4 Waxing & Waning

by Amanda M. Lee

  My heart clenched. “Why?”

  “Does Zoe Lake live here?”

  “She does,” I said.

  “Is she here now?”

  “What do you want her for?”

  I felt someone move in behind me. When I glanced over my shoulder, I found Scott standing there. “Is something wrong, officers?”

  “We need to speak to Zoe Lake.”

  I tilted my head, considering. There really was no sense lying. They would just line everyone up and check their licenses. I was only delaying the inevitable. “I’m Zoe Lake.”

  One of the officers, the younger one, looked me up and down. “Why didn’t you say that when we first asked?”

  “I’m untrustworthy of law enforcement,” I replied. “Sue me.”

  The cop’s face was cynical. “Or maybe you’re hiding something.”

  “What do you want?”

  “We have a few questions,” the other police officer said. He was older, in his forties if I had to guess, and he seemed almost embarrassed by his younger partner’s zeal and accusatory manner.

  “About?”

  “About the body you discovered on campus,” the older officer replied.

  I nodded, moving through the door. “Let’s talk out here.”

  “And why is that?” I swear, the younger officer wanted me to smack him across the face.

  “Because everyone is having fun inside,” I replied. “You guys look like you could suck the fun out of a close-ended straw.”

  The older officer smiled, moving off the porch and positioning himself farther down the sidewalk. “We can do this outside.”

  “Great.”

  I tried to shut the door, but Scott was squeezing out behind me. I frowned. Why would he possibly want to join this clusterfuck?

  Once the door was shut, and Scott and I were on the lawn facing the police officers, I was suddenly nervous. “What do you want to know?”

  “What does he have to do with anything?”

  “I’m a friend,” Scott said. “I just want to make sure nothing happens to Zoe.”

  “We’re not here to hurt her,” the older cop said. “We’re not even here to take her into custody. We’re just here to ask her a few questions.”

  “Maybe she needs a lawyer,” Scott countered.

  “She’s not under arrest.”

  “What do you want to know?” I asked. “It’s been almost two months. If you had additional questions, why haven’t you come before this?”

  “Some new information has come to light,” he said. “Some new questions have become imperative.”

  He seemed serious. “Hit me.”

  “When you discovered the body, was anyone else in the area besides the individual with you?”

  “You mean Mark? No, it was just the two of us,” I said.

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m pretty sure,” I replied. “I remember thinking how dead the campus was that night. Why do you ask?”

  “We’ve received some new information,” the older man said. “We’re trying to get … clarification.”

  “Talking in circles isn’t good for me,” I said. “Why don’t you just tell me what this new information is, and I’ll tell you if it’s true or not.”

  “Well, that would be convenient, wouldn’t it?” I really didn’t like the younger officer. He was all puffed-out chest and big words.

  “You’re a douche,” I said, the words out of my mouth before I could think better of them.

  “And I think you’re hiding something,” he replied.

  “What do you think I’m hiding?”

  “I think you know something,” he said.

  “If she knew something, why would she have called the police after discovering the body?” Scott challenged. “Wouldn’t she just have left and never said anything about it?”

  “And what is your relationship with Ms. Lake?”

  “She’s a great euchre partner,” Scott replied, not even remotely nervous despite the police presence.

  “I’m not hiding anything,” I said, placing my hand on Scott’s arm to calm him. “I’ve told you what I know.”

  The older officer nodded. “Thank you for your time.”

  “What? We’re just going?” The younger cop looked disappointed.

  “We have no reason to stay.” The older officer may have been more complacent, but he was the one I was worried about as they left.

  Once they were gone, I turned to Scott. I hated being suspicious of him – especially given the circumstances – but my inner misgivings were on display. “Why did you do that?”

  Scott shrugged. “I hate cops.”

  “I hate them, too,” I said. “That doesn’t mean that you had to stand up for me.”

  “I like you,” he said, smiling so his dimple could come out to play. “I think you’re funny. It’s not a big deal.”

  He was halfway to the door before I started to follow. This night was like a maelstrom of mixed signals. I didn’t like it.

  November

  Fourteen

  “I can’t believe they sent me here again,” I grumbled. “This is just unbelievable.”

  I was on another assignment – this time with a new partner – but I was back in front of the Alpha Chi house. I knew Professor Blake was messing with me now. This couldn’t be an accident.

  Paul was sitting behind the steering wheel watching the fraternity house with unblinking eyes. He was either oblivious to my mood – or he just didn’t care. It bothered me either way.

  “It’s just a surveillance gig,” Paul said, his voice deep and smooth. “I don’t see why you’re so worked up.”

  “I don’t care about doing surveillance,” I said. “Surveillance is stupid, but it’s generally just stupid and not irksome.”

  “Then why are you whining?”

  “I’m whining about being here,” I said. “I don’t like that he keeps sending me here even though he knows I don’t want to be here. I just … I’m going to pop his head like a zit.”

  “Why do you have a problem with Alpha Chi? Do you not like werewolves?”

  “I could give a crap about werewolves,” I countered. “They’re not really a concern for me. They’re fine.”

  “So, you like werewolves?”

