Graduating (Covenant College Book 5) (15 page)

“What is that pounding?”

“My head.”

It was Saturday morning, and Aric and I had both imbibed a little more than was necessary the night before. It was so cold outside, it seemed like a great idea to warm up with some whiskey and a few friends. I was regretting that decision now.

Aric rolled over, fixing me with a look as he rubbed his forehead. “Are you going to get the front door?”

“I was still trying to figure out what it was,” I admitted, climbing out of bed. I moved toward the door, pushing my sleep-tousled hair out of my face.

“Zoe?”

“Hmm.”

“Do you think clothes might help?”

I glanced down, realizing I was still naked from the night before. “Huh. Yeah.” I reached down, rummaging through the discarded clothes, and coming up with a pair of yoga pants and a T-shirt. I didn’t bother with a bra. Once I killed whoever was pounding on the door, I planned on downing a bottle of aspirin and crawling right back into bed.

“I’m coming,” I grumbled when the knocking on the door started again. “Jeez.”

The two faces staring at me on the other side threw me for a loop. They were both cops, but I only recognized one of them. “Detective Perkins.”

“Ms. Lake,” he greeted me, his expression stern. “I was beginning to think you were purposely ignoring me.”

“I think my hangover was the one trying to ignore you,” I said. “What do you want?”

“I need to talk to you. Can we come in?”

I wasn’t sure what to do. I glanced over my shoulder, making sure there wasn’t anything incriminating in the living room. A few of Tally’s friends had been smoking pot the night before, but nothing was sitting out in the open, and then shrugged as I opened the door wider. “I guess.”

Perkins and his partner glanced around the room, taking in the half-empty cups and beer cans littered about. “Late night?”

“It was Friday,” I said.

“So.”

“It was Friday on a college campus,” I said. “What did you think we were doing, conducting a prayer circle?”

Perkins made a face. “Well, Ms. Lake, we have a few more questions for you.”

“Weren’t you told to contact my lawyer Mr. ... Sheldon whatever-his-name-is?”

“I was hoping it wouldn’t come to that,” Perkins said. “Something important has come up, but we would like to ask you a few questions instead of officially dragging you downtown.”

I rolled my eyes. “Whatever.”

“What’s going on?” Aric was standing in the archway between my bedroom and the living room. He’d pulled on a pair of boxer shorts, but he didn’t seem embarrassed by his lack of clothing.

“The detective has a few questions,” I said.

“I told you to go through her attorney,” Aric said, striding into the room.

“Mr. Winters, I understand you’re protective of Ms. Lake,” Perkins said. “It’s obvious the two of you are very close.”

Aric raised a confrontational eyebrow. “So?”

“Something has come up in our investigation, and we have a few more questions for Ms. Lake. If you’d prefer, we can drag her down to the station for questions and make a big deal about it. I would imagine that you – and especially your father – would prefer we handle it this way.”

Aric made a face. “Do you think that’s going to work on me?”

“It’s your choice.”

“Aric, it’s fine,” I said, sinking down onto the couch and rubbing my forehead. “Let’s just get it over with. I feel like I’m dying.”

Aric glanced at me, his face unreadable. “Just stay here for a second,” he said. “I’m going to get the aspirin and some water. Don’t ask her anything until I get back.”

The cops watched Aric leave, sitting on the other couch with their hands in their laps.

“This is a nice place,” Perkins said finally. “Especially compared to other houses around here. This place is big, and well taken care of.”

“Yeah, we were lucky to find it.”

“How many people live here?”

“Seven,” I said, not bothering to explain about the Heather situation. She still hadn’t shown up, but I didn’t think telling the cops investigating me for mass murder that I had another missing roommate was a good idea.

“And there are seven bedrooms?”

“Three on the main floor, four on the second floor.”

Aric returned to the room, two bottles of water in his hand. “I thought I told you not to question her until I came back.”

“They were just asking about the house,” I replied, accepting the water from Aric.

He opened the bottle of aspirin and tipped two into the palm of my hand. After regarding me for another second, he added another two. “If your head hurts half as much as mine does, you’re going to want more.”

I swallowed the four aspirin without complaint, sucking down the entire bottle of water in an attempt to quench my thirst, and then turned to Perkins. “Go.”

Perkins reached into his pocket and pulled out a small baggie, handing it over to me. “Does that look familiar to you?”

Aric peered over my shoulder as I looked over the contents of the bag. It was a silver necklace with a moon charm. It looked almost exactly like the one Aric had gotten me for Christmas two years before.

