“I agree with Zoe,” Aric said. “That doesn’t make her less of a threat, though. Even if she doesn’t know what Mark is up to, she’s still not our friend.”
“She’s definitely not our friend,” I said.
“Definitely not,” Paris said, wrinkling her nose. “I’m so grossed out right now I don’t even know what to say.”
“This is interesting,” Aric said, flipping another page. “Brittany’s parents died in a hit-and-run accident about two months after Mark was released.”
“That’s kind of sad,” Kelsey said.
“They left her a huge inheritance,” Aric said. “It’s well over seven figures.”
“Do you think Mark is marrying Brittany for money?” I asked. “If that’s the case, why wouldn’t he pop the question sooner? Four years is a long time to run a con.”
“Maybe he couldn’t convince her earlier because she remembered him as a slacker,” Kelsey suggested. “Maybe he had to move slowly because he didn’t have any other options.”
“It says here that the will has been tied up in probate for years,” Aric said. “The insurance company didn’t want to pay out because no one was ever charged in the deaths, yet witnesses said a car clearly caused the accident and the driver fled from the scene.”
“Do you think that was Mark?”
“I don’t know,” Aric answered. “We know he’s capable of murder. He might’ve taken advantage of the situation when he heard about the money. He might’ve caused the accident, too. I don’t know which scenario is more likely.”
“I think the better question is: Why does Mark want the money?” I said. “I’m guessing it’s because he needs a way to fund a new monster-hunting academy and that money probably looked very attractive.”
“That’s an interesting theory,” Aric said, handing me another mint. “You really are my little genius lately.”
I wordlessly took the mint, ignoring Kelsey’s look of reproach as I munched on it.
“Okay, we have a new plan of action today,” Aric said, closing the file. “We need to know whether Brittany remembers anything. She wasn’t a great actress, so if she knows who you guys are she’ll show it.”
“We need to find her,” I said.
“I just told you she works in the registrar’s office,” Aric said. “That’s going to be our first stop today. Hurry up and finish your breakfast. We need to get moving on this.”
18
Eighteen
“What do you think?” Paris asked.
Two hours later we stood outside the registrar’s office, watching Brittany through the glass doors that separated her work area from the main hallway in the administration building. It was surreal watching her toil away after not seeing her for more than five years. It was like watching an old television show with the sound off.
“I think her hips are wide, and she needs to stay away from pink because it makes her look like she’s one of those hippos from Fantasia trying to dance in a tutu,” I said, earning a poke in the side from Aric. “What?”
“You have a horrific mean streak where she’s concerned,” Aric said. “Is this about Will? I have to tell you, I don’t like knowing you’re still ramped up about him.”
“Oh, puh-leez,” I scoffed. “I wouldn’t have let Rafael eat you and I didn’t think twice about letting him munch on Will. Why do you have to go there?”
“Because it bugs me,” Aric muttered.
“It’s not because of Will – well, mostly it isn’t because of him,” Paris said. “Brittany and Zoe clashed from the moment they met. It was like an explosion of estrogen – and not in a good way.”
“Is there a good way for estrogen to explode?” Aric asked.
Paris shrugged. “You know what I mean,” she said. “Zoe is overbearing. You either love her or hate her.”
“I am not overbearing!”
“You’re completely overbearing,” Aric said. “I happen to fall in the love category, though, so I might be biased when I say that you’re overbearing attitude is what made me fall for you in the first place.”
“I’m not sure that makes me feel better,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest.
Aric affectionately tousled my hair but kept his eyes trained on Brittany. “I liked that you didn’t take crap from anyone and that the last thing you worried about was other people liking you,” he explained. “You’re happy being who you are, and that’s very attractive.”
“Oh, I love him sometimes,” Kelsey said, her eyes taking on a far-off quality. “He’s so romantic and sweet. He always knows the exact right thing to say. I want to find a guy just like him.”
Aric’s grin broadened. “I’m everyone’s fantasy man. What can I say? You lucked out, baby.”
“Ugh,” I grumbled. “You’re so modest I can’t stand it.”
“How do you want to handle this?” Kelsey asked. “It might make sense for me to go inside first. She didn’t know me as well as she knew you guys.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Aric said. “Go in there and ask for directions to the new accounting building. You’ve got an accounting degree in case she asks, so you have a legitimate reason to ask about it.”
“Okay,” Kelsey said, eager to help in a non-lethal scenario. “What happens if she does remember me?”
“Act cool,” Aric replied. “Don’t volunteer information.”
“Pretend you don’t recognize her at first,” I suggested. “Make her tell you where you know her from. See if she brings up Paris or me.”
“That’s very good,” Aric said, snapping his fingers. “My little genius is on her toes today.”
“My gag reflex is on its toes, too,” Paris deadpanned. “You should buy candy and keep it in your pocket so you have something to reward her with when she wows you with her brain today.”
I could tell Aric’s robust affection was starting to get to her, yet I couldn’t muster much sympathy regarding her plight. “This is why you should stop dating psychos,” I said. “It’s not my fault that your last boyfriend was old, wrinkled and psychotic. That’s on you.”
