We’re in Ryder’s car, parked a few houses down from a cottage-like home on a small block. Most of these homes are rented and resemble condos with driveways more than anything else. They’re all the same, with their tan walls and Spanish-style, deep orange roofs. It’s like a Stepford neighborhood. This house has a car in the driveway with a Harvard license plate frame. It’s a nice car, a Mercedes, and seems vaguely familiar.
“You look like you’re about to burst into confetti,” I say to Ryder.
“I would never burst into confetti. Now, Funfetti. That’s tastier. Then maybe you’ll eat me up. I know how much you love Funfetti cakes.”
“And you would know this, how?”
“I’ve watched you take out a cupcake or two at lunch that are covered in various party colors.”
“You watch me eat? Don’t answer that. I don’t want to know your fetishes.”
“You’re my only fetish, Lake,” he says. He’s back to being flirty and teasing, which should put me at ease, but not after what he said at the lingerie store, I can’t help but feel weird. I’m not necessarily uncomfortable about it all, but I’m not elated, either. For years, I’ve thought Ryder was making fun of me, and now he’s telling me none of that is true. I force myself not to believe him as I unbuckle my seatbelt.
“So, do I look okay?”
“You look like you’re naked under that,” he says.
“Well, I feel naked under it. But I’m not.”
“Good to know.” He unbuckles his own seatbelt. We get out of the car, Ryder in all black. I walk toward the house, while Ryder slowly sneaks about, like he’s some sort of spy. I walk up the two steps to the front door and hold my breath as I ring the doorbell.
My nerves are getting to me and I’m sweating a bit. My hands shake a little, and I will them to stop.
I can do this. I can do this, I repeat to myself.
The door slowly opens and I’m prepared to run away when a man more familiar than I’d like stands before me. Holy balls! He’s called the Naughty Doctor, and though we call him Mr. Crane, I know he has a doctorate.
I bite my lip, forcing myself to hold back my what the fuck words as I stare at my teacher, whose hair is slicked back, and whose muddy eyes watch me with hunger. He’s wearing a full-on suit, like what he wears to work, and smiles at me with interest.
“A mystery. I like that.”
If I wasn’t panicking before, I’m definitely panicking now. What the fuck was my teacher, the one who hated Felicia so much, doing screwing his student? This can’t be happening. No, it seriously can’t be.
I don’t let him see my discomfort, and instead force a smile without saying anything. He opens the door more, as if to say, come in. I muster up all my courage and give him a saucy smile, then place my hand on his chest and push him into the house. I close the door behind me, making sure it’s unlocked.
Though I get him into the house, he quickly grabs my arms and twirls me, forcing my back into the wall. He has one of my arms held above me and the other slammed against the wall beside my face. I gasp in shock.
“You know, Lake,” he says, and I pause in panic. “I never thought you’d be into this.”
“H-how did you know it’s me?” I ask.
His tongue roves over the front of his teeth. He has clean white teeth with one crooked incisor. Mr. Crane is definitely handsome, but I’m not feeling anything for him. I mean, he’s my freaking teacher, after all.
“I would know that body anywhere,” he says as he moves his hand from the wall and grabs ahold of my trench coat tie, pulling it off. My whole body is exposed to him and he sucks in a harsh breath. “Fuck, you’re amazing.”
He leans in to kiss me and I want to push him back, but I’m terrified. Only, before his lips meet mine, a voice sounds from the other room.
“Oh, Mr. Crane, I’m waiting.” It’s a familiar voice. One that I realized I truly loathed a few days ago.
A red head pops out from the doorway to what I assume is Mr. Crane’s living room. It’s Miss Kemper.
Holy shit. What the fuck is going on?
“Ah, yes, Lake, you know Miss Kemper. I don’t know what Dorothy told you, but she’s my partner.”
“Your partner?” I say in shock.
“Oh, my,” Miss Kemper says, her tongue poking out to lick her bottom lip. “She’s a treat.”
“I … Dorothy didn’t say anything,” I lie. “She said it was only you.”
