Chapter 31

THIRTY-ONE

I did as Alek suggested. I left, taking the bus to campus, needing that time to think. I wear my headphones, blasting my music as the world passes, and I ignore people I know as I walk the path toward the art building. I'm early, earlier than even the teachers, but I need time to think.

My phone buzzes, and I stop walking, pulling it out.

Alek: I'm sorry. Can we talk?

Alek: Did you get to school safely?

Alek: I'm sorry I ruined a good night.

Alek: No, a great fucking night. Just text me back, pretty boy.

I debate responding, my fingers hovering over the keys before I sigh and put my phone away just as something hits me hard. I fly to the side, hitting the ground, my headphones falling off. The music turns into screams as I stare into Tommy's worried, terrified eyes.

"Evan!" he snaps. "We were shouting at you. "

"What? Why?" I look past him as he crouches before me. My entire body turns cold as I freeze, the screams making sense now.

The tree I stopped under blows in the breeze, and hanging from its lowest branches, swaying like leaves in the wind, are two bodies hanging from their necks, right above where I was standing.

There's a crack, the branch beginning to break, and Tommy shakes me. "Are you okay?"

I nod, climbing to my feet as we both turn to stare.

Nausea crawls up my throat, and I swallow bile. I've never seen a dead body before, and these—oh god. Their necks are bent at strange angles, their bones sticking through where dark brown rope is wrapped around them multiple times. It's hard to make out their faces from here, and I'm grateful for that. Their skin is a weird color, and the birds and insects on them make me turn my head and gag.

My horror only grows as what I'm seeing sinks in.

Two people are hanging.

Dead.

"What's going on? Oh my god!" Alice screams. I quickly grab her and turn her around, my hand over her eyes.

"Don't look," I tell her. "Has anyone called the police?"

"One of them did." Tommy points at the crowd. I spy some people taking pictures, and my stomach rolls. Even in death, they can't find peace from this world.

"Come on." Holding Alice, I grab Tommy and lead them to the building to avoid the crowd and bodies. Alice is pale and shaking, so I grab us some coffee, my hands wrapped around the warm mug, but I can barely feel it.

Is this shock?

Alice's hand shakes as she types out a message. I keep my arm around her as we sit in the cafeteria.

"They were dead," Tommy whispers.

I nod, unsure what to say.

"Did they kill themselves?" he asks. "Why here? Why like that?"

"I don't know," I admit. "Let's wait for the police, okay? Alice, are you okay? "

Her head jerks up, her face pale, and she nods too rapidly. "I texted Alek."

"That's good." I take her hand, and we all stare out of the window as sirens split the air and police descend upon the campus, alongside news crews.

We sit and watch it all, quiet and horrified.

Did they kill themselves?

It repeats in my head.

Everyone is being interviewed. There are so many cops, they make quick work of it, but they let Alice, Tommy, and me stick together.

"So that's all you saw?" the older officer asks. He has to be in his mid-forties, with salt-and-pepper hair and kind eyes that have seen too much. His name tag reads "Winchester." His partner, on the other hand, is younger, with short black hair and cold eyes. He writes everything down carefully.

"Yes, I pulled them inside after. I didn't want Alice to see anymore," I admit. "Are they . . . Did they kill themselves?"

"We will have to wait for the investigation," Winchester replies. "We are asking everyone here if they knew them."

"We didn't see their faces," I tell him. "I didn't want to."

He nods and pulls out his phone and slides it across to show two pictures side by side. They are up close photographs of the bodies, showing only their faces. "We have positive identification of them, Kenny Rogers and Dodge Kennedy. They attended this university, and their roommates reported them missing weeks ago."

Ice flows through my veins as I stare at the images.

"I don't know them. Sorry, it's a big school," Tommy admits.

"And you, Mr. Shaw?" the younger one asks.

My head snaps up as I meet his eyes. "I know them," I say, and they both focus on me. "They were hassling Alice on her way home one night. "

"When was this?" he asks.

"Um, a few weeks ago?" I reply.

"Tuesday the fourteenth," Alice says. "I remember because I had a meeting with a teacher just before."

"That was the night they disappeared." They share a look and then look back at me. "And what happened?"

"They tried to assault her, and I stepped in to stop it." I leave Alek out, not liking how they are looking at me as it is. They would take one look at him and wouldn't hear anything he said.

"Did you hurt them?" the younger one asks.

"No, I just stopped them. They disappeared after?"

"Evan Shaw, we need you to come with us."

I stand, looking between them. "Why?"

"Because you might be the last person who saw them alive, and then you found the bodies. It's suspicious," he snaps.

"We just need to ask you some questions." Winchester frowns at his partner and then smiles at me kindly. "Can you come with us?"

I know it's a question, but if I protest, they won't leave me alone. Nodding, I grab my bag and give Alice a meaningful look, telling her not to bring up Alek, and then I meet Tommy's wide, shocked eyes. "Stay with her until her brother arrives, okay?"

"Of course, man. Are you going to be okay? Should I call someone?" he asks as the officers stop at my side to guide me out of the room.

"No need for that. It's just an informal chat." Winchester smiles. "You should head back to class or home. Please come to us if you hear anything." They grab my arms.

Informal my ass.

I'm basically being arrested.

They think I had something to do with their deaths, which tells me this wasn't suicide. This was murder.

I do throw up this time.