“I've always thought you were an interesting girl.”
“So if I weren't with Marissa?”
“I don't know. I really don't.”
Great. I like Marissa. I don't love Marissa. I will probably never love Marissa. Not really. I don't love Celeste, either, but at least with her there is still that outside chance that one day I could. But I can't just dump my girlfriend to find out. Especially when she makes me feel so special when we're together.
“Oh look, it's Satan herself.” Celeste said.
“Huh?” I followed her eyes to see Marissa sitting on the step outside our apartment. “Oh.”
We parked and made our way up to where Marissa was seated. She gave me a hug, and managed a nice hello to Celeste. Celeste ignored her and went inside.
“Jess didn't let you in?” I asked.
“She isn't here.”
“What?” I turned to look for her car and didn't see it. “Weird. She was going to stay home all evening.”
“I don't know, but Miranda and I have been sitting here for almost two hours,. She had to leave just a couple of minutes ago so she can get to bed, she has work tomorrow. So can we go inside? I really have to pee.”
“Well why didn't you call or text when nobody was here?”
“I sent a text.” she said. “Maybe your phone was off while you were in the movie?”
“Oh, right.”
As we made our way inside I pulled my phone out. Sure enough, there was a text from Marissa saying she'd be over in a couple of minutes. Hm. She's right, I must have gotten the text while I had my phone silenced while we were in the theater. I don't even remember mentioning that we were at the movies, though.
“There was another body found in Lenexa.” Celeste told me. “Vampire.”
“Why can't we catch these people!”
“We'll keep trying.” she assured me. “Where is Jessica? Did she tell Marissa?”
“No. Maybe she went out looking for the vampires or that werewolf or whatever by herself.”
“She's smarter than that.”
“I thought she was, but lately I just don't know.”
I tried calling Jessica, but she didn't answer. We waited in front of the television for over an hour before I heard her pull in. We all met her at her car.
“Where have you been?” I asked.
“I've been out with Miranda all night.” she replied.
“Miranda is at home.” Marissa said. “She was here with me for almost two hours before Brynne got here.”
“She was with me, you can ask her yourself.” Jess said, glaring at Marissa.
“It's not important right now.” Celeste said, cutting off the argument. “There was another body found in Lenexa a couple of hours ago.”
“Dammit.” Jess said. “Please tell me it wasn't another young one?”
“Twelve.” Celeste said.
“Ugh!”
Twelve is way too young to die. That's not enough time to have even experienced life. That is not old enough to even leave the house alone these days.
“Oh that is low.” Marissa said, disgust filling her voice. “Who could hurt a child like that? You would have to be the most disgusting creature on the face of the planet.”
“At least we can agree on that.” Jess said.
“Are we sure your ex boyfriend isn't around again?” Marissa asked.
“He wasn't my boyfriend, and he isn't around.”
“It was a vampire, anyway.” Celeste said.
She looked around, just now realizing we were still in public I think. This would probably be a bad time to have all the neighbors thing we're a bunch of weird vampire loving cult members or something.
“We should have this conversation inside.”
“Yeah,” Jess said. She grabbed her bag from the car and slammed the door.
“Hey, what's that?” Marissa asked, pointing at the bag.
“What, you've never seen a bag before?”
“No, dumbass, I meant the stuff on the side.” she reached out and touched it and held her finger up. “Eww. Is this what I think it is?” she asked, holding her hand out toward me.
“Blood.” I said, recognizing the odor immediately. “Did you take some with you?” I asked Jess.
“No, I have no idea where that came from.”
“Yuck, it's on your seats.” Marissa said, pointing into the car. “Aren't you supposed to be able to smell that, or something? I mean being cooped up in a car I'd think...”
“Miranda had on strong perfume, so maybe...”
“Miranda was with me all night!” Marissa said. “Brynne, I'm telling you the truth. We can call her!”
“Look,” Jess grabbed Marissa's arm. “I've had about enough of your bullsh...”
“You're hurting me!”
“Hey, stop!” I said.
Why can't these two get aong for just five minutes? Is that too much to ask?
I grabbed Jessica's arm.
“Come on, don't do this.” I said.
“Where did the blood come from, Jessica?” Celeste asked, looking down into the car. “If you didn't spill some of what we gave you, where did you get it?”
“I didn't!” she replied. “I have no idea where that came from!”
“Likely story.” Marissa said, stepping behind me.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Jess asked her.
“Well,” she shrugged. “Another body was found and you have blood everywhere. You figure it out.”
“Oh right, now you're accusing me?”
“I didn't accuse anyone of anything.”
“Brynne, let me snap this little twerp's neck. Please.”
“No snapping of anything.” Celeste said. “It's a valid point, though.”
