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

Thirty-One

Trigger warning: this chapter contains details of suicide.

It's like a knife in my gut, a searing pain that clenches my insides and makes me want to double over. My fingers latch onto the window sill to hold myself up.

Why is my sister's cell phone in Xander's bag? Kate had it yesterday, and now Kate is dead. So, how the hell did Xander end up with it?

Unless...

Drew once warned me about Xander. He said he was bad news and that I should stay away. But that was just their mutual hatred talking, right? Xander's not dangerous. He wouldn't hurt anyone.

Would he?

I shake my head, desperate to dislodge the thought, but now that it's emerged, it's firmly planted in my brain. The only possible way Xander could have Ava's phone is if Kate gave it to him herself. Either that, or he took it. But something tells me Kate would have never let it go without a fight. Neither option makes me feel better.

On the bright side—if that's possible—I can now look inside. Whoever my sister was texting before she died, the one who asked to meet them on the cliffs, is most likely the person responsible for her death. After all this time, I may finally have the evidence I've been hoping for. 

Only now...I'm not sure if I want it. What if I find something I'd rather not know? What if whatever is in Ava's phone incriminates someone close to me? Someone I'm growing to care about.

What if the person texting Ava was Xander?

With shaking fingers, I press the power button but the screen doesn't light up, not even when I hold it in place. It's dead. Flipping the phone upside down, I inspect the adaptor, but it's a different size from the charger in my dorm. It's a simple fix. I'll just go into town and buy one that fits.

But a hunch has me checking something else. I peel off the teal case and pick at the back panel until it eventually slides off.

It's empty. The battery is gone. But why?

This problem isn't as simple. Maliseet Bay has a population of almost five thousand people. It may be a tourist trap for whale watchers and lighthouse enthusiasts, but it's not a booming metropolis of retail chain stores. And the shops along the strip are too small to carry the different size batteries needed for every brand and model. Finding a solution is going to take a little more time—and that's not something I have. Whoever killed Ava and Kate is still on the loose. What if more people are on their list?

It's time to involve the police. I hate to do it before I have confirmation of any wrongdoings, but what choice do I have? Someone with more resources can get the job done faster than I'll ever be able to, and everything on campus will be hanging in limbo until law enforcement has unequivocal proof.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. My nerves are shot. The last thing the police will want in their station is a panicky teenager with half-assed accusations about elite boarding school murders. Once the media catches wind of this, I don't want to be around for the aftermath.

A ping rises from my back pocket. I don't need to read the text to know who it's from. Xander's waiting for me to get in touch with him. He wants his bag—and everything inside.

The hallway walls are closing in on me. I lift the phone from my pocket, and just as I expected, Xander's notification glares at me from the screen.

Xander: Did the office have my bag

Not even a question mark. Up until now, Xander's texts have always represented exceptional grammar. He must be losing his shit.

Before I respond, I tuck Ava's cell inside my sweatshirt. I have it, my thumbs punch into the keyboard.