Page 3 of Dark Tangled Truths
Using the tongs I grabbed from the lab on campus, I pick up the rose and slide it into the plastic bag I was carrying. There’s no telling what’s on it, but if it hurt Evan enough to send her to urgent care, I’m not taking any chances.
I use the tongs to lift the note by the corner too. It opens as I slide it in. After I seal the bag, I pick up the script with another plastic bag and slide it inside, just in case. “Until we figure out what the fuck is on this or it’s cleaned, I recommend not touching the desk in this area.”
Keira nods. Her green eyes are wide as she looks up at me. “Will you text me when you find out what happened? And let me know how EvanAnn is?”
“I can do that. I need a list of everyone who’s at the school today. This rehearsal, the other one, and anyone else fucking around. Can you get me that?”
She nods and stares at the bag. “What does the note say? Honestly, I was afraid to touch anything on the table.”
It’s probably a good thing she didn’t. Something is toxic on this shit. I glance at Keira. It’s hard not to think about carrying her limp body at the party a week ago. Yeah, both of them being hurt at the same time would have been awful. I lift the bag with the note and read it through the plastic, tipping it so she can read it too.
Enjoy your men, pretty girl.
They’ll only leave you burned.
“What the fuck?” Keira narrows her eyes as she looks around at the cast as if she’ll be able to pick out who left it here. I don’t know what all Keira knows about Evan’s situation, but maybe it’s time to read her in. She might notice something we haven’t. But I’ll wait and see what the others think.
I take a quick picture of the note.
“There are too many people around.” I shake my head when she glances my way. “Whoever did this was careful not to be noticed. It’s easier to hide in a crowd.”
“We should really have cameras set up.” She squints up at the corners of the ceiling.
Damon said the same thing after Chase stormed into rehearsal last weekend. Chase could have been suspended for how he came at Hawk, not that Evan wants one of her leads to be suspended. But putting wireless equipment in the theater room might interfere with the audio equipment. Evan didn’t want to risk it.
Now I wish we had. Then I’d know who targeted my girl. Not that we don’t know.
Jackson Riordan. It has to be him. Evan said he called her pretty girl at the game. The problem is, I can’t see him goingunnoticed as a stranger on set. Is someone working with him? Someone on her play?
Or could it be Chase paying us back for fucking with him in the woods? Or is there another threat out there we aren’t aware of? Girls can be more fucked up than guys when they want something another girl has.
“If you see or hear anything, let us know.” I nudge Keira’s shoulder with my own to get her attention.
She blinks a couple of times and then looks at me. “Of course. I just don’t know who would have done this. Or even when they might have put the rose on the table. They would have had to wear gloves or something, right? If something was on it?”
She stares at the rose like it will give her information. I glance over the table and chairs to see if I notice anything else Keira might have missed, but there’s nothing else on them.
“We’ll figure it out.” I nod to her and head out.
The great thing about a school like Deimos is if I need a specific nerd, I have one on speed dial. And Mike Duncan happens to like me. I get him tickets to the hockey games and invites to the best parties, and he tests the shit that goes around school to make sure it’s not corrupted with something toxic.
The hallways outside of the theater wing are empty on the weekend, especially on the Deimos side of the building. Sundays are usually a day off for sports. The Anteros side is busy with students, practicing or working on projects. Busy little ants.
I make my way to our science wing, a gift from some donor years ago. When I get to the chemistry lab, I knock on the door and wait.
Mike opens it and gestures for me to come in, like we’re doing something nefarious. Usually we are, but not this time. After he closes the door, he looks at the baggie in my hand with the rose and the note.
“What have you got for me?” He pulls on some latex gloves and holds out his hand.
I pass him the bag. The rose has tons of thorns. Some have poked through the plastic on the bag. Hawk said there was a lot of blood. Fortunately, someone had cleaned up the floor. I don’t like the idea of Evan bleeding that much.
“My girl got stabbed by the thorns, but the pain was intense. She said it burned and she got blisters from whatever got in the wounds.”
“Hmm, allergic reaction or chemical?” Mike studies the rose inside the baggie with an intense look. “The stem is shiny. Maybe there’s something coating it. I can run a few tests and see what we’re dealing with.”
“How long?” I step to the sink and wash my hands to be on the safe side.
“An hour or two, depending on which tests give me results.” He’s already working. “We just got a new liquid chromatograph I’ve been jonesing to use.”
