Twisted by Hannah Jayne(71)

She and her father would leave tonight.

Bex still couldn’t believe it. As much as she wanted to be with her dad, to see him vindicated, she didn’t want to leave Trevor—and she didn’t want to leave Detective Schuster to terrorize more women. She planned to call the police when she and her father were safely out of town.

“This is where I get off,” Trevor said. “I have the awesome job of opening and closing the curtain for the drama showcase.”

Bex gave him a lingering kiss, holding on to his hands and trying not to cry.

“Let him up for air, Bex!”

Trevor didn’t seem to mind, but Bex broke the kiss anyway, pecking him one more time and watching him sprint toward the drama department.

“Someone needs to turn a hose on you two,” Laney said.

Chelsea rolled her eyes and tossed a perfectly coiffed piece of her blond hair over her shoulder. “You’re just mad because you’re the only one of us not in love.” She did a twirl. “My boyfriend is amazing and makes me feel so safe. Dating a cop will do that for you.”

Bex stopped. “You’re dating a cop?”

“A detective, actually.” She wrinkled her nose and held her index finger and thumb a half inch a part. “He’s a weensy bit older but doesn’t look it.”

“Because you’re sixteen pushing forty-five.” Laney smirked. “My stop. See you later.”

Bex stepped closer to Chelsea. “He’s a detective?” Heat spiraled up her spine. “Chels, what’s his name?”

“I told you, Ms. Never Listen. Danny.”

Bex blinked. Detective Schuster. What was his first name? Then it came to her: Detective Lieutenant Daniel Schuster.

Someone you love is going to die.

Bex snatched Chelsea by the arm and gave her a hard yank. “Chelsea, you can’t see him. You can’t see him ever again.”

The delight on Chelsea’s face turned to anger. “And why not?”

“He’s bad, Chels. Please, you’ve got to believe me.”

Chelsea rolled her eyes at Bex. “You’re just jealous that your boyfriend is a little boy when mine is a man. Get over it, Bexy.”

“I’m serious!”

People were starting to fill the campus; a din was starting to reverberate through the halls as kids escorted their parents around, pointing out lockers and classrooms. A crowd cut between Chelsea and Bex.

“You have to listen to me!”

But Chelsea had already dismissed her and was pushing her cell phone to her ear. It was then that Bex noticed the charm hanging from Chelsea’s cell phone case: a tiny, jeweled flower. It hung from a loop of silk floss, but it wasn’t a charm—it was an earring.

A small, gold, five-petaled flower with a pearl in the center. Just like the one that Lauren wore. Just like the one that the Wife Collector took when he killed Lauren’s mother.

Bex grabbed Chelsea’s wrist, her breath a terrified whisper.

“Where did you get that charm?”

Chelsea glanced at the flower, pink rushing over her cheeks. “Danny.”

Bex’s entire body turned to ice. “No, Chelsea, no. That belonged to… That’s an earring. You can’t—you can’t see Danny anymore. Please, Chels, please listen to me.”

Chelsea’s eyes narrowed and she shoved the phone in her back pocket. “I’m done with you.” She spun on her heel and started to walk.

“He killed Darla, Chelsea!”

But by that time, the overhead speaker had crackled on and the principal was in the middle of his welcome speech. Bex saw Chelsea’s arm raise above the undulating crowd, her wrist flipping dismissively.

Bex wasn’t sure Chelsea had even heard her.

The crowd split and jostled by, then closed on her, and Bex was bumped from side to side.

“’Scuse me.”

Bex looked up to see Zach, his GoPro slung around his neck.

“Pardon me.”

Another jostle, another ear-splitting announcement over the PA. Bex felt hopeless as she allowed the crowd to pull her down the hall.

No.

She wasn’t alone anymore. She dialed her father.

“I’m here, Bethy.”

“Dad, I think Chelsea is dating Detective Schuster. Or she thinks she is. We’ve got to stop him.” The tears were falling freely now and Bex was hiccupping. “We’ve got to stop him before he hurts her.”

“Do you know where she is?”

Bex scanned the hall. “I can’t see her, but she was headed down to D hall. It’s the classrooms closest to the parking lot.”

“I’ll help, Bethy.”

The second she hung up her phone, it rang again.

Detective Schuster.

She stared at the readout, her hand trembling. She watched the phone light up with each ring, finally letting out her breath when the missed call icon flashed. And then the phone started ringing again. Bex paced, her stomach playing the accordion. She answered before the final ring.

“Detective Schuster?”

“Bex, thank God you answered. Where are you right now?”

She looked around, certain he could hear the swell of voices. “I’m at school.”

“I think your father is on his way there. Stay put. Hang tight and I will be there in five minutes. Don’t do anything until I get there, okay? If you see him…run away.” Then the call ended.