Only, what would she even do in there? When it came down to it, she had nothing to say, or nothing to ask. There was already so much to take in from their conversation in the car. In the end, she just wanted to be closer to him, and admitting something like that was too much for her to handle. In the short amount of time they had gotten to know each other, Vee found herself enraptured by his presence. Despite knowing it was nothing more than a schoolgirl crush, she felt like Landon had made an effort to get to know her more than any other person she knew, minus her parents. It was a silly thing, which is why she didn’t entertain the thought any more than that, but it was intoxicating nonetheless. It made her grateful that he couldn’t see his own strings, or else he’d probably keep an even stronger distance.
“How are you feeling?”
Sylvie’s soft voice drew Vee out of her thoughts, and Vee realized she had been clenching her fists. She probably looked pretty silly sitting on that sofa.
“Ah, fine,” Vee said. “Thanks for asking.”
Sylvie stood up and joined her on the sofa. “It’s okay,” she said, a sorry expression on her face. “I understand how scary it is to be pursued by a criminal. It’s not something anyone should go through.”
Vee watched as Sylvie looked coldly into nowhere. She had been given the same story as the police and the hospital by extension—which was mostly the truth—but didn’t include all the strange, supernatural details accompanying the situation. Landon had received a request from Lyndzi, went to go check it out, found a pool of blood in the abandoned house’s cellar, and went to investigate. He decided to take a look through the forest before heading down, and discovered the pretty obvious path the supposed killer took through the trees. When it came out to the river, he took a dive to see if he could find anything, and when he did, he took it upon himself to pull it up. After doing so, Vee miraculously regained consciousness, and the whole ordeal was written off as some kind of extended coma and cold water preservation.
Everyone had been incredibly respectful and aloof when approaching the topic, but Sylvie had just presented an additional level of understanding. “You’ve been targeted too?” Vee said.
Sylvie nodded. “It happened about a year ago. It’s how I started working for Mr. Clawson.”
That made sense to Vee. Landon didn’t seem like the kind of person to employ a high schooler without good reason. It made sense to her that Sylvie was probably working for him as more of a thank-you than because he actually needed a secretary, and Sylvie had already proven to go way out of her way for even the simplest of things. Which reminded her...
“Ah, I’m sorry, I didn’t get around to washing your clothes.”
“Oh, don’t worry about it! You can bring them by anytime. I’m here pretty much every evening, and then again on weekend mornings.”
Vee sat on her hands. “Wow, that’s kind of a lot...do you even have any time to do anything else?”
Sylvie flushed and looked down. “Um...well, don’t tell Mr. Clawson, but not really.”
Vee gave a sympathetic smile. “I’m pretty sure Landon would be more concerned about you having more free time than you coming in, but that’s just my impression.”
“No, you’re right,” Sylvie said, “but I really don’t mind spending all my time here. Mr. Clawson is nice to me, and it feels good helping out. Plus, I get some money to put into savings, so that’s a plus.”
“But what about your studies? Or your friends?”
“I get by,” Sylvie said, “but just barely.”
Vee examined Sylvie. She couldn’t see strings like Landon could, but she had a pretty good guess as to why Sylvie would choose to be around him instead of her peers.
“Sylvie, do you like Landon?”
Sylvie’s face turned bright red, and incoherent noises spouted out of her mouth. Vee chuckled a bit, knowing she had hit the bullseye. Of course, Sylvie denied it, but it was pretty obvious to Vee.
“What? No! I mean, I do like him, but not like that! Mr. Clawson saved my life and my home. He’s more like a...a brother! Yes. A brother.”
“It’s okay, Sylvie,” Vee said, “You don’t need to come up with excuses. Landon is a pretty phenomenal guy. I’m honestly surprised he isn’t already married or something.”
“I ask myself the same thing sometimes,” Sylvie said, but immediately returned to her previous ramblings. “I mean, not that I really care! As long as Mr. Clawson is happy, that’s all that matters to me.”