“Really?” he says in confusion. “Well, I’m sorry to disappoint.” He sounds too smug.
“I’ve wanted a taste of her since she entered my office,” Miss Kemper purrs.
“I …” I start to say something, anything, but nothing comes out. “So, you were Felicia’s clients?”
“Shall we?” he asks.
He takes my hand—it’s soft, but clammy—and pulls me toward the room Miss Kemper vacated. There, where I thought I’d see a living room, is actually a replica of a classroom. I try not to cringe as I realize just how disgusting these people are.
There’s a chalkboard on the wall that has the word detention written on it. To top it off, leaning against the chalkboard is a long thick ruler. My ass stings just at the thought of being flogged with it. Not that I’m going to get beaten, but that’s what the ruler is for, right?
My inner thoughts scream at me. Mayday! Mayday! Abandon ship! It takes all my courage not to run away. I can just imagine if I ran, the two freaks would grab ahold of my legs and drag me back into the room as my nails scraped the floor, leaving a trail of blood to my tortured body. I’m living in a horror movie, and I don’t think I’ll come out alive.
“We promise to take things slow.” Miss Kemper takes a step toward me, and I force myself to stay in the doorway. “I never thought under all those baggy clothes you’d have such a delectable body.”
Miss Kemper licks her lips. She reminds me of Jabba the Hutt, ready to lick Princess Leia up and down. It’s disturbing on more than one level, and there is definitely no Luke Skywalker to save me. Unless you count Ryder, though I’m starting to doubt he’ll come. He hasn’t made an appearance yet.
“I like a girl with some meat on her bones. Those grab-able hips,” Mr. Crane says. “Felicia was too thin for my taste, but she knew how to please us.” His voice is all breathy. “There’s always a different quality I like in my students.”
“So, what did you see in Felicia?” I ask.
“For Felicia, I liked that she was a challenge. She always played the unwilling student. Sometimes, I’d have to spank her after class.”
“And I’d have to gag her during our counseling sessions,” Miss Kemper says.
I want to run screaming from the house. Sure, Mr. Crane is young and attractive, but I’ve never been into that whole student/teacher taboo. And Miss Kemper? Jeez, this is crazy.
But I have a part to play. I have information to discover. I have to make these two think I’m actually there for work.
“What do you like about me?” I attempt to sound playful as I take another step into the room. I walk toward the desk that sits in the middle, the only furniture other than a teacher’s podium, chair, and the chalkboard, and turn around to face them. I place my two hands on the edge of the table. I once saw a girl in a movie lick her bottom lip when attempting to seduce a guy, and do just that, hoping it will be seductive.
“I love your submissive personality, of course. At least in class …” He takes another step toward me. “You’re smart, Lake, and you know it. You know exactly what to say and when to say it, and you obey every instruction I give you. It’s definitely appealing to me. More so than Felicia’s rebellion. I had dreamed that you would come around to me … it was only ever a fantasy. I never imagined you’d take a job with Dorothy.” He takes a step closer to me. I want to cringe away when he takes a piece of my hair in between his finger
s, to vomit as he curls it behind my ear.
“You know, this is my first time.” I try to sound sultry. “Please, be gentle.”
They chuckle. I’m beginning to regret this whole thing. Miss Kemper is now holding a ruler much thicker than the one resting on the board.
“Oh, come now, Lake. I know you’ve wanted me just as much as I’ve wanted you. I could see it in your eyes every time you entered my class,” Mr. Crane says, so sure of himself.
He’s absolutely delusional. I definitely can’t go through with any more of this.
“I never looked at you as anything other than a mentor I admired,” I admit.
“Oh, a goody-two-shoes, I see,” Miss Kemper says, giggling. I don’t know what she’s on, but it makes me want to join D.A.R.E. just to prevent anyone from ever having it.
I push Mr. Crane back a little and step away from the desk. I walk the room, needing air, and face the board, wondering why they even use a chalkboard. Most boards these days are dry erase.
