Snake Eyes

by Melissa Pearl

  It would mean reading people again and having to keep pulling back layers even when I saw the bad stuff.

  Plus, Kaplan would make me lie to Eric; that was a certainty, and I’d promised him I’d never do that again. He was the kind of guy who needed the truth.

  The assignment would be horrendous on so many levels. Any logical, normal person would tell Kaplan she was crossing way too many lines involving me in this and she could take a long walk off a short pier.

  But not me.

  Because I wasn’t normal.

  I’d hidden the files in my backpack. They were heavy, but easily mistaken for textbooks when Piper moved the bag to get beneath my bed.

  We’d pottered around most of the evening, pulling pictures off the walls and gathering up the last of our things. I moved like a snail, something Piper noticed rapidly and tired of just as fast. In the end, she gave up and went to take a shower. I sat on the bed like a dummy until she returned, then I pasted on a breezy smile and blamed tiredness for my behavior. She bought it and we’d both headed to bed early.

  I was grateful Eric had been out surfing. He’d have taken one look at me and known straight off that I was lying. It was going to be damn hard to hide this from him.

  I cringed. Would it be the end of the world if I let him in? Would Kaplan let me do that?

  Covering my face, I dug my fingers into my forehead, wanting to unleash a scream, but I couldn’t. Piper was asleep and I’d rather die than wake her. Softly flinging back the covers, I inched out of bed, pulling a pair of loose sweats over my boxer shorts, snatching up my backpack and easing out of the room.

  The air outside was warm and thanks to my flat chest, I could easily get away with walking around campus in my pajama tank top. Thankfully it was plain black. If I did bump into anyone at this late hour, they probably wouldn’t even notice.

  I headed to the 24-hour McDonald’s down the street, knowing their Wi-Fi was pretty good. I bought myself a coffee and headed for a booth in the back corner.

  Flipping my laptop open, I selected my favorite search engine and typed in: Angela Redding.

  Because of her recent disappearance, it wasn’t hard to find the right news article. I read through it then followed several more links, my eyes watering as I took in her parents’ desperate pleas. The short, local news clip I watched showed the girl’s mother and younger brother crying at the camera, their wobbly voices pleading for someone to find their bubbly ray of sunshine.

  As much as it killed me, I then went on to look up Rowena Murphy. I stumbled across a Facebook campaign begging for information on the girl. She was a straight-A student and had just started her freshman year at Arcadia High School in Phoenix, Arizona. I didn’t have complete access to her Facebook page, but her profile shot and cover photo were gorgeous. I could immediately tell she was a quiet, thoughtful girl with a passion for nature.

  I gulped down another mouthful of coffee, trying not to choke as I imagined what was being done to her.

  My fingers were shaking as I opened the next file and took in the picture of the Lacey look-a-like, Janey Templeton. She was from Southern California, had been born and raised in San Diego, not far from where Eric’s grandfather lived. She’d been snatched on her way to school, and her disappearance hadn’t even been noted until third period due to a glitch in the system. The school’s apologies were falling on deaf ears as her parents tried to come to terms with the fact that their only child was missing.

  Reports and speculation varied across the board. The serial killer story seemed to be sticking, but the disappearances spanned across four states - California, Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada. To me, it seemed unlikely a serial killer would travel that far—not that I knew anything about that kind of thing. Who knew how accurate those cop shows were, because they were my only experience with this kind of crime.

  I wished they were my only experience with any kind of crime.

  My shoulders twitched as I relived the gun being pointed at me by Professor Hoffman last year. If the FBI hadn’t busted in the door when they did...

  I pinched my bottom lip and gazed at the screen. Janey’s open smile was so innocent and sweet.

  If Kaplan was right, the girl would never smile that way again, because she’d be sold and hurt and her innocence would be ripped from her. Even if we did find these girls, they’d still be damaged. How did you recover from being snatched against your will and locked away somewhere?

