The Cannibal Bride *WattyAwards2024

6)Suspect List

"Something in the way" by Nirvana

***

The next day, Alyssa felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for having a friend like Cory. Not many people would willingly make a four-hour drive to another state just to help find a supposed runaway sibling. Alyssa chose not to inform her parents of her plans. Their adamant disbelief that anything bad had happened to Cassi convinced Alyssa that they wouldn't actively assist in investigating potential leads. As soon as Cory arrived, Alyssa swiftly gathered her essentials: her bag packed with necessities, Sneakers the dog, a dirty shirt of Cassi's she retrieved from the hamper, and the video cassette Tom had given her.
"Your eyes look a little more raccoon-like than normal," Cory observed as he drove.

Alyssa sighed, leaning forward to pull open the car mirror. "I didn't sleep last night. I spent the entire time trying to call Cassi before her phone was eventually turned off."
"Gotcha," Cory replied quietly, sensing the gravity of Alyssa's sleepless night. The silence that followed allowed Alyssa's paranoid thoughts to consume her. The longer she went without seeing Cassi or hearing her voice, the worse she felt, and her thoughts took a darker turn.
"M'kay... Run it by me, why'd you bring the dirty shirt?" Cory asked, following his GPS down a cul-de-sac across town.
"It's for Sneakers. He smelled the red on the necklace, and it brought him to the highway. I think he can actually sniff to find Cassi," Alyssa explained, tucking a strand of her dark mahogany hair behind her ear.
Cory nodded thoughtfully. "Makes sense. I mean, he is part hound. But I don't get it. If you think those rich people are suspicious, why are we going to the boyfriend's house?"
Alyssa hesitated, considering Cory's question carefully. "I just have a feeling, you know? Something doesn't sit right with me about the Sterns, especially after seeing Ian again. Maybe Tyler knows something he's not telling us."
"If Tyler kidnapped Cassi, maybe she was at his house beforehand...you never know...Besides, cross elimination," Alyssa sighed as Cory pulled into a driveway at the end of the block. "If we eliminate the boyfriend as a suspect, I can focus on my other suspicions."

Tyler Matthews's house reflected his family's comfortable lifestyle. It wasn't as opulent as the Sterns', but it clearly showed prosperity. The largest house in the neighborhood, it boasted a two-story brick façade with rustic charm. Alyssa imagined gleaming hardwood floors and luxurious granite countertops inside, judging by the meticulous care evident in the front lawn.
Exiting the car, Alyssa bit her bottom lip nervously. "Can you use the shirt to show Sneakers and then walk him around; I'm going to talk to Tyler's parents," she instructed Cory, closing the car door behind her.
"Aye-aye, captain," Cory replied with a grin, coaxing Sneakers to join him in the backseat.
Approaching the front door, Alyssa noticed a familiar beat-up Chevy parked on the road. It resembled one that belonged to an old boyfriend she had parted with on bad terms.

As Alyssa stood at the door, she hesitated before pressing the doorbell, her curiosity about the car intensifying. The red truck sported the same chipped paint on the bumper and the Falls Creek football team logo on the back left window. Alyssa's eyes widened as she realized something: her ex-boyfriend Luke Matthews shared the same last name as Cassi's boyfriend, Tyler.
The notion that Tyler and Luke might be brothers seemed improbable to Alyssa, almost like the universe was playing a cruel joke on her. But then she remembered Cassi mentioning Tyler's older brother Lucas in passing. Alyssa had never connected the dots before, never really caring to remember Luke after their breakup.

As the door swung open to reveal a charming two-story house, Alyssa found herself face to face with her ex-boyfriend, Luke Matthews. Alyssa froze on the doorstep, immediate recognition flooding over her despite the five years since they last saw each other. Luke hadn't changed much — his cropped sandy-blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and athletic physique were all familiar. The only noticeable difference was the added muscle and height, no longer as gangly as he had been in high school.
Luke straightened his posture, his expression hardening into a glare as he recognized her too. "Well, well, if it isn't the crazy bitch who keyed my car in high school," he drawled in his country-accented voice, arms crossed and lips curled in disdain.
Alyssa felt as if the universe must truly hate her. It had to for her encountering her cheating ex-boyfriend during a crisis. It seemed to be the only plausible explanation. "If it isn't the ass-hat who spread rumors about my breasts being mosquito-bite sized to the entire student body," Alyssa countered with a glare, crossing her arms. Their breakup had turned messy; Luke had been immature while Alyssa had been spiteful. When their animosity collided, it was like fire meeting gasoline.
An evil smirk twisted Luke's features. "That was payback, Ally-Cat. Remember when you signed me up for a gay dating website and had the whole football team thinking I was into dudes?" He snarled.
Alyssa didn't flinch as she shrugged indifferently. "That accusation has never proven. But I suppose that might explain why you felt the need to overcompensate as a womanizer."
Luke's jaw clenched, his glare intensifying. "Oh, is someone still bitter I left you for someone hotter?"
A coy smile curled Alyssa's lips. "Left? Oh, kiddo, I distinctly remember a certain boy calling me for days, crying his eyes out over one little make-out session that didn't mean anything... I remember it was me who dumped you," she replied cheekily.
Luke's eyes narrowed. Alyssa had him, and they both knew it. The argument seemed to reach a stalemate as he scowled. "What the hell are you doing here, Ross?"
"I'm here to talk to Tyler Matthews' parents. Supposedly, he ran off with my little sister to get married." Just saying that Tyler had run off with Cassi infuriated Alyssa to no end. Suddenly, her disdain for Tyler made perfect sense; his older brother was also a jackass.
Luke's brows raised in surprise. "No way; Cassi the sweetheart is related to a shrew like you? Damn."
Alyssa grinned, seeing through Luke's attempt to gain the upper hand with insults. "I always thought Tyler was a douchebag," she retorted. "Now it makes sense. You're his brother."
Clenching his jaw, Luke's eyes narrowed further, as if he wanted to retaliate verbally before thinking better of it. "My dad's not here. He's in Tahiti celebrating his second wedding anniversary."
Alyssa frowned. "Your parents divorced?"
Luke's gaze shifted to the ground. "Mom died in a car wreck about four years ago. Dad remarried."
"Oh... I didn't know."
"How could you," Luke muttered. The air became tinged with awkwardness. Mrs. Matthews had always been kind to Alyssa, but she had heard from Cassi about Tyler's father's neglectful tendencies; she had just never connected the dots.
"I'm sorry. That must be tough for you guys."