I glanced at Aric, unsure. “It’s a necklace,” I said finally.

“Do you know who that necklace belongs to?”

“No.”

“Well, we received a tip that it was your necklace,” Perkins said.

“Well, it’s not,” I said, handing it back.

“What does this necklace have to do with anything?” Aric asked.

“It was found clutched in the hand of one of the victims found outside of the library,” Perkins said.

“Uh-huh. And someone just called in an anonymous tip and told you it was Zoe’s?”

“We received a tip that Ms. Lake had an identical necklace,” Perkins said. “We’re just trying to rule her out as a suspect.”

“Is that why you have people parked outside of the house all of the time?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“What about the two guys who followed us to my parents’ house in Lansing over Christmas?” Aric pressed.

Perkins shifted uncomfortably. “I … .”

“Don’t bother lying,” Aric said. “My dad called and confirmed their identities with the department. There are certain safety concerns associated with strange men parking outside of a senator’s house for two straight weeks.”

I knew that was a lie. Aric was playing with them.

“Ms. Lake is a suspect in a murder investigation,” Perkins said. “If it’s any consolation, the only report we got back is that you two seemed to enjoy your Christmas.”

Aric grinned. “We did.”

“Back to the necklace,” Perkins said. “How can you be sure that this isn’t yours?”

“Because her necklace has an engraving,” Aric answered for me.

“And how do you know that?”

“Because it was my Christmas gift to her two years ago,” Aric said. “I’m the one who had it engraved.”

“And what is the engraving?”

“It’s our initials with a small heart,” Aric replied.

“You had it engraved with your initials and a heart?” The other cop finally spoke, a haughty smile on his face.

“Yep.”

“Well, can we see this necklace?” Perkins asked.

I shrugged, getting to my feet. “It’s in the bedroom.”

Perkins made a move like he was going to follow me, but Aric shook his head. “No offense, but I’m not fond of the idea of another man in my girlfriend’s bedroom. It’s right there. She’ll leave the bedroom door open. You can stay out here.”

Perkins frowned but remained seated.

I found the necklace where I’d placed it the night before, on top of the mini refrigerator next to the bed. I returned to the living room and handed it over to Perkins.

He studied it for a moment, comparing it to the necklace in the bag. “They’re not exactly alike.”

“No,” Aric agreed. “I had hers specially made by a guy I know in Lansing. My dad goes to him for special jewelry for my mother.”

“I didn’t know that,” I said. “You had it specially made?”

“I wanted it to be unique,” Aric said. “I didn’t want you to have something that a bunch of other people had, too.”

“And can this jewelry guy confirm that he made this piece for you – and engraved it?” Perkins pressed.

“He can. His name is Michael Pacey. His store is located on Front Street. I don’t know the number right now, but I’m sure you can look it up. We’ll sit here if you want to call and confirm it – just so you can make sure that we’re not lying.”

“I’m sure that won’t be necessary,” Perkins said.

“I think it is,” Aric said. “I don’t want any mistakes. I don’t want anyone coming back after the fact and accusing us of calling Pacey to create an alibi.”

Perkins ran his tongue over his teeth. “Fine.”

We remained seated, watching as Perkins used his smart phone to search for the jeweler and make the call. Aric’s face was smug when Perkins disconnected. “Are we done here?”

“Just one thing,” Perkins said. “Ms. Lake, this clearly isn’t your necklace. It appears that someone went to a great deal of trouble to make sure it looked like your necklace, though.”

Aric leaned forward. “Meaning?”

“If you weren’t who you are, if you hadn’t gone out of your way to have a piece of jewelry specially made for her, then this could have been very bad for your girlfriend,” Perkins said. “Whoever planted the necklace there clearly thought it was something that numerous people could buy, which would have put Ms. Lake is a very dubious position.”

“So, now you think she’s being set up?”

“I don’t know what I think,” Perkins said. “In all honesty, I have trouble believing Ms. Lake could move ten bodies in the middle of the afternoon all by herself. We thought you helping her was a possibility, but your alibi checks out.”

“She didn’t do it,” Aric said. “You’re barking up the wrong tree.”

“If she didn’t do it, then who did?”

“You’re the cop. You tell us,” Aric said. “We’re in the dark here. You guys haven’t even released the names of the victims. We don’t even know who they were. That’s weird, by the way.”

“We’re trying to protect the families.”

