Guilty Secrets (Campus Love and Murder Sorority Eyes Romance Book 1)

by Christie, Ciara

  It somehow seemed fitting that those on all sides of this conflict would die. I sat in the cage accepting the peaceful surrender to my own imminent death. My head sunk into my trembling hands.

  The cage shook, but did not drop. I looked up from my hands as a second tremor rocked the entire ice cavern.

  I heard a scream.

  Jason's body rolled off Harry's body and tumbled off the piste. Jason plunged into traitor's chasm.

  I couldn't look at his skewered body and as I looked away I thought I was looking at a ghost. I rested my eyes on a lower level of ice shelves. Even if I could escape the cage, and jumped, I wouldn't make it to safety.

  Harry sat up. He looked at me and winked.

  My eyes flooded with tears as I screamed out, "Harry."

  He struggled to stand. He pulled his sword from Jason's grip and staggered towards the Red Queen.

  Two Red Knights stepped forward. The ice cavern shook violently. The two knights fell from the piste and plunged down onto the crowd.

  Harry grabbed the Red Queen by her long hair and pulled the chain key from her neck. The cage dropped twenty feet. A few seconds later Harry leapt from the piste and grabbed at the gold bars of my cage.

  The key dangled from the chain between his teeth.

  I grabbed the chain from his mouth and unlocked the door.

  He shouted, "Climb out here and help me swing it."

  "Are you crazy?"

  He indicated a balcony below us. "It's our only chance."

  He swung his body back and forth, forcing momentum from the cage as if it were a pendulum swinging back and forth.

  "We got one shot before the rope burns through."

  I screamed, "Shut up and kiss me."

  "Anyone ever mention your timing is lousy?"

  As the cage swung out wildly, the rope snapped.

  Harry lost his grip. He fell backwards. I reached out for him.

  But too late.

  CHAPTER FIFTY ONE

  I woke up with Brad standing over me and slapping my face.

  I pushed his hands away. "Where's Harry?"

  Brad moved out of the way. Harry was lying on the balcony with his head in Mai's lap. She was stroking his brow.

  I fought a pang of jealousy and struggled to my feet.

  Over the noise of explosions and blocks of ice collapsing from the ceiling, Brad shouted, "I set off a chain reaction with the ice regulators."

  "You probably saved my life earlier."

  Brad shrugged. "Only to get us all killed."

  He helped Harry to his feet. "Follow me."

  Brad led us down the spiral ice steps to the ballroom floor. There, people ran screaming for cover as blocks fell from the ceiling and smashed holes through the dance floor.

  We made it outside to the bridge. Another seismic quake rocked the bridge. The far end collapsed into the lake, leaving a gap of some two hundred feet.

  Harry grabbed me, "Can you swim?"

  I nodded and we all jumped onto the icy surface of Lake Kimberley.

  Harry shouted, "Walk slow. If you go under, no one can save you."

  On our hands and knees we carefully crossed the ice until we reached the old wooden jetty.

  I heard a whistling noise from above. I turned to the sky as a large block of ice from the palace flew across the sky. It began to plummet towards us. I rolled aside as the block crashed into the ice just before the jetty, causing a man-size hole with serrated edges.

  The ice surface of the lake buckled and swayed wildly from side to side.

  I lost my balance. I fell forward into the hole. My face hit the water and instantly the breath in my body exploded out of me.

  I felt someone grab my ankles and drag be away from the edge.

  I turned to see Harry holding my ankles.

  "It's OK, Harry, I can actually swim."

  "Under the ice you won't survive more than a minute, Robyn."

  "I guess that's two I you."

  "I guess it is."

  As we climbed onto the jetty we stood a while and watched the Ice Palace erupt into flames. More blocks of ice pummeled the frozen lake.

  I sighed. “After all that, I never did find the identity of Madison's killer."

  Mai stroked my arm. "Maybe her killer died tonight."

  "Jason?"

  She shrugged. "Or one of the other Red Knights."

  I asked, "How many died do you think?"

