by Ali Franklin
The crowd thinned as they moved closer to the top of the small library. Here, only a few students occupied the study carrels. Kenn grabbed Laura’s hand and pulled her around the corner of a tall shelf. She giggled.
“We’ll get in trouble.”
“For kissing? No way. Besides, you’re worth it.” He leaned in and they shared a long, passionate kiss.
Kenn felt Laura relax as the kiss deepened. He’d just moved one hand under the hem of her top when they heard a high-pitched sound.
Laura pushed him away and straightened. “What was that?”
“It’s nothing. Now, where were we?”
Laura looked down the long row of bookshelves as they heard it again. A young man came into view pushing a book cart with a squeaky wheel. He glanced at them and smiled, then raised his chin toward Kenn in the universal sign for, “Way to go, dude.”
Laura huffed and walked away from both men. She reached the end of the row, walked around the corner and called to Kenn. “Sweetie, you have a perfectly lovely apartment. Let’s go there.”
He caught up with her and placed both hands on her shoulders, turning her around. “It’s the end of our senior year.” He waggled his eyebrows. “Our last chance to say we did it in the library.”
“Always classy, aren’t you?”
She moved through the stairwell door. He slapped her on the butt as she passed. She giggled and, seeing his chance, Kenn grabbed her hand and led her up the stairs to the top floor of the building.
They came out into a mostly empty space. A third of the floor was lined with bookshelves and another third with tables. Only two students occupied the tables. There were a couple of special-collection rooms on this floor, but at this time on a Thursday night, it was unlikely anyone was using them.
Laura winked at her boyfriend and skipped toward the bookshelves. He grinned and followed. He let her stay one step ahead of him, building the suspense.
He was getting excited now. In fact, he’d let his mind wander and he’d lost her. He grinned. Now it was like a real chase. He jogged up and down the rows of bookshelves, his mind racing ahead to what he’d do with Laura once he caught her—and suddenly came up short as he heard her voice.
Peeking through the gap between two shelves, Kenn saw Laura talking with Professor Sochi from the biology department.
“No,” Kenn whispered.
Professor Sochi was Dr. Squire’s best friend. If the professor saw Kenn, he’d tell Laura’s dad she’d been running around the library late at night with Kenn instead of studying.
“No, I’m here alone tonight,” Laura said, her voice a little louder than necessary.
“I understand you’re going to graduate in May,” said Dr. Sochi.
“That’s right.”
“Pre-med, I assume?”
Laura nodded, then looked at the ground, searching for a means of escape.
But the professor continued. “So what subject are you studying here tonight?”
Laura looked around, conscious that all she had was her little purse hanging from her shoulder. “Oh, I’m finished for the evening.”
“Splendid,” said the professor. “I was just about to leave as well. Why don’t you let me walk you out?”
Kenn threw his hands up in frustration.
A flash of panic crossed Laura’s face as she tried to think of a plausible reason to remain in the library. After a glance over her shoulder toward what she assumed Kenn was hiding, she agreed to let the professor escort her out.
Kenn watched Laura and Dr. Sochi get on the elevator and stared at the readout above the door as the numbers descended to one. He wondered how long the professor would talk to Laura when they reached the bottom. It might be a while before he saw his girlfriend again.
Something moved across his peripheral vision, making him turn and look. There was no one nearby.
Then there was a sound behind him. A wave of cold air brushed over him. He whirled and peered through the rows of books. Nothing. He smiled and shook his head.
Relax, he told himself. You’re not living in a horror flick.
Kenn punched the elevator button. He looked around the floor while he waited. The two students from the tables had gone and the floor looked empty. But someone was still moving around in the stacks.
Some poor sap who actually has to study tonight.
He pulled his phone from his pocket and texted Laura:
Where are you?
There was no answer.
A THUMP sounded from the near corner of the room, like a book hitting the floor. Kenn tried peering through the shelves but saw no one. His phone buzzed.
What are you doing
at the library?
He frowned as he answered:
???
You don’t usually spend
much time studying
Kenn looked at his phone in confusion. Then he gasped. The messages weren’t from Laura’s phone. It was a number he didn’t recognize. He texted:
Who is this?
I think you know
Not funny. Who?
Remember that night
behind the drive-in?
Kenn leaned against the wall. “Oh no.”
He did remember that night after the movie, as well as the nights that followed. The affair with the seemingly unattainable woman had been glorious—for exactly one week. On the eighth day, she had morphed from a wanton, insatiable lover into a possessive harpy demanding that he be at her disposal day and night. After a week in which she initiated almost one hundred phone calls and text messages, they’d had the biggest fight of Kenn’s life and ended it. That had been months ago.
Kenn thought he’d made it clear that their last encounter would be the final one. He blew out a long breath. Why was she contacting him now?
What do you want?
Just wondering if you’ve
got some free time
He punched the elevator button again. The numbers didn’t move. Kenn placed his ear against the door but heard nothing.