“Well, you’re not going to protect them by trying to railroad Zoe,” Aric said. “Whoever is doing this is still out there. You’ve been watching us for weeks. What have you seen? We go out to dinner. We go to the movies. We spent Christmas with my family. We’re pretty boring.”

“That could all be an act,” Perkins replied.

“If you think that, then you’re never going to solve this case,” Aric said. “Now, I definitely think you’re done here.”

By the end of the month, I’d managed to put being questioned by the cops behind me. Mostly. Aric was still angry, but he was trying to hide it. He was also worried, and he was having a harder time hiding that.

We decided to spend the last weekend of the month at his apartment. I knew the cops were still watching me, and while I was running out of time to spend with my roommates, I needed some quiet.

“What movie do you want to see?”

Aric handled my agitation the only way he knew how: Food and entertainment. He’d taken me out for a big dinner – more prime rib for both of us – and now we were trying to decide what form our mindless entertainment would take for the next two hours.

I leaned into him, resting my head against his shoulder, and looked over the movie board. “I don’t know. What are you in the mood for?”

“Well, there’s the latest horror schlock offering,” Aric said. “I think it involves a creepy kid being possessed.”

“Don’t they all these days?” I asked. “I like the creepy kids better than that fake documentary stuff.”

“Yeah,” Aric agreed. “Those are unwatchable.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “I’m not really in the mood for horror.”

“Yeah, our lives are horrific enough,” I agreed.

Aric shook his head, brushing his lips against my forehead. “I think we’re luckier than most. How about that science fiction movie with Tom Cruise?”

“I’m just not into him anymore,” I said. “Plus, the special effects look cheesy, and the trailer makes the story look generic.”

“Are you a film critic now?”

I ignored him. “There’s a romance movie with Rachel McAdams.”

Aric made a gagging sound. “No.”

“Why not?”

“I’ll never forgive you for making me sit through
The Notebook
,” he said. “It was depressing.”

I wrinkled my nose. “That doesn’t give us a lot of options.”

“Keanu Reeves has another movie,” Aric pointed out.

“He can’t act.”

Aric sighed. “There’s another
Fast and the Furious
movie,” he said. “Fast cars and hot women. You can’t find fault with that.”

“Sold.”

“I was joking.”

“I like Vin Diesel,” I said. “And, no, I can’t explain it. The movies are huge and ridiculous – but they’re also entertaining. Let’s see that.”

Aric nodded, reaching into his back pocket for his wallet. “I do like the cars.”

After buying the tickets, we stopped at the concession stand to pick snacks. When we were done, we made our way into the theater and found seats. Aric positioned the bucket of popcorn on his lap , and then slung his arm around my shoulders. The movie wouldn’t start for another ten minutes.

“So, how are you feeling about everything?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “It’s just all so surreal. Someone is obviously trying to frame me.”

“Any idea who?”

“Well, Blake is the obvious answer,” I said.

“But?”

“But, he was genuinely surprised when I told him the bodies were arranged in the shape of a pentagram,” I said. “I can see him doing something horrible to try and frame the magical community, but he’s not a good enough actor to fake that reaction.”

“So, what are our other options?”

“I don’t know.”

Aric rubbed the back of my neck. “Well, we can’t figure it out now. Eat some popcorn and enjoy the movie.”

“I know why you put the popcorn on your lap,” I teased. “At some point during the movie, you’re going to move the bucket so I grab something else when I reach for it.”

“Am I that transparent?”

“Yeah, but I like it.”

“WELL,
that was all kinds of awesome,” Aric announced as we left the theater two and a half hours later. “I really love how the cars seem like they can fly sometimes.”

“Are you being sarcastic?”

“What was your first tip?”

“There were plenty of women for you to ogle,” I said.

“You just like seeing Vin Diesel all sweaty.”

“I do.”

“Do you want me to shave my head? I’m starting to get a complex.”

“Don’t shave your head,” I said. “Only certain people can carry off the bald look. Your head is lumpy.”

“My head is not lumpy.”

“I’ve felt it. It’s lumpy.”

“I think I’ve been insulted.” Aric feigned outrage.

“I like your hair the way it is,” I said. “It gives me something to tug on during special moments.”

Aric’s smile was flirty. “Are you up for a special moment when we get home?”

“I don’t know. Did you bring the popcorn bucket?”

Aric leaned down, pressing his lips to mine. “I don’t need the bucket.”

He linked his fingers with mine as we left. The nights were still cold, and our breaths came out in a hazy fog as we walked toward his truck. We were both comfortable with the silence, thoughts of his warm bed dancing in our heads.