Vee gave her a sly smirk, but decided to drop the issue. She wondered if Landon knew. She couldn’t be certain, but he seemed like the kind of guy who was really observant, but dense when it came to a girl’s feelings for him—and since he couldn’t see his own strings, it probably flew over his head all the more. Maybe that was for the best, because as much as Vee didn’t want to admit it, Sylvie did make her a tad jealous. She got to spend all of her extra time with him, and even though Vee knew Landon would probably never go for a high school girl, the time alone was probably enough to forge some kind of bond—and in a few years, who could say? Sylvie was pretty and cute in both appearance and personality, and Landon deserved someone who would be completely devoted. Most of all, though, Vee was just disappointed that she’d probably never get the opportunity to further whatever bond was starting between them.
As nerve-wracking as it was waiting on the sofa, there was a certain sense of peace concerning the issue: peace that the police would find and arrest Kayne, and that she could go back to living her ordinary life. Of course, with that peace came a sense of distant longing. A return to that life would mean no more reasons to come back here, except for perhaps once or twice on pretended club business. She could ask to come with Lyndzi, but what for? Vee didn’t like to do things on whims, especially when there was no valid excuse to do so.
Just as Vee would have run away with her thoughts, Landon emerged from his office. “Bad news,” he said, “The Cardonk police couldn’t locate Kayne.”
Vee’s anxiety returned. “No? What did they say?”
Landon walked over to the sofas and put his hands in his pockets. “The police were able to mobilize the force in Cardonk pretty quick, but when they went to the Gilberts’ residence, Kayne was nowhere to be found. Apparently he had never even gone up, or even made plans to stay awhile.”
The color left Vee’s face and she shrank a bit in the cushions. “So...where does that leave us now...?”
Landon looked to the side with a grave expression. “It means you’ll be put under police protection.”
“What does that mean?”
“Considering this is a high priority case, a decision had to be made right away. I offered to shelter you, and that seems to be the course of action for the time being.”
Vee wasn’t sure to feel tense or relieved. While she was grateful she wouldn’t be shipped off to another state with a different identity and pretended guardians, the element of not knowing where her killer was brought a level of urgency that seemed to sit in her throat like a bullfrog on a log.
Vee checked her watch. It was nearly 7pm, and despite the recent surge of adrenaline, the events of the day were catching up to her. Not only that, but she was getting hungry, too. She realized she hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast, since she and Landon skipped lunch.
“Don’t worry,” Landon said, “it’ll only be temporary. Once Kayne is arrested, you’ll be free to go. They want you hidden pretty quick, though. We should get going.”
Vee nodded. “Can we drop by my apartment first? I’d at least like to grab a change of clothes.”
“Sure,” Landon said.
“I’ll stay and finish up the section I was on,” Sylvie said. “I’ll close the office as well. Let me know if you need anything!”
Landon nodded, then he paused. “Thanks. Keep your phone handy. Let me know if anything happens.”
“Okay,” Sylvie said. “Take care, Vee!”
Vee smiled. “Thanks.”
Back
in the car, Vee could see that Landon had a lot going on in his head. She couldn’t blame him. She had questions of her own, and the uncertainty of safety definitely put a damper on her comprehension.
“What are you thinking about?” She said, a few minutes into the drive.
Landon heaved a sigh. “I’m worried about the condition of Mr. Gilbert.”
“The...condition?” Vee said.
He nodded. “His location...his state of mind. His condition.”
“You don’t have to be worried about me, if that’s what you’re concerned about,” Vee said.
“I am concerned for your safety, but I’m also trying to use that information to judge where he might be.”
Vee cocked her head. “Care to elaborate?”
“Kayne wasn’t at his parents’ house, even after his boyfriend said he brought him there. That either means Nick was lying, or was otherwise mislead. I’m leaning more towards the latter, since I saw no ill will towards you from Nick, but...”
Vee leaned forward. “Do you want me to ask?”
