Chapter 198

The investigator had beady eyes, but they were piercing. He watched me like he read my thoughts, or like he was just waiting for me to trip up and trap myself.

“Who are you?” I asked, pretending I didn’t know.

“An investigator from the Official Research Facility on Projection.” He didn’t offer a name.

Was he attempting to intimidate me? If so, it was working.

“Why would you want to talk to me?” I asked.

“We are investigating Nurse Irene from the hospital. We have reason to believe that she has a patient with the projection ability, but is keeping it a secret. Those with projection are to be immediately reported to us.”

“I’m not sure what any of that has to do with me.”

“Are you a patient of Nurse Irene’s?”

This was definitely a trap, but because I knew he had likely identified me from my blood in Irene’s lab, I knew how to answer.

“Yes.”

“And why do you see her?”

I swallowed hard. Surely that was privileged information? Did that matter to official investigators?

“My wolf started to manifest early, because of my pregnancy. I regularly see Nurse Nancy and Nurse Irene to make sure that I am healthy and safe.”

The truth of my pregnancy was already well-known. I’d hoped that mentioning the early appearance of my wolf might be strange enough for him to accept Irene’s interest in me, but not so different that he himself would care about it.

“Is that why Nurse Irene has a vial of your blood in her lab? Unlabeled.”

“I don’t know why it wasn’t labeled, but yes. Nurse Irene has taken my blood before.”

“That doesn’t strike you as odd, that your blood vial was unlabeled. As if she was trying to hide you.”

“I really don’t know.” I feigned a disinterested shrug. “You’d have to ask Nurse Irene about how she labels her vials.”

His expression did not change through the entire exchange, though he tilted his head now. It was unnerving and unpleasant. I wanted to get away from him as soon as possible.

“If you’ll excuse me, I have plans tonight.” I attempted to step around him.

He moved into my path. “Nice talking to you, Cynthia. I’ll be seeing you again.” It sounded like a threat.

He didn’t say anything else. Just turned and sauntered down the sidewalk. Fortunately, he was going the opposite way from the way I was headed, so I was able to rush back to Asher’s dorm.

When I arrived, Asher was waiting for me, pacing. As I came through the door, he gave a full body exhale.

“You’re late,” he said.

“I lost track of time. But then I ran into someone.”

I described my encounter with the investigator to Asher. As I spoke, his expression grew more and more grim.

“First Joseph and now this.” He crossed the room to his desk and opened his planner.

“What are you doing?” I asked, following in his shadow.

“Adjusting my schedule. I’ll make sure to be there with you when you are studying, during those times Nicole and Aimee are busy. I’m not comfortable leaving you alone anymore.”

Suddenly, he stopped his pen. He looked back at me.

“If that’s alright with you…”

He was attempting to be more sensitive to my needs and wants lately, likely an effort at compromise after our fight and reconciliation.

I appreciated it, but it was not necessary. Especially in instances like this, where I wouldn’t mind having him around me all the time.

“I would like that,” I said. Asher was a good study partner, and I’d feel safer with him as my bodyguard walking me home.

He was right. Between running into Joseph and now the investigator, I was ready to never leave his dorm room again.

“Good.” Asher returned to his schedule.

The next day at lunch time, Asher and I went off-campus to meet with the staff member about my anonymous letter revealing Joseph’s club and its atrocities.

She was already there when we arrived, though she couldn’t seem to sit still. She had ripped her napkin to pieces on her placemat. Her eyes darted nervously around the restaurant.

We introduced ourselves as we sat across from her at the table, but she wouldn’t give her name. Asher knew it, presumably, but didn’t use it, likely at her previous behest.

She waited for the waiter to come to take our drink order. When he left, she leaned forward to speak to us.

“I personally handled the anonymous report about the website.”

She did? That meant that it had at least been looked at, and not misplaced, which was somewhat of a relief.

“But when I tried to pass it along to my supervisor, I was instead forced to give it to a higher faculty member. They told me to forget I ever saw it.”

“Were you threatened?” Asher asked.

She didn’t answer, just looked around nervously again. But that seemed to be answer enough.

“Do you have any idea why it’s being covered up?” Asher asked.

“I’ve been told to forget things before. Not often, but it has happened. Never quite like this, though.” She fiddled with the edge of her placemat. “In those instances, the order to forget had come from a high ranking school executive.”

I couldn’t understand it. “Why would a school executive want to cover up such a repulsive club?”

Asher was the one to answer. “Some of the participants on that website might be related to executives.”

“Like Coach,” I whispered.

He nodded.

How easily those connections could make problems disappear!

“It’s likely,” the staff member said. “I can’t tell you who, but I would bet that is the case. The ferocity with which I was told to keep quiet would indicate a very close relationship. Father-son perhaps? I’m sorry I don’t know more.”

“You’ve confirmed a lot for us,” Asher said. “We’re appreciative.”

“I wasn’t even sure my letter was looked at,” I said.

“It was,” the staff member said. “It’s disgusting what those boys are doing. I’m sorry, I wish I could do more. But I just can’t risk it. Sometimes I feel like there is more than just my job on the line.”

“It’s okay,” I said, hoping to calm her, with the way her hands were shaking. “You’ve done more than enough.”

“I need to leave. I’m sorry. I can’t stay here any longer and chance being seen.”

“We understand,” Asher said.

The staff member nodded. She reached into her purse and withdrew a few dollar bills. She left them to cover the drink she never touched, then rushed her way out the door. She didn’t look back.

“Well, at least we know someone looked at it,” I said.

“Too many people, it seems,” Asher said. “We’re unlikely to get any more information from the staff. At this point, I think we were lucky this one decided to talk to us at all.”

“So what should we do?”

Asher grabbed two menus from the end of the table and passed me one. “Order dinner.”

My stomach rumbled at the thought of food. Still, I rolled my eyes at him. “That’s not what I meant. If we can’t get more information from the staff, we can’t go to them. And it’s not like Joseph will talk to us.”

“Order.” Asher pointed toward the menu. “And try not to worry.”

I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. “Do you have a plan you aren’t telling me about?”

He looked at me and didn’t say a thing, which gave him away.

“You do have a plan!”

Asher hesitated a moment. Then spoke, “I’m going to go talk to Lamar.”