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Ending the call with Kai with the promise that we’ll keep in touch, I snap the lid shut on the box of eyeballs and stuff it in my desk. I’m still staring at the closed desk drawer when my phone buzzes. Thankful for the distraction, I pick it up.
Kai:We’ll get to the bottom of this. Call if you need me.
His text reassures me a little,however it doesn’t stop my eyes from repeatedly drifting to the drawer. Evidently, out of sight doesnotmean out of mind, and I end up obsessing over who the fuck they could belong to all morning.
An ex-boyfriend who Mel decided to target?
If I hadn’t seen all three guys this morning, I’d be terrified that they belonged to Hawk or Wilder.
There’s no reason for Mel to have gone after anyone other than them.
The arrival of students for my first class of the day gets me out of my head, and I force a smile, greeting them as they take their seats.
I go through the motions of teaching and interacting with students while half of my mind is focused on the creepy-as-shit box locked in the top drawer of my desk.
As soon as my last class before lunch finishes, I grab my bag, ready to get as far away as possible from the secret hiding in my drawer. Before I can make my escape, Daniel pops his head through the classroom door.
“Hey,” he greets casually—far too casually, considering the day I’m having.
“Hey, Daniel,” I return, trying my hardest to act normally. “How are you?”
“I’m good.” He moves further into the room, closing the door behind him. For the first time, I notice the stiffness in his posture, the furrow in his brow, and the tight press of his lips. Instantly, alarm bells start ringing. “This is, uh, a little weird, but did Louis stay with you until you left last night?”
There’s a rapid uptick of my heart, a flare of panic as puzzle pieces begin to fall into place. My mouth is bone dry, and I have to lick my lips before forcing out, “Yeah. Why?”
At my answer, his face pinches. “Did you see where he went after you got in the cab?”
“No, sorry. Daniel, what is this about?”
“He, uh, didn’t make it home last night, and he hasn’t shown up for work today.”
A sinking pit forms in my stomach and a clear picture is beginning to form. “H-have you tried calling him?” I ask, trying to keep the tinge of panic out of my voice. There’s no reason to suspect his disappearance has anything to do with Mel. Perhaps he got into a car accident and is at the hospital.
God, I can’t believe I’m hoping someone was in a serious enough car wreck that they’ve been unable to contact anyone. But being in a coma at the hospital is better than being dead without any eyes, right?
The fact that I’m capable of dark humor right now speaks volumes of how quickly I am adapting to this fucked-up game.
“Yeah, but it just goes to voicemail, and he hasn’t shown up at any of the hospitals nearby.”
I swallow roughly, careful to keep any emotion off my face. “Have you called the police?”
Sighing, he swipes his hand through his hair. “I’m going to do that now. I just wanted to see if you knew anything before I did.”
“I’m sorry,” I say again, the apology tasting rotten in my mouth. “I didn’t see anything. He stayed with me until the taxi arrived and waved goodbye as it pulled away. I never saw where he went after that.”
“It’s fine. It was a long shot, anyway.”
“I hope you find him,” I call lamely, truly hoping he does but somehow knowing he won’t. With his phone already in hand, he gives me a two-finger wave as he heads out of the room.
As soon as I’m alone, I dig my phone out of my bag, and with shaking hands, I call Kai.
“I think I know who they belong to,” I blurt out the second he answers.
“Who?”
“Louis Perez. He’s one of the professors here. He was one of my colleagues I was out with last night.”
“Why do you think it’s him?” Kai asks, not because he doesn’t believe me, but because he’s the kind of guy who needs to understand the complete picture.
