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After loading the weights onto the bar, his attention drifted to the person in the shadows, but he’d vanished. Had he imagined him? A niggle of unease slid down his spine. As a senior in Black Rock Falls, and with the town’s reputation of being serial killer central, he’d be stupid to continue without checking if the guy was hiding somewhere.
He picked up the barbell he used for arm curls as a weapon and walked with purpose toward the glass doors leading to the hallway. He peered outside and looked both ways. It was quiet with only the distant hooting of an owl flying overhead. Most of the students would be in their dorms by now, or maybe a few had gone to the library to prepare for the morning’s classes. One of his teammates, Pete Devon, would likely be doing laps in the pool, not lurking in the shadows.
As he strolled back to the weight training bench, he couldn’t shake the feeling he wasn’t alone. “You’re losing your mind, man.”
His voice sounded loud in the empty room but he shrugged and then took his position on the bench. He took a deep breath and then closed both hands around the bar. Engrossed, he lifted the weight with ease, completed five reps, then rested the bar back on the rack. When a man wearing a baseball cap pulled down over his eyes slid into his periphery, his heart skipped a beat. Where had he come from and how the hell had he snuck up on him without a sound? Alex sat up so fast his head spun. He reached for his towel and wiped down his face. He let out a relieved gasp. “Oh, it’s you. Are you waiting to do weight training?”
“Nah.” His friend leaned against the wall. “I wanted to talk in private about the party last Saturday night.”
Alex allowed the smile to creep over his face. “She was pretty hot, huh?”
“Quiet too.” Shadows covered the man’s face. “I like them quiet.”
“Me too.” Not wanting to elaborate, Alex dropped back on the bench. He preferred to be alone in the gym. “I’m cooling down. I’d better finish my workout.”
“You’ll burn muscle using light weights on fast reps. If you change to heavier weights and do slower reps, you’ll build harder muscle.” His friend peered down at him and smiled. “I’ll spot you if you want me to add some more?”
Not wanting to appear weak, Alex nodded. “Sure, thanks.”
He waited while his friend added substantially more weights to the bar and noticed his thin leather gloves. He grinned. “I guess you’ve gotta take care of those hands, man.” He gripped the bar.
“Yeah. I wouldn’t be much use without them, would I?”
“Nope.” Alex looked up at him. “Why are you really here?”
“Do you figure we should get that girl again?” The man rested his hands on the bar. “She was very cooperative.”
Alex strained through the first rep, glad when his friend lifted the bar back onto the rack. The weight was punishing and much more than he preferred. “She was wasted, man.” He grinned. “I can’t wait to see the shots we took, and the vid will be a classic.” He heaved the bar off the rack, dropped it to his chest, then heaved it up again, grunting through the pain.
He repeated the movement three more times and his muscles stung with the effort. “This will be the last rep. I’m all in.”
“Sure.” His friend’s mouth twitched into a smile. “The last rep it is.”
Alex grunted, pushing up with all his strength, but no help came to lift the bar onto the rack. Panic curled in his belly and sweat ran down his face. Muscles bulging with effort, he sucked in a deep breath and heaved but couldn’t lift the heavy weight the last few inches. Elbows locked and arms shaking with the burn, he stared at him. “Hey, give me a hand here.”
“There’s a small problem with seeing Chrissie again. She was found dead yesterday morning.”
The heavy weight vanished, and panting with the effort, Alex stared into the man’s cold eyes. His friend suspended the weight over him as if it weighed nothing and held it like he was taunting him—but why? “What! Shit, what happened to her? We all enjoyed every minute and she never complained, not once.”
“Neither will you.”
As if in slow motion, Alex watched in horror as the bar slipped from the man’s fingertips. He had no time to react. A loud crack filled his head and then a clanging sound as one side of the weight bar slid to the floor. Hot burning pain shot through his neck and up into his brain. He couldn’t breathe and his arms refused to move. Blood gurgled up his throat, spilling over his tongue in a metallic rush. He heard whistling and the outer door open then close before his sight folded in at the edges.
Six
The 911 chime of her cellphone dragged Jenna out of her dream. She pawed at the bedside table, snatched up her phone, and accepted the call. “911, what is your emergency?”
“There’s been an accident at the college gym. There’s a body. I didn’t know who to call.”
Jenna turned on her bedside lamp then grabbed her pen and notebook. She noted the time: it was a little after one. “This is Sheriff Alton. Who am I speaking to, and can you give me some details, please?”
“This is John Beck. I’m the janitor. I was locking the gym when I found him. I figure he’s been dead for a while.” Beck took a shuddering breath. “Done dropped a barbell on his neck.”
“Okay, stay where you are and don’t touch anything. We’ll be there soon.”
With Kane at the wheel, Jenna sat back in her seat sipping a freshly brewed coffee and snapping fully awake. “So, did you uncover any dirty little secrets?” She sighed. “I only found their driving records; nothing in juvie and no crimes since they turned eighteen.”
“I gained access to their college records. Phillip Stein is an elite athlete, mainly snowboarding and winter sports.” Kane flicked her a glance. “He’s every mother’s dream: clean-cut, has a high IQ, and is pursuing a career in IT.”
