Beast

by Kate Harre

  ‘Agreed.’

  Alex, who’d been holding his breath throughout the whole exchange, slumped back in his chair with an audible sigh of relief. Annie glanced over at him and grinned widely.

  Chapter 12

  ‘My parents have basically grounded me until this murderer is caught,’ Mikayla announced glumly on Monday morning, the news of the second murder having spread like wildfire over the weekend.

  ‘Mine too,’ Caroline said with a feeling sigh. ‘The only exception is Prom and I swear they would have stopped me from going to that too if I hadn’t promised to hate them forever!’

  Chelsea nodded. ‘The Sherriff better find him soon, because it’s seriously denting my dating life!’

  Absurdly pleased to discover she wasn’t the only one virtually on house arrest, Annie laughed. ‘Trust you to bring it back to your dating life!’

  ‘How am I supposed to make Adrian jealous if I’m not seen with other guys?’ Chelsea murmured under her breath so only Annie could hear.

  Annie suppressed a groan, not entirely convinced her friend’s strategy to propel Adrian into action was a good one.

  Caroline nudged Mikayla and pointed her head down the corridor. Brad was walking in their direction and even Annie, who barely knew him, could tell he wasn’t his usual self. His shoulders were slumped, one hand shoved into his jeans pocket. As he got closer, Annie could see he was hollow-eyed, stark shadows under his eyes attesting to a sleepless night.

  After he’d passed, his cocky grin nowhere to be seen, Chelsea lifted an enquiring brow in Caroline’s direction. ‘What’s up with him?’

  ‘I heard he spent the better part of yesterday afternoon in the Sherriff’s office… being interrogated.’

  ‘Why?’ Annie, who’d already dismissed Brad from Danielle’s suspect list, was mystified.

  ‘The girl who was murdered over the weekend was the cheerleader he’d been fooling around with,’ Mikayla explained. ‘Remember, I told you about her a while back?’

  Annie nodded, surprised she hadn’t figured that out for herself. She remembered watching Brad flirt with a red-haired cheerleader at the game on Friday night – that must be the girl she’d witnessed heroically fighting for her life.

  ‘Since Danielle was his girlfriend, he has a connection to both murders,’ Caroline continued, clutching her books to her chest.

  ‘Do you think he did it?’ Chelsea asked, staring intently in the direction Brad had taken.

  ‘He’s arrogant, sure. But I would never have picked him for a killer,’ Caroline mused. ‘And he doesn’t exactly look guilty. Stressed, yes… but not guilty.’

  Annie was inclined to agree, but it couldn’t be denied there was a strong connection between the two victims and Brad. And that connection might provide the missing information to unveil the true murderer.

  She mentioned that to Alex while he was taking her through some boxing drills.

  ‘It’s worth considering. But we’re only going to investigate it from the comfort of home – no field trips and no questioning of Brad,’ Alex warned. ‘We might not think he’s the killer, but we could easily be wrong.’

  Annie flew through the boxing sequence – jab, jab, cross, jab, uppercut, uppercut, hook – ducked under his swinging arm and finished with a roundhouse kick to the pad he was holding against his side. ‘You’re supposed to be my friend, not another parent,’ she complained.

  He shrugged, tossed aside the pad and started helping her out of her boxing gloves. ‘Put yourself in my shoes. Would you like it if you were trapped in this house while I was out chasing potentially dangerous leads and you had no idea where I was or if I was okay?’

  ‘No. I’d hate it.’ She sighed. He made his point well but had the grace not to rub her face in it.

  Handing her a water bottle, he pulled himself up onto a balancing beam. ‘There’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you.’

  She searched his face curiously, wondering at the tension around his mouth. ‘What is it?’

  ‘Talking about you moving away made me realise that even if you don’t leave now, you will be leaving in a few months anyway to go to college.’ His eyes met hers. ‘And then I wondered where you were thinking of going and what you’re going to study. I mean, you must have applied to some colleges, right?’

