Pulse

Chapter 30

Lucie

"I'm overreacting, right? Someone please tell me I'm just overreacting."

I brought the Subaru to a stop in front of the middle school Jiya and I used to go to, where the orchestra always practiced when Bay Area was for whatever reason unavailable. Most of the time that happened only in the presence of school dances and such, not in the murders of math teachers, but I suppose there's a first for everything. Just like there's a first for thinking, knowing Dempsey was gone, and then getting proved wrong.

I was trying hard not to think about that, but when there was the possibility that he was going after Jiya, it was impossible.

The headlights clicked off and I jerked the key free of the engine. Gazing at both of the brothers expectantly, I waited for an answer. Getting nothing but the settling oil in the car, the dripping of liquid on metal, my eyes zipped to Cian. "Cian?"

He shook his head at me and got out of the car. "We don't have time for this. You want your friend alive, right? We've wasted enough time."

"So I'm not overreacting," I said, panic rising in my throat as I shoved my keys in my pocket, climbing out after Cian. I shuddered a little as Vinny brushed my side, wide eyes blinking at his brother and me. We stood in the school's parking lot, the stars twinkling above us, the distant noises of night life washing in and through the air. The school's front entrance was lit up, dousing the front door with warm light.

Cian said nothing as he headed for the school.

I muttered under my breath. "Who am I kidding? Of course I'm not."

"You're not scared, are you?" Cian asked, stopping with his hands on the middle school's door handles, but not turning around. He was a silhouette, a dark figure against the lights beyond him. "This is what you wanted. For Dempsey to be alive."

I gritted my teeth. "Not for him to be a murderer. I'm hoping I'm wrong. Maybe I'm wrong, right? I mean, you did feel— "

"Everything has loopholes," Cian breathed, tossing open the door. His eyes roved over me as I passed him, then went to Vinny, then went to the floor. "Even death."

On that topic, I decided not to comment.

I led the way to the auditorium. It was easy enough to find since I had spent three years of my life in this place, not to mention I'd picked Jiya up from these last minute rehearsals on more than one occasion (she'd been hesitant to get her license last year). It was a left turn here, then a right there, and the third door on the right side. I ran, and Cian and Vinny matched my strides, their footsteps echoing against the linoleum in rhythm with mine. Please be okay, Jiya. Please.

I couldn't lose anyone else.

I threw open the auditorium doors. Chattering voices rose to the ceiling along with the clunking of shut instrument cases, chairs groaning as they were dragged off stage. I squinted up at the lit stage; the orchestra kids were packing up, getting ready to go, but I saw Jiya nowhere along with them. My heart began to beat steadily to the song of worry. The rows and rows of chairs sat in the dark before us, and I glanced at Cian, and he glanced at me, and then I bolted down the aisle.

Reaching the stage, I fought down the lump in my throat and waved frantically until I caught a violinist's attention. She looked familiar; it was possible she was in one of my classes. "Hey. Have you seen Jiya?"

The girl's eyes blazed with recognition. "Oh! Jiya? She just left. Went to the back lot."

"Yeah! Yeah, thanks!" I shouted, then turned to Cian and Vinny. "Back lot it is?"