The Devil's Heir Read online

  “Isn’t this exciting?” Daisy asks as we shuffle toward the bleachers to take our seats. “Actual murders. And to think we discovered both bodies.”

  I look at her a little different, wonder just how crazy this town really is if murder is what brings excitement. If this is her way of coping, I’m not going to judge.

  We’re sitting on the top row of the bleachers with the Hales sitting a few rows in front of us. Lily tries to climb all the way up to sit with us, but I give her a sharp shake of my head. She seems confused but allows me the space, dragging her brother to sit alongside her.

  While the rest of the student body piles in, I can’t stop staring at the dark head in front of me.

  I play our lunch on repeat, trying to pinpoint the exact moment where I offended, where I annoyed, where I said the wrong thing, where I…I don’t know.

  I can’t find a single moment. Can’t find any word, a look, or a breath that would have upset him. When he drove me back home and wished me a great rest of my day, I swore I could see a sparkle in his charcoal eyes even though it was raining.

  Instead of allowing myself to wallow in my own self-pity because, in layman’s terms, a boy doesn’t like me back, I’m going to do something I’ve never done before.

  Seethe.

  Two can play this game.

  By this time, the entire school has piled into the auditorium and we’re waiting for the announcements to take place. Soon the principal steps onto the small stage and bangs on the microphone, an ear-piercing screech echoing throughout the building. Many of the students and faculty cover their ears.

  “Attention all Diablo High students,” the Principal says. “It’s with a heavy heart that we have to meet today. Something dangerous and scary might be coming our way, and we thought it best to gather you here for an important announcement.”

  Before we’re able to digest the news, the double doors leading into the room open and Freddie’s dad walks in and takes the stage. His leather boots echo throughout the room and all of the students sit up.

  “Good morning, students,” he greets us. “We’re here today to inform everyone of a potential serial killer in the vicinity of Diablo.”

  The entire crowd gasps.

  “A serial killer?” Daisy asks.

  I’m dumbfounded by the news. How does this keep happening to me? How many murder investigations can I be a part of before no one believes in my “coincidences” anymore?

  I begin to feel sick.

  A million different hands shoot up with a million different questions.

  “Are we in trouble?”

  “How many people has he killed?”

  “Is he already in Diablo?”

  “What is he looking for?”

  “Settle down, settle down, everybody,” the sheriff says, “we’re going to get to everyone’s questions.”

  The crowd simmers down and hands are thrust into the air.

  “So, he’s already in Diablo?” A student asks.

  “We’re positive that this maniac was in Diablo, but are uncertain of his current whereabouts.”

  “How many other bodies were found?”

  He clears his throat. “As far as we know, there have been three other bodies found in the areas surrounding Diablo. So far, with the help of the local authorities, we believe the suspect is a large white male in his late twenties, early thirties. There are no ties between the victims so we’re assuming these are crimes of opportunity. Either way, this should be taken very seriously as all of these people have been stabbed and burned.”

  “Where do you think the killer came from? Or why has he started killing?”

  “We have no previous knowledge of murders like these, so it’s anyone’s guess as to what triggered this. But, considering the latest victim was a high school student, we don’t want to risk the chance of there being a pattern. And as our most active group in the town, we thought it best we speak to you all in person.”

  By active, I’m sure he means the most likely to be out late and caught by a murderer. And judging by the excitement everyone had about all the commotion coming into town, I’d say the sheriff is right.

  “With that being said, we’re doing everything in our power to keep our town and its residents as safe as possible. Some of the neighboring counties offered up some of their officers to help with the patrol. These gentlemen will be ensuring your safety while you’re here in school and then some.”

  The double doors open once more, and two men in uniforms walk in and join the others on stage. The girls closest to the stage begin to whisper about the young officers, and eventually the murmurs of how attractive they are reach us in the back row. Someone comments that school just got a whole lot more interesting.

  Sitting at the top of the bleachers, I can’t tell just how cute the officer is, but I can tell he’s tall, has a great build and has a glowing tan. His dark eyes stare up at me.

  I don’t mean to notice, but the two Hales stiffen and begin whispering to each other. Lily points to the stage while her brother tries to shove her hand down.

  It’s then I realize the officer isn’t looking at me. He’s looking at the siblings.

  Everything being said is entirely drowned out by my staring at the back of Luke’s head and paying attention to the fact he and the officer don’t break eye contact until it’s over.

  When we’re dismissed, the students begin to leave the auditorium, but not before taking a long look at the officers currently mingling on stage. Being as we’re the last ones to leave, I can feel the tension. This officer has some type of history with the devils of Diablo.

  Daisy releases a deep woof under her breath as we pass the stage. “I suddenly found the need to wear short shorts during P.E.”

  I snicker at her.

