank. He sat inconspicuously at a corner table by himself in a coffee shop and he didn’t want to risk being noticed by laughing out loud, or smiling like he’d just won the lottery.

  He sipped his brew and took a moment to relish the warmth that swirled in his being. “Rapist arrested,” the headlines read. His lips twitched at the absurdity. The ineptness of the law enforcement in this town was unbelievable.

  He wouldn’t let a wussy senator’s son take credit, not for long. There was only one way to set the record straight, but he’d have to bide his time. Find the right place and the right moment. The right blond.

  “Excuse me.” A female voice pulled him from his reverie. “Is anyone using this chair?” The girl smiled and blew wheat-colored bangs out of her eyes. She wore a black bomber jacket and snug jeans. A collection of beaded necklaces hung exuberantly over swollen breasts. “It’s just really busy and we need one more,” she added when he failed to respond.

  He suddenly believed in providence. “Help yourself,” he said.

  She smiled again and dragged the chair to the table next to his and joined her friends. He was careful not to stare, casting occasional glances out of the corner of his eye. He ordered a refill and a glazed donut.

  When the girls left, he waited ten seconds, then followed.

  11

  

  Marlow

  Seriously? I got that maybe she didn’t want her boyfriend to know she’d been chatting with another guy, but to outright pretend that she didn’t know me? That was rude. Obnoxious. Crazy.

  Her acting skills were pretty decent. I had to give her that.

  The knot in my chest tightened. Teagan was prettier in real life than her profile picture let on. Maybe that was it. I was too geeky. Too skinny. Maybe she was embarrassed to be connected to someone like me.

  Fine. She and her jock boyfriend could shove it.

  I arrived for class with just minutes to spare, not my usual MO. I shifted my pack off my shoulder when I found my seat and pushed up my glasses. I heard a ruckus behind me as I pulled out my math textbooks. I stopped mid-retrieval and stared.

  Teagan’s jock. His face was in a wide guffaw—apparently his fellow jock friend had said something funny. An oily spot of dislike filled my chest. I didn’t know he was in this class. He bumped into my table as he strutted by, giving me the briefest glance. He didn’t even seem to recognize me from the “incident.” Was it possible that nerds accosted his girlfriend on a regular basis and my face just blended in with scores of others?

  I was determined to shake off the whole dumb scenario and diligently took notes as the professor scratched equations on the board. Who was this Teagan chick to me anyway? Nothing. I would forget about her. She was forgotten.

  This was the lie I told myself. The lie that was blown all to hell when I got back to my room and found a message from her waiting for me in the chat forums.

  What did she want? To apologize? Ha! I guzzled my pop and let out a loud belch, letting the universe know just what I thought of that. Just delete it, man, I told myself.

  I went to the bathroom, then checked out the dorm fridge and drank old orange juice from the carton. I did twenty push-ups. Okay, maybe just ten. I had a cold shower.

  Turned out I was a bigger loser than even I would’ve pegged myself for because not only could I not delete it, I also couldn’t ignore it. After thirty-five itchy minutes, I clicked on her name.

  @art4ever to @averagegeek99: Hey! I know it’s been a while, but I’ve just been crazy busy, settling in, getting lost on campus, homework, all those freshman excuses. How has your week been?

  I jerked back, unbelieving. Was she on drugs? She was just going to pretend like her whole “I don’t know you,” schtick never happened?

  @averagegeek99: So you know who I am now?

  @art4ever: Well, since we haven’t met IRL, I don’t really know you.

  This girl was a piece of work.

  @averagegeek99: Why didn’t you tell me you had a boyfriend?

  @art4ever: I don’t have a boyfriend.

  @averagegeek99: You just go around holding random guys’ hands?

  @art4ever: No. What are you talking about???

  @averagegeek99: Yesterday. When I talked to you in the square. You were with some jock. You pretended not to know who I was.

  @art4ever: I’m sorry. I really don’t know what you’re talking about. I never saw you or spoke to you. I think that’s something I’d remember.

  I removed my glasses and cleaned them with the hem of my T-shirt. What was this chick on? Did she have an identical twin? I thought she said she was an only child. Plus, the blond with the jock admitted her name was Teagan. Teagan wasn’t a common name. What were the chances of there being another girl who looked like Teagan and had the same name
? The odds against that scenario were enormous.

  @averagegeek99: I’m not a game player.

  @art4ever: Neither am I. I’m starting to regret contacting you again.

