AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Islide into my usual seat beside Martha just as Professor Baines begins his lecture on managerial accounting. Martha nudges me with her elbow and grins, her green eyes shining with mischief.
"Ready for this pop quiz Baines promised?" she whispers.
I roll my eyes. "As ready as I'll ever be."
We focus on our textbooks and notebooks, reviewing the material that will likely be on Baines' infamous quizzes.
The lecture hall doors open with a thud, interrupting the silence in the room. I glance up, expecting to see a tardy student slipping into a vacant seat. Instead, I'm surprised to see Principal Matthews stride down the center aisle, his face grim. A hush falls over the room, and out of the corner of my eye, I see Martha sit up straighter, her shoulders tensing. It's not every day we see the college principal interrupt a class.
Principal Matthews stops beside Professor Baines at the front of the hall and leans in to speak with him. Baines' eyes widen, and his face pales as he listens to whatever news Matthews has delivered. After a brief conversation, Baines steps aside, and Matthews takes his place at the lectern.
"Students," Principal Matthews begins, his voice low and serious. Too serious for a man known as the laughing principal. "I have an important announcement. We have just received word that the body of a young man, a student here at our university, was discovered early this morning."
Shocked murmurs ripple through the lecture hall. Martha gasps softly beside me, and I grip the edges of my desk, dread pooling in my stomach.
Mr. Matthews raises his hands for silence before continuing. "The name of the deceased is being withheld until we can notify his family but the police are investigating the circumstances around his death. We suspect foul play at this time."
My heart hammers against my ribs. Martha reaches over and squeezes my hand tightly.
"I know many of you may be shaken by this tragic news," Mr. Matthews says. His usually bright face looks weary, and his eyes are heavy with concern. "We will have counsellors available in the library all day for any students needing support. I urge you all to travel in pairs and groups and to avoid going out alone at night until the perpetrator is apprehended. Please contact security if you see any suspicious activity on or around campus. We all need to work together to keep our university safe."
Principal Matthews thanks Professor Baines and makes his way back up the aisle, the doors closing heavily behind him. A swell of hushed conversations fills the lecture hall as students turn to one another, worry and fear etched on their faces.
"Oh my god," Martha murmurs. "A student was murdered?"
My thoughts spin.
Professor Baines clears his throat. "In light of this morning's news, I think it's best we postpone today's quiz. Please review the material on your own time and take care as you leave campus today."
Suddenly, chairs scrape against the floor as students gather their belongings and make for the exits. Martha and I join the throngs of people spilling out of the lecture halls.
As we near the next lecture hall, I overhear a guy talking to his friends just outside the door.
"I heard it was that Boris guy," he says in a hushed voice. "You know, from the Phi Kappa Sigma frat."
“What the hell… what happened to him?!”
“I heard that he was found on a bench on campus. From behind he looked like he was sleeping. But when the student went closer to check, he found his throat slit open.”
“Arrgh… Gross dude! That must have been traumatizing.”
“You fucking bet it was, he even stepped on the blood. The police are calling the killer ‘the campus killer’ can you imagine?”
I freeze in my tracks, my blood turning to ice. Martha glances at me, her eyes wide.
"Boris?" she whispers. "But isn't he one of..."
I give a slight nod, unable to find my voice. Boris—one of Dimitri's lackeys who had abducted me. One of the men who had taunted and pawed at me. I imagine the incident is mob related. Did some rival family kill him?
Martha grips my arm and guides me into the classroom. My legs feel numb as I sink into the seat. Boris is dead. Murdered. Who would be able to challenge Dimitri on this campus? The person has just declared war on himself. Dimitri is not one to overlook such a dent in his person.
I stare blankly at the chalkboard, the professor's voice fading into the background as my thoughts spin. The reality of the murder sinks into my bones, leaving me chilled despite the warm spring air drifting through the open windows.
A gentle nudge on my arm draws me back. I blink and turn to see Martha watching me, her brow creased with concern.
"Hey," she says softly. "You okay? You zoned out there for a bit."
I rub my temples, trying to massage away the building pressure. "Yeah, sorry. Just... processing everything."
