Jaded (Jaded #1)(99)

mirror separated us from Corrigan’s room. He sat, bent over a table, his arms crossed underneath him and he looked like he was asleep.

“Care to venture why we’re interrogating your friend?”

“Because he’s a cocky teenager with authority issues,” I said lightly.

Corrigan was unfazed as an officer slammed a file on the table. The table jumped, Corrigan did not. And the cop flipped open the file.

“You know what he’s showing him in there?”

I knew. I didn’t need to say it.

Sheila answered anyway, “Those are the pictures of Leisha Summers and Bailey Umbridge. Two girls that were raped, strangled, and cut to death. And your buddy in there thinks this is a joke. This isn’t a joke.”

Corrigan didn’t even look. I watched, transfixed, as my best friend didn’t even look at the pictures.

“He’s not looking,” I said faintly.

“He doesn’t have to. He’s already seen them,” Sheila rasped out. “He saw them in person and we can place him at the scenes of the crimes.”

“What?!” Bryce spoke now.

“Corrigan wasn’t anywhere near—”

“Leisha Summers did not die in the park. She died a block away from your party that night. And Bailey Umbridge, she died in the same block. She wasn’t killed in the school. She was found in the school, just like Leisha was found at the park. They were both moved.”

“Corrigan was with me the whole night—” Bryce started to say.

Sheila cut him off, “You told me that he was with you ‘most’ of the night. He disappeared, didn’t he? For a little while, didn’t he? You told me that this afternoon. You can’t take that back now.”

I froze and whirled around.

Bryce stood, pale, and stiff. His eyes watched me in horror and he whispered, a choking sound, “I…”

His hand had held my elbow, but I moved forward, a slight shuffling step. His hand fell away and I was now cold.

“It didn’t take long for him to slip away and murder Leisha. She was only a block away. He drove her over later, after you guys finished with your ‘buddy.’ Didn’t he? He left again—”

“He went to the bathroom!” Bryce cried out, “I told you this.”

“Yeah. You gave your ‘friend’ some holes in his alibi. That’s what you did.”

I glanced between the two and pressed, “He was with Logan the night that Bailey was murdered.”

Everything was unraveling.

Hideously.

Sheila turned almost sympathetic eyes towards me and said softly, “She went home. He wasn’t with her the whole night.”

“I can’t…this is preposterous!”

I felt the string quickly racing from my hands. The end was nearing and I watched, horrified and in slow motion, as it came and passed through. My hands were too slow, too clumsy, and I stood without an anchor.

“You need to wake up about your friend, Jaded. I understand the blinders considering all the things that have happened to you. I understand why you’re denying what’s in front of your eyes, but open your eyes. His prints were on the fourth letter. He’s virtually got no alibi for either of the murders and he’s got the criminal history to back up our claims. He’s got a one way ticket to being a career criminal with anti-social qualities.

And I’m not talking someone who’s just unfriendly. I’m talking anti-social personality disorder. Go to any prison and you’ll find more than you can count. That’s where they go, to prison.”

“I…”

Everything was collapsing.

“We’ve got a psychologist coming in for an assessment. He’s going to tell us that Corrigan is capable of murdering two teenage girls. Judges listen to those guys.”

“Corrigan didn’t murder anyone. My god—he was arrested because he thinks one of you guys know who did and they’re not doing anything about it,” Bryce said harshly.

Sheila quieted and seemed to withdraw, though her feet didn’t move.

Bryce saw it too and he murmured, not missing a beat, “Is that what this is about?

He fingered one of you guys so you’re taking him down? Does it work that way?”

“You better watch what you’re claiming…,” Sheila said faintly, but she backed off.

“Can we talk to him?” I asked, a sudden white flag rose in the air.

Sheila glanced over my shoulders, sighed, and said faintly, “No.”

“Fine.” I nodded tightly and Bryce moved ahead of me for the door. He saw the disengaged expression on my face and abruptly bundled me outside, away from prying eyes and ears. The cold air was cool and crisp. It was exactly what I needed.

Bryce waited behind me…

And then I turned swiftly and punched him.

Bryce didn’t move. He didn’t react. He didn’t even flinch. He knew it was coming.

“You came here and talked to her?!” I exclaimed, harshly.

Bryce knew it was coming. He murmured, “I wanted to help. I want them to know as much as possible to find this psycho.”

“And instead, they twisted your words and they’re still after Corrigan!”

Bryce didn’t say anything, not for awhile. And I held my breath, knowing that was the worst reaction I could’ve hoped for…and then I heard, faintly, …