Half an hour—I’m
closer than you think
I’m with Laura
She left
Kenn’s eyes widened. He looked around. Was the texter in the library? He answered:
I’m on my way
to meet her
You should stay
here with me
You and I are done.
I’m with Laura now
But I’m more fun
Kenn looked around again. He had to get out. A big red EXIT sign pointed to the stairs around the corner. As he walked toward it, he composed another message to Laura. He paused before sending to make sure it was going to the right woman.
Where are you?
Waiting for you
at the house
Dr. Sochi must have insisted on walking Laura to her sorority house.
Kenn leaned against the door to the stairwell and walked onto the landing, both thumbs moving quickly to type another message for his girlfriend. As he reached the top step, he heard a woman’s voice.
“Hello, lover.”
He spun around. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to see you.”
“I’m going to see Laura.”
“Don’t go just yet. I’m feeling nostalgic.”
“Oh, no. I’m going.”
The woman’s face became an angry mask. “You think you can ignore me?” She took a step toward him.
“Wha—” He took a step back, but his foot felt only air. His weight shifted and he raised both arms to try to steady himself. The last thing he saw was his phone flying through the air as he fell backward. His eyes widened, then…
Nothing.
5
Ryan frowned at the pianist. Again. “That’s not it. Do you want to show you what I mean?”
He shook his head and played the passage again. This time it seemed to pass muster.
She picked up her baton and looked at the rest of the pi
t orchestra. “Let’s pick it up from the first chorus.”
Ryan saw the students roll their eyes and chided herself for being so short-tempered. The musical was the reason spring semesters were always so fun, but she was going to ruin it for her students if she didn’t start acting like herself.
She’d been in a terrible mood all morning. After spending half the night talking with Nicki and Kenn Kennedy’s parents about his fall down the library stairs and his subsequent trip to the hospital, she was exhausted. She’d lain awake for hours trying to figure out what kind of shenanigans had resulted in the student’s accident.
Ryan was sure there’d been shenanigans.
She turned her attention back to the rehearsal but had to admit they were getting nowhere. She lowered her hands to her lap, stopping the music.
“I know we’re scheduled for another half hour, but I’m going to call it now. Go get a cup of coffee before your next class.”
The sighs of relief were audible.
Ryan gathered her things and walked out, hoping no one tried to stop her to talk. She needed to go see Kenn—needed to know there was nothing happening on campus that might lead to more trouble, like an underground fraternity hell week. She dialed the main number for her office.
“Good morning,” said Helen. “Is your rehearsal finished already?”
“Yes. I’m going to visit Kenn Kennedy at the hospital.”
“Mike Garza is here. He wants the details about the accident.”
“Tell him I have no comment right now. I’ll be back in an hour or so.”
As she walked to her car, Ryan imagined the stories and excuses Kenn might offer when she talked with him. The young man was an excellent liar, but his stories tended to skew toward the ridiculous. She had to cut through the tall tales quickly and determine whether anyone else might be in danger.
She had almost reached the east parking lot when someone called out:
“Dr. McCabe.”
It was Heather Wayne, the outgoing president of Pi Omega sorority.
“What can I do for you, Heather?” Ryan tried to keep her face even while she tapped her toe inside her shoe.
“I assume you’ve heard about Kenn.”
A light bulb clicked on in Ryan’s head. If Kenn’s accident had anything to do with a fraternity activity, Heather might know about it.
“I’m just on my way to see him now,” said Ryan. “I couldn’t go last night because he needed to rest.”
“I was so worried when I heard.”
“I didn’t realize you and Kenn were friends.”
“Oh, we’re not,” said Heather quickly. “But the Greek community is very close. We all look out for each other.”
“Was someone looking out for Kenn last night?”
“He was with Laura. Not when he fell, but just before.”
“So it wasn’t a fraternity thing?”
“I don’t think so. None of his brothers were there, as far as I’ve heard.”
Ryan felt a sliver of relief. Then she looked at her watch. “I need to run.”
“Tell Kenn we’re all thinking about him.”
☐ ☐ ☐
Ryan pulled into the hospital parking lot less than ten minutes later. Inside, she asked a volunteer where she could find Kenn.
“He’s a popular one,” said the seventy-something woman. “You’re about the fourth person to come in for him this morning.”
“Really? Who else asked for him?”
“I don’t know who they were. They just seemed awfully interested in talking with him as soon as possible. He’s on three.” The woman pointed toward the elevators.
Ryan thanked her and rode to the third floor. She found the nurses’ station and scanned the big whiteboard on the wall behind the desk.
“May I help you?” asked a woman in green scrubs.
“I’m Doct—” Ryan stopped herself, not wanting anyone to think she was misrepresenting herself as a physician. “I’m Dean Ryan McCabe, from the college. I’m here to see Kenn Kennedy.”
The woman raised a hand. “I’ll tell you the same thing I’ve told everyone else. He’s still under observation and his parents don’t want him to be disturbed.”
