Take the Fall(90)

Meeting with Kirsten, think I can figure this out.

A car rolls by as I peek out of the alley, but it isn’t the deputy on patrol and the road is dark as soon as it passes. I dart across the pavement and suddenly it’s like hundreds of spring nights, my boots crunching through pine needles and leaves as my feet find purchase on the path. I haven’t set foot in Hidden Falls Park at night for three weeks, but I could find my way to the little playground in my sleep. The air is warm tonight, carrying all the earthy plant and soil scents that go with spring. I race once more through the trees, only this time instead of clenching with terror, my stomach twists with anxious hope.

There’s a shadow sitting on the merry-go-round as I approach. It’s a creaking, rusted relic of our parents’ childhoods located between an equally aged jungle gym and a boring plastic slide the town put in to replace the good one. A castle of sorts stands in the middle with bridges and turrets to hide in. Black River Creek bubbles audibly beyond the play equipment, but it’s much quieter here than by the rush of falls downstream. There’s usually a light over the playground at night, but I guess no one thought to replace the bulb the last time it burned out. The merry-go-round squeaks softly, making a slow rotation until I near. The hooded figure puts their feet down, grinding the whole thing to a halt. They don’t move or speak at first and a flash of trepidation shoots through me, wondering if I should’ve told someone else, maybe Aisha or Haley, where I was going.

“Kirsten?”

The figure stands and the hood falls back, revealing Marcus frowning at me in the moonlight.

I cup my hand over my mouth, my heart racing. There’s only one reason Marcus would be here instead of Kirsten, and now I’m more terrified than I’ve been in weeks.

I scan the darkness, trying to decide if I should run, if I even could. But I’ve been here before and I know the woods can close in and swallow me just as easily as they could set me free. I clear my throat because I didn’t give up before and I’m not about to now.

“Thank God, you got my text.” My voice squeaks with false emotion. I force myself to pause, take a breath, before I throw my arms around him. He stiffens, but after a second he reaches a hesitant arm around me, resting his hand on my back. “You were right, she’s planning something. I got home and found this.” I pull away, digging the bracelet out of my pocket. “There was a note saying to meet her. She could be here any minute.”

Marcus doesn’t say anything, but takes the bracelet and looks at it.

“Gretchen got us each one for our birthdays. I lost mine the night she died.” I put my hands on his chest, showing him the other bracelet. “I don’t know what to do.”

He traces his thumb over the infinity symbol, then clasps it inside his fist, his eyebrows drawn together. “I don’t either.”

My pulse surges. I touch his hand, glancing again into the dark. I just need to get out of these woods. “Maybe we can figure it out, but we should go.”

He looks down at me for the first time and there’s something wounded and sad that I’ve never seen in his eyes before.

“Come on.” My voice quavers.

“The video of me.” He takes a step back. “Were you going to show it to the sheriff?”

“What?”

“You could’ve done it by now. Why haven’t you?”

“Marcus, we should really go.” I touch the zipper of his hoodie, but he takes another step away.

“Real evidence—that’s what you said we needed to tie Kirsten to the murder. Is that what you were looking for?”

“I don’t understand.” My heart is so far in my throat, my words come out a whisper.

“I’m just confused, Sonia. But I guess I’ve always cared about you when I shouldn’t.” His voice is hoarse. “Just be straight with me, for once. Are you trying to pin Gretchen’s murder on me?”

My eyes widen. “Marcus, I don’t—”

He pulls his phone out of his pocket and touches the screen.

“You bitch.”

A shriek.

“Out of my face, Gretchen—God, I wish you were dead.”

“Wouldn’t that be convenient?” I close my eyes at the sound of her voice. “You could declare your love for—”

Marcus stops the video. “I think that’s enough.”

I open my eyes, trying not to panic, to find the right words. “How did you get that?”

“How did you get it, might be the more relevant question.”

I swallow hard. If I explain, I might buy myself a little time. I need to stay a step ahead of him. I have to somehow.

“It was on Gretchen’s phone.”

“Her phone was found in the water.”

“There was an SD card. I took it out, but—”

“So all this time, you’ve had it. You looked me straight in the face and said you’d seen it, but never bothered saying you knew exactly where it was.”

A hard lump rises in my throat. I thought I was protecting him; I never wanted him to know. “I wasn’t going to show anyone—”

“Then why keep it?” He glares at the phone screen. “There’s a bunch of ugly shit on here, but I’m the guiltiest-looking one. Was it as simple as that?”