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For a moment, Fiona imagined Theo being a suspect and almost laughed. There was no way. He had been such a jerk, but murder? Fiona wasn’t sure. He probably would have murdered her, if he wanted to murder anyone.
Then again, on top of all his other activities at school, Theo had also been vehemently political. He was always ranting about the government, and how it should be overthrown. He had even been caught partaking in illegal activities related to the protests against the state. He had a temper, too; Fiona had seen him get into arguments with other students and professors alike.
Not only that, but Fiona had a history with him. Theo hadn’t always been her rival; at first, he had been… well, interested in her. But Fiona never felt the same. When she rejected him, that was when their true rivalry began.
She shook her head. It seemed impossible that someone like Theo would be capable of murder… or was he?
There was only one way to know.
“Jake,” Fiona began, “would someone named Theo Grayson happen to be on your list?”
Jake checked his list, scanning down it, before he said, “Yeah, he is,” turning to Fiona with a raised eyebrow. “Apparently, sometime before the senator’s retirement, he’d voted against putting funding toward plant and insect research, making it so many branches had to lay people off. Theo Grayson and some others were arrested at a protest against the senator. Why, what made him stand out?”
Fiona’s heart pounded. If what Jake was saying was true, then that was a direct tie between Theo and the senator. Fiona couldn’t believe it; she hadn’t truly expected there to be any connection, had more just asked out of curiosity.
“Do you know this guy?” Jake asked when Fiona didn’t reply.
Fiona nodded, her breath caught. “I do,” she replied. “We went to school together. He was… sort of my rival.”
Jake’s eyes widened. “You don’t think he could be the suspect, do you?”
“Theo Grayson is… well, he’s an arrogant jerk,” Fiona said, looking away. “But I never expected him capable of murder. That said, he is an extremely driven and intelligent person. If he wanted to make someone disappear in a horrible way, then this could be it. He is very clever… and I’m sure he could access the giant hornets if he truly wanted to…”
Fiona trailed off, realizing the implications of what she was suggesting. She looked back at Jake, biting her lip.
“It’s worth looking into,” Jake said after a moment. “I’m sure there’s lots even you don’t know about him.”
Fiona gulped, unsure if she wanted those answers. This was getting more personal than she liked. She never wanted Theo in her life again—and here he was, showing up in her work.
But if he truly was a suspect, then Fiona knew she had to put her personal gripes aside.
“He works at the greenhouse in the middle of the city,” Fiona said.
“Yeah, we should go talk to him now,” Jake said, shutting his laptop and putting it in the backseat of his car. Fiona did the same, and Jake started the car, beginning the drive through the city.
As they drove, Fiona’s anxiety grew. The city blocks they passed seemed to be mocking her, as if they knew what she was about to do. She glanced out the window, watching the people go by in a blur, and remembered going to school with Theo; heard his voice in her head, taunting her with his condescending remarks.
It seemed like such a long time ago now—but it had only been a few years since their rivalry began. He had been so passionate about his research, so dedicated to making sure he was successful no matter what. He had worked tirelessly on his projects, even when Fiona thought it was hopeless.
Fiona wondered if that same passion could have driven him to murder. She didn’t know what to expect when they finally got to the greenhouse—but she knew it wouldn’t be pleasant either way.
“So, tell me about this guy,” Jake said as he drove them through the afternoon sun. The day was going by much faster than he’d expected. “You mentioned he was your rival. How’d that happen?”
Fiona sighed, looking out the window. “Well, it was a long time ago. We were both in the same program at school… and let’s just say I wasn’t his biggest fan.”
Jake nodded. “I can understand that,” he said with a smile. “What was it that made you two rivals?”
Fiona thought back to all those years of competing with Theo. “He was always so competitive, always trying to one-up everyone else,” she said. “He was extremely smart and driven, but he had this way of making everyone feel like they weren’t good enough—like he was superior to them in some way or another.”
She paused for a moment, still remembering how Theo’s words could sting her even years later.
“But despite all the rivalry and competitiveness, I have to admit that he is an incredibly talented scientist,” Fiona continued. “He has an incredible eye for detail and a keen understanding of the natural world. He was the runner-up for my job with the FBI, actually.”
Jake shot her a look. “Wait—this guy almost worked for the FBI?”
“Yes, but I ended up getting the job,” Fiona said. “I mean, obviously.” She laughed nervously. If Theo had gotten the job, then Fiona wouldn’t be here. She didn’t like imagining a world where that was the case.
“I’m sure he loved that,” Jake muttered. “This guy sounds like a piece of work.”