  “Not all of them,” I said. “A few of them have tried to kill me, so I’m not really fond of them.”

  “And the others?”

  “They haven’t tried to kill me, so I really don’t care.”

  “They’re still monsters,” Paul said.

  “How do you know they’re monsters?”

  “They kill people.”

  “You don’t know that,” I scoffed.

  “You don’t know that they don’t,” Paul countered.

  “You’re right,” I conceded. “What I do know is that people kill people a lot more than your purported monsters do.”

  “Oh, so you’re one of those.”

  “One of those what?” I already didn’t like this guy.

  “You’re one of those people who blame everyone else for the behavior of monsters,” Paul said.

  “That doesn’t even make any sense.”

  “Maybe you don’t make any sense.”

  I had no idea where the Academy found these guys – but I was at my limit. “You know what? Why don’t you go and listen at the window at the house and I’ll wait here.”

  “That’s not our mission tonight,” Paul said.

  This was news to me. “And what is our mission tonight?”

  “We’re supposed to break into the second house while the meeting is going on in the first house.”

  “And why is that?”

  “We’re looking for something,” Paul said.

  I cocked an eyebrow, waiting.

  “It’s need to know,” Paul said. “Apparently, you don’t need to know.”

  I frowned. “Who told you that?”

  “That’s classified.”

  Yup. It was
official. This guy was a tool. “How am I supposed to help you look if I don’t know what I’m looking for?”

  The look on Paul’s face told me I’d struck a nerve. “All right, ma’am. We’re looking for a necklace.”

  Huh. “We’re looking for a necklace? And don’t call me ma’am.”

  “I’m sorry if it offends you, ma’am,” Paul said, smirking. “And, yes, we’re looking for a necklace.”

  “Describe the necklace.”

  “Just grab any necklace you find,” Paul instructed.

  Something was going on here – and whatever it was, it wasn’t good. I forced a bright smile onto my face. “I can’t wait.”

  “That’s good, ma’am.”

  The smile slipped. “Every time you call me ma’am, I’m going to call you douche bag.”

  “That’s certainly your prerogative, ma’am,” Paul said.

  “And they say you guys are all steroids and no sense of humor.”

  WE SLIPPED into the Alpha Chi house from the back door, making sure to keep out of sight from individuals in the first house by skirting along the fence line on the far side of the lawn as we made the trek.

  Paul pulled a set of picking tools out of his back pocket, focusing on the door.

  “What are you doing?”

  “We have to get inside,” Paul hissed.

  I sighed and reached forward, turning the knob. The look on Paul’s face was priceless. “They never lock it,” I said.

  “And how do you know that, ma’am?”

  “Well, pencil dick, I spent a few nights in this house my freshman year,” I said. “And I’ve been to a few parties here. They’re not big on locking doors.”

  “You slept with a wolf?” Paul looked disgusted.

  “Two of them,” I said, casting a disparaging sneer in his direction. “What can I say? I like it when they howl.”

  Paul wanted to separate when we got inside of the house. I wasn’t sure how I felt about the suggestion. On one hand, I hated him and I didn’t want to spend one second more with him than I had to. On the other? I didn’t trust him.

  “Fine.”

  “Just grab every necklace you find,” Paul instructed.

  “I got it,” I snapped. “Gawd! Do you ever shut up?”

  “I’m sorry, ma’am,” Paul said. “I’ll try to take your feelings into account.”

  I watched Paul move through the house, his frame taut, his footsteps light. Once he hit the stairs and disappeared in the direction of the second floor, I immediately cast my attention toward the basement.

  I don’t know why, but something was telling me to head in that direction. I’d been down there before, and as I descended into the bowels of the house, my mind travelled back in time. It had been early into my freshman year when Will and I had called it quits. Before then, though, I’d spent a handful of nights in this house – and in this basement.

  I paused outside of Will’s old room, wondering briefly if it could still be his. As soon as I turned the handle and looked inside – I realized I was right. This was still Will’s room. I recognized the comforter, the brown boots at the end of the bed, and the photograph on his nightstand. It was a picture of the last summer we spent together. The two of us were posing with five other guys – all friends of his – and we’d just got done kayaking down a local river and were having a barbecue and bonfire at a park.

  Seeing the photograph was creepy. I’d put Will behind me a long time ago – even if he refused to truly go. Why would Will keep an old photograph of me up in his room, and not have one of his current girlfriend? I scanned the room one more time to make sure, but my initial observation had been correct. There wasn’t a single hint that Brittany had even been in this room before, let alone spent frequent nights here with her boyfriend.

  I pursed my lips. Will wasn’t in the hierarchy of the wolf pack, but his conversation with Aric a few weeks before seemed to indicate he was trying to make inroads with a rival faction. If Will wasn’t a concern, why was Aric worried about him?

  I still didn’t have proof that what Paul was looking for was in this room – and yet something was calling to me. It was like a tiny little fairy was standing in the corner screaming for me to find it.

  I moved toward the desk, sliding the top drawer open and looking inside. Everything appeared normal. There were two notebooks, a few small trinkets, and a handful of loose ink pens. Something told me to probe further. I reached to the back of the drawer, my fingers closing around a hard box.