  We barely make it out of the auditorium when the Hales are being called out. I purposefully slow down. We’re already too far away for me to hear anything, but I can still observe the encounter. Upon approaching the two siblings, the officer bows his head respectfully and Luke shakes his head in response. They start an animated conversation and I find myself being pulled back.

  “Come on, creeper,” Becca says.

  Though she’s physically dragging me back toward the main campus, I glance over my shoulder for the last time and find three sets of eyes staring back at me.

  Grandmother was cremated, and there wasn’t a service or a funeral. Even if there were, I wouldn’t have attended.

  The service for the killer’s latest victim is my first time attending something like this. I stand with Aunt Polly on the edge of the crowd clustered downtown, which is decorated with flowers, candles, and pictures of the boy. Candlelight illuminates somber faces while the high school choir sings a hymn I’m not familiar with. Rumor has it the body had already begun to decompose so the family decided to cremate instead of having an open casket. When the music ends, people disband and go separate ways.

  Once enough people clear out, a shock of red hair catches my attention. Of course, Lily finds me. She waves me over.

  “I’m going to go talk to someone,” I tell Aunt Polly.

  She follows my gaze and takes a step away from me. “Okay, there’s someone I want to talk to anyway. Be safe, promise?”

  I promise and she slips into the crowd.

  “Was that your aunt?” Lily asks when I approach her.

  “She said she was going to run down a lead or something. I’ll find her later.”

  “Huh,” Lily says. “I’d like to meet her one day.”

  “I’m surprised to see you here.”

  Lily looks to me. “I have to ask you something.”

  “Okay,” I say when she doesn’t continue.

  “Is there something going on with you and my brother?”

  I grind my teeth just at mention of him. “Nothing.”

  She crosses her arms over her chest. “Then why do you look like you want to punch someone?”

  “Everything that happens in my li
fe doesn’t always have to revolve around you and your brother, Lily.”

  She holds her hands up in defense. “Meow. Okay, jeez, I’m just asking because you didn’t want us to sit with you. If you need me to rough him up a bit, I will.”

  I sigh and she drops it. When her brother appears at her side, I turn to walk away but am forced back around.

  “Nothing going on with you and my brother, huh?”

  I don’t respond.

  Lily elbows her brother in the ribs. “What did you do?”

  “What do you mean?”

  She points between us. “Whatever’s going on between you two. Why is Calla upset with you?”

  He furrows his brow, still completely ignoring me. “How should I know?”

  I scoff. “I’ll see you later, Lily.”

  This time I don’t let her pull me back. I grin when I hear him grunt in pain after his sister hisses something to him.

  Daisy’s mom is rubbing her daughter’s shoulder and stops to smile when she sees me approaching. “Calla, honey, how are you?”

  “Fine, Mrs. Winthrop, thank you for asking.”

  Mr. Winthrop lets out a large breath and rocks on his heels. “Horrible what happened. I can’t even imagine what the parents are going through right now.”

  Daisy’s parents gaze down at their only child with heavy eyes.

  “Don’t start, please,” she says.

  I can tell from meeting her parents this past weekend that their whole world would crash without their daughter. That’s a heavy burden to put on anyone’s shoulders, especially with the high expectations they have of Daisy.

  “We’re going to go now.”

  “Okay, honey, stay safe.”

  I step back to let the Winthrops embrace each other. It’s like they’re taking time to appreciate each other and know they are alive and well. From the corner of my eye, I see the Hale siblings approaching. We three are the only ones here without a family.

  Daisy waits until her parents disappears into the crowd before turning her attention back to me. “Well, that was something.”

  “Yeah,” I tell her though my eyes are stuck on the Hales. “I’ll be grateful if we never have to go through that again.”

  Like magnets, Freddie and Becca find us through the crowd of people hand in hand. Becca lets out an exaggerated breath. “So, where we goin’?”

  “We’re supposed to go somewhere?”

  “God, you need to get a cellphone already. How do you even survive?” Becca shakes her head at me. “We all decided we want to go out and celebrate the life of the kid who died.”

  “But isn’t there supposed to be a curfew?” I ask Freddie.

  He shrugs. “Do you really think he expects any of us to listen?”

  It’s not only my safety I should be worried about, but I don’t want to give everyone yet another reason to call me a saint. “Okay, but what are we supposed to do?”

  She shrugs. “That’s what we’re talking about. We need to find a place big enough for the whole school.”

  “Why are we the ones who have to figure it out?”

  Freddie laughs and shakes his head in an Oh naïve little girl kind of way. “Anything happening in this town happens because of Becca.”

  Daisy claps for her friend. “And we love her for it.”

  “I thought the officers told everyone to stay inside.”

  “Yeah, so?” Becca says. “Nothing has happened in this town for years. I don’t even think our parents are taking it seriously.”

  I frown. “Why wouldn’t they—”

  “Did someone say party?”

  Everyone jumps when Lily shows up in the center of the group. Becca coughs into her fist and shakes her head. “Party? No. More like celebration of life.”