  Damn. I hadn’t meant to piss her off. Despite her blow off, I did like chatting with her. It wasn’t like I had a ton of girls lining up to talk to me.

  @averagegeek99: Sorry. I must’ve mistaken you for someone else. Can we start over?

  @art4ever: I guess so.

  @averagegeek99: How was your day?

  @art4ever: Fine.

  I imagined that to sound like fine, as in you’re an asshole fine, rather than a sweet, everything’s fine. Time to lighten things up.

  @averagegeek99: Knock, knock.

  @art4ever: ???

  @averagegeek99: You’re supposed to say, “Who’s there?”

  @art4ever: You’re telling me a knock-knock joke?

  @averagegeek99: You’re surprised? My handle does have the word geek in it.

  @art4ever: Who’s there?

  Yes! A happy face emoticon!

  @averagegeek99: Broken pencil.

  @art4ever: Broken pencil who?

  @averagegeek99: Never mind. It’s a pointless joke.

  I expected a raging LOL, but instead there was no response. Oh, God. Don’t tell me she didn’t get it? But then:

  @art4ever: Knock, knock.

  I smirked and wondered if she actually knew a knock-knock joke or quickly looked one up. Either way, she was game to play, which meant we were back on some kind of friendship track.

  @averagegeek99: Who’s there?

  @art4ever: Madam.

  @averagegeek99: Madam who?

  @art4ever: Madam foot is caught in the door!

  I couldn’t stop a soft chuckle from escaping. I gave in with an LOL. We fell into an easy rhythm of lightweight topics after that. She sent me a picture of one of her paintings, but for some reason I couldn’t receive it. She said she’d show it to me in person some time, and a lava flow of heat spread through my gut. She wanted to see me again. I was cool with that.

  @art4ever: Is there anything you’re afraid of?

  Going deeper?

  @averagegeek99: What do you mean? Like the dark? Monsters under the bed?

  @art4ever: Yeah. If that’s what you’re afraid of. What fears show up in your nightmares?

  @averagegeek99: Um. I don’t like snakes. I have a lot of dreams where I find a garter snake under my pillow, or in my closet, or somewhere I’m not expecting to find one. I always scream myself awake.

  @averagegeek99: What about you?

  @art4ever: I often have dreams that I’m being chased.

  @averagegeek99: By whom?

  @art4ever: I don’t know. Just a random person. I never see a face. I’m running for my life in dark alleys usually. I’m always exhausted and sweating when I wake with a start just before I’m caught.

  @averagegeek99: I think that’s a pretty common nightmare. Probably stress induced.

  @art4ever: Yeah, probably. I’m also afraid of storms. And that’s when I’m awake.

  @averagegeek99: Maybe we need to face our fears to beat them.

  @art4ever: Yeah? How about this? You go to the science lab and hold a snake or at least feed one, and the next time it storms I won’t hide under the bed.

  @averagegeek99: You hide under the bed? Really?

  @art4ever: Don’t change the subject.

  My skin prickled at the thought of seeking out a snake. I didn’t want to look at one much less feed one.

  @averagegeek99: Not fair. Who knows when the next storm will be?

  @art4ever: I looked it up. Weather’s changing. Storm is in the forecast.

  It wouldn’t kill me to throw road kill into a snake pit, would it? And maybe this would help Teagan in some small way.

  @averagegeek99: And when it storms you won’t go under the bed. So where will you go?

  @art4ever: Your dorm?

  I sprung to my feet with surprise and nervous shock. She wanted to come here? My eyes took in the pigsty Zed and I lived in. It wasn’t often a girl invited herself to my room, like as in never. She’d be worth cleaning it up for. I bent over and typed without sitting back down.

  @averagegeek99: Okay, deal.

  @art4ever: Deal.

  12

  

  Teagan

  Teagan heard his laugh before she spotted him. Jake Wentworth had a distinctive, happy-seal-like bellow. You couldn’t help but smile and chuckle along even if you didn’t quite get the joke. Mostly she never got his jokes. Maybe that was why she hadn’t heard from him in a few days.

  Now he was walking along the leaf-strewn path between the math and economics building. He was with that Chet guy again. Teagan had entered the path behind them, so Jake didn’t know she was following. He turned to Chet and pounded his chest like an ape and burst out laughing again. Teagan wished she were close enough to hear what on earth they were talking about.

  Jake was so boisterous and alive and just… out there. Teagan could feel the heat of his extroversion from here. She almost found herself ducking.

