Break the Silence (Detectives Kane and Alton)

“Yeah, and she says Lowe left around nine, nine thirty, which puts him in the vicinity of both crime scenes around the time the CCTV cameras went out.” She sighed. “Three suspects and not one solid shred of evidence to pin a murder on any of them.”

Kane opened the door of his truck. “Then we’ll have to look harder.”

“I figure we need to expand our net and look closer to home.” Jenna stared into the distance, thinking. “Maybe start looking at the guys living in the house. We don’t know what happens behind closed doors. A students’ hall like Lyons runs has rules, and breaking the rules has repercussions. We know he encourages rape, so maybe he uses murder as a punishment as well.”

Thirty-Five

As he climbed out of his vehicle and ran up the steps of Lyons’ house, the mingled smells of beer and weed drifted out the door like a living entity, catching the slight breeze and whisking away. A cold chill raised the hairs on his arms as if the ghosts of Jacobs and Devon had passed straight through him. He raised his voice so Court could hear him over the loud music. “Don’

t wander off. I have something to show you.”

“Sure.” Court barked a laugh. “I’m not going anywhere but I have to go down to the cellar later.”

“Okay.” He shrugged.

He peered around Court’s large frame, scanning the immediate area. The lights inside were dim and guys stood in twos or threes talking. He figured that maybe ten or twelve people had showed.

“Were you expecting someone?”

“Yeah.” Court’s mouth turned down. “It looks like the freshman I asked to come by is a no-show. Dammit, we need something to take our minds off what’s happened.”

“I might be able to ease your pain a little when I show you what I have.” He motioned to a quiet corner and they moved away. “Not everything happens here.”

He glanced over Court’s shoulder to see Webber deep in conversation with Josh Stevens. He opened one hand to display a couple of loaded syringes. “I’ll need to hide these.” He pushed the drugs back inside his jacket pocket and then took out his cellphone and wiggled it in front of Court’s eyes. “This girl is real hot.” He wet his lips. “Last week, Alex and me took her out to an old barn and tied her down—but if you’re too squeamish…”

“You tied her down?” Court’s expression turned from worried to interested. “Okay, give me a taste.”

Dropping his voice and moving closer, he opened the file and then glanced around. “This vid will blow your mind but it’s real noisy.” He waved a hand at the others in the room. “I’m not showing this to everyone—not yet anyway. I’ll come and find you in a bit.”

“Sure.”

Thirty-Six

Colt Webber turned to face the door, leaned his back against the wall beside the fireplace, and listened to Josh Stevens talking about his truck. The moment Lyons walked into the room, Stevens melted into the crowd and Lyons took his place as if they’d planned to keep him in their sights all night. The thought unnerved him; if Lyons took it into his head to drag him into the cellar and murder him, he wouldn’t stand a chance. With effort, he kept his expression neutral as Lyons went on and on about the trillion games he’d played and won because he was so great. In truth, Lyons did have talent as a college quarterback, but to make it to the big time was something his daddy couldn’t buy for him. He wondered how many other budding quarterbacks had sat on the bench for years hoping Seth Lyons would break a leg.

“Why are you staring at the door?” Lyons turned and followed Colt’s line of sight and then turned back. “Waiting for someone? Ah, don’t tell me, you invited Emily along?”

“Nah, but I hoped you’d have lived up to your reputation and organized some entertainment.” Colt snorted. “Emily wouldn’t come. She finishes classes and then jogs every afternoon before heading home. Apparently she lost her mom some time ago and helps with the other kids.”

“Hmm, shame, but she must get some downtime.” Lyons puffed out a sigh. “I haven’t gotten close enough to speak to her yet but I’m working on it.” He grinned. “I’m inclined to meet up with her this Friday.”

Colt’s stomach cramped at the idea of him alone in the forest with Emily. “I think you’re wasting your time. I tried to get close but she shut me down. She made it clear she’s not interested in getting involved with anyone until she’s through college.”

“Well, she hasn’t come up against the Lyons charm yet. Actually, Dylan planned some entertainment for tonight but the girl he invited is a no-show. I gather she insisted on driving herself too, which is another strike against him. He should know better, but I guess he didn’t have a choice.” Lyons shook his head. “I like to get one of the guys to give them a ride here. Then they get offered a drink along the way, and by the time they arrive, they’re starting to mellow.” He rolled his shoulders. “I don’t have time to sweet-talk them. They know why I’ve asked them here.”

Colt frowned. “Do they? You only invite them here for sex?”

“Yeah.” Lyons sipped his beer. “I have a girl back home, we’re engaged. When we marry, we’ll join two companies together.”

Colt had no idea such archaic practices happened anymore. “You mean it’s an arranged marriage?”

“Kinda.” Lyons shrugged. “I don’t love her if that’s what you mean, but she’s old money. She looks okay and I’ll have my own life. Once she produces a couple of heirs, she can take a lover if she wants. We’ve discussed everything and she’s down with it.”

“Nice deal.” Colt grinned. “One of the benefits of being on the football team is the women. Man, I got laid nightly the last time I played, and I’ve really missed being on the team. We knew how to party, if you know what I mean?” He scanned the room again, noticing Court ushering a guy through a door at the end of the hallway.

“I figure we do too.” Lyons tipped his head to one side as if examining him. “But most guys are just talk.” He snorted. “Are you just talk, Colt?”

“Need proof, huh?” Colt pulled out his cellphone, glad Kane had moved a few confiscated images from past crimes into his files. He waved his screen in front of Lyons’ eyes then pulled it back. “Still figure I’m talking shit?”