Landon glanced her way for a moment. “How? You don’t have a phone. Unless you happen to have his number memorized.”
Vee shook her head. “No, but I can probably get a hold of him over social media. It’s not a surefire way to communicate, but it could bring you one step closer to figuring it out.”
“That...could work,” Landon said. “And thinking about it, I’m not sure I let Jim know it was specifically his boyfriend that brought him to his parents’. This could reveal something important after all.”
Landon reached for his phone and passed it to Vee. She remembered the passcode, and it seemed as if Landon hadn’t bothered to exit out of her place from the browser. She was a little embarrassed that he kept it up at all, but it was more of a testament to technological negligence than his actual interest in her feed. She navigated to the online chat and located Nick.
Hey, Nick, didn’t you say that you dropped of Kayne at his parents’?
It was silent for a few minutes, but the notification did pop up in the end.
Yeah. Crazy story, by the way, the police came by earlier asking about Kayne, too! They were asking if I’d seen him lately. Why do you ask? Do you think he’s alright?
“Oh,” Vee said, “It seems the police have already started looking around for clues. They asked Nick if he had any information about Kayne’s whereabouts.”
“Good to hear,” Landon said.
Vee contemplated how to respond, and for the first time that day, she considered the social repercussions of Kayne’s actions. She had been focused on herself and how she was supposed to act around people, but what would happen once the cat was out of the bag? There would be court cases, and probably media attention as well. How would Nick feel? How would people feel toward Nick? What about Jon, or Cassie, or the Prez? Vee lowered the phone, dejected and unsure.
“What’s the matter?” Landon asked.
“I...I’m not sure how to respond. What do I say?”
“What exactly did he say?”
Vee repeated the message, and Landon hummed in contemplation. “Well,” he said, “what do you want to say?”
“I want to say I’m sorry. I feel like he deserves to know the truth. How else would he find out? He’ll probably learn about it on social media or from someone else in the club after Kayne’s already been apprehended. I don’t think that’s fair to him.”
Landon took a moment to collect his thoughts before responding. “I understand where you’re coming from,” he said, “but remember that our priority here is to find out more about Kayne. It doesn’t mean you have to be dishonest, but consider breaking it to him after we’ve learned a little more.”
Vee sighed. “Alright,” she said, and composed her message.
Woah, really? What did you tell them?
The response came back quicker this time. I said he should be at his parents’ house, but they said he wasn’t there? They asked if he was at my place.
That’s so weird...if he wasn’t at his parents’ place, where do you think he’d be?
That’s just it, I don’t have a clue. I mean, he did grow up there, though. Maybe he’s hanging out with some friends?
Did he mention anything like that when you dropped him off?
No, but I mean, it’s cool with me if he wants to be with friends.
Vee had a sick feeling in her stomach. Nick really was a good guy. She wondered how hard he’d take it to know he’d been dating a cheater and a murderer. He deserved better than that.
Remembering what she was supposed to be doing, Vee took a breath to collect her thoughts. Kayne’s parents had no idea he even had plans of coming up, which had to mean that if Nick was telling the truth, he wouldn’t have actually seen them either. Maybe she could run with that.
How did Kayne’s parents seem? Were they worried about him at all?
Actually, I didn’t get the chance to say hi. Since Cardonk is so far away, anytime I need to give Kayne a ride, I just drop him off at a friend’s place in Newport. Saves me a lot of time. That’s a good idea, though, I’ll ask them.
Newport? Vee would have to tell that to Landon, but an idea struck her. Were you able to get a hold of Kayne directly?
I tried, but I haven’t gotten any response.
That’s a bummer. Let me know if you figure anything out!
Will do.
Vee sighed and leaned back in the seat. “How far away is Newport, exactly?”
“Roughly an hour by car. Why?”
“Nick said he didn’t actually bring Kayne all the way to Cardonk, just to Newport where his friend would take him all the way up.”
Landon went silent. “I see,” he said after the pause.
“What? Is there something important in Newport?”