  My breaths grew short as my imagination took off again, picturing one horrifying scenario after another, hearing the girls’ terrified screams as they were dragged into a darkened room.

  Slamming my laptop shut, I spread my fingers over my computer, fighting for air. Leaning my forehead against my hands, I felt the scream work up my body, desperate to break free.

  “Miss, are you okay?”

  I sat up with a jerk, scaring the McDonald’s attendant.

  “Yes.” I forced a shaky smile. “Sorry.”

  Snatching up my things, I shoved them into my bag and threw it onto my shoulder, keeping my eyes on the floor as I left the fast food eatery.

  I burst out the glass doors and sucked in two big lungfuls of air.

  A trashcan stood five feet away. I was tempted to shove my bag, with all the information I didn’t want to know, straight into that thing.

  But I couldn’t.

  The truth was, I could run as hard and as fast as I wanted. I could walk, I could drive, I could fly out of the city, but I would never be able to escape what I knew...unless I did something to stop it.

  9

  Eric

  “Okay, so you guys will get there at eight, and we really don’t have that much stuff. Between Caity’s Mini, your jeep and Scott’s car, we’ll easily be able to fit everything in.” Piper grinned at me.

  I nodded, kind of done with hearing the logistics for the next morning.

  Scott dipped a French fry in ketchup and popped it in his mouth. “We bought Matt’s bed off him, so that third room is all set to go. Caity, we weren’t sure if you wanted to move your stuff straight in there or into Eric’s room.”

  I glanced across at her, but she wasn’t listening. She was staring at her soda, spinning the straw around in circles and then, yet again, peering over her shoulder at the table of tweens who hadn’t stopped giggling since they arrived. Their squeals and loud antics were borderline irritating...although they did remind me of my kid sisters and I couldn’t help finding them just a little cute.

  “Um...” Scott cleared his throat. “Caity?”

  I gently nudged her arm with my elbow.

  “Huh?” She spun around to face us.

  “What is your problem tonight?” Piper threw a balled-up napkin at her.

  Caity bashed it away with a half-hearted laugh before scratching the side of her neck and glancing over her shoulder again. Scott gave me a quizzical frown, which I shrugged at. I ran my hand lightly up Caity’s back.

  “Babe, are you okay?”

  Pulling on her earlobe, she twitched beneath my touch then sat up straight.

  “Would you guys hate me if I changed my mind about the whole moving-in thing?”

  There was a long, silent beat while we all absorbed her words.

  My initial reaction was a perplexed frowned.

  She winced and looked down at her plate.

  “What?” Piper snapped, having finally found her voice.

  Caity drew in a shaky breath. “I just, um...the thing is, I’m nervous. This feels like a really massive step, and I’m not sure if I should take it yet. I’ve been trying really hard not to feel this way, because it’s totally insane. I should want to say yes more than anything, but I just...” Her eyes flicked up to me, begging for forgiveness.

  That look always turned my insides to mush. I gave her a soft smile.

  “What the hell is wrong with you?” Piper wiped her mouth with Scott’s napkin and dropped it on her plate, her pouty lips in a sharp line. She looked like a snake
, ready to bite.

  I gave her a warning glare, which she promptly ignored.

  “I thought we’d agreed on this. You can’t just change your mind at the last minute.”

  “Yes, she can.” I softly stood up for my girl. Not that I wanted to, but like hell would I let Piper make her feel bad. Caity was already tortured over this; anyone could see that.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t want to let you guys down, I really don’t, but I...I need some more time. I don’t know if my parents would approve of me moving in.”

  “You haven’t told them yet?” Piper looked incredulous. “I don’t get why you’re stalling on this. It’s going to be awesome.” Her hand flicked in the air. “And besides, who cares what your parents think? You don’t need their permission. You’re a grown woman; you can make your own decisions.”

  “Pip,” Scott said quietly. I could tell he was rubbing her leg beneath the table, his gentle way of telling her to take it easy.