I know I’ve let my guard down when two hands grab ahold of my shoulders and flip me around. Mr. Crane pins me against the chalkboard. I grimace at the feel of the cool board.
Miss Kemper is just behind him.
They have me cornered like prey. My skin prickles, and my body shakes with fear. I can tell by the darkening of his muddy eyes that he thinks I’m turned on, not frightened. He leans in to me and I want to lean away, but there’s nowhere to go. His breath smells of spearmint, something that make me want vomit. I close my eyes, trying to think of a way to get out of this. He uses his leg to separate both of mine. Tears prick my eyes as he breathes into my ear, “Maybe we should reward you for your good behavior.”
“Please …” My voice is low and shaking as I plead. This man will probably argue I’m asking for it and, from the looks of it, I am. “Please, I’ve changed my mind,” I say softly.
“Felicia cried the first time, too. She truly was a brat at first, but she learned, and so will you,” he purrs. I can tell that, even if I argue and say no, he’ll ignore me. He’s an abuser, an evil prick, and I’m giving him just what he wants.
From the corner of my eye, I notice something black in the corner of the doorway. Ryder. Just seeing him makes me feel the slightest bit relieved. He brings me back to the present and I realize that Felicia was stronger than this. She used this as a way to blackmail him and get what she wanted. But why was she blackmailing him? I can’t give up. I need to fight. She wouldn’t, and I won’t, either.
As his hand inches towards my thigh, I hiss in his ear, “Did Felicia give in to you so quickly?”
“Why are you so concerned with Felicia?” Miss Kemper sounds exasperated.
My voice is cold as ice. “I just want to know what I have to live up to.”
Mr. Crane pulls back before he touches me. He looks me up and down. “While Felicia was good at her job, she isn’t much to live up to.”
“Why do you say that?” I’m finally able to breathe, but I can’t let it show that I’m affected. I fold my arms over my breasts, pumping them up.
Miss Kemper attempts to sound bored, but her eyes are glued to my chest. “Let’s not talk about her anymore. She’s dead, and I must say, it has to be the best thing that’s ever happened to us.”
“I didn’t even know both of you were so well acquainted.” I look between them. They’re definitely an odd mix. Mr. Crane is normally so reserved, and Miss Kemper is more of a free-spirited loon.
“Dorothy caters to all our pleasures. We met through her.” My feelings toward my aunt are getting more and more tainted. What the fuck is she thinking? “Once we realized we had something in common, Dorothy suggested we make both our fantasies come to life together.”
“It’s not necessarily a love match. More like two people with a shared taste,” Mr. Crane adds.
“Did you choose Felicia?”
He gives me a lustful grin, ignoring my question. “Come.”
He reaches out, and before I can hide my hand behind my back, grabs it. His grasp is strong, and when he tugs me, I don’t have the strength to disobey. I don’t want him to touch me. Hell, I never want to see this creep’s face ever again after this. When all this is over, I’m going to make sure these two never see a school again. Maybe finding out what they did to Felicia will send them behind bars.
He pushes me into the desk chair and cages me in. “I have a lesson to teach you about asking too many questions, Miss Lewis.”
My pulse races as I glance around the room, looking for a way out. “I—”
He lifts his long bony finger to my lips and hushes me. “No speaking out of turn or else you’ll get detention all week long.”
He leans his head down to mine and closes his eyes, going in for a kiss. I try to move away, but there’s nowhere to go.
The sound of a throat clearing brings Mr. Crane to a halt. We all turn to find Ryder in the doorway, looking like a madman. His eyes narrow at the two cretins hovering over me. I breathe a sigh of relief just at the sight of him.
Mr. Crane and Miss Kemper cease what they’re doing. Someone’s come and disrupted their playtime. Though I’m relieved, they don’t look amused.
Ryder’s cellphone is out, and it’s apparent he was filming everything. He points the camera at Mr. Crane and Miss Kemper, saying, “Surprise, surprise, motherfuckers.”
“What the …” Miss Kemper is stunned as she glances between us. “What is this?”
Ryder arches his brow. “Don’t know how to lock a door, do you?”
