Chapter 19
I was pouring my third cup of coffee at eight-thirty the following morning when Knox sidled up to me in the kitchen.
“Hey, Alissa. Could I talk to you for a minute?” he asked under his breath.
“Sure. What’s up?” I replied, brows lifting.
He glanced over his shoulder, checking the doorway, then leaned in slightly.
“Some of the guys want to do another search today, and I said I’d go with them,” he said.
“We’re starting with all those old tunnels first, and then we’ll scout the woods again.
See if the killer’s left anything lying around since our first search. ”
I nodded. “Sounds like a good idea.”
“Yeah, well… they want to head out now, and I didn’t get a chance to sneak more food up to Rhys yet,” Knox went on. “So he’s got nothing for breakfast or lunch unless he rationed what I brought last night.” He hesitated. “Any chance you and Jasmine could take something to him?”
“Sure. We’ve got it.”
His shoulders dropped with relief. “Thanks. You’re a lifesaver.”
“It’s fine.” I gave him a small smile. “Just be careful out there, okay?”
“I will.” He gave my shoulder a quick pat, then headed straight for the door.
I waited a beat before stepping into the doorway and calling out toward my usual table. “Hey, Jas? Can you come help me find the Splenda packets? I think someone moved them again.”
Jasmine looked up from the table and came over immediately. The second she stepped into the kitchen, she arched an eyebrow. “Is this really about artificial sweetener?” she asked. “Or does it have something to do with the fact that I just saw Knox walk out of here?”
“The latter.”
Once I’d explained, she lifted a shoulder in a casual shrug. “Well, I guess we can’t let him starve,” she said. “Not that I suddenly care about Rhys. But I feel like everyone would be pretty confused if he turned up dead from starvation after already dying from an ax to the back.”
I huffed out a quiet laugh. “Fair point.”
She patted her jacket. “Lucky it’s colder than usual this morning, so we can hide stuff in our pockets,” she said, already turning toward the pantry. “If you want to make some sandwiches, I’ll go look for snacks to pack.”
I nodded and started on a couple of PB&Js. Once they were done, I wrapped them and slid one into my jacket pocket, setting the other aside for Jasmine.
She came back a minute later with a granola bar, a small packet of trail mix, and two protein bars. “Got him all the flavors I hate,” she said with a sly smile as she distributed them between her pockets. “That’s what he gets for freaking us out with the fake death stunt.”
I handed her the second sandwich, my mouth twisting slightly. “Any idea how we can get out of here without anyone tagging along?” I asked. “I thought about saying we’re going to the bathroom, but that could backfire, because one of the others might need to go too.”
“Relax. I’ve got it.” She winked. “Just follow my lead.”
As we rejoined the table, Jasmine slipped into character instantly, hand resting on her stomach, face tightening into a mild grimace.
“Hey, guys, we’re just heading to the bathroom,” she said. “And if you value your lives… stay out of the western block for the next twenty minutes.”
Tamsin blinked. “Um. Why?”
“Let’s just say all this stress has done a real number on my digestive system,” Jasmine said grimly. “And if what I’m feeling in my guts right now is any indication, it’s about to get ugly. And loud.”
Wren groaned. “Jas. I’m still eating.”
“Sorry.” Jasmine lifted a brow. “But spare a thought for poor Alissa. She volunteered to be my bathroom buddy.”
“I’ll survive,” I said, raising a hand.
“Debatable,” Jasmine muttered. Then she straightened and grimaced again. “We should go. Before things escalate.”
We made a hasty exit, and the second we were out of sight, Jasmine snorted. “See? No one wants to get involved in bathroom horror stories.”
I laughed. “Yeah, it worked perfectly. We’re definitely not being followed.”
“For the record, I’m actually very regular. Eleven a.m. every day.”
“Good to know.” I raised a brow as we turned onto the path toward the staff cabins, gravel crunching underfoot. Then I glanced around, forehead wrinkling slightly. “I didn’t really notice yesterday, but this is actually a nice place to walk. There’s so many wildflowers on the edge.”
“Yeah, it’s beautiful out here.” Jasmine sighed. “It’s a shame some psychopath had to go and ruin it for us.”
We headed toward the last cabin, checking behind us every so often to make sure we were still alone. When we reached the door, Jasmine knocked lightly.
Rhys opened it a second later, his eyes widening a fraction when he caught sight of us. “Hey. Is Knox okay?”
“Yeah, he’s fine. He got dragged into search duty in the tunnels, so you’re stuck with our food today,” Jasmine said, already unzipping one of her pockets.
“Works for me,” Rhys said, stepping aside. “Thanks.”
He shut the door behind us and took the sandwich I handed him. “Any updates?”