Ryan frowned. “He’s twenty-four years old. You’re taking orders from his parents?”
She modified her combative tone and tried again. “Sorry. Maybe you could ask him if he’ll see me?”
The nurse looked her up and down while she considered the request. Finally, she walked out from behind the desk. “Wait here.” She disappeared into a room three doors down the hall and reemerged a few seconds later, beckoning Ryan. “He says you can come in.”
Ryan entered the room to find Kenn sitting up in the bed. He punched a button on his laptop and closed the lid. She helped him place the computer on the bedside table.
Kenn was wearing street clothes but had an IV in his left arm. A cast covered the majority of his right arm. He had a black eye and a split lower lip.
“I’m surprised to see you, Dean McCabe.”
“I came to see how you’re feeling. Last night they told me you were doing well.”
He waved a hand like he was swatting a fly. “They just wanted to watch me overnight. I’m leaving as soon as they take out this IV.” He motioned to the chair beside the bed. “You can sit if you want.”
She did. Silence fell over the room for a few minutes. Finally, Ryan spoke.
“Can you tell me what happened?”
He turned his head to the window as he answered. “It was nothing.”
“Kenn, what were you doing there?”
“Laura and I were studying.”
“But she wasn’t with you when it happened?”
“She ran into Dr. Sochi and they started talking. They got on the elevator and rode down while I was still upstairs. I tried to get on the elevator, but it never came.”
“You weren’t doing some… activity for your fraternity?” asked Ryan.
He turned to her, his face suddenly animated. “No, I swear. This wasn’t hazing; it wasn’t a prank.”
“So what happened?”
He sighed. “Like I said, I couldn’t get the elevator, so I went for the stairs. When I got there…”
Ryan waited.
“I got to the stairs and something startled me.”
“Was someone else there?”
“I…I don’t know.”
Ryan leaned forward. “You don’t know if someone else was there?”
“I was texting.”
Ryan looked at him. He stared at the ceiling tiles.
“Kenn, did someone push you?”
“No,” he said quickly. “She didn’t—” He pushed his lips together and looked away.
“Who?”
No answer.
“Who was there, Kenn?”
His eyes were again focused on the ceiling.
“Kenn, was someone trying to hurt you?”
“It was an accident.”
“Are you sure?”
He turned toward her. “I’m sure.”
“Who was she?”
“No one.” He turned his body until he was on his side, facing away from her. “I need to rest.”
Ryan rose. “When you’re ready to tell me, I’ll be available.” She reached the door and turned back to him. “I hope you feel better soon.”
Ryan walked through the halls of the hospital without noticing the bustling activity. Who was in the stairwell with Kenn? Why wouldn’t he name her? Ryan wasn’t sure why, but she knew the answers were important.
☐ ☐ ☐
Ryan parked on campus ten minutes later, still replaying the conversation with Kenn in her mind. Had someone tried to hurt him? If so, why?
Kenn had been making trouble for himself and others on campus for years, but as far as Ryan knew, no one had tried to harm him before. Maybe he’d gone too far this time. Maybe he’d angered the wrong woman or hacked the wrong email account. Maybe he’d slept with the wro
ng person’s girlfriend.
She walked to the library, determined to examine the scene of the “accident.” It only took a minute to ride the elevator to the top floor. She stepped out into the big room and listened as the doors closed and the metal box moved down to another floor. She waited a minute, then punched the button. The gears moved, then the doors opened. She let the doors close and listened as the car resumed its never-ending travels.
She turned and surveyed the big, half-empty space where Kenn and Laura had frolicked the previous night. Kenn said someone else had been there.
Ryan walked around a corner toward the red EXIT sign on the back wall. She pushed through the door and stepped onto the top landing of the staircase. A video camera looked out from behind the door. A ladder bolted high on the left wall led to a square opening in the ceiling. Her eyes rested on the square hatch. It was padlocked.
She moved to the top step of the staircase. The stairs were concrete with metal “grip strips” at the outer edges. She gripped the metal handrails. They were securely fastened.
Stepping back from the edge, she slowly turned three hundred and sixty degrees, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Kenn said he’d fallen from the top step, but that he hadn’t been pushed.
Did he miss the step because he was looking at his phone? If so, he probably wouldn’t admit it to Ryan.
She completed her survey and ended where she’d begun, standing at the top stair. She took a step down and sat, trying to think of any reason—other than texting—that a physically fit young adult would fall down the stairs unaided.
She leaned back on her elbows as she looked around again. Her eyes fell on the video camera. She gasped.
She stood and raced down the stairs as quickly as she dared. A few moments later, she skidded to a stop in front of the main desk on the ground floor.
The student attendant looked up. “Hello, Dean McCabe.”
“Hi. Can you get me the surveillance tapes from the top floor stairwell?”
“I’m sorry?”
“The tapes—the tapes. From the camera in the stairwell.”
“I don’t know anything about tapes. Maybe you should talk with Dr. Lobo. I think he’s in his office.” The student picked up a phone.
