No thanks to Sabrina, I’ve got a little homework to do tonight, and it very much involves some digging into the faculty at the Rose Glen Community College.
Oh, Billy boy, Billy boy, what have you done?
Hold onto your trench coat because I’m about to find out.
Chapter 13
Rose Glen Community College is tucked away among a virtual forest of maple trees.
It seems whoever designed the landscape of this institute of higher learning really loved punchy-colored fall leaves. Either that, or they had an affinity for skeletal branches. Macy and I wade our way through a thicket of leaves as we hike across campus all the way into the warmth of the administration building.
I decided that bringing Camila along for this little outing wasn’t necessary, and for sure I wasn’t about to extend the invite to Georgie and her haunted new BFF. Nope, this would be weird enough all on its own. And there was no way I was going to bring Sprinkles.
If this man did kill Blair, the sight of her dog might make him clam up—or make him think that Blair is haunting him from the other side. And if he did the murderous deed, she should be.
The inside of the administration building is festooned with ghosts and spiders in keeping theme with the upcoming holiday. It’s light and bright and a few students sit on sofas off to the right, looking somewhat studious while staring at their phones.
Macy looks around. “All of the hotties have their offices on the second floor,” she whispers. “I did a little digging myself, and it turns out, there’s an admittance counselor who looks as if he could be Johnny Depp’s doppelgänger. I’m going to head on up and see if the wench in me can bring out the pirate in him. Don’t do anything goofy like get yourself decapitated.”
“Right back at you,” I say as I follow her up the steel and concrete staircase leading to the second level. “Professor Helsing is upstairs, too, and I’m just in time for his office hours.”
There are only two psych professors at this campus. One is a woman and the other a man who looks to be in his mid-thirties named Dr. William Helsing—aka Billy.
Jasper helped in the endeavor, and we couldn’t believe how easy he was able to dig up the information we needed. I didn’t tell him that I’d be attempting to speak with Billy boy this afternoon. Instead, I lunged right into a few distracting kisses that led to far more interesting distractions.
Let’s hope my questioning of this suspect goes off just as easily as tracking him down did.
Macy swats me on the arm. “There’s my mark.” She nods to the office straight ahead. “Wish me luck.” She rides her eyes up and down my body a moment. “You’re not exactly a student. Maybe you should have brought that haunted doll of Georgie’s as an icebreaker.”
“Believe me, it would short-circuit the conversation. In the event you haven’t noticed, that little pint-sized menace seems to have the capability to make the lights go on and off at will.”
“Really? Who knew I’d have so much in common with a doll?” A crooked smile sharpens over her features. “If all goes well, you’ll have to hitch a ride home on your own broom.” She charges into the office before I can protest.
Shoot. I knew I should have driven.
A directory sits next to the elevator, and I quickly find Professor Helsing's name and discover he’s in office 206. My feet saunter in the direction of his office, and I follow the numbers along the office doors until I hit the jackpot.
A young man with a backpack barrels out of the room, and without putting too much thought into it, I give a light knock on the opened door.
“Excuse me?” I lean my head in, only to find the exact same man I bumped into the day of the murder looking up at me from behind his desk with beady light eyes and a dark beard clipped close to this face. He seems handsome enough, serious enough, too, but despite that, his lips curve my way with an amicable smile.
“Can I help you?”
This is the part where I ask for directions, then segue into how familiar he looks. And I’m about to do just that when I spot an all too familiar haunted doll seated on the chair in the corner, same muslin gown, same haunted face.
“AAGHH!” The scream rips from me, harsh and unexpected, and I end up scaring myself all the more.
“Whoa.” He gives a light laugh as he quickly makes his way around his desk. “It’s just a doll, I promise.”
“What’s she doing here?” I shriek. Although at this point, the question is more or less rhetorical. It’s obvious what she’s doing here—what she’s been doing all along—stealing my sanity.
“It’s just a silly Halloween decoration.” He waves her off in an attempt to calm me down. “I share an office with a woman who teaches the art classes, and she enjoys putting out a few holiday touches now and again. She says the doll belonged to her grandmother. She hauls her out every year. I promise she’s harmless.”
My heart wallops over my chest as if to contest the idea.
I take a moment to squint over at the porcelain beast, and come to think of it, Annabeth has red hair, and this smiling little terror has blonde tresses. Well played, Annabeth. Well played.
He leans in, trying to break my gaze. “What was it that you were about to ask?”
“Oh”—I’m momentarily thrown and can’t for the life of me remember my cover—“my sister, um, she’s here somewhere.” Good grief. This is a disaster. Maybe I should have brought Annabeth. At least that way I wouldn’t look like such a loon. “The doll seated in the corner looks like a replica of one at the inn I manage. We’re actually hosting a haunted roadshow in the event your colleague would be interested.”
“What inn?” He lifts