  The contrast between Jake’s personality and Marlow’s was undeniable. She’d never met Marlow in real life, but somehow she couldn’t imagine him puffing out his chest and beating on it in public.

  She could be wrong. People often presented a version of themselves online that wasn’t accurate.

  Marlow seemed authentic. Teagan enjoyed their banter and even the juvenile knock-knock jokes. They’d become comfortable enough with their social-network friendship, meeting practically every night, that their conversation sometimes slipped into flirting.

  At least it felt like flirting to her.

  He still hadn’t approached a snake, and Teagan had a lot of fun teasing him about that. She had yet to face a storm. The aqua-blue sky above was brandished with orange bruises. Sign of a possible storm, but who knew? It could shift away in the other direction from DU. Storms were unpredictable like that. It was one of the reasons she didn’t like them. They weren’t trustworthy.

  Teagan’s cheeks heated up when she recalled her impulsive offer to wait out the next storm in Marlow’s room. It was momentary insanity. She hadn’t even met this guy. Another reason she hoped the storm would redirect and pass by.

  Nora had appeared from out of nowhere and suddenly she was walking beside Jake and Chet. Her giggle filtered back to Teagan and she slowed her pace, staring. Jake smiled down at Nora in a way that was just a little too friendly. Teagan suffered a sudden bout of heartburn. Jealousy? She had no right to be jealous. It wasn’t like Jake was her boyfriend or anything. Nora petted his arm and beamed up at him with a too-wide smile. Her ginger hair glistened in the sun as if its rays were directed only to her. She scooped it behind one ear and stared up at Jake through thick eyelashes.

  Teagan was so taken by this interaction she didn’t pay proper attention to where she was going. She felt the jarring thump of a body and dropped her books.

  “Pardon me,” she said.

  “No problem,” a male voice said. Her head jerked up and for a split second she thought it might be Marlow. Wouldn’t that be just the craziest coincidence?

  But it wasn’t. The guy had a wider jaw and thicker brow. He bent down to help Teagan pick up her belongings.

  “I zoned out there,” she said. The guy’s gaze never left her face, and she grew heated with embarrassment.

  “It’s a busy campus.” He stood and cocked his head. He flashed her a half-smile producing a dimple that was rather cute. His arm reached out and she thought he was going to touch her or something, but then he let it drop to his side. “I like the blue in your hair.”

  Teagan’s hand automatically stroked the strand. “Thanks.”

  The guy stepped backwards and gave her a little wave. “See you around.”

  “Sure.” Belatedly, she wished she’d offered her name.

  At any rate, knocking into a good-looking stranger just reminded her that ther
e were plenty of guys out there. It wasn’t like Jake was her only choice for a future boyfriend.

  Jake was no longer in sight and neither, thankfully, was Nora. Teagan squeezed her books to her chest and continued on.

  Then she saw him. Marlow Henry stood in a corner with another, taller guy who had a short-cropped beard. Teagan squinted. It was him, wasn’t it? He sure looked like Marlow’s profile pic. She almost called out but the way he was talking to the other guy made her pause. They were standing face-to-face, closer than most guys do with each other. She swore she saw a brushing of their fingertips before they split and went opposite ways.

  Oh, God. Was Marlow Henry gay? Teagan pinched the base of her nose and shut her eyes. She was such an idiot.

  13

  

  Marlow

  Sometimes I felt like a little kid. It wasn’t like the snake was going to jump through its glass case and bite me.

  I even brought Zed for moral support, though I told him I needed him to be my photographer. I had to get a picture for proof.

  He’d scoffed when I’d first suggested it. “Take a selfie.”

  “Dude. I don’t plan on getting that close. C’mon. What do you have on your busy schedule anyway? A hot date?”

  He huffed and puffed but relented and now he stood with me in the sterile-looking, eerily empty lab holding up his phone. “Tell me when you’re ready.”

  I didn’t know how long we’d be alone, and I didn’t want an audience. It was bad enough that Zed had to witness the shimmer of sweat that had formed on my brow. A big, fat, yellowish boa constrictor was curled up in the bin, its scaly self pressed up against the glass.

  “Anytime now would be good,” Zed said with a straight face. “Before, you know, my arm falls off or hell freezes over.”

  “’K, I got this.”

  I’d done my research. Asked questions. There were dead rats in the freezer in the corner. The prof even gave me permission to visit the reptile but I didn’t know if it had been fed already and I didn’t want to get in trouble by overfeeding it and maybe making it sick. My plan was just to hold up the rodent over top of the cage for the photo.