“They don’t know anything.” But Luke’s voice is tight, his jaw working. “We didn’t do this. We’re just two students coming home from a date.”
“A date?”
He looks at me, and there’s something fierce in his eyes. “That’s our cover. That’s what we stick to.”
My phone buzzes.
Georgia:Cops are here. What do we do?
Me:Go back to your rooms. We’ll handle it.
Georgia:…
Me:Trust me.
Georgia:Be safe.
Me:I’m with Luke.
I’ve seen him fight on the ice. He can handle himself.
Georgia:You need to be safe from him too.
She’s not wrong.
Me:I’ll text you later.
Luke pulls over before the house, killing the headlights. “Are you ready?”
“For what?”
“To be my girlfriend for the night.” He reaches over, takes my hand, and laces his fingers through mine. His demeanor is calm and smooth. “Follow my lead.” As much as Luke’s pushy ways can irritate me, there is a comfort to it too. Whatever we seem to come up against, he’s ready to push forward, acting like a shield for me.
That thought hits me hard. Why would he be doing all this? It can’t be about winning a bet, right? Would he really get himself wrapped into all of this for that reason alone? He could have simply dipped out.
We walk up the drive like we have nothing to hide, like we didn’t just find a dismemberment scene. We’re just two teenagers sneaking back in after curfew.
When we enter the side door of the house, Bennett is standing in the kitchen talking to a police officer. He’s wearing a sweater and jeans, casual for him. He glances over as we approach, and I see it: a quick flash of recognition in his eyes when they land on me, the split second of shock before he masks it.
“Luke,” Bennett says, his voice perfectly even. “I didn’t realize you had company.”
“Sorry, Benny.” Luke squeezes my hand, but his tone is light and teasing. “We were out, lost track of time.”
The officer turns, looking us over. “Luke.” The officer nods, clearly knowing him, and then his attention slides over to me. “And you must be new around here.”
“Madeline Pearson,” I say, hoping my voice doesn’t shake. Why can’t I be all cool like Luke, not sweating it? “I’m a student.”
“She’s with me,” Luke adds, pulling me closer. “We were just grabbing food in town.”
Bennett’s eyes flick between us, reading something I can’t decipher. “Well, come in. Officer Brinks and I were talking about Coach Murphy. Seems she’s gone missing.”
“Missing?” Luke’s surprise sounds genuine. “She was at the game yesterday, wasn’t she?” He glances down at me, and I nod my head.
“She was,” Officer Brinks confirms, “but she didn’t go home last night, and no one has seen her.”
Bennett steps aside, gesturing us in. His hand brushes Luke’s shoulder as we pass, a casual, brotherly touch that somehow feels loaded. “Make yourselves comfortable. This shouldn’t take long.” Luke leads me out of the kitchen, keeping my hand in his.He stops walking when we know we’re out of sight, gesturing for me to be quiet. I nod.
Bennett’s voice carries smoothly and reassuringly. “Coach Murphy was in good spirits when she left. I can ask around, but I don’t want to spook anyone.”
