Page 73 of Forever Defiant
I looked at the two football players speculatively. “And you guys are—”
“Pissed off,” Dante snapped. “Furious? Disgusted? Pick your adjective.”
I shared a glance with Noah, but he looked just as grim as Dante did.
“Okay, sorry.” I wasn’t sure why I was apologizing. “So, Savannah, you said you were a student liaison?” She nodded. “I was hoping you could—”
“No.”
Savannah turned in her seat to glare at Dante. “Let her speak, Dante. And if I want to say no,Iwill say no.”
I glanced at Noah, who winked at me, and I hid my grin.
Savannah turned back to me. “You were hoping I could what?”
I glanced behind her, saw his intense stare, and quickly looked back at Savannah. “I was hoping you could help me? I’ve used every source I know. I have... means—” I swallowed quickly — “to get into some databases, but I need the historic academic records.” She sat back as I spoke. “Can you access them?”
“What for?” This time, it was Noah asking, and now he was frowning.
“I can’t find any trace of Mason Sterling other than what I’ve already discovered. We know that. And honestly, I don’t think I want to.” I looked back at Savannah. “But as you said to me,why is there no mention ofher? If I could access the academic records for his year, cross-check with the years before and after, I might be able to narrow it down and find a list of possible victims.”
“That’s a huge task,” Savannah said to me. She looked worried, but she looked worriedforme. “That’s not a simple search, Hadley.”
I nodded. “I know. I don’t want to impose but—”
“But you’re imposing anyway,” Dante muttered. He was quiet for a moment. “She won’t want to be found,” he said. “I’ve thought about this.” He saw my look. “Please, you think you’re the only one this is keeping up at night?”
Well, when he put it like that . . .
“And say you get a list,” Savannah continued thoughtfully. “How do you suggest you narrow it down? You can’t just ask someone if they were assaulted.”
“I know that.”
“And this guy,” Noah cut in. “He’d have graduated by now if he was still here. What’s not to say she has too? Then we have no way of tracking her down.”
“Well, there are forwarding addresses,” Savannah mumbled. “So certificates and things can be sent out after graduation, and the university always keeps in touch with the alumni.”
There was? Result.
“I know it’s a big task,” I said again. “I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t need help.”
The door to the apartment swung open, and Dustin walked in and froze. He took one look at Dante’s face, then me, Savannah, and Noah sitting down, and picked up on the tension in the room.
“Nope. Not today.” He turned around and left.
“He walks out a lot,” I muttered, glaring at the door. “Is he always like this?”
I didn’t need to look to know it was Noah who snickered.
Chapter 18
Dustin
She was in my dorm room.
I mean, weren’t there rules? Or something?
Rules about what?I snorted. I’d been in more dorm rooms than most. Savvy was in our place more often than not, and yeah... I was being a dick.
