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Diesel nods. We enter.
Before the door shuts behind us, Professor Barrigan leaps to his feet, his eyes wide in alarm. “Who the hell are you two? You’re not supposed to be in there.”
I stare into his eyes. “Sit the fuck down and keep your mouth shut. We’re not here to hurt you, but the second you scream or do anything foolish is the second you learn just how much pain we can inflict on you before any help arrives. You will die in agony and your loved ones will have to have a closed casket funeral.”
“Jesus fuck, dude, are we Hannibal Lectering this guy?” Diesel says.
“I will fucking bite his face off if he steps out of line, yes.”
“I’ll be quiet,” Barrigan says as he sits back at his desk. “What do you want?”
“We’re here to show you a video,” Diesel says.
“A video? What, is this a pornographic video or something?”
I shake my head, feeling offended. “No, why would you think that?”
“What other video would require two armed men to break into my office and hold me prisoner in order to get me to watch it? It must be something truly sick and vile.”
“Buddy, what the hell is wrong with you that you think it’d take armed people to get you to watch porno? Fuck, all anyone has to say is say is ‘Hey, you wanna see this weird porno?’ and any normal person is going to answer, ‘Hell yes, but I’ll bet you I’ve already seen it.’ I mean, what fucking deviant are you?” Diesel fumes.
“Enough!” I say. I pull out my phone and tap the screen, readying the video. “This is about one of your students. Emily.”
“You want me to watch a pornography video of one of my students?” Barrigan says.
“There’s nothing pornographic about it. Get your mind out of the gutter,” Diesel says.
“This is about kidnapping, stalking, and attempted murder,” I say.
“Is this a snuff film?” Barrigan says, giving me a look that is far too judgmental for my liking. “What is wrong with you?”
“I’ll make you into a snuff film if you don’t shut the hell up,” I say. “Emily missed her deadline. She failed this class. I’m here to show you why.”
“And then?”
“Then you make the most important decision of your life.”
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Emily
You seem like you’re having a hard time. Come on over. Let’s talk about it over some wine.
Maggie’s text has been sitting on my phone for the last hour, ever since I got off work. Answering it seems risky. Maggie will want to talk, to tell me to keep my hopes up, that maybe I can apply to a different program, a different school, or maybe my university will even accept that I utterly failed the biggest courses of my academic career and give me a second chance.
But that’s all hope.
And I’m not in the mood for hope right now.
I send her a short answer. Not up for it. Maybe a raincheck?
My phone buzzes before I can even set it down. Not a request. Either come over here or I’ll bring the wine to you. Your choice.
I’m too low to argue, so I answer. Fine. Your place.
Another buzz. Bring your paper, too.
That nearly makes me cancel. The last thing I want to do is touch that paper, and Maggie probably wants to spend the evening reviewing it over wine and trying to tell me it’s good, that I should send it to other professors, or even talk to Professor Barrigan and see if I can get that notorious hardass to do the one thing he swore he’d never do — bend the rules.