  Annie glugged back half the bottle of water and then pulled herself up on the beam beside him. Her feet were miles off the ground, whereas his toes were lightly brushing the mat beneath them. She always felt so small beside him and she kind of liked it.

  ‘Ah, well answering that question would require me to know what I’m going to do and I haven’t decided yet.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘I figure since I’m probably going to be stuck with these visions or nightmares or whatever they are, I should do something productive with them. I’ve effectively got an inside track and while I might not be able to stop murders before they happen, maybe I can use my advantage to help solve them in an official capacity.’

  Alex grimaced, obviously not liking that idea. ‘Go on.’

  ‘I was thinking about applying to become a police officer with a view to eventually becoming a Detective. Or, I could go to college and study investigative journalism.’ She shrugged. ‘Either way, I can legitimately get involved in solving any future murders I witness.’

  ‘Right,’ he said slowly, his hands curling around the beam so tightly his knuckles were white. ‘Which option are you leaning towards?’

  ‘Even though these visions are the motivating factor, they’re also my biggest problem,’ she shared ruefully. ‘If I’m going to college I’ll need to find one that isn’t situated in the middle of a big city, otherwise I’m going to end up a complete and utter wreck like I was in New York. At least I can become a police officer in North Carolina.’

  ‘That doesn’t really answer the question.’

  She screwed her nose up at him, which provoked an answering smile. ‘I was hoping you wouldn’t notice.’

  Alex snorted at the absurdity of that idea. ‘As if.’

  ‘I really enjoyed writing the article about Danielle and trying to put all the pieces together without having to follow police protocol,’ she admitted.

  ‘So it looks like investigative journalism is winning,’ Alex commented mildly. ‘Since that’s probably the slightly safer option, it’s got my vote.’

  ‘We’ll see.’ The topic made her slightly uncomfortable. She’d skirted around the issue, but the main reason she was vacillating on her decision was that she didn’t want to leave Alex behind when she left. If she followed the police route, she could still live in Ridgeville and see Alex. But she also knew if she told him that he’d be furious. The last thing he would want was for her to make major life decisions based around him. And he’d be right – it’s not like they were even a couple. It was crazy to limit herself to Ridgeville for a friend she’d only known for a few weeks. And yet the thought of leaving him was virtually impossible to comprehend.

  ‘What about you?’ she asked abruptly. ‘You’ll go out of your mind if you don’t have something productive to do.’

  He picked up the bottle top she’d discarded on the bench between them, studying it intently as he twisted it around and around in his long fingers. ‘I wanted to be a doctor,’ he said gruffly. ‘Not something you can study by distance and even if you could, I’d frighten off any potential patients.’

  Annie slipped her left hand into his and leaned her head against his shoulder. She thought she had it bad; but the limitations his disfigurement imposed were considerably worse. ‘What’s Plan B?’ she asked quietly.

  ‘A finance degree,’ he murmured, slightly distracted by the apple scent of her hair. She was so damn affectionate and he, who had been starved of love his whole life, just wanted to lap it all up. He turned his head and rubbed his chin lightly on the top of her head, wishing he could do more but conscious of not letting his scars touch her. ‘Dad isn’t much into sentimentality, s
o every birthday I got shares instead of presents. I’ve got quite an extensive portfolio already. Now I just need to learn how to work the markets and make an already obscene pile of money bigger.’

  ‘Sounds fun!’ she said with forced cheerfulness.

  He threw back his head and laughed, his whole body convulsing with merriment and causing her to release her hold on him in the process. ‘You’re a terrible liar, Princess!’

  ‘I know, but you like me anyway,’ she said cheekily.

  ‘That I do,’ he replied solemnly. You have no idea how much, he thought to himself.

  *

  On Wednesday a town meeting was called for that evening. Annie walked up the steps of the town hall with Karen and Jake on either side of her. Her friends had all complained about having to attend but Annie was enjoying yet another novelty of small town life. They took a seat on one of the benches midway down the hall. A couple of minutes later, Chelsea slid in beside her, followed by her parents who leaned over the girls to introduce themselves to Jake.

  ‘What’s the bet the powers that be are going to cancel Prom,’ Chelsea muttered in Annie’s ear.