“Oh you can't think that I'd... But I mean... Celeste! Oh come on.”
“I don't know you that well. And you were nowhere to be seen all evening.”
“Brynne?”
“I... I mean...”
Could she have killed the girl? I don't think so. The Jessica I know would never do that.
“I believe you.” I told her. “I know you couldn't do that.”
“Why is she lying then, Brynne?” Marissa asked.
“Look you little bitch,” Jess said, reaching for her. “I'm going to...”
“Call Miranda, she'll tell you they weren't together.” Marissa told me.
If I call it will be like telling Jess I don't trust her. I do. But... I mean she was there when I was attacked, and claims she wasn't. She claims she didn't see that hideous thing, and she had to have seen it when she was no more than ten feet from it and it was attacking me. And now blood.
“What's the number?” I asked.
“Brynne!” Jess gasped.
“Sorry Jess, I just need to get this straight before it drives me nuts, okay?”
“Fine, ask her.”
“I trust you, I just... I need to know the truth.”
“And you believe this bitch over me?”
“I didn't say...”
“Here,” Marissa said, holding out the phone.
“Hello,” I said into it, pulling it away from Marissa. “Miranda?”
“Marissa said you needed to talk to me?” Miranda said, yawning. “I hope it's important, I was just about to fall asleep. I have work in the morning.”
“Yeah, uh... were you out with Jessica earlier?”
“Earlier? Today? No. Why?”
“What?!” Jess snapped. “Give me that phone, I...”
“You weren't?” I asked.
“No, I spent all day with Marissa. What's this about?”
“Are you sure?” I asked, eying my best friend as she glared in anger at the phone. “You mean you and Marissa maybe didn't spend time with her, or you go with her when you two came over here, or anything?”
“We sat on your step for a couple of hours waiting for you, then I came home to get re
ady for bed. Now can I please go to sleep, Brynne? I am dead tired.”
“Um, yeah, uh... thanks.”
I ended the call and watched as Jessica fumed and stomped back and forth. She kept looking at Marissa with a passionate hatred I've never really seen from Jess before.
“Lying little whore.” Jessica mumbled. “Bitch.”
“Jess,” I said.
“Good for nothing asshole.”
“Why, um...” I can't believe I'm saying this. “Why did you lie to me, Jess?”
“I'm not!” She shouted at me.
“I...” I felt tears beginning. “You didn't attack anyone, did you?”
“I've never done anything like that. Ever!”
“You said she wasn't hungry earlier.” Marissa said. “Maybe that's because she's been dining out. On twelve year olds!”
“Jess,” Did I say Jess wasn't hungry? “You... I mean...”
“Brynne, you know me! You know I could never do that!”
“Why is she lying about the blood, then?” Marissa asked.
“Let's go in the house and discuss this.” Celeste told us.
“There's really no point, is there?” Jess asked her. “You've all made up your minds.” She pulled her keys out and stepped to her car. “Dammit! I thought...” she sniffled. “I thought at least you would know I couldn't do something like that, Brynne.”
She got in her car and drove off as we all watched.
“Did that really just happen?” I asked. I wiped at my face.
“She's a killer then?” Marissa asked me. “She isn't going to go attack Miranda, is she? I better call her, she needs to be ready to protect herself. Brynne, you have to go over there to stop Jessica from attacking my sister!”
“She wouldn't do that.” I said.
“You didn't think she'd do this, either!”
“It would be too obvious who did it, Marissa.” Celeste told her. “She wouldn't be stupid enough for that.”
“Jess isn't a killer.” I mumbled.
“Brynne, it seems pretty obvious that she is.” Marissa said, hugging me. “I'm sorry.”
“I... I have to call this in to the VI, Brynne.” Celeste informed me. “I'm sorry.”
Celeste went inside to talk to her superiors at the VI. And after just a few minutes, Marissa and I also went in. We sat on the sofa and I was too stunned to even cry. How could Jess do anything like that?
“I'm sorry.” Marissa said. She leaned over and pulled me into a hug. “I know you don't want to believe it, but Jess has just... turned evil, or something, Brynne!”
“There has to be another explanation.” I said.
“Okay. Well, let's just look at the evidence and see if we can figure it out.” she said.
And we did. We spent the next hour, me her and Celeste, talking about everything we knew. And at the end I came the conclusion that... that Jess was a killer.
“And she was there when you were attacked.” Marissa told me.
“Why would Jess want to hurt me? She would never.”
“To cover things up, maybe? I don't know.”
“I have to find her,” I said, rising to my feet. “I have to give her a chance to explain, or... or apologize and promise she won't...”
“No!” Marissa said, grabbing my arm. “Please. She could kill you, Brynne!”
