Graduating (Covenant College Book 5)

by Amanda M. Lee

  I was sitting in a dingy room at the police station, a small metal table in front of me, and Detective Perkins was sitting on the opposite side. I’d watched enough television that I knew people were probably watching from the other side of the mirror along the far wall.

  “I told you, we thought we heard something outside,” I said. “When we went to check it out, we found the body and called you immediately.”

  “Did you touch the body?”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I don’t like touching dead bodies,” I said.

  “How did you know she was dead?”

  “I didn’t even know it was a she,” I said. “I just had a feeling she or he was dead.”

  “Why?”

  “Because, who would drop a live person on our front lawn?”

  “And, what makes you think someone put the body there?” Perkins asked.

  “Because it didn’t crawl there itself,” I said.

  “And who would try to frame you?”

  “I already told you my top suspect,” I said.

  “This Professor Blake,” Perkins said.

  I glanced at the mirror worriedly.

  “It’s just a mirror,” Perkins said. “Not everything is like television and movies.”

  I still wasn’t sure.

  Perkins leaned forward. “Ms. Lake, I think you’re in a whole mess of trouble here.”

  “What was your first clue?”

  “My first clue was your roommate disappearing three and a half years ago,” Perkins said. “It’s just snowballed from there.”

  I leaned back in my chair. “Where is Aric?”

  “He’s being questioned in another room.”

  “Well, maybe I should just sit here until my lawyer arrives,” I suggested.

  “That’s certainly your prerogative,” Perkins said. “You sit there and let me talk for a few minutes.”

  “Great.”

  “I think someone is trying to set you up,” he said.

  I raised my eyebrows, convinced he was setting a trap. “Uh-huh.”

  “I was leaning toward the theory that you were simply the unluckiest person in the world until we got the tip about the necklace,” Perkins said. “That was a directed tip, pointing us straight at you. Since your name was never released to the public as a witness, I figured it had to be someone who knew you.”

  “I make friends wherever I go.”

  “You know, we’ve been following you for months,” Perkins said. “Even when I became convinced that you were being set up, there were others in this department who didn’t believe it.”

  “I’ve seen the others all over campus,” I said. “I’m not stupid.”

  “You’re definitely not stupid,” Perkins said. “Even though you often try to put on an act to convince others that you are.”

  “I do not.”

  “I get it,” Perkins said. “You want people to underestimate you. You want people to look at you and see a cute and helpless blonde.”

  I rolled my eyes. “If you have people watching me, how come you didn’t see someone dumping a body on our lawn?”

  “Who says we didn’t?”

  I froze. “What?”

  “Ms. Lake, the one thing you have going for you is that we did have someone out watching the house this evening,” Perkins said.

  “Then why am I in here?”

  “Because the two officers on your detail tonight aren’t sure what they saw,” Perkins said.

  I waited.

  “They said they thought they saw a blur, and when they looked more closely, there was a body on the lawn,” Perkins said. “Then you and Mr. Winters were racing outside.”

  “So, if they were already there, why did we have to call the police?”

  “They wanted to see what you would do.”

  I furrowed my brow, my mind busy. “Do you know who the body belonged to? I tried to look, but I didn’t want to touch the body in case any of my … you know … body stuff transferred.”

  “Her name was Heather Senter,” Perkins said. “We’re trying to get some background on her right now. The only reason we know her identity is because she had a student identification card in her pocket. Someone obviously wanted her identified quickly.”

  “Heather Senter? You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “You know her?”

  “She’s my roommate,” I said.

  Perkins sighed. “Of course she is.”

  “Do you happen to know how long she’s been dead?”

  “We won’t know that until the coroner finishes his report. Why do you ask?”

  “She’s been missing since Christmas.”

  Perkins eyebrows shot up, nearly melding with his hairline. “And you’re just telling us this now?”

  “To be fair, we didn’t know she was actually missing until a few days ago,” I said. “We were trying to figure out a way to tell you without looking like assholes.”

  “How do you not know your roommate is missing?”

  “Well, she had a big fight with another one of our roommates the night before break,” I said. “She said either the roommate went or she did. I just figured she did.”

  “And what was this fight about?”

  “Oh, Paris slept with her boyfriend.”

  Perkins rubbed his forehead tiredly. “I can’t take college kids. What finally made you think that she was missing?”

  “We broke into her room and found all of her stuff was still there.”

  “I see.”

  “I don’t suppose you can tell me how she died, can you?”

  “No.”

  “You seem mad.”

  “You have no idea.”

  I pursed my lips. “So, now what happens?”

  “Now? Now you … .”

  Perkins was cut off by a knock at the door. He motioned for me to remain seated. I watched him from my chair. I didn’t recognize the police officer talking to him through the partially-opened door, but whatever he was telling Perkins wasn’t good news.

  After a few minutes, Perkins glanced back at me and pushed the door open. “Ms. Lake, you’re free to go.”

  “What?”

  “You’re free to go.”

  I pushed my chair out, confused, and then shuffled to the door. “I don’t understand.”

