CHAPTER 55
1187 Words
"Attention, maybe." Calla's voice was quiet, strained. Fighting back some emotion
Cooper couldn't place. "Or a sign. If the killer hadn't left the place so spotless, I
never would have known they'd been there. They wanted me to find the book."
Cooper sank down in his seat. "Probably because it's useless. Seriously. What good
is having the book? I feel like we're spinning around in circles." It felt good to finally
admit the truth aloud. "We're no closer to figuring out who the killer is than we were
four months ago."
A wave of despair crashed into him, taking his breath away. He kept his eyes locked
on the big screen. He could feel Calla watching him, no doubt appraising the sudden
downshift in his mood.
"We have six suspects," she started slowly. He didn't hear the shuffle of popcorn.
She must have been paying attention to him, for once. Close attention. "That's a hell
of a lot to go on."
"Really? Because I'm still going to die." He closed his eyes, miserable. "It's been
over a month since Rachel died. We're due for another dead body. Which means
I'm one step closer to getting my neck hacked off."
"You're not going to get your neck hacked off," she snapped. He flinched.
They both watched an advertisement for the Greenwitch Diner flash across the
screen. It disappeared after a few seconds, plunging the room into semi-darkness.
He said nothing. He could barely breathe. He kept imagining his lifeless body, a red
line cutting across his throat and his eyes wide with shock. He wondered if the killer
would laugh while he died. If it would be quick.
They sat in silence. Calla put the bag of popcorn on the floor, shifting restlessly
beside him. He tried to fight the images in his head, tried to banish thoughts of his
own premature demise, but it was no use. He was a dead man.
"I'm not going to let you die, Cooper."
That got his attention. He looked at her, full of doubt. He expected her to be
exasperated. Frustrated, even. Surely there would be some sort of witty retort on
her tongue that would ruin the moment entirely?
But the witty retort never came. She just watched him. Intently.
He looked back at the screen, flustered. He wanted to believe she meant it. He
wanted that desperately.
But he didn't believe it. Not for one second.
"Cooper—"
Whatever she'd been about to add got cut off by the sound of shouting. They both
turned as faint light spilled into the theater from the side door. A harried Stephanie
held it open, peering up into the dark aisles above.
Voices, louder now because of the open door, shattered the darkness.
"I told you not to bring that s**t in my car!"
"What are you even talking about?"
Cooper recognized Ryan's voice, cut with a defensive edge. He glanced at Calla and
together they stood, hurrying down to Stephanie. She caught sight of them and
began waving frantically.
"What the hell's going on?" Calla asked, bewildered. Cooper had to admit he felt the
same.
"Jessica," Stephanie spat out, as if that explained the entire situation.
Stephanie's outfit halted his train of thought. A cropped sweater showed off her
olive skin, highlighting the curve of her hip. Cooper's face flushed.
"Okay?" Calla tried to catch his eye, but he was already moving, eager to escape his
inexplicable embarrassment. He caught the door before it snapped shut, stepping
out into the hall.
From where he stood in the small theater, he had a perfect view of the main lobby.
An elderly couple and a quartet of sisters stood in line for concessions. The
smallest girl pulled her jacket tighter around her shoulders, shivering in the cold air
that wafted in from one of the front doors, which had been left open. Cooper could
feel the gust of wind that blew in from where he stood. He crossed his arms
instinctively, goosebumps breaking out on his skin.
Gathered just outside of the theater doors, Ryan and Jessica stood at odds with one
another. Jessica's face had turned an alarming shade of violet. Venus Upton and
Hayley Singleton hovered behind her, something in their stance coming across as
defensive. The trio could have passed for sisters.
Astrid stood at Jessica's other side, both of and apart from the other girls. Her face
was a portrait of disgust.
"You know what? You can find your own ride back home," Jessica snapped. She
folded her arms, perhaps to keep herself from grabbing hold of Ryan's neck.
Ryan wasn't fazed by her anger. He scoffed, the hood drawn over his head
obscuring most of his profile. "What's your problem ?"
"You," she hissed back, unfolding her arms long enough to throw a finger in his
face. "Peddling that bullshit around—"
"Shut your mouth," he said, brushing her hand away. She jerked her arm back,
affronted.
Venus threw Ryan a dirty look. "Don't touch her!"
"Oh, please." He rolled his eyes.
"C'mon, guys." Ali Marks glanced at the others in their group. Her strawberry blonde
hair looked several shades too red in the odd lighting of the theater. Steven Lowry,
her boyfriend, gave her arm a reassuring squeeze. He'd step in for Ryan, if it came
to it.
Acting on impulse, Cooper stepped forward and grabbed Ryan by the shoulder. The
other boy jumped. He shot him a questioning look, angry heat still simmering in his
eyes, but Cooper only shrugged. "Who cares? Let's just watch the movie. Or we can
ditch."
That idea seemed to please Ryan, who relaxed almost immediately. Ali Marks
seemed equally thrilled by the idea. As the sheriff's niece, she no doubt wanted
nothing to do with any behavior that would bring him down to the theater.
Jessica's snide voice put a swift end to the peace offering.
"Screw you, Daniels." She stormed toward the theater door, throwing him a haughty
look as she went. "No one invited you anyway."
Cooper flushed.
Defensive again, Ryan shook off Cooper's hand. "Stop being such a horrible b***h,
Jess."
"Or what?" She asked sweetly, lingering outside of the theater.
Ryan's expression darkened. He clenched his jaw and folded his arms, but otherwise
made no move to continue the argument. Cooper's cheeks were still flushed,
Jessica's words rolling around his head on repeat.
No one invited you anyway.
"You really should watch your mouth, Jess," a cold voice drawled.
Cooper twisted his head to the side. He wasn't sure where she'd come from, but
suddenly Calla was there, standing less than a foot away from Jessica. The hungry,
cold look in her eyes was one he'd seen before. Just never in public.
It was the face she kept hidden from the rest of the world—the same face he'd first
seen the day he accused her of killing his cat, when she'd given him a taste of the
thing lurking inside her. And even then Cooper had known there was more down
there, deep inside where even she was afraid to look.
- Writer