  Piper gave him a sharp scowl and huffed, crossing her arms and flopping back against the booth seat.

  Caity blinked rapidly, running her finger beneath her nose. “I knew you guys wouldn’t get it, so I’ve been trying to pretend and go along, but...now it’s crunch time and I’m not...I’m not ready,” she squeaked, tears winning the battle and sliding down her cheeks.

  “Hey.” My heart pinched as I brushed the first few away. “It’s okay. You’re not letting anyone down. If you’re not ready, you shouldn’t be moving in. It’s an open invitation; you can change your mind at any time.”

  “Not if she wants a refund from student housing,” Piper grumbled.

  I threw her a dark look. She caught it this time and made a face at me.

  Caity swiped at her tears. “Piper, I’m sorry I’m backing out. I just need a little more time in the dorms.”

  “Why? That’s insane?”

  “Just because you’re ready doesn’t mean I have to be.” Caity’s eyes bunched at the corners, her face crumpling as she took in Piper’s real expression. I wished I could see it, too. “It’s not you...any of you.” She looked at each of us. “I love you guys and that’s why I didn’t want to say anything before, but I have to be honest with myself. I’m scared that living together will screw up what we have. There’s a big difference between hanging out a lot and actually living together.”

  “We’ve been living together for the last year. It’s been fine.” Piper’s forehead creased and I was starting to see the hurt buried beneath the anger; not the way Caity could, but there was a glimmer. Maybe I saw it because Piper and I were alike in more ways than I wanted to admit. We were happy to let the anger show, that part was easy, but getting down to the raw vulnerability scared us senseless.

  “It wasn’t fine the whole time,” Caity mumbled, another tear breaking free.

  Piper opened her mouth to say more, but I raised my hand before she could. “Ease up, okay? So she’s not ready; big deal. I can cover the extra rent so money’s not an issue, and Caity can move in when she’s ready.”

  “That’ll be fine.” Scott gave us a closed-mouth smile and I guessed he was squeezing Piper’s leg, telling her to shut up and let it out later when they were alone.

  I mouthed, “Thank you” at him and he gave me a quick wink.

  Caity sniffed, grabbing the paper napkin off the table and blowing her nose.

  I rubbed my hand up her back, gently squeezing her neck and kissing the side of her head.

  She gave me a watery smile. “Maybe I can sleep over a few times a week and we can work our way into this.”

  “It’s not a problem. No pressure, Caity, honestly.”

  She studied me for a moment and I let her peel back as many masks as she needed to. I felt surprisingly calm about it all. Maybe it was seeing her cry that did it. I wanted my girl to be happy and if she wasn’t ready, I refused to take it personally. Living together was a big deal, and I actually liked that Caity was taking the decision seriously.

  “Thank you for understanding.” She smiled.

  Piper scoffed in disgust, robbing that beautiful look from Caity’s face. I thought more tears were about to form, but then the table of tweens erupted with giggles. We all turned to watch them as they snorted and choked on their drinks.

  Caity turned back to look at me and sniffed out a chuckle. Her eyes were once again dry and her expression, although still sad, seemed peaceful. Obviously telling us the truth had been a huge burden off her shoulders.

  I couldn’t say I wasn’t disappointed with her answer, but like hell I was going to make her feel worse.

  Above all else, I wanted Caity to be happy and I’d do anything to make that happen...even if it meant sacrificing what I wanted. If I truly believed we were meant to be together forever, then what was a few months of waiting? She’d come around eventually, I could feel it in her...she just needed a little time.

  10

  Caitlyn

  Although it felt good to finally accept my decision to help these girls, it still didn’t take away the sting of letting my friends down. Eric was being really good about it. I could see underneath it all that he was disappointed, but he was hiding it well and doing everything to make sure I didn’t cry again.

