The Sorority Murder (Regan Merritt, #1)(77)

“I don’t know if that would be an option. It depends on what she knows and how much physical danger she would be in if she were needed to testify.”

Regan continued. “We lead with the Taylor James overdose. An article about it was published in the paper. It’s brief, but we can start there. I’ll call the sheriff’s office, see if the Merritt name can get us more information. We shouldn’t connect it directly to Candace or posit any theories about murder or suicide. I’m thinking something like how violence impacts people in different ways. How Taylor, Candace’s good friend, former roommate, changed after Candace was killed, how she started doing drugs, barely passed her classes—violence affects more than the victim.”

Lucas didn’t say anything, but a cloud crossed his face, and his eyes watered.

“You okay?” she asked.

“Fine. Sorry. Just thinking.”

Come on, Lucas. I know you’re hiding something... What is it?

“Lucas, did you lose someone?”

He shook his head. “I didn’t, not really, but my high-school girlfriend did. When we were sophomores in high school, her older sister went missing while driving back from college. They found her car but not her body. Her family doesn’t know what happened to her.”

“Let me guess. She was here, at NAU.”

He nodded.

“Why didn’t you tell me that at the beginning?” It made so much sense now why he was borderline obsessed with Candace Swain’s disappearance. It was very similar to his sweetheart’s sister.

“I didn’t think it was important.”

“Everything is important.”

But he didn’t say anything more about it. “We should go,” he said. “It’s nearly six.”



Thirty-Three


Five minutes into Lucas’s recap at the start of the podcast, Lizzy sent him a text that they had more than one thousand people streaming the show, more than twice as many as they had the last episode. They had also more than tripled the number of podcast subscribers.

After repeating the known facts of Candace’s murder, Lucas said, “Tragedy struck the Sigma Rho sorority again this week. Taylor James, Candace’s onetime roommate and sorority sister, died of an apparent drug overdose late Wednesday night.” Lucas read the press report of Taylor’s death, which didn’t give much detail. “Regan, when we were talking earlier, you said that violence creates more than one victim. Can you expand on that?”

“Whenever someone is killed, they are not the only victim. Candace was a sister—to Chrissy Swain as well as to the Sigma Rho sorority. She was a daughter, a friend, a student, a colleague. When Candace was killed, others were hurt—grieving, in pain, unable to find solace that justice was served because Candace’s killer was never caught.

“It’s no secret that Taylor James suffered after Candace was killed. Losing a friend is always difficult. Losing a friend to violence can be worse. It’s sudden, it’s tragic, it’s often emotionally painful. Taylor turned to alcohol and drugs. She went through rehab. She was putting her life together...and unfortunately, as with many people who suffer with addiction, she fell off the wagon.” Regan didn’t know if that was true, but a friend of hers in the sheriff’s department said they were ruling it an accidental overdose, pending investigation. “Her death is still being investigated,” she continued. “The police will determine if it was accidental, on purpose, or if someone contributed to her overdose.” She stopped short of saying killed her. “What often makes such a tragedy worse—for friends and family—is not knowing the truth. Of justice not being served. You have a personal experience with this, don’t you, Lucas?”

Lucas stared at her, shocked that she had brought it up. What was he going to say?

“I think,” she said, “that if you share why you are personally invested in Candace’s disappearance and murder, your listeners will respond accordingly.”

Lucas quickly recovered and said, “My girlfriend in high school—we were friends for years, since first grade. Anyway, her older sister disappeared driving back from NAU during winter break. It really tore up her family. You’re right—not knowing what happened to Adele was worse for them in some ways. I mean, not worse than losing her, but there was no closure. They still don’t know what happened to her.”

“How long ago was that?”

“A little over six years.”

“Why didn’t you decide to do your podcast on that case?”

What did he say to that? “I don’t know. I think maybe because Adele had been a freshman and didn’t know many people, and Candace was a senior, in a sorority, popular, friendly. I thought it might make for a more interesting podcast.”

“I see your point,” Regan said.

“I was also too close to that case, and to the family. Adele went missing while driving. Her car was found in New Mexico. Candace Swain went missing from campus, so it felt more immediate, relatable to students here. Candace was part of a sorority, but Adele hadn’t made many friends. In addition, the circumstances of Candace’s disappearance and murder were both different and compelling. There were no witnesses to Adele’s disappearance, but there were several people who saw Candace the night she disappeared.”