  No one answered.

  I turned to Harry. "Harry, I need to apologize."

  Harry leaned heavily on me and then collapsed to his knees.

  He rolled onto his back and began to have a fit as if he were epileptic. He began foaming at the mouth.

  I screamed, "Harry? What's happening?"

  Brad shook his head. "Jason Drake's revenge from the grave."

  "What?"

  "He dips the tip of his sword in a slow acting poison."

  "Is he going to die?"

  Brad avoided my eyes. "Drake kept the antidote on him. Now it’s at the bottom of the lake."

  I pulled Harry into my arms and tried to soothe his shaking body.

  He fixed me with his frightened stare and stuttered, "I'm sorry, Rob."

  "No, no, there's nothing to be sorry for, Harry."

  "Yes, yes, there is. I am the one who..."

  His eyes rolled back into his head and his chest arced so high I was afraid he'd snap his spine. Suddenly his body relaxed.

  I gasped, "He's OK. He's beaten the poison."

  Brad shook his head.

  "Harry's gone."

  I slapped Harry's face. "Harry, wake up!"

  He remained deathly still.

  "Harry! Please wake up. I'm begging you."

  I flung myself at Harry and shook his body.

  "Wake up. Damn you, you can't do this to me, now."

  I felt Brad's firm hands on my shoulders.

  "It's too late, Robyn. Let him go."

  My shaking hands clenched into fists. I flung Brad's hands off me.

  "It can't be too late. I never got a chance to tell him."

  Harry's face reflected the burning orange sky of flames. A halo of the gods.

  He looked so peaceful, like a sleeping god. Like he'd burned up his mortal life too quickly and his spirit was returning to Mount Olympus, home of the immortals.

  Just like the first time we were together out on the old wooden jetty.

  If I was going to say goodbye, It would have to be like this. Coming full circle. His face a halo of fire dimmed as the angry sky was engulfed by black smoke.

  Then I remembered the White King's parting words.

  My hands flew to my chest and into my bra. There I found the vial of green liquid he'd given me. I held it up to the sky.

  "Brad, would an antidote look anything like this?"

  Brad turned to me. His eyes went wide. "Exactly like that. But how?"

  "How do we administer it?"

  "Directly to the heart. A syringe is the only way."

  I rolled up the hem of my dress and found Mai's insulin syringe intact.

  I carefully took it from the garter.

  "How do I?"

  Mai took the syringe and opened it. She took the vial out of my trembling fingers and placed it into the syringe.

  She held it up and tapped it until all air bubbles vanished. She handed it back to me.

  "It should be you, Robyn."

  I nodded and aimed the syringe above Harry's heart.

  Brad cried out, "Hurry!"

  CHAPTER FIFTY TWO

  I plunged the syringe into Harry's heart.

  Nothing seemed to happen.

  A minute went by. Another.

  I held him in my arms and whispered, "Come back to me. Give me a chance to love you."

  I leaned over him and touched his lips with mine. I felt a surge of electricity course through me. His eyes sprang open.

  He reached out and pushed me away. He rolled onto his side and vomited.

 
; With tears streaming down my face I said, "I knew I wasn't a great kisser, but you're the first man I made vomit."

  He doubled over on his knees and laughed as he choked. The sound of sirens made us turn away from the burning Ice Palace.

  Flashing red and blue lights lit up the jetty. Charlie pulled up his police car and climbed out.

  "Harry? What the Hell is this?"

  Harry reached out for my hand as I helped him to his feet.

  He leaned against Charlie. "Charlie, how are you with fairy tales?”

  Harry looked at me. "A very modern fairy tale."

  Charlie pushed back the peak of his hat and whistled. "You about to tell me a tall story?"

  Between us, Charlie and I helped Harry to an ambulance.

  As a paramedic checked Harry over, Charlie wandered back to me.

  "Harry's claiming amnesia. Don't suppose his convenient memory loss is contagious?"

  I shrugged and looked out at the sinking palace. By morning there would be no evidence it even existed.