I shook my head. “Nothing’s happened. Apart from all the bodies going missing, but we already covered that last night, right?”
“Right.” He nodded, dropping onto the sofa that sat in the small living area. He peeled off the cling wrap and glanced up. “So there haven’t been any more attacks?”
Jasmine rolled her eyes. “No. We obviously would’ve mentioned something like that.”
“Maybe it’s a good sign,” he said, head tilting slightly. “The idea of a second killer being here could’ve freaked him out enough for him to stop.”
“Let’s hope so.”
Rhys finally took a bite of the sandwich, then froze mid-chew. “Holy shit.”
I blinked. “What?”
He swallowed. “This is the best PB&J I’ve ever had,” he said before taking another big bite.
A small smile tugged at my mouth. “You must be pretty hungry.”
“No, it’s not just that.” He pointed at the sandwich. “What did you do to this?”
“I always butter the bread before I add the peanut butter and jelly,” I said. “Everyone else tells me it’s weird, but my parents always did it that way, so I do too. I think it tastes better.”
“You’re right. Honestly, if I get to eat these every day, I’ll be staying dead in this cabin forever.”
“Oh my god, just ask her out already,” Jasmine muttered under her breath.
Rhys glanced at her. “What?”
She lifted her chin. “I was just saying we should head out now. We told everyone we were going to the bathroom.”
He nodded, then paused. “Actually, before you go, there’s something I wanted to tell Knox. But I might as well tell you, and then you can pass it on to him later.”
Jasmine crossed her arms. “Go on.”
“I’ve been thinking about who the killer might be, and I’ve got a theory,” he said. “It’s only half-baked, but I still think it’s worth a discussion.”
“What is it?” I asked, brows rising.
Jasmine suddenly stiffened, lifting a hand. “Shh.” She moved to the window and eased the curtain back a fraction. “Shit,” she muttered, dropping it. She looked back at me. “I guess you’re not the only one who thinks this is a nice walking trail.”
My eyes widened. “Someone’s coming up here?”
“Yeah. Grace and Maren.”
“Fuck.” Rhys was on his feet instantly. “If they try to come in here…”
He didn’t need to finish the sentence. The issue was obvious.
“Just lock the door,” I said with a slight frown.
Jasmine shook her head. “None of these cabins were locked when we searched up here on the first day,” she said. “So if they try to come in here for some reason, and they find it all locked up, they could get suspicious.”
“Shit,” I murmured. “I didn’t think of that.”
Jasmine scanned the room, then snapped her fingers. “Okay. I’ll stall them and lead them away. Alissa, you stay and listen to the theory. Meet me at the western bathrooms in ten minutes.”
“Make it twenty,” Rhys said. “It might take a while to explain.”
“Fine.” She checked the window again. “Shit, they’re almost here.”
Before either of us could respond, she was already moving.
The door opened, and her voice immediately shifted into something bright and casual. “Oh, hi! What are you guys doing up here?”
Maren’s voice drifted in faintly. “Just stretching our legs. What were you doing in that cabin?”
“I heard some of the guys were searching around again, and it gave me an idea,” Jasmine replied. “I figured the groundskeeper might have an old radio lying around. No luck, though.”
“Yeah, they already searched in there two days ago, remember?”
“Oh, right. Shit.” Jasmine sighed loudly. “God, I just keep getting my hopes up for nothing.”
“Me too,” Grace said wearily. “Last night, I had this dream where the cops showed up and shot the killer. I woke up feeling all safe and hopeful, because it felt so real. And then it all came crashing back.”
“That sucks,” Jasmine said gently.
“You know, you really shouldn’t be walking around alone,” Maren said. “So if you’re done searching, you can come and walk with us if you want.”
“Thanks. Any chance we could head to the bathroom first? I think the western one’s the closest.”
“Sure. I actually need to go too.”
Their voices faded as they moved away, until all that was left was birdsong and the faint rustle of trees.
I let out a sigh of relief and turned back around. Then it hit me. I was alone with Rhys again. That awareness snapped tight in my chest, and my pulse kicked up all over again.
“So… your theory?” I said.
“Right. Yeah.” He dropped back onto the sofa and gestured toward the end of the bed. “Sit.”
I hesitated for half a second, then crossed the room and perched where he’d indicated.
Rhys finished off the last of the sandwich in a few quick bites before leaning back, his gaze settling on me. “Everyone thinks Brad and Olivia are dead, right?”
“Well, they never came back, so…” I trailed off for a beat. “Something obviously happened to them.”
“I thought the same thing at first. But then I started thinking about that first night. When we were all stuck here, and they volunteered to walk to Millhaven together.”
I nodded. “Uh-huh.”