Something niggled the back of my brain suddenly. It was like my mind was caving in, red danger lights flashing behind my eyes causing me to still. Aric frowned. “What is it?”

“I … someone is here.”

Aric swiveled quickly, looking behind us. He didn’t question my intuition. He just reacted.

Two figures were advancing on us from behind, darting in between the parking lines, using the cars as camouflage. Aric let go of my hand, his fingers stretching and his claws extending as he began to snarl.

I’d never seen him fully change, and it was something he didn’t seem keen on letting me see. He was just reacting now.

“Get in the truck,” Aric ordered.

I ignored him, focusing on the two figures. “I’m not leaving you alone.”

“Zoe,” Aric growled. “Don’t make a target of yourself.”

“I’m not helpless,” I reminded him. “I can protect myself. Heck, I can protect you.”

Aric’s face was twisted. “Get behind me then.”

I rolled my eyes. “Maybe you should get behind me.”

“I’m going to kill you,” Aric warned. “I’m going to rip your head right off your shoulders.”

“Oh, you say the sweetest things.”

Aric focused on the two figures, lifting his nose so he could scent the air. “They’re vampires.”

“Are you sure?”

“I think I know what a vampire smells like,” Aric snapped.

“Why would vampires be attacking?”

“Maybe they’re under Blake’s thrall,” Aric shot back. “How should I know? Get in the damned truck!”

“You get in the truck.”

“I swear … I just … .”

I focused on the vampires. “Who are you?”

They didn’t answer.

I tried again. “Did Blake send you?”

Still nothing. I was starting to get agitated. I lifted my hands, shaking them. There was no spark. The only thing that met my efforts was a void. Crap. “Work!”

Aric’s shoulders were tense, his fingers topped off with long talons now. The sound emanating from his throat was feral and full of warning.

The first vampire attacked, and Aric caught him in midair. Their howls mixed together as Aric struggled to keep the vampire from getting behind him. Although Aric was bigger, the vampire had power on his side – and something was propelling him to fight harder.

He wanted to get to me, I realized. Aric was the one standing in his way. He would kill Aric to get to me. Of that I had no doubt.

I clapped my hands together, hoping to feel the tingle that I knew accompanied the fire. Suddenly, there was a spark. The magic flared and then flamed out. It was enough to slow the approach of the second vampire.

“Do that again,” Aric ordered, his teeth gritted. “I can’t take them both on.”

“I’m trying.”

“Try harder.”

“Don’t boss me around.”

Aric snarled, raking his claws across the vampire’s neck. Dark blood splashed out, hitting the pavement. The vampire grabbed its neck instinctively, which allowed Aric to move in closer.

“Zoe, you have to kill the other one,” he said. “It’s coming for you. Please, baby, do it.”

I shook my hands again. This time, when the magic ignited, it didn’t flame out. The glow was low and green, and I didn’t bother looking around the parking lot to see if we were alone. It was already too late for that. Survival was all that I cared about.

“Stay back,” I warned.

The vampire was clearly alarmed by the situation. Aric had managed to get the upper hand on the one he was fighting, and the duo were locked in a death match only a few feet away. My glowing hands were a clear threat to the other.

“I will fry you,” I said.

“Stop giving him warnings,” Aric grunted. “Just do it.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Fine.”

The magic arced out from my palms, traveling across the parking lot and smacking the vampire, hitting him square in the chest. His face contorted in agony, flames licking his face as his hair ignited. His screams were loud, but brief. Then they faded into nothing and disappeared.

Aric howled as he ripped the head from the other vampire, the torso remaining standing until exploding into a pile of ash. Only a split-second later, the head did the same.

Aric leaned against his truck, gasping for breath. “Are you okay?”

I rushed to his side. “Are you?”

“I’m great. You did good.”

“I don’t know why I can’t make it happen right away,” I said, pressing my face against his neck. “It’s like I have to be really worked up for it to work.”

Aric wrapped his arm around me. “It only happens when you’re angry,” he said. “That’s why I kept yelling at you.”

“That’s why you were such a dick?”

“Hey, I’m not a dick,” Aric said, giving me a quick kiss. “I just needed you to protect yourself.”

“What happens now?”

The sound of approaching sirens stilled us both.

“Now we have to think of a story to tell the cops,” Aric said. “And we have to do it quickly. The only thing we have going for us is that your eyes aren’t big, blue orbs this time. That’s progress.”

“Maybe we should just go,” I suggested.

“That will make us look guilty.”

“So, what do we say?”