  "I blame the architect of all this."

  Charlie looked at Mai and Brad. "What about you two?"

  Mai avoided Charlie's eyes.

  Brad sighed. "A party with no health and safety compliance."

  "Folks died out there and you're blaming health and safety compliance issues?"

  "That's my guess, Sheriff."

  Charlie chewed on his bottom lip and nodded.

  He opened the rear passenger door. "Get in. All of you."

  "Where to?"

  "Home. You can give me your statements tomorrow, after Penny's funeral."

  He turned to me. "I assume you'll be coming, Robyn?"

  I hadn't realized it was Penny's funeral so soon.

  "I'll be there."

  "Good. I know she'd like that. You being a work colleague and all."

  Charlie continued to talk, in his slow monotonic way. But as the car rolled away from the lake, I rested my head on Mai's shoulder and closed my eyes. Tuning out his words.

  CHAPTER FIFTY THREE

  Penny's funeral service was held the following day, at lunchtime in the college's own church on campus.

  As the congregation gathered I looked around for Harry. He was nowhere to be seen.

  I sent a text message to Harry's cell phone.

  Where are you? Xx

  No reply.

  I sat with Mai and Brad.

  I recognized some of Penny's colleagues from the Kimberley Times. Her parents sat up front with Sheriff Charlie Gonzalez. But I didn't see Penny's husband. Not that I would recognize him, having never met him.

  As the music ended and every one took a seat, the priest took to the pulpit. He thanked her friends and family for attending.

  "Our dearly beloved Penny, left behind a devoted husband, Hector Gonzalez, better known by us all as simply Sheriff Charlie..."

  The priest then invited Charlie to take to the pulpit to say a few words.

  Charlie stood. As he rose to his feet, he glanced around and caught my gaze.

  Throughout his speech, his eyes never left me. Charlie seemed to know what I was only now realizing. His initials were H.G.

  Now it all made sense. Harry wasn't the H.G. that Madison wrote of betraying her in her journal. That H.G. had to be Charlie.

  But I couldn't yet be certain. I had misjudged Harry. I could be wrong twice.

  I needed proof.

  After a few heart felt hymns and sermons and eulogies from Penny's friends and family, the priest ended the funeral service.

  She was to be buried in a small graveyard near the shore of Lake Kimberley and near the home she shared with Charlie. As it began to snow, I drove Mai and Brad in the Rust Bucket and we followed the funeral director's black limousine to the burial site.

  As her friends and family gathered around the small plot, the priest said a prayer and her coffin was lowered into the ground.

  "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust..."

  The hairs on my neck stood up. I glanced up and felt Charlie's hard stare.

  The priest ended the service and left. Most followed. Charlie remained at the grave.

  I ventured over to him.

  "I'm so sorry, Charlie."

  He thanked me and invited me to the wake. "Penny left something for you."

  "For me?"

  "It's just little something. But apparently in her will she said you'd appreciate it."

  He pointed behind him. "I live just a little further along the shore."

  This was my chance to find proof. I just wished I brought my Glock. I nodded and accepted the invitation. Telling Charlie I'd be along shortly.

  I watched him climb into his police car and drive off with Penny's parents.

  I tried Harry's cell phone again. But still no answer.

  We followed the procession of mourners' cars to Charlie's idyllic cottage on the shore. As I climbed out, Brad said Mai was feeling ill.

  "She's just exhausted. I should get her home."

  I gave Brad the keys to Rust Bucket.

  Mai apologized. "Robyn, you'll be OK?"

  I nodded, but inside I felt the butterflies dive bombing. "If you see Harry will you mentioned I'm at Penny's wake?"

  I watched Rust Bucket drive out of sight into the thickening snow storm. Despite the crowd of people, I felt sickeningly alone.

  CHAPTER FIFTY FOUR

  The house was set back a little from the shoreline. Many mourners gathered on the large front porch with small plates of food and glasses in their hands.

  Charlie spotted me and waved. He took a few minutes to make his way through the guests. Accepting their condolences with good grace as he forged his way to me.

