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I shake my head. “No, but whoever it is seems to have it in their head that I killed Alyssa when obviously I didn’t.”
“They’re probably just trying to shake you up, don’t take it to heart.”
“I’m trying not to.”
He offers a smile, but it does little to comfort me. I find my seat, get through the class, and then hunt down Paulie. I want to talk to Alyssa’s friend, and I’m tired of waiting. There is a solid chance she won’t be back to school for a bit, so I need to contact her. I considered doing it over Facebook, but I don’t think she’ll answer me so I’m hoping Paulie has another option.
He smiles when I finally find him. “Hey, girl.”
“Do you think you can get Halo to talk to you.”
Alyssa’s best friend’s name is Halo, which I think is super cool. She seems like a nice enough girl, judging by all the social media stalking I did before I came to Paulie.
“She isn’t even here.” Paulie frowns.
“I know, but I want her to meet me. I know she won’t talk to me if she thinks I actually killed her friend, but I am running out of time. I found this in my locker.”
I hand him the note. He reads it, and his eyes widen. “Damn. Okay, well, I actually have a class with her, so I’ll message her and ask her for some notes. I talk to her here and there.”
“Do you think it’s a good idea to bombard her?”
Paulie waves a hand. “I think we’re out of options.”
He’s right.
I think we are.
12 – Ciara
“You can’t be serious!”
Halo, who is a beautiful blond around twenty, with golden yellow eyes and a figure to die for, scowls when she realizes I’m with Paulie.
I only have a matter of seconds to get her to listen before she flips out and leaves. She agreed to meet Paulie at a café to give him notes, but she wasn’t expecting me to be here. I know what she thinks, they all do, but it’s my only option.
“Halo,” I say quickly, putting up my hands as she goes to turn and leave. “I know what you think, but I swear to you I did nothing. I went in there for a shower and stumbled across Alyssa, and now someone is bothering me. You don’t know me, I don’t expect you to believe me, but please, you’re the only person who can help me.”
Her eyes dart to Paulie, and he continues, “I promise you, Halo, she is a good person. She didn’t do it. You know that. I know you do ...”
Halo glances at me again, then stares down at her feet. “It just doesn’t feel real, you know?”
I exhale. She’s going to talk, and maybe then we will get the answers we need. Carefully taking a step toward her, I reach out a hand and put it on her shoulder. She flinches, but she doesn’t pull away. “I am so sorry about what happened to her, but someone is out there getting away with this right now, and I want to know who it is.”
She looks up at me, a lone tear rolling down her cheek. “The problem is, I don’t know. She was so ... secretive.”
“How do you mean?” Paulie asks, tipping his head to the side.
“She was seeing someone, but she wouldn’t tell me who it was. She kept it a big secret. A few days before she died, she got really upset and said they had been fighting and that he didn’t really want to be in a relationship with her anymore. She was so heartbroken, but still, she wouldn’t tell me his name.”
A secret lover.
But who?
“Did she ever mention a name? Age? Occupation? Anything?”
Halo shakes her head. “I think he lived out of town, but I honestly don’t know.”
If Alyssa kept it from her best friend, then she must have had good reason to do so. Perhaps the man was married? That would make the most sense. Maybe she threatened to tell his wife so he tracked her down and killed her. I’m onto something, I can feel it.
