“No, nothing like that. It’s just … Steven being Steven,” I said through an infuriated sigh.
Nick nodded. A sobering silence drew out between us. Somehow, even after Steven had walked out on our marriage, he still managed to make everything in my life revolve around him. I pressed a hand to my temple. “Can we just … not talk about him?”
Nick drew my hand from my face with a tentative smile, holding it between us as he ducked low to meet my eyes. “There is actually something else I’ve been wanting to talk to you about. We didn’t really finish the conversation we started in the kitchen last night.”
“What part?” I asked cautiously.
“The part when I was telling you how much I like spending time with you.” He stroked a thumb over mine, his voice falling soft. “I’m glad you came this week. I’m sorry if anything I did or said made you doubt that. When the citizen’s academy is over, I thought maybe we could—”
“Nick!” My sister’s shrill shout carried like a Harpy’s through the trees.
Nick’s head dropped back, a ribbon of frustration spooling into the sky with his heavy exhale. “Be right there,” he shouted back. I started to pull away, but he cupped my hands between his. “You’re freezing. You want to come inside and get something warm to drink? There’s hot chocolate in the faculty lounge, and I’ll be up for a while fixing all these damn reports anyway. I’d love some company.”
“I shouldn’t.” Hot chocolate sounded a little too much like dessert. This week was supposed to be about resolutions and deadlines: find a killer, eat healthy, don’t murder anyone, and fix my book. I backed away, nearly tripping over a root. “I was up late last night working on this revision for Sylvia. I should try to get some sleep. And you should probably get your work done. I’ll see you in class tomorrow.”
“You sure you don’t want me to walk you?”
“The dorm’s right there,” I said, hitching a thumb at the smattering of lights across the drill field. “I’ll be fine. This place is crawling with cops.”
He laughed, masking a wince as he pushed himself off the tree and put his weight on his leg. “I’ll be alone in my office if you change your mind.” There was a twinkle in his eye as he limped off to find my sister.
* * *
I pulled my coat tighter around me, quickening my pace as I crossed the dark length of the drill field. The wind that whipped over it was sobering, bringing the chilling events of the night back into crisp focus. Nick hadn’t been alarmed by the dismembered dummy, I reminded myself. It was all one big joke as far as the instructors were concerned. Just a coincidence. And the wind had probably blown the hardware store receipt away from the crime scene. I probably should have turned it in to Georgia for the points.
A gust tossed my hair over my eyes. As I brushed it aside, I caught the faint hint of cigarette smoke. I turned, spotting a flicker of red out of the corner of my eye, but as I scanned the buildings around the drill field, they were all quiet and dark. I started toward the dorm when I caught the tiny flash again. The bright cherry of a cigarette burned on the uppermost deck of the fire tower. Just as quickly, it dimmed, but the smell of it grew stronger as if the wind had carried it right to me. All I could make out was a shadowy figure on the roof, leaning against the low wall, watching me.
I hurried the rest of the way across the drill field and waved my lanyard over the scanner to the dormitory’s front door. The lock didn’t budge. I peeked inside, but it was two thirty in the morning, and the vestibule was empty. Everyone had already returned to their rooms for bed. I walked around the side of the building, searching for another entrance, pausing in my tracks when I heard a hushed conversation around the next corner.
“If you’re fucking with me—” Joey’s gruff voice was unmistakable.
“Would I have come here just to mess with you?” I tipped my head as I recognized the second voice, too. It was Cam. “I found it myself,” Cam said. “Exactly like I told you.”
A ripple of panic washed over me. What had Cam found—or claimed he’d found? Before Cam began hacking computers for the mob, he’d been working off his petty crimes as a confidential informant for Joey. I couldn’t be sure who he was loyal to now. Was he reporting something to Joey as an informant? Or was that a ruse to conceal a job he was doing for Feliks Zhirov? Either way, Cam had enough dirt on me to land me in hot water with both of them.
I peered around the bricks. Joey had Cam’s back against the wall, his fist wound in the front of Cam’s jacket, their faces close. “You must be crazy sneaking in here.”
“Don’t get your panties in a bunch. I came through the woods. No one saw me cut the fence.”
Joey shoved Cam hard against the bricks. “You’re walking a very fine line.”
“I’m just trying to help you!”
I stepped around the corner before I could think better of it. “What’s going on here?”
They leaped apart. Cam’s leather jacket was shredded. Blood dripped from the crease of his hand where the fence must have cut through it. He glanced at Joey, like he was looking for some cue to run. Or lie. Joey held fast to the collar of Cam’s coat.
“What are you doing out here?” Joey snapped at me. “You should be in your dorm.”
“The front door’s locked and my card isn’t working. I was on my way to try the other door, but apparently I interrupted something.” I looked between them.
“It’s nothing,” Joey said. “Just some punk kid who thought it’d be smart to sneak in. He’s lucky I’m feeling generous. I was just about to escort him off the grounds.” He jerked his chin toward the dorm. “Go inside. There’s nothing to worry about here.”
“It’s late,” I pointed out. “His parents are probably worried sick. I could take him to the infirmary. Get him some bandages for his hand. Maybe some hot chocolate.” All I needed was a few minutes alone with him to make sure he wasn’t in danger with Joey and figure out what he was doing here. I held my cell phone out to Cam. “You can use my phone if you need to call your mom or dad to pick you up.” Cam lived with his grandmother, but revealing I knew that could land us both in a heap of trouble.
Cam glanced once more at Joey.
“He can use mine,” Joey said.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come with me?” I prompted Cam. “I’m happy to wait here until you and the detective have finished talking.”
He gave a quick shake of his head. “I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about anything.”
“Let’s go.” Joey shoved him toward the parking lot. Cam pulled his hood over his head, dragging it low to conceal his face. His eyes caught mine, then darted to the dormitory windows above me before he turned away.
I gnawed my thumbnail as I watched them walk briskly toward the gate. Joey waved off the duty officer as they maneuvered past the barricade. Brake lights flashed as Joey depressed his key fob and deposited Cam roughly inside his unmarked sedan. He wouldn’t hurt Cam, I told myself—not after I saw them together. I tried to convince myself Joey would never be that callous—or that foolish—as his car disappeared from sight.