“Fine,” Paris said, making a face. “Send Kelsey inside, and if Brittany doesn’t recognize her I’ll go next. She’s far more likely to recognize me.”
“Okay, Kelsey, you’re up,” Aric prodded, leaning against the wall and resting his cheek against the side of my head as we watched Kelsey swing into action. She seemed nervous at first, her eyes darting around the hallway as she pushed open the glass door. The moment she set foot in the room, though, she was all business.
I couldn’t hear what she said, but the blank expression on Kelsey’s angular face was masterful. When I first met her, I thought she looked like an angry, anorexic girl who would rather set fire to someone than bond. I’d been wrong, and she turned out to be one of the funniest and loyal friends I’d ever had.
“I’m glad she’s around again,” I said, keeping my voice low. “I didn’t realize how much I missed her.”
“I’m sorry I kept you isolated,” Aric said. “I honestly thought it was the best thing for both of us. Seeing you with Paris and Kelsey over the past few days – even Rafael to some extent – has made me realize you were lonely.”
“I wasn’t lonely,” I protested.
“You were in some respects,” Aric countered. “It’s okay. You need your friends. I still see people when I go to work. You didn’t have that luxury a lot of the time. I thought keeping you locked up was the best way to go because then you would be safe. I was wrong.”
“It doesn’t matter now,” I said. “The band is back together. Brittany is back on my enemies list. All is right with the world.”
“That’s a great way of looking at it,” Aric said, turning his attention back to Brittany and Kelsey. “Brittany doesn’t seem to recognize her.”
“No,” Paris agreed, lifting her eyebrows as Kelsey returned to the group. “Well?”
“She didn’t recognize me,” Kelsey said. “Either she was
putting on the world’s best act, or she honestly doesn’t know who I am. I even said my name to see if that would shake something loose and … nothing.”
“Okay, I guess that means Paris is up,” Aric said.
“Wait, maybe you should go next,” I countered. “She always had a crush on you. Even if she doesn’t immediately recognize you she’s bound to be attracted to you.”
“Are you saying you want to use me as bait?” Aric asked, his expression dubious. “Forgive me if I don’t believe you’re willing to offer me up as Brittany’s sacrificial man candy.
“You make fun of me being territorial,” he continued. “When she was around, you practically rubbed yourself all over me to make sure she could recognize your scent.”
“I didn’t hear you complaining,” I shot back.
“Oh, no,” Aric said, smirking. “I love it when you mark your territory.”
“I want to talk to her,” Paris said. “I want to ask her why she’s dating my ex-boyfriend when she knows that’s not allowed.”
“You getting worked up about Brittany dating Mark is even grosser than Zoe being upset about her dating Will,” Aric said. “Zoe is right. I’m going in next to see whether I can charm her. At the very least I’ll be able to ascertain how serious her relationship with Mark is. When I’m done, I want Zoe and Paris to go in together.”
I balked. “What? Why?”
“Because Paris was closest to Brittany for a long time,” Aric answered. “You were the person she hated the most. Seeing the two of you together might jar something. I want to go ahead of you because she might let something slip in front of me that she wouldn’t in front of a woman.”
“She did have a thing for Aric,” Paris conceded. “She thought he walked on water and that Zoe cast an evil spell on him to get him to fall for her.”
“She definitely did that,” Aric said, offering me a quick kiss. “Give me a few minutes and then we’ll let Zoe’s version of charm take over.”
Aric swaggers on a normal day. The stance he took upon approaching Brittany was nothing short of a peacock putting his tail on full display. He puffed out his chest, leaned against the counter to show off his bulging biceps and graced Brittany with the same smile that caused me to swoon on more than one occasion.
“He’s sleeping alone tonight,” I muttered.
Paris snickered. “I don’t think you have to worry about him falling for Brittany,” she said. “He’s whipped beyond reason, and his entire world revolves around you.”
“He’s your love slave,” Kelsey teased. “Oh, look. Brittany is falling for it.”
I fought the urge to storm into the office and rip Brittany’s hair out of her head when she leaned forward and rested her fingertips on Aric’s forearm. Her eyes were rapt on Aric’s handsome face as he spun some story to entertain her, and I couldn’t help but notice that she was a lot more interested in helping Aric than she had been regarding Kelsey a few minutes prior.
“What do you think?” I asked. “She looks interested, but not as if she recognizes him. She would be throwing herself on him if she recognized him. Don’t you remember how she always tried to hug him when she got scared?”
“I do remember that,” Paris said. “It drove you crazy. That’s why she did it.”
“She would’ve hopped on him faster than a Kardashian on a television camera if given the chance,” I argued.
“Oh, here he comes,” Kelsey said.
Aric was full of himself when he rejoined us. “She thinks I’m handsome.”
“Whatever,” I said, rolling my eyes. “I’m guessing she didn’t recognize you.”
“Nope. Not even a little. She asked my name, and when I told her she asked whether I was related to the state senator and then ‘oohed’ over my muscles.”
“Did she really mention your muscles?” I was beyond agitated.
“She felt me up,” Aric said. “I know you saw it. Don’t deny it.”
“Well, I’m going in there to get some answers,” I said, squaring my shoulders. “If she tries to feel me up, I’m going to punch her.”