  “I’m sure you will when you get out to the lobby,” Perkins said. He grabbed my arm before I could leave. “Ms. Lake, you need to be careful. I don’t believe you’re behind this, but I do believe you’re a target.”

  “I’m always a target.”

  When I got out to the lobby, the trio of faces staring at me was serious – and only two of the men were ones I’d seen before. Aric was pulling me into his arms before I could voice a question. “Are you okay?”

  “You got to me just in time,” I said. “They were about to get out the rubber hoses.”

  “You’re hilarious.” Aric ran his hand down the back of my head, smoothing my hair. “We can go.”

  “Perkins told me.”

  I focused on the other two men. “Mr. Winters, I can’t thank you enough for … whatever it is you did.”

  James held up his hand. “It was really nothing,” he said. “Let’s just say I don’t like seeing innocent people railroaded.”

  “No one wants to see that, Senator,” Perkins said, appearing in the lobby behind me. “I was just telling Ms. Lake the exact same thing when we were so rudely interrupted.”

  The smile on James’ face was one I was certain had earned him millions of votes throughout the years. “I’m a big proponent of law enforcement,” he said. “I’m also a big proponent of my son, and I even like his girlfriend, when she’s not spouting off at the mouth.”

  I frowned.

  “Senator, I’m sure you understand we have a job to do here.” Another man had entered the room. I didn’t recognize him, but he looked important.

  “Chief Witherspoon,” Aric whispered in m
y ear. “My dad and our lawyer pretty much beat him into the ground to get us cut loose.”

  “Oh, that’s Sheldon Whats-his-name,” I said, glancing at the third man. He looked exactly like a high-priced lawyer should. His hair was perfected coiffed, and his suit looked really expensive.

  “Yup.”

  “Chief Witherspoon, I understand you have a job to do,” James said. “I do, too. If you have further questions, please call my lawyer. We should be going. Kids.”

  Aric and I filed out of the police station, not stopping until we were standing in front of James’ Ford Explorer. “Sheldon, thank you for dropping everything.”

  Sheldon shook the senator’s proffered hand. “No problem.” He turned to us. “Don’t answer their questions without me.”

  Once he was gone, James focused on us. “I think we need to talk.”

  “We can go back to my apartment,” Aric said. “I don’t think we should do it out here.”

  “I agree.”

  “We’re going to need a ride anyway,” Aric said. “They taxied us here in cruisers.”

  James frowned. “How undignified. Well, get in.”

  I started to move to the other side of the vehicle when the sound of footsteps stilled me. I could feel Aric stiffen behind me, his arm coming around my shoulders protectively.

  James and Aric leveled gazes at each other across the hood of the Explorer, something unspoken passing between them.

  “Well, well, well. I should have known.”

  I recognized the voice, although I couldn’t quite figure out from where. I peered around Aric’s shoulder, my heart catching in my throat when I caught sight of Kennedy Reagan. Yup, the governor was in the house – or in the parking lot, to be more precise.

  “Kennedy,” James said. “To what do we owe the pleasure?”

  “Oh, I just heard that your son was in a spot of trouble,” Reagan said. “I thought I would offer my help. I see that’s not necessary.”

  “No, it’s not,” James said. “It was a misunderstanding.”

  “How can a dead body be a misunderstanding?”

  “You’ll have to ask the police,” James said. “I am curious, though, how did you find out about this so fast?”

  “I guess I just have my finger on the pulse of the state,” Reagan said, his voice smarmy.

  James’ face was placid. “That must be it.”

  Reagan focused on me. “Ms. Lake, it’s so good to see you again. I hope this whole evening hasn’t been too traumatizing for you.”

  Aric moved in closer. “I’ll live,” I said.

  “I’m sure you will,” he said. “You seem very … resilient.”

  “Well, since we don’t need your help, Kennedy,” James said. “We should be going. I was just about to take Aric and Zoe home. They’ve had a long night.”

  “Of course,” Reagan said. “I don’t want to interrupt. If you need anything, though, don’t hesitate to call.”

  “We’ll be fine,” Aric said, opening the back door of the Explorer and ushering me inside. “We’ve got things under control.”

  “Obviously.”

  ONCE we got back to Aric’s apartment, I excused myself for a few minutes and disappeared into the bedroom. I figured father and son needed a few minutes to talk, and I need a little time to decompress on my own. I changed into a pair of track pants and one of Aric’s oversized sweatshirts, and then rejoined them twenty-five minutes later.

  Aric was at the door, paying the pizza-delivery guy, and his father was sitting at the kitchen table drinking a beer.

  Once it was just two steaming pizzas and the three of us, James began to talk.

  “Someone obviously has Zoe’s downfall as a goal,” he said. “Do we know who?”

  “Professor Blake,” I said. “He’s my prime suspect.”

  “And he’s the head of the Academy?”

  “He is.”

  “Well, we have a problem then,” James said. “I’ve been trying to track down information on this Blake, and it’s really hard to come by. It’s almost as if he exists on paper and not anywhere else.”

  Aric slapped two slices of pizza on a plate and slid it in front of me. “Eat.”