  My tears had actually been quite genuine, unlike my reasoning for moving in with everyone. In some ways, it was a blessing I had initially hesitated. It made the whole I’m not ready pitch so much easier to sell.

  Piper always took time to adjust to things she didn’t like. It was a compliment that she was so annoyed with me. She really did want me to move in with them, and I hated hurting her.

  The next few weeks were going to suck, big time. I already couldn’t wait for it to be over. I was determined to work as quickly and efficiently as I could. I needed to get as much information from this Mendez girl as possible...not just for those poor girls, but also for myself.

  I let out a heavy sigh as Eric drove us back to UCLA.

  “Hey, don’t worry about it. Piper will get over it.”

  “Yeah.” I rubbed my aching head. “I just really hate it when she goes all ice queen on me.”

  “That’s just who she is. She’s not really one to hide her emotions.”

  “She can when she wants to,” I muttered.

  “What was she feeling tonight?”

  “Hurt,” my voice wobbled.

  “I thought so.”

  I huffed, wishing I could just drop the charade, but feeling like I needed to sell it just a little more. “I really wish I could explain to everybody that it’s nothing personal.”

  “Hey, we know that.” Eric squeezed my knee. “She just needs time to process her disappointment.”

  “And you?”

  Nerves skittered through me as I gazed across at him. His jaw clenched for a second before an easy smile drew his lips north.

  “You already read me at the table. You know I’m disappointed, but I care enough about you to want what makes you happy. If you’re not ready, you’re not ready. I know you still love me.”

  He braked at the traffic light and gave me his full attention.

  I could have drowned in that soft smile and was tempted to say, “Screw Kaplan; I want to move in with you!”

  I pressed my lips together and looked out the window. “I’m sorry I made you sad.”

  “Maybe just a little.” He winked at me. “But I am happy you’re being honest with me. I would hate you to move in if you didn’t want to.”

  I swallowed, the word honest ringing in my ears.

  When this was all over I’d have to tell him the truth. Would he hate me? Forgive me?

  Why did I have to take this risk?

  “I’m so torn,” I muttered.

  The light turned green and Eric accelerated through the intersection. “It’s better to take your time and feel confident about a huge decision like this.”

  I flashed him a smile. “You’re so good to me.”

  “That’s ‘cause I love ya.”

&nbs
p; My insides did that giddy dance they always do whenever he said that to me. I shuffled in my seat, drinking him in as I leaned against the window.

  We paused at the next intersection. Eric’s fingers hovered next to the indicator. Right would take us to the UCLA campus, left to his place.

  “Want to sleep over?” His voice was a little husky, and I couldn’t resist it.

  “Yeah,” I whispered, not caring that there was a chance I’d bump into Piper the next morning. I just wanted to spend the night with my man.

  With a broad grin, Eric flicked the indicator left and we headed to his place.

  Scott’s car wasn’t in the drive, which meant we had the house to ourselves for a bit.

  Eric walked through the door and stripped off his shirt as we headed down to his room.

  “I’m going to have a quick shower. Want to join me?” He grinned.

  I wanted to say yes, but there was something I needed to do.

  “Actually, I might just hide out in your room if that’s okay.” I trailed my fingers along his bare torso.

  He snatched them up and kissed my knuckles. “Back in a minute.”

  I waited until I could hear the shower running before grabbing my phone and Kaplan’s business card. I dialed her number and held the phone to my ear with quivering fingers.

  “Kaplan,” she answered.

  “Okay, I’m in.”

  She paused for a beat and I could almost see the smile forming on her sharp face.

  “Good. Meet me tomorrow morning at nine for a briefing. I’ll text you the address.”

  With that, she hung up. I pulled the phone away from my ear and switched it to silent, not wanting Eric to hear any kind of text alert. Sliding the phone into my back pocket, I unbuttoned my jeans and took off my shirt, sliding between Eric’s sheets in nothing but my underwear. I’d need to get up early in order to get back to my room and collect the files hidden in my backpack.