“You know where?”
“Jesus,” I say, laughing. “You’re really keen on this girl, aren’t you?”
Adam shrugs, trying to play it like he doesn’t care. “She seemed cool,” he says, taking another bite of his food. “And I like cool chicks.”
“You like easy, laid back, no strings attached chicks,” I tell him.
He lets out a laugh. “Yeah, that too.”
I roll my eyes. “As long as you remember that any mess you create is probably gonna blow back on me, okay? So I’d appreciate it if you didn’t totally fuck with my girlfriend’s sister.”
Adam chuckles. “Don’t worry, Caleb,” he says. “I haven’t had any complaints so far.”
Now I’m laughing as I feel my phone vibrating in my pocket. I reach in and grab it and see Ed’s name lighting up the screen.
“Hello?”
“Caleb, hi, it’s Ed,” he says, as though I don’t already know this.
“Did you find out something with the car?” I ask, not bothering with pleasantries.
I hear the sound of an exhale down the phone before Ed says, “Yeah we did. It’s his car.”
“Fuck!” I practically shout, standing from my chair. Adam gives me a strange look and I shake my head at him. “So what now?”
“Well,” Ed says, and I can tell he’s trying to decide what he should tell me, “I’ve also spoken to Meagan, the girl Ruby spoke to.”
“Yeah,” I say impatiently, wishing he’d just get to the point.
“And she corroborated the car and stalking allegations. Told me what had happened to her.”
I’m nodding, even though he can’t see me. “Ruby thinks there may be others.”
“Yes, I think so too,” Ed says. “I’m going to have my PI look into it and see if we can’t gather some more information.”
I can feel my heart pounding in my chest at this new development even as I try to tell myself not to get too excited because just like before, this could all turn out to be nothing.
“So what now?” I ask.
“Now,” Ed says, “we’re going to need to get formal statements. From Ruby and Meagan and anyone else we find. We need to build a case about a pattern of behavior that proves that what people are saying is true. It’s the best chance we have for getting this dropped and charges brought against him.”
“A pattern of behavior?” I practically shout. “The guy fucking stalks his students, attacks them, rapes them even.”
Adam’s eyes widen as he continues to stare up at me, still shoveling his food into his mouth as he sits seemingly mesmerized by this one-sided conversation he’s listening too. I turn away from him, shoving a rough hand through my hair as I wait for Ed to speak.
“I know you want this to be over quickly,” he eventually says. “But we do need to build a solid case here. If we really want to have the best chance of getting this suit dropped and of making him pay for what he’s done, you have to be patient, Caleb.”
“I know, I know,” I say. “I’m trying.”
“I know you are,” he says, and I can hear the smile in his voice. “Now, is Ruby with you? I haven’t been able to get hold of her and I want to chat about approaching other students.”
“Wait, what, you can’t get hold of her?” I ask, as a sudden wave of fear washes over me. “She’s at home, getting stuff ready for school.”
“Oh, okay, maybe she just didn’t hear her phone,” Ed says, as though it’s no big deal. “Have her call me when you see her, okay?”
“Okay,” I reply as I hang up without so much as a goodbye and then quickly scroll through to Ruby’s number.
“Dude, what the fuck was that about?” Adam asks.
I hold up a hand as if to say, wait a sec, as I listen to the ring tone. But Ruby doesn’t answer, the call eventually going to voicemail. I hang up without leaving a message before dialing Sie’s number.
“Hey, Caleb,” she says when she picks up.
“Are you at home or with Ruby?” I ask, not bothering to say hello.
“No. Reid and I are on campus getting stuff for school. Why? What’s up?”
“Fuck,” I exhale, turning back to Adam who’s still watching me, a confused look on his face now. “I can’t get hold of her.”
Sienna says something to someone who I assume is Reid before she says, “She was home when we left maybe thirty minutes ago. Maybe she just went for a run or whatever?”
I’m shaking my head even though Sie can’t see me because I know Ruby always takes her phone with her when she runs. Not just to listen to music, but ever since what happened with that asshole professor.
“Listen, Sie, I gotta go,” I say.
“Caleb, wait, what’s this about?” I can hear the urgency in her voice now, as though she’s finally realized something is going on.
“It’s his car, Sie,” I say, moving toward the door. “It’s that asshole’s car.”
Then I hang up and open the door, sprinting in the direction of our house, my phone to my ear as I once again try calling Ruby.
Trying like hell to stop the bile rising in my throat when this one doesn’t ring at all and goes straight to voicemail.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Ruby
When I step foot on campus I immediately realize I forgot my phone, fishing through my purse to confirm what I already know. I can picture it sitting on my bed, buried slightly under a pile of clothes I tossed there with it.
“Damn it,” I mutter, slinging my purse across my body. It’s too late to run back now as I check the time on my watch.
Caleb is going to kill me if he realizes I’ve left my phone at home, always so protective and worried, and he probably has a right to be given the situation. Hopefully he doesn’t try to call or text me while I’m gone.
I head toward the counseling center to pick up a few more books and sign up to do some volunteer work. If I don’t get over there soon, I’ll be left with all the shitty times or worse, left trying to get my hours on my own.
I walk in and find it quiet, which isn’t unusual given classes haven’t started yet, but there is no one behind the counter. I wait a few minutes, looking around, listening to see if I can hear anyone in the back. There are certified counselors on staff who may be meeting with someone right now and since the classes don’t start for a few more days, the student receptionist is obviously not working.
I call out, “Hello? Anyone here?” The room answers back with silence and just as I’m about to leave, I hear a door open and one of the counselors and a girl about my age emerge from the back.
“Can I help you?” the older woman asks, a friendly smile on her face, but the girl with her is staring at me with an intensity that burns hot in her eyes.
“Um, yeah,” I start, suddenly feeling the weight of this girl’s stare. “I need to sign up to volunteer so I can get my practicum hours in.”
“No problem,” she says cheerfully. “Can you give me one second and I’ll pull up the schedule. She now turns back to the girl who is standing a few feet from me.