He’s leaning across the doorway, blocking the only way out. He points his phone in the counselor’s direction. Mr. Crane just gapes in shock. Neither teacher attempts to go for the camera.
“So, Felicia was blackmailing you. Because both of you are big pervs … nice.” One of Ryder’s dimples pops out as he gives them a lopsided grin.
That brings Mr. Crane back to reality. He charges at Ryder, but misses when Ryder steps to the side. Mr. Crane goes flying through the doorway and into the wall opposite it, smashing his face. He groans and Ryder laughs as he continues to film the teacher.
“You guys are so screwed.”
“What are you planning on doing?” Miss Kemper’s eyes are wide with fear.
“Screwing a student is one thing when there’s only one witness. It’s hard to prove, but when there are two witnesses and a video confession, well, it’s going to be hard for you to get out of this one. You guys are finished. He’s going to lose his teaching license, and you’re both going to be out of jobs.”
“What do you want?” Mr. Crane pinches the bridge of his nose as droplets of blood slide down his face. He must have gone at Ryder with all of his strength to have his nose bleeding from hitting a wall. Miss Kemper twitches as though she wants to run to him, but she stays still in her spot. “Name anything.”
“Information,” Ryder says. “Oh, and for both of you to stand against that side of the wall and as far away from Lake as possible.”
They don’t argue and move to the wall farthest from me. I scurry over to Ryder. Mr. Crane leans against the opposing wall with his arms crossed over his chest. His nose is still bleeding, but he doesn’t attempt to stop it.
“Also, don’t look at Lake. Ever again,” Ryder adds.
Mr. Crane is entranced by every inch of my body. I feel even more violated than I’ve already been. Then, he turns toward a raging Ryder. “Done. Turn off the camera, and we’ll talk.”
Ryder taps the phone to his chin. “I don’t know. What do you think, Lake?”
“Well, we have most of what we need to get a conviction. A confession that they had sex with a prostitute, and probably had it with her while she was underage. We could always send that right to your father …” I give Ryder a knowing look.
He just smiles at me. “True. But just to be safe, I think I’ll keep it
on.”
Mr. Crane’s face pales. “What is it that you really want?”
“Felicia was blackmailing you because of this little affair, but you were so greedy you gave her whatever she wanted to continue to screw her. You were the last couple she saw before she killed herself,” he lies. “But that wasn’t all of it, was it? You weren’t screwing her that night, were you?”
I look at him, confused. “What are you—”
“Think about it, Lake. Felicia saw these guys last, but neither of them are strong enough to kill her.”
“Kill her? She killed herself,” Mr. Crane says.
“Did she?” Ryder asks. “I forgot.”
“What do you want to know? I’ll tell you anything if you just delete that video,” he says.
“They saw her so briefly that they couldn’t have screwed her in that timeframe. Think about it.”
Ryder is right. But something about his knowledge makes me want to question him, as well. “That’s true.”
“I think Felicia was blackmailing you for more than just a good grade,” he says. “She found out something about you, didn’t she, Mr. Crane? Something that would ruin you even more.”
I don’t know what he’s getting at, but Mr. Crane and Miss Kemper stay quiet.
I eye Ryder. “What’s going on?”
Ryder ignores me. “There’s a reason you like my girlfriend so much, isn’t there, Mr. Crane?”
“Girlfriend?” Mr. Crane says with a laugh. “You’re joking!”
“Au contraire. Lake and I are very much in love. I don’t have to prove that to you, of all people. And don’t try to change the subject. Tell us why you killed Felicia and Lake’s mother.” I blanch. I only suspected that these freaks would lead us to where Felicia was the night she died. Maybe they have something to do with her death, but Mr. Crane killing my mom doesn’t make a lick of sense.
“Killed them? Are you crazy?” Mr. Crane says. “I was doing everything Felicia said in order to screw her.”
“And yet, she was going to reveal your secret. That must have made you mad. She came to confront you about it, didn’t she. And you killed her.”
Dead Girls Don't Keep Secrets Page 12