  ‘You think?’

  ‘Nothing like this has ever happened before and it’s got all the adults in a real tizz. You’d think the world was about to end!’

  Before Annie could reply, the Mayor stood up on the stage and called the meeting to order, thanking everyone for coming.

  ‘I think it’s safe to say we all have our children’s wellbeing and safety at the forefront of our minds and so I would like to openly and freely discuss the matter of this year’s Senior Prom. All thoughts are welcome and at the end of the meeting we will determine whether to proceed with the Prom. But first I would like Sherriff Denton to say a few words.’

  The Mayor stood off to the side and the Sherriff took his place. She looked drawn and weary.

  ‘I wish I had good news to tell you tonight, but I don’t. As yet, we haven’t apprehended the perpetrator,’ she began quietly. ‘I can’t tell you the details of our investigation but I will tell you we have been building a profile of this person. That profile leads us to believe there is a high chance the killer is a student at the high school.’

  There were collective gasps around the hall and distressed murmurs as parents turned to each other for support. Karen and Jake exchanged a look, already aware this was likely.

  ‘I can’t believe they haven’t already thought of that,’ Chelsea whispered to Annie, forgetting she’d only considered it when Annie had pointed out the possibility. ‘Some parents are so clueless!’

  Annie smiled grimly.

  The Sherriff held up her hands for order. ‘I know this is confronting, but please be aware the Principal and teachers are well aware of the situation and we truly believe your children will be safe at school. I have also assigned a Deputy to patrol the halls and grounds during school hours, so there is no reason to panic.’

  ‘Both murders have happened after a basketball game,’ one parent called out. ‘Are you going to suspend play?’

  Sherriff Denton shook her head. ‘No. We don’t want to jeopardise the players’ chances of being selected for college scholarships. Again, I will have a Deputy on site during all practice sessions and games. Please remember, this is only one person. As long as our kids stick together, school and all related activities are completely safe.’

  Another parent spoke up. ‘So you’re saying the Prom shouldn’t be called off?’

  ‘Not necessarily. I will personally put myself on duty, along with several of my deputies, to ensure the gym and all the students in it are protected. I see no reason for anything to go amiss at the event.’ She frowned, but continued calmly. ‘That being said, I’m concerned about how our young people get to the gym. Unbeknownst to her, one girl’s partner may very well be the perpetrator and so I don’t want any of our girls to be in a situation where they’re travelling alone with a boy.’

  ‘Then I say we call off the Prom,’ someone called loudly. ‘I don’t want it to be my daughter getting into the car with a murderer!’

  There was a chorus of agreement around the hall, interspersed with groans and protests from the Seniors present, including Chelsea and Annie.

  ‘I knew it!’ Chelsea muttered dejectedly.

  ‘What if we all travelled in groups?’ Brad stood up and addressed the Sherriff.

  ‘What are you suggesting?’ she asked.

  Brad shrugged. ‘I don’t know exactly. But if we were in groups, the guy’s not going to be able to overpower any one person, so we should be safe, right? Maybe the minivan we use to travel to away games could do round trips?’

  The Mayor strode back to the middle of the stage and stood beside Sherriff Denton. ‘The idea has merit,’ he allowed. ‘My daughter will be devastated if Prom is cancelled and while I’m happy to do it for her protection, if there’s an alternative I’m willing to consider it. What does everybody else think?’

  There were some murmurs of agreement and a few dissenters.

  Terry, the town council’s maintenance man, gardener and jack-of-all-trades, stood and cleared his throat. ‘Mayor Eddings, may I make a suggestion?’

  ‘Of course, Terry.’

  ‘The Founder’s Day floats are sitting unused in a shed but they’re all in working order. If we could get enough volunteer drivers, there should be enough to have one float to each main residential street. Parents could walk their kids out to the float on their street, that way every kid would be under adult supervision from the moment they leave their house to the moment they arrive at the gym, where the Prom committee, teachers and Sherriff’s staff can take over.’