The conversation with Nick had taken a substantial amount of time, and Landon had already made it to Vee’s apartment. As he put the car in park, he looked at Vee. “Newport is where Mr. Clarke lives.”
That sick feeling returned to Vee’s stomach as she slunk into the seat.
“I should’ve expected as much, really. More importantly, Newport is significantly closer than Cardonk. We’ll have to keep our guard up.”
Vee nodded. “I’ll go get my things,” she said. “You can stay here, I’ll only be a moment.”
Landon nodded and Vee left the vehicle. She hurried into the building and up the flights of stairs to her apartment. Inside, she was met with a chill. Did I turn the heat off when I left? She thought.
She didn’t want to keep Landon waiting, but at the same time, she didn’t want to impose on him anymore than she already was—even if it was technically police-ordered. Even more than grabbing her clothes, she was starving. She had a few granola bars in the pantry, so she figured she could scarf a few down while picking things out without wasting any time. Just in case, she put a few extra into her jacket pockets for later. Maybe she could offer Landon one, too, considering it had been just as long since he had eaten, if not longer.
In her room, Vee could hear the honks of cars outside and the wail of a distant siren. It was considerably colder as well, and she had to brace against the chill. Oh wait, did I leave my window open? I don’t remember opening it...
As she approached, a shiver ran down her spine as a piece of glass snapped beneath her foot. Before her mind could comprehend the full meaning of what it meant, hands gripped around her neck, crushing her windpipe. She couldn’t even muster a scream.
Vee struggled against the grip, but the hands were strong. Despite her flailing and attempted kicks behind herself, the assailant didn’t relent. Before long, the retaliation turned into desperation. Vee didn’t care about breaking away anymore, she cared about breathing. She clawed instinctually at the fingers, practically digging into her own neck in the process. But they didn’t let go. In a moment that seemed like forever, Vee could feel the last of the oxygen get used up.
Everything went black.
- 14 -
As Landon sat in the car, his mind raced through thoughts and possibilities. It was remarkable how much had gone through his mind in the past hour, and yet, he felt as if he had gotten nowhere. Back in the office he had slowly and methodically separated all the pieces, but now was the time to try and make connections. First, there was Kayne Gilbert. College student. Killer. Then there was Vee. Also a student. Victim. The only thing that connected them was their club, though neither felt particularly passionate about the activities. For some reason, Kayne killed Vee, and unless Vee was withholding some very important information concerning their relationship, Landon didn’t know why. As far as Landon was concerned, though, Vee wasn’t hiding anything. Her string reflected that.
So what did he know about Kayne? Kayne was a liar. He was in at least two relationships, and from what he could tell, his boyfriend Nick was unaware of that fact. Landon was able to get a fair look into Nick’s character at the university as he observed his strings floating about the room. Simply put, Nick liked people. He considered nearly everyone a friend, and even towards the people he wasn’t very connected with, there was no signs of aloofness or disdain. It seemed to Landon that Nick was willing to get along with anyone and everyone, and Vee seemed to feel the same way. Had he realized at the time that he had met Kayne when working on Dr. Wellington’s case, he would have been able to pick out their string with ease. As it was, however, Landon was more focused on discerning the strings in the room, and all others fell out of focus.
The question Landon had to wrestle with now was whether or not Nick was involved in Kayne’s motive to kill Vee. Vee admitted that she had harbored a crush on Nick when they first met, but she mentioned that it resolved itself smoothly—and although there were still hints of pink in Vee’s string to Nick, Nick’s side confirmed that he simply saw her as a very good friend. But...what if Kayne didn’t see it that way? People did terrible and stupid things over misconceptions, and misconceptions about love were a dime a dozen. It was possible that Kayne interpreted Nick’s friendship with Vee as a budding romance, and decided to take violent action as retaliation. It was this line of thinking that made the most sense to Landon, but there were elements that continued to nag at him, muddling his thoughts and reasoning.
The Red String of Fate Page 10