“No, she would never...”
“Are you sure?” Celeste asked. “Whatever happened when you were attacked, you could have died. If she did that, she could do it again.”
Sunday June 8
I woke from my fitful sleep to the sound of the phone ringing. I glanced at the number and ignored the call. But then they called back again.
“Hi.” I said.
“Brynne, what is going on?” Peggy asked. She sounded really upset. Which is understandable.
“I don't even know.” I told her, my voice cracking. “Jess just... I guess she called you.”
“Yes, she did. I'm very disappointed, Brynne.”
“Me too. I'm sure she had a reason, or... she just couldn't control herself, or something. I should have kept a better eye on her, she's still new at being like this, I just...”
“I'm disappointed in you.” she clarified.
“Oh.”
“How could you even believe she would do such a thing!?”
“Peggy, there's just... there's a lot of evidence, and...”
“You know better! We took you in, we saved you, knowing what you are and the things you've done in the past, we still did it.”
“I...”
“Jessica would do anything for you.”
“I know.”
“This is how you repay her?”
“Peggy, I just... I just... I have to go.”
I have no idea what to think anymore. Jess couldn't have done that. She wouldn't. I know this. I know it more than I know anything. Jessica is just not capable of doing those horrible things.
“Brynne,” I heard Marissa say. She knocked lightly on my door.
“Hey,” I said.
She came into my room. She went home for what, about four hours? The girl must need sleep, yet she's here with me.
“Heard from Jessica yet?” she asked.
“No. But I did hear from Peggy.”
“And who is Peggy?” Marissa asked.
“Jessica's mother.”
“Oh, right.” she said, nodding. “Where are you guys from, anyway?”
“Hanton.”
“Interesting.” she said, nodding. “Where is that? I've never heard of it.”
“South of here about two hours.”
“Cool.” She smiled again and shook her head. “Anyway, we should go get something to eat.”
“I don't feel very hungry.”
“Because of Jess?”
“It's just... there's no way she could do that stuff. I need to find her.”
“The evidence was pretty strong.” she said.
She went back through the blood, and the fact that I saw Jess there when I was attacked, and the timing of everything. She's right, Jess had to be the one who killed that kid.
“It's my fault.” I said.
“No, Brynne,” she hugged me. “She's the monster.”
“I made her like that, though.”
“You didn't make her kill that little girl.”
The front door opened and closed. Celeste. She stomped in toward us, sighing multiple times. She sucked in a breath when she saw us. I don't think she likes Marissa hugging me.
“Bad news.” Celeste said to us.
“What now?” Marissa asked, pulling away from me. “Jess kill someone else now?”
“No. At least not that I'm aware of. But Brynne,” she put her hand on my arm. “The blood on Jess's car matches the dead girl.”
Well that settles that, I guess. Jess is a killer. I never would have thought that. I never would have believed it.
“I'm sorry.” Marissa said.
“Yeah.” I mumbled.
I went into the bathroom so I could be alone for a few minutes. I needed time to digest the fact that my best friend ever, the one person in the world I would kill for or die for, was a murderer.
After a half an hour Marissa tapped on the door. I wiped at my face and opened up. She didn't even look upset. My world was crashing down and she wasn't even upset. Of course it wasn't her best friend that killed a child. Or multiple children.
“Ready to go get something to eat?” she asked.
“What?” Wow, talk about insensitive. “Uh, no.”
“Well what do you want to do then?”
“I really want to find Jess. I need to talk to her.”
“What for? She's a killer, Brynne.”
“She's my best friend.”
“Great,” she said. Now she gets upset? “My girlfriend would rather spend time with a child killer than with me. Super.”
“Mariss
a,”
“No, you just go. Maybe you two can, I don't know, take down a kindergarten class together or something.”
“Marissa,”
“No, whatever. I'm leaving. I'll talk to you later.”
I followed her to the door and watched as she walked away. Is everyone nuts lately, or just me? I just don't understand.
“What do you see in her?” Celeste asked.
“Um... she's pretty, for one.”
“That's it? That's really shallow.”
“Well,”
“Can she carry on an intelligent conversation with you, or challenge you, or even understand anything about you?”
“I don't... know.”
“That's really sad.”
“What, and you can?” I asked.
“Puh!” she said. She turned away. “This isn't about me.”
“She... she makes me feel good.”
“Because a pretty girl likes you?” she said, still not looking at me.
“No. I mean yes, but... there's something else. When I'm with her I just feel better. Or something.” It's confusing.
“You are different when she is here. Do you know that? And not in a good way.”
“Look, I understand you don't like her, but...”
Betrayal: Book 2 of the Non-Vampire Series Page 12