  He asked me to follow him to the back of the house. He led me to a room filled with camera equipment.

  "A hobby?"

  He shrugged. "I had hoped to go to film school, but things didn't work out."

  "Instead of becoming a student yourself, you protect and serve the students."

  "The irony's not lost on me."

  "So what sort of things do you film?"

  "Just surveillance footage. Body camera footage for when I'm on patrol. Nothing special. No awards."

  He was being modest. I suspected I'd seen his unique footage.

  He rummaged around piles of cameras of all sizes. He sighed.

  "I'm sorry, Robyn."

  "What is it?"

  "I thought I'd put Penny's gift here for safe keeping. But my mind's all over the place since... I must have boxed it and put it out with all her other stuff."

  "Oh, I can come back another time."

  "It's not far. Just outside in the barn. It will be quicker if we both look."

  I glanced at my phone. No messages or missed calls. I swallowed hard.

  "Sure, why not."

  It was less than a minute walk across the snow to the large wood barn.

  Charlie swung the doors aside and left them open so we could see better in the gloom.

  He pointed out a pile of cardboard boxes.

  "You check the top few, while I find the light."

  I lifted down the first box. It felt very light. I flipped the flap and glanced inside. It was empty.

  I heard the barn door slam shut. A light flickered on. Charlie stood between the door and myself. His eyes were red and wet.

  He had a Glock nineteen in one hand and he aimed it at me.

  CHAPTER FIFTY FIVE

  "There is no gift from Penny, is there, Charlie?"

  He smiled. "Oh there is. But you'll never get your hands on it."

  "You killed Madison."

  He nodded.

  "Why Charlie?"

  He wiped his eyes on the back of his sleeve.

  "I had the perfect set up, until your bitch sister started poking her nose into everything."

  "Supplying drugs to students?"

  "When I originally heard from Penny, what Madison was investigating, I pretended to help. Surveillance equipment to collect secrets.
But then I discovered Penny was having an affair with that sap Thruster."

  "So you killed Madison to stop her exposing you?"

  "I didn't realize until too late that Madison got Penny involved. Penny found out what I was doing and threatened to leave unless I gave it all up."

  "But you killed her anyway?"

  "You were getting too close to the truth, Robyn."

  "But I had no idea until today at the funeral service that you were behind all of this. If you had spared Penny I would still have no idea. How's that for irony?"

  He shrugged and snorted back tears. "The final decision wasn't mine to make."

  I felt my hands clenched into fists and shifted my weight into the balls of my feet.

  "Whose decision was it, Charlie?"

  The wind slapped the barn doors. They shuddered and groaned. Charlie took his eyes off me and checked them.

  I stepped forward, but he whipped around.

  "One more step and I kill you, Robyn."

  "You're going to kill me anyway."

  "I tried to warn you off."

  "How did you know it was me investigating Madison's death?"

  "I had the Kimberley Times offices under surveillance, remember. I knew Penny had betrayed me by emailing you with an assignment to investigate the Knights. From there I knew if you were any good, you'd figure out eventually I was running the show."

  "You use the knights to distribute your drugs?”

  He nodded. "It's time to go, Robyn."

  "To where?"

  "Out onto the lake. The ice is treacherous. You'll be missed. Harry will be sad, but he'll get over you."

  He pushed me through the barn to a rear door. Out to the far side of the barn we were unobserved from the house.

  Charlie marched me towards a storm front coming off Lake Kimberley.

  CHAPTER FIFTY SIX

  "Step out, Robyn."

  I stared at the frozen surface as the wind picked up the fallen snow and whipped it about our faces.

  I stepped out onto the ice. A few hundred feet away I could see the old wooden jetty where Harry had almost died.

  I walked as quickly as I could, hoping to be swallowed up by the opaque storm.

  "That's far enough, Robyn."

  I looked down at my feet where a large hole had presumably been made by a block of the exploded Ice Palace, a little more than twelve hours earlier. It was my only chance.