  I pulled it out, looking at it closely. It was wooden, but bland. I flipped open the lid of the box, finally banishing the screaming fairy from my mind. The necklace inside was simple – and gaudy. The chain was golden and thick, the gem at the center a rich and shiny blue. I had no idea what it was, but I somehow knew this was what Paul had been looking for.

  I debated what to do. There was no way I was handing this over to Paul. I didn’t trust him as far as I could throw him. I wasn’t comfortable leaving it with Will either. I decided to take it – and keep it a secret. I removed it from the box, leaving that behind. I was hopeful Will wouldn’t notice the necklace was missing right away if the box was still in his desk.

  I started to slip the necklace into the pocket of my blue jeans and then thought better of it. I reached under my shirt, securing the amulet near the underwire of my bra, and then gave myself a brief glance in the mirror. You would have to be looking closely to notice something was different.

  I left Will’s room as quickly as possible and climbed the stairs, finding Paul waiting on the main landing of the house.

  “Did you find anything?” He looked agitated.

  “No.”

  “Me either.” Paul was frustrated. “I would like to search longer, but I don’t think we can risk it.”

  “I think we should go, too,” I said. “They could come back at any time.”

  “Well, let’s go then.”

  We left the house the same way we entered, both of us breathing a sigh of relief when we found ourselves on the sidewalk with plausible deniability on our side.

  “You didn’t find anything in the basement?” Paul asked.

  I shook my head. “I went through all of the rooms down there,” I lied. “The only thing I found was an overabundance of cheap cologne.”

  “Yeah, they like to mask their scent,” Paul said. “I noticed that, too.”

  Since I was making it up, I merely nodded. “Let’s get out of here. I’d rather not have to explain what I’m doing here.”

  Paul agreed. When we turned the corner and walked back onto the sidewalk in front of the Alpha Chi house, I couldn’t swallow the sigh on my lips. Aric and Will were standing on the walkway, their heads bent together. They both looked up when they saw me.

  “Seriously,” I groused. “I have the worst luck ever.”

  “Zoe,” Will said, looking me up and down. “What are you doing here?”

  I made a quick decision, reaching out and linking my fingers with Paul’s – even though touching him made my skin crawl. “I was just out for a walk with my new … friend.”

  Paul’s eyes were wide, but he didn’t pull his hand from mine. “Yes. We’re … friends.”

  Aric’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “You’re with him now?”

  “Yes.”

  Aric looked Paul up and down. “What happened to Rafael?”

  “He died,” Paul interjected quickly. He had no idea who Rafael was – and he clearly wasn’t good under pressure.

  “He died?” Aric cocked an eyebrow.

  I didn’t like being on the defensive. “What are you two doing together?”

  “We were coming from a fraternity meeting,” Will said quickly. “It’s not a big deal.”

  “I think you’re lying,” I pressed.

  “Well, I know you’re lying,” Aric said. “You wouldn’t touch this guy with a ten-foot pole.”

  “Hey,” Paul said, feigning outrage. “You’re talking about the woma
n I … .”

  I yanked my hand from his and shrugged. “Let it go,” I said. “He’s not wrong. You bug the crap out of me.”

  I risked a glance at Aric. He looked like he was trying really hard not to laugh.

  “So, what are you doing here?” Will pressed.

  “We were spying on you,” I said.

  Paul’s mouth dropped open in surprise. “What are you doing?”

  “They already know what we’re doing here,” I said. “There’s no sense in lying. We were going to listen to your pack meeting.”

  “Pack meeting?” Will’s eyebrows nearly shot off his forehead. “It was a fraternity meeting.”

  Aric rolled his eyes. “He’s with the Academy, you idiot,” he said. “He knows what we are.”

  Aric’s eyes met mine for a brief second. “We should really be going.”

  Will’s hand shot out, grabbing me by the crook of my elbow. “What did you hear?”

  I yanked away from him. “Don’t touch me.”

  “Don’t tell me what to do.”

  “Don’t touch her,” Aric growled, causing both Paul and Will to take a step back. He was serious.

  “I want to know what you heard,” Will pressed.

  “I heard you’re bad in bed and your girlfriend is a whiny control freak,” I said. “That wasn’t exactly news to me.”

  Will made a face. “You’re unbelievable.”

  “A lot of people have told me that before.”

  “We should be going, ma’am,” Paul said.

  “Right you are, bleeding hemorrhoid,” I said.

  I followed Paul down the sidewalk, accidentally brushing against Aric as I passed. He stopped me with a hand on my arm. “Be careful,” he whispered. “You’re playing with fire here.”

  I searched his face. “I’ll be fine.”

  “You better be,” he said. “If all of this is for nothing – I’m going to be really pissed off.”

  Fifteen

  “So, what happened next?” Paris was enjoying the story.

  “We left.”

  “And what did Paul say?”

  “Paul isn’t happy,” I said. “Paul thinks I’m mean – and stupid.”

  “And what do you think?” Kelsey asked curiously. She was sitting on the floor with a textbook open in front of her.