“Be careful what you put in your stomach,” Mom said. “Let me know if you get worse.”
She walked to the table and sat beside Brian. They continued whatever conversation they were having before I arrived. Occasionally, Brian looked in my direction. I felt like he was assessing me. I finished my orange juice and went upstairs.
At five o’clock, I was still in my pajamas. Knuckles rapped the bedroom door and Mom gently pushed it open.
“How are you feeling?” she asked.
“Touch and go.”
“You better stay here,” she said. I noticed she was fully dressed, and her hair was curled. She’d made the decision to go without me hours ago. Normally, her easy acceptance of my absence would hurt. Tonight, it worked in my favor. “I’m sorry, sweetie.”
“No, I’m sorry. I always enjoy attending your events.”
“I know,” she said, her face full of satisfaction. “There’ll be plenty more. Feel better.”
She moved in the doorway, revealing Brian behind her.
“Feel better, Dell,” he said.
“Okay,” I said. “Have fun.”
I could hear their footsteps descending the stairs. Seconds later, the front door shut, and Mom’s car engine rumbled beneath my bedroom window. I exhaled like it was the first real breath I’d taken all day. I at least had time to explore, even though I still didn’t know what I might find.
I went to Dad’s old computer and turned it on. As Danny said, the news was limited. I found one article which was published earlier that day. The body had been identified as Becky Whitmore, the fourth girl. Based on decomposition, it appeared she was killed around the time she was reported missing. She was found in a marshy patch of woods, about three miles away from a popular hiking trail which snaked through campus. A cause of death wasn’t mentioned.
My mind pictured the knives that hung above Brian’s bed. According to Amber, he’d used one of those knives to threaten her. Scare her. Assert his power. Had Amber been a trial run? A dress rehearsal?
I deleted the search history and shut down the computer. I walked upstairs and pushed open the door of Brian’s room. Thankfully, it was unlocked. I looked through his belongings. As I touched each item, I took a mental picture of what it looked like before. I wanted to reposition everything exactly. Brian didn’t need to know I was snooping around his room.
It all appeared ordinary. I sifted through his duffel. I lifted his mattress. I dug through his drawers. I analyzed each section of the room, searching for something strange. Something out of place.
Dad’s guitar was in the corner by Brian’s bed. I ran my fingers across the smooth leather case. Dad had too many guitars for a family without musicians to keep. We’d each chosen our favorite of his collection and sold the rest. Mine was hidden away in my closet. For now, it still made me sad to see it. Here was Brian’s selection, on full display in his messy bedroom.
I sat on Brian’s bed and lifted the case, so it rested on my thighs. I unzipped the closure to expose the honey-colored instrument. Even though I barely knew how to play, I strummed my thumb against its strings. I missed this sound. And this smell. I missed everything about Dad. How would he handle this situation if he were alive? Would he minimize my worries like I was afraid everyone else might? I didn’t think so. I sensed Dad saw the darkness in Brian as clearly as I did, although neither of us suspected he was capable of murder. I still wasn’t sure he was. I placed the guitar back in its case.
When I closed the lid, I felt something shift beneath my fingers. I reopened the case and saw a small zipper in the fabric lining. I ran my hand over the area and confirmed there was a small, rectangular object underneath.
I pulled back the zipper and slid my hand inside. My fingers felt something plastic. I pulled it out, realizing it was a series of cards bound together with a single rubber band. No, they weren’t cards. They were driver’s licenses. I slid the rubber string downward and shuffled through the deck.
They were all there. Victoria and Becky and Dana and Melody. Mila. I swallowed down the wave of nausea building inside me. My entire body started to sweat. It was like a hot, bright light poured over me, showing me what I needed to see. But I didn’t want to see it. I didn’t want to know I was right. I’d spent my whole life trying to get others to see Brian for what he really was. In all that time, even I didn’t know what he was. And now that I did, I felt numb.
I flipped through the IDs one more time. I realized there were six, not five. I read all the names again. There was one I didn’t recognize. A girl name Katie Mitchell. She was nineteen and blonde, and I’d bet my life she was a student at SCU. He’d hurt another girl and brought her ID to add to his stash. Is that why he planned a visit so soon after each abduction? He wouldn’t want anything suspicious found at SCU. Our home was now a storage facility for his trophies.
I took a deep breath and bound the IDs back together. I made sure they were in the correct order. Victoria was first; Katie, this girl I knew nothing about, was last. I slid them into the bottom of the lining, closed the case and leaned the guitar against the wall, tweaking the angle.
I gave the room another check before shutting the door and running down the hall. I slung my head into the hallway toilet. I gagged and spit until there was nothing left. I’d told Mom I was sick, and now I was. Because I’d finally found what I was looking for. I’d found proof Brian was connected to the