  One father jumped to his feet. ‘I, for one, don’t want to disappoint the kids if we don’t have to. I’m happy to drive a float.’

  ‘Me too,’ another father stood, followed by several others.

  Mayor Eddings turned to the Sherriff. ‘What do you think, Sherriff?’

  ‘This is why I love this town. You all make me so proud,’ she said gruffly. ‘Terry, you’re in charge of supervising the drivers. I’ll look forward to seeing all you young people at the gym on Saturday night.’

  A cheer erupted from those very same young people, echoing around the hall and bringing smiles to all the adults’ faces.

  *

  Saturday finally arrived and after originally feeling negative towards it, Annie found herself quite excited about going to Prom. Chelsea turned up on her doorstep mid-afternoon so the two of them could get ready together. Personally, Annie felt it was a little early to start, but Chelsea had been adamant that achieving perfection took time and she fully intended for both of them to look completely exquisite.

  And as they both descended the stairs that evening, Chelsea had clearly succeeded.

  ‘Wow!’ Jake breathed. ‘You two look incredible.’

  His eyes a little misty, he cleared his throat and turned to Karen. ‘Seeing her look like a woman… well, it makes me feel old and decidedly surplus to requirement.’

  ‘I know… awful, isn’t it?’ Karen sniffed and rested her head against Jake’s shoulder.

  ‘Aw, come on you guys! Chelsea spent ages getting my makeup right – don’t make me mess up my mascara! I’ll always need you… no matter how old I am.’

  She moved forward to hug her parents, but Chelsea abruptly jumped in front of her. ‘No hugging! You’ll get all mussed.’

  Annie rolled her eyes, but obediently refrained from embracing Jake and Karen. Sorry, she mouthed.

  Karen smiled benevolently at Chelsea, but Jake was looking a little pugnacious. ‘I’ll make it up to you tomorrow, Dad. We’ll go out for ice cream sundaes.’

  His face instantly brightened. Ice cream was his favourite food and it had been quite some time since the two of them had gone out to indulge together.

  A bell rang outside and the two girls quickly picked up their clutches and raced outside to the waiting wagon, where they joined other classmates from their street fo
r the journey to school. It might not be the way any of them had intended to travel to Prom, but Annie thought it was kind of fun. Certainly it was something that would never have happened in New York! Annie wouldn’t see Adrian until she arrived at the school gym, since he was on a different street and would be picked up by one of the other floats. Since they were only attending as friends, she wasn’t fazed. Chelsea, on the other hand, was quietly fuming that she would miss her grand entrance on Stephen’s arm.

  The transportation did, however, make the occasion quite festive and when they piled off the floats in front of the gym everyone was laughing and smiling and having a great time.

  As promised, the Sherriff and her Deputies were making their presence felt, but most of the students ignored them in favour of finding their partners. Chelsea spotted Stephen the moment they approached the gym doors and headed in his direction, gliding past Adrian without acknowledging him. Adrian’s gaze clung to her as she walked away, sweeping up and down her length in obvious appreciation. He turned away with a bitter sigh and wandered over to Annie.

  ‘Sorry,’ he muttered, uneasily aware he shouldn’t have left his date standing alone.

  Annie linked her arm through his and gave it a gentle squeeze. ‘No need to apologise. I know she’s messing with your head.’

  ‘Why couldn’t I have fallen for you? You’re too straight forward to play games.’

  ‘It’s that funny old thing called chemistry… we just can’t help who we’re attracted to.’

  ‘Screw that.’ Adrian shrugged off his melancholy. ‘Neither of us is here with the person we want to be, but you and I are going to have fun anyway! Deal?’

  ‘Deal.’ They shook on it and Adrian led her into the gym.

  Annie was startled at the transformation it had undergone. The bleachers had been pushed back and long white curtains, decorated with silver and purple stars, dropped from the roof to the floor. The lighting was dimmed, with candles clustered on the scattered tables adding a little romance to the area. The organising committee had even managed to bring in a spectacular chandelier. And everywhere she looked were girls suddenly transformed into beautiful young women, their partners looking handsome in formal dinner suits.