Page 85 of Waysider
Her eyes gleamed. When Laura answered, her voice was hoarse from screaming, but there was triumph in it, too. “His name is Ricky Ramirez.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Cass’s heartbeat was frantic and erratic as she crossed campus.
She’d completely bombed the aptitude test. There had been several haunted objects and pressing questions, but she couldn’t concentrate. Do you sense anything? What do you see? the professors kept asking. Cass had just stared at them blankly, her heartbeat racing in her ears, threads glowing all around as she fought the urge to look at Professor Clemens.
Other students had gasped when they registered whatever was in the hedge maze with them, their eyes alight with wonder and excitement. Several had left with shiny new pins, talking about the houses they’d be moving into.
Cass didn’t really give a shit about the house she lived in, or the pin she wore. As far as she was concerned, she could stay in Wayside for the rest of her years at Else & Bellows.
All that mattered right now was exposing that asshole Clemens, and stopping him from hurting anyone else.
The sky was completely dark now, and it seemed everyone had drifted inside or gone off somewhere else. The campus was still and silent as a graveyard. But the old lampposts lining the brick paths glowed bright, and Cass stayed in their light as she hurried toward Old Main. She was going to tell Headmistress Crane everything—about Karen, and about Professor Clemens. Then she’d go back to Wayside and watch for police lights from the safety of her room. Maybe she’d even get to sneak down and see the murdering prick get arrested.
“He won’t get away with it, Karen,” Cass muttered.
When Old Main came into view, her heartbeat became deafening. She sprinted up the steps and yanked the door open. There was no one else in sight as Cass’s shadow slanted over the shadowed, gleaming floor of the hallway. She reached the doors to the admissions office, and relief expanded in her chest when she saw a student behind the front desk. The girl was obviously about to leave, judging from the jacket over her arm. She seemed to be looking for something. Cass rushed across the room and gripped the edge of the counter.
“I need to speak with Headmistress Crane,” she said without preamble.
The girl straightened, and concern made her forehead wrinkle. “I’m sorry, the headmistress left for the day. But I can leave a message on her desk so she sees it first thing in the morning.”
Cass swallowed a curse. Then she remembered—she had Crane’s home phone number. She just had to get back to her room. “Never mind,” Cass blurted. “Thanks anyway.”
She whirled from the desk and hurried out. When she reached the hall, Cass gave in to the urge to run. She reached the exit within seconds. Cass hit the door with both hands, palms out, and exploded back into the night.
She’d gotten to the bottom of the steps and halfway down the path when she saw him.
A figure stood on the path. He was just beyond the glow cast by a streetlight, and Cass couldn’t make out his face. She slowed, hoping it was just paranoia that made her uneasy.
“Hello there,” the dark figure said.
Cass felt her stomach sink when she recognized that voice again. A moment later, the voice’s owner stepped into the light. He wore a polite smile, but the shadows made his curved lips look threatening and eerie.
Breathe, Cass. Play it cool. Cass’s voice belied the fear gripping her throat. “Professor Clemens. I don’t think we’ve officially met.”
He didn’t respond. Instead, he studied her. “You know,” he said, his voice soft.
Cass kept concentrating on her breathing. Making sure it remained quiet and steady. Her tone was a blend of nonchalance and curiosity as she replied, “Know what?”
“I saw the way you looked at me earlier. There is only one plausible explanation for someone I’ve never met to be so terrified. You know.” The professor sighed.
Cass’s instincts screamed at her to keep playing dumb—she’d seen what he was capable of. This man wouldn’t hesitate to kill her, too, if he thought she was a threat. Cass raised her eyebrows as if every inch of her body wasn’t shrieking at her to run.
“I was terrified because I was about to take the aptitude test, and I don’t perform well under pressure. What am I supposed to know?”
“I always wondered if Karen had stuck around,” Professor Clemens said, acting as if Cass hadn’t spoken. “Even after decades passed, I searched for any sign. Any hint that she could be here. Because I was worried about something like this happening, you see.”
He shook his head with an air of regret. Cass could feel her heartbeat in her ears, but she pasted an expression of confusion on her face. “Something like what? I think you might have me confused with another student. I seriously have no idea what you’re talking about, man.”
She’d taken a half step back when Professor Clemens said, “You’re going to die either way, Miss Ryan. Do you really want those to be your last words?”
His voice was utterly devoid of humanity. When Cass heard that, her façade cracked. Her posture changed, and then her entire body began to shake. “Killing me won’t do you any good. Karen is here, and she’s pissed. So the truth is coming out, asshole, and it’s just a matter of time.”
She’d expected Professor Clemens to say something back. In all the movies, the bad guys made a speech. They were supposed to justify the terrible things they’d done.
Instead, the professor flew at her.
