Sweet Deadly Lies (A Dark Academia Mystery) Watty Winner ✔️

Twenty-Four

As Xander and I walk through downtown, I blink back the threat of tears.

Stone Carter is a dead end. Not that him hooking up with Eli means he was never with Ava, but this new finding makes it feel less likely.

With each passing second I'm more frustrated than the last. Nothing is adding up. And the more I learn, the more it seems possible that Ava did this to herself.

I don't want to believe it. My sister, of all people, knew what it's like to lose someone to suicide. It drags you to the darkest places and breaks you over and over again. After Dad, how could she turn around and force Mom and I to live through another nightmare?

The only explanation is that she couldn't have been in her right mind. Maybe she just didn't have the capacity, in that moment, to realize what she was doing and the impact it would have. And if that's the case, perhaps it's possible our father didn't realize it either. The thought, though far-fetched, brings a little comfort. And right now, I'll take it.

Xander nudges me with his elbow. "You're awfully quiet. Are you okay?"

I wipe away a tear with my knuckle. "Just thinking."

"About?"

"That maybe it's time to stop chasing fairy tales." A gust of wind blows hair across my face. I tuck it behind my ears and take a shaky breath. "I should have known better anyway. I've never believed in them."

He arches an eyebrow. "Am I supposed to know what that means?"

Despite myself, I laugh. "I guess not."

Xander hesitates before going on. "I'm not sure what to say, but I want you to know I care about what you're going through. I know it doesn't change anything, but I hope it makes getting through it a little more bearable."

An unexpected warmth swells in my chest. "Strangely enough, it does. Thank you."

Embarrassed, I stuff my hands into my pockets and look away. And then a hushed voice cements my boots to the concrete.

I recognize the nasally accent immediately.

On reflex, I grab Xander's arm and hold him back.

"What's wrong?"

I press my finger to my lips and drag him to the edge of the building. Around the corner is an area paved with old-fashioned red brick. It stretches across the block, from one street to the next. There's a water fountain in the center with strategically placed benches throughout, and raised gardens filled with ornamental trees and wildflowers. The aroma from nearby restaurants swirl in the air around us.

Kate is sitting on a bench, her back to us, talking on the phone.

"I just picked it up from the repair shop," she says to whoever's on the opposite end. She's holding something in her hand. "I don't know, it needs more juice. But if this belongs to who I think it does..." Her sentence trails off.

Xander tugs on my sleeve. "Come on.There are better things to do than spy on Kate Baxter."

"Wait a minute," I say, waving at him to be quiet.

Kate's auburn hair falls over her shoulder, concealing the side of her face. "It's turning on!" Her voice is thick with excitement, but it doesn't take long before she sounds annoyed. "Of course, it needs a passcode. I hate passcodes—they're such a fucking waste of time!" she complains. "I know, I know. What do you think I am—stupid? I figured it'd be an issue so I bought a kit to unlock it."

When I glance back at Xander, confusion takes over his features. "What's she doing?"

I shake my head. "Knowing her, nothing good."