Page 121 of Darkest Obsession

“Excuse me if I’m sick of checking my damn email,” Sylvia snaps.

“She killed herself?” I repeat. I don’t believe it. Why would she kill herself? Molly couldn’t have raped Kola and since she was held prisoner, she might not even get picked up as an accomplice. She would have essentially been free to go after a couple of months in a mental health facility.

Suicide didn’t seem like her.

“If that’s what the story says,” Thomas says, “It must be true.”

“What paper published this?” Sylvia asks.

Thomas seems utterly disinterested, barely raising his eyebrows when Kit responds.

“The BBC.”

“So it’s true then,” Kola whispers. “Molly killed herself.”

Chapter Fifty-Four

Thomas

“Any clue why they called us here?” I grumble, leaning back and tapping my feet. Yesterday, the dean announced Molly’s situation to the student body. Kit pointed out that we could use the occasion to scan the crowd of students for anyone who appeared unusually emotional about the news. Martha Bloom muttered under her breath, “Who the bloody hell is Molly?”

Juno, a girl who bullied Molly, shrugged and said, “A very depressed English girl. It looks like she has gone and killed herself.”

She had friends, but not many. Neither Kit or I could scan the crowd and see anyone reacting to the announcement in a strange manner. It’s bad enough I couldn’t get any information from her directly. She’s a Fox, legally, but she doesn’t use that name here. I don’t know why. Molly Fox. The connection makes me suspicious of Jude, but I’ll have plenty of time to follow my suspicions. Clover will head to America for her Christmas holiday and I only need to keep her safe until then.

Keeping Clover safe is more important than information, although not knowing kills me.

Clover leans back in her chair and groans. “This dance leotard is digging into my ass. I want to get out of here.”

I agree with her bitter assessment of the dean’s office.

“Roger has practice under control until we’re done,” Sylvia says. “Don’t worry.”

The three girls look rather cute together in their matching black leotards and navy sweatpants. They have to bring up someone from another boat to row in my spot this afternoon, so I haven’t bothered with a rowing uni.

“I’m not worried,” Clover says. “It’s a dean’s meeting. It’s like… for sure going to be bad news.”

“Don’t be so cynical,” Kola says. Then her phone vibrates. Kola glances down and her eyes bug out.

“Holy shit. Holy shit. Guys, SOS. This day is about to suck. We don’t even have time to prepare! Holy shit. Holy shit.”

“Kola, what?!” Sylvia blurts out. She’s always been firmly incapable of handling any suspense.

“My mom just texted me. Surprise… the parents are here.”

Sylvia leaps out of her seat. “Our biological parents?!”

“Do you have any other parents?” I grumble.

Clover leans forward and puts her head in her hands. “I need to run away.”

“There’s a reason we go to boarding school,” Kola says. “Shit. Shit.”

“We only have evidence of Kola’s parents. Relax,” I say calmly.

Then the door to the dean’s office opens and dad walks in. Mr. Thomas Bainbridge VII, my father, glances around the room and frowns when he sees me seated between three women. I’m certain their skin color doesn’t escape him.

“Your mother couldn’t make it. Come outside.”