“I love it when you’re jealous,” Aric said, patting my rear end before pushing me forward. “Don’t volunteer anything that could get us in trouble. Try to feel her out first.”
“Don’t tell me what to do,” I shot back.
“Maybe you should let Paris do the talking,” Kelsey offered.
“I’m in control. I will do the talking.” I waited until we were at the glass doors before I addressed Paris in a low voice. “Maybe you should do the talking.”
“I’m on it,” Paris said, opening the door and stepping inside. “Odds are she won’t recognize us either.”
“Omigod! Paris?” Brittany hopped up and down and clapped her hands when she caught sight of us. I risked a glance over my shoulder and found Aric watching with unveiled interest.
“Brittany,” Paris said, utilizing a fake voice to match our former roommate’s enthusiasm. “How are you?”
“I’m great,” Brittany said, rushing around the desk and throwing her arms around Paris’ neck. “I can’t believe you’re here. I was just thinking about you the other day.”
Brittany barely glanced at me as she separated from Paris. I didn’t see so much as a flash of recognition in her eyes before she turned her attention back to her former roommate. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, we decided to come back because we were nostalgic for the campus,” Paris said, choosing her words carefully. “We were walking around the buildings, and I told my friend Zoe here that I was sure that was you, so we decided to come into the office to see if I was right.”
“Wow, I feel so lucky,” Brittany enthused before shifting her eyes to mine. “Are you Zoe? Did you go here, too?”
That answered that question. I knew Brittany well enough to realize she wasn’t a good enough actress to fake her response. Well, to be fair, the old Brittany wasn’t a good enough actress. I couldn’t rule out the possibility that the new Brittany had taken a few lessons over the past five years.
“I was in some classes with Paris,” I answered, keeping my face neutral. There was no reason to hate Brittany if she didn’t remember me. “I think we might have met a few times at various functions.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Brittany said. “I don’t remember you. I met a lot of people back then, though. I can barely keep the people I knew really well straight in my mind sometimes.”
“But you remember Paris?” I prodded.
“Of course I remember Paris,” Brittany scoffed. “She was my roommate for two years. You don’t forget former roommates.”
“And where did you move after you stopped living with Paris?” I asked.
“I was in a sorority, so I moved into that house for the other two years.” That was the truth. “So, Paris, tell me about yourself. Are you married? Are you dating anyone?”
“I’m single right now … by choice,” Paris said, causing me to bite my lip to keep from laughing. “What about you?”
“I’m so glad you asked,” Brittany said, wiggling her butt as she excitedly hopped from one foot to the other. “I’m engaged!” She lifted her left hand to show off a pretty diamond ring, and squealed with abject delight. “We’re getting married in two months.”
I know it’s petty, but the fact that my diamond was twice the size of hers filled me with giddy warmth. What? I still can’t stand her. Sue me.
“That’s so great,” Paris said, oozing faux excitement. “Who are you marrying?”
“His name is Mark Doyle,” Brittany said, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Paris previously dated Mark. “We went to the same high school, but we didn’t hook up until about three years ago.”
“Wow,” Paris said, exchanging a confused look with me.
I decided to try an experiment. “Hey, Paris, didn’t you used to date a guy named Mark Doyle?”
“I did,” Paris replied, not missing a beat.
“Oh, well, I’m
sure that’s a common name,” Brittany said, brushing off the statement as if I’d said “isn’t it sunny today” instead of insinuating the two Mark Doyles were the same man. “What are you doing? Do you want to go for lunch? I would love to catch up. I can be done here in a half hour.”
“Sure,” Paris said. “I have friends but … I’m sure everyone would love to eat together.”
“I can’t wait,” Brittany said. “I want to hear all about your fabulous life.”
“I can’t wait either,” Paris said.
19
Nineteen
“Does anyone else think this is a terrible idea?” Kelsey asked forty minutes later as she carried her tray to a table on the University Center’s patio. “It’s like we’re playing a game and we’ve all teamed up against Brittany.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” I said, settling into my chair and snagging a French fry from Aric’s plate. He’d purchased three orders of fries this time. I guess his stomach wasn’t going to allow him to take any unnecessary chances. “We need information, and she’s our best shot right now.”
“I’m kind of curious about how this works,” Aric said, his eyes fixed on Paris and Brittany as they chatted next to the salad bar. “She remembers Paris, but doesn’t remember Kelsey, you and me. What happens to the memories we all shared?”
“I don’t know,” I answered. “Maybe we should test her. Can anyone remember an innocuous memory involving Paris and us?”
“I don’t have any innocuous memories of Brittany,” Kelsey answered. “You already hated her when we met. That means I hated her by default.”
“You’re very loyal,” I said, smirking.
“Hey! I hated her, too,” Aric said.
“You were nice to her face and only hated her behind her back,” I argued. “That doesn’t count.”
“I was mean to her plenty of times,” Aric said. “I always took your side.”
“I think you’re remembering things differently ,” I countered. “I … what is that?” I narrowed my eyes as Aric shoved a container of candy gummies in my direction.
Dark Covenant (Living Covenant Trilogy Book 2) Page 14