  I’d lost my appetite somewhere over the course of the evening. Go figure. “What do you mean he only exists on paper?”

  “He has all the proper records,” James said, rolling up his sleeves. “He has a birth certificate, school records, a driver’s license, and a teaching certificate. He seems to pay all of his bills on time, and he doesn’t have a criminal record.”

  “That sounds pretty normal,” I said.

  “Yes, but when I try to delve deeper, I can’t come up with anything,” James said. “This pizza is good. I don’t get to eat pizza nearly often enough. Anyway, I’ve had two investigators on this Blake since Christmas. They can’t find anyone that knows him.”

  “I know him,” I said.

  “Not like that,” James said. “No one from his graduating class at Michigan State knows who he is. People who were in the same classes with him have no idea. We even showed them pictures.”

  “So, what does that mean?” Aric asked, tapping my plate again. “Eat, baby.”

  “It means that I don’t think he is who he says he is,” James said. “I think there’s more going on here.”

  “Like?”

  “I don’t know,” James replied. “And, not to put too much pressure on you, but the fact that Reagan showed up here tonight – that he just happened to be in the area – that’s another cause for concern.”

  “You think it was deliberate?” Aric asked. “Zoe, don’t make me feed you that pizza. You need some fuel.”

  I scowled, but took a bite anyway. The minute I swallowed – and my stomach growled in celebration – I realized just how hungry I really was.

  “I think that Reagan either has someone watching the two of you, or he already knew something was going to happen tonight,” James said. “Why else would he be in the area?”

  “I don’t think he has anyone watching us,” I said.

  “What makes you say that?”

  “Because, if he did, he would know that Perkins was still watching us.”

  Aric frowned. “If Perkins has people watching us, why didn’t they see who dumped the body?”

  “They did see,” I said. “That’s what Perkins was telling me when you guys showed up. He knows we’re not guilty. He says his officers aren’t sure exactly what they saw, but they did see a big blur and then the body just magically appeared.”

  “Vampires,” James said.

  “I smelled them,” Aric agreed. “That’s why I went outside in the first place.”

  “So, the question is, how did they manage to get their hands on your roommate?” James asked.

  “She’s been missing for months,” I said. “We just didn’t know she was missing.”

  “Do I even want to know how that’s possible?”

  “Just chalk it up to college girls and move on,” Aric said. “It was a legitimate oversight.”

  “Okay,” James said. “The new question is: How long has she been dead, and how did she die?”

  “Perkins said he didn’t know,” I said. “For what it’s worth, I think he believes me.”

  “Well, that’s something,” James said. “That still doesn’t explain Reagan.”

  “He could just be watching Aric,” James said. “He might want to use him against me.”

  I glanced at Aric, worried. “Would he really do that?”

  “The man is a predator,” James said.

  “Are you worried about him?”

  “I’m worried about what he’s planning,” James said. “I’m not specifically worried about him.”

  “You’re as stubborn and boastful as your son,” I said, licking my fingers.

  When I glanced up, I saw James and Aric both looking at me with amusement on their faces.

  “She’s classy, isn’t she?” Aric handed me a napkin.
/>
  “I’m sorry,” I said. “I … .”

  “I find you absolutely delightful, and I have no idea why,” James said. “I can see what my son sees in you. You’re all mouth and courage. I like it.”

  I ignored the burning in my cheeks. “So, now what?”

  “Now we find out exactly who Sam Blake is,” James said. “And then we move on from there.”

  Well, at least we had a plan.

  April

  Thirty-Three

  “I’m going to stake out the Academy,” I announced.

  It was a Thursday night, and Aric was working late. He’d promised to let himself into the house – and my bed – the second he was done. His father had dumped a big order on him at the last minute, and he didn’t want to cut into our three-day weekend, so he was staying late.

  “Oh, that’s a great idea,” Paris said. “That won’t piss Aric off at all.”

  “He won’t even know,” I said. “I don’t plan on being there long. I just want to be there long enough to see Mark going in or out. I need confirmation.”

  “I’ve been working on him,” Paris said.

  “You haven’t been working fast enough,” I said. “We need to make a move. We don’t have a lot of time left.”

  “And what does seeing Mark going in and out of the athletics’ building prove?” Paris asked. “He could just say he’s working out.”

  “He’s a nice guy, cute even,” I said. “He clearly doesn’t work out.”

  “Okay, let’s say we see him going in,” Paris countered. “Then what?”

  “Then we beat him for information.”

  “You and I are going to beat him for information?” Paris didn’t look convinced.

  “Yes.”

  “With what, our purses?”

  “I can always threaten him with my magic hands,” I said.

  “Yeah, but they don’t always work,” Paris pointed out.

  “He doesn’t know that.”

  Paris pursed her lips. “You have a point. Still … if Aric finds out, he’s going to be really pissed off.”

  “I know.”

  “Like locking-you-in-the-house-and-throwing-away-the-key pissed.”

  “I know.”

  “Maybe we should wait for him.”

  I rubbed my hands together, averting my eyes from her probing gaze. “I don’t want to put him in danger.”