  “And the Barn is off limits to underclassmen, right?”

  Freddie nods. “Sorry, kid.”

  Lily turns her gaze to her brother, who saunters up behind his sister. “Our house is free for the night.”

  Luke grunts. “Lily, no.”

  The redhead shrugs her shoulder and bats her eyes at her brother. “What? I think it’s only fair the whole student body gets to celebrate the life of that poor boy.”

  “Sold,” Becca says. “Don’t worry, Hales, I’ll handle it all.”

  The oldest Hale sighs. “Fine, but you’re telling Alcott.”

  Freddie mouths, “Who’s Alcott?”

  I shrug, knowing he only asked me because I was unwillingly labeled as the Hale family expert thanks to Lily.

  Becca pulls her phone from her back pocket. “It’s eight o’clock now, so I’d say in maybe an hour or so, yeah?”

  Lily nods. “Calla, can you come break the news to Alcott with me? He’ll be less cross with me if you’re there.”

  I don’t bother asking her why. If I’ve learned anything about Lily’s mind, it’s that she’s the only one who knows what she’s really thinking. “Sorry, but I promised Daisy’s parents we’d be together tonight, so she’ll have to come with me.”

  There’s a flash of hesitation on Lily’s face, but she quickly recovers. “She can come too. Alcott loves guests.”

  Becca and Freddie disappear with their cell phones in hand, and Daisy and I are left with the Hales. Lily’s smile dips when she notices Daisy standing between her brother and me. “Come. Let me tell you the house rules.”

  Daisy looks at me with amused eyes.

  I try to quicken my steps, but Luke matches my pace no matter how often I try to change it. I can feel his presence next to me, a constant shadow. It irritates me. Mostly because I have to forcefully remind myself that it should bother me.

  The silence between us is palpable. Not even the leaves crunching underneath our feet can lessen the deafening sound of our breathing. I almost feel his fingertips against mine, and I find myself slowly swaying closer to him in hopes of a small touch. But I catch myself and step away from him.

  Luke clears his throat. “I hope Lily isn’t still bothering you…”

  “It’s not your sister who’s bothering me.”

  Speaking of the redheaded spark, she’s chatting loudly with Daisy up ahead. I don’t know what she’s telling my poor friend, but I know they both think they’re sacrificing themselves for some greater good.

  And that greater good is currently standing a foot away from me, though I wish he was farther.

  Several times Luke opens his mouth to say something but then closes it.

  Good.

  I want him as uncomfortable as he’s made me.

  We arrive at Hale Manor shortly after, having spent the rest of the walking in silence. I laugh and nudge Daisy when she pauses at the front porch, knowing she’s taking this moment in.

  A man who bears no resemblance to the siblings opens the door. He shoots a surprised look at Daisy and me, lingering at the bottom of the steps. Lily barely introduces him to Daisy before his stare lands on Luke and me.

  “Oh, Mr. Luke,” he says.

  Luke seems taken aback by the man’s simple words. He looks to me and shakes his head at the older man.

  “Why don’t you take the rest of the night off, Alcott,” Lily says.

  The older man gives her a confused look. “Sorry, Ms. Lily?”

  Luke points to his sister. “Lily invited some guests over.”

  “Oh,” Alcott—the butler—says. “Should I set more plates for dinner?”

  “No,” Luke says with a shake of his head, “why don’t you just take the rest of the night off and rest?”

  Concern clouds Alcott’s face. “I’ll lock up the china then.”

  The man moves to party-proof the house, but not before setting out dinner plates for us.

  “I need to get me one of those,” Daisy says around a bite of mashed potatoes.

  “He’s been in the family forever. Best man I know.”

  “Miss Lily?” Alcott says with a duffle bag in his hand.

  She waves a dismissing hand. “Oh, all right. The kitc
hen will be off limits.”

  He smiles and leaves after wishing us a fun night, and I realize he never properly introduced himself to Daisy and me.

  Rumor has it Lily threatened to stab a group of guys who went into the kitchen and started to rummage through the refrigerator. I wasn’t there to witness it, but the fact that not a single soul is within three feet of the beautiful room means the rumor is probably true. There’s a steak knife on the counter, and I place it into the sink.

  I’m trying to wrap my head around the fact that no one seems to be taking this murder seriously, but I stop when it makes my head hurt.

  Freddie wasn’t lying when he said that anything worth mentioning in this town happens because of Becca. It looks like the entire student body of Diablo High is crammed inside of Hale Manor. How all of the kids were able to come out without parental guidance, I’ll never know.

  Alcohol has materialized everywhere. There are beer bottles lining the floating shelves throughout the house and red cups stacked in the corners. I’ve heard of liquid courage, but I’ve never seen it happen in person.

  My grandmother died, and I left. These people lost a friend and they’re drinking in his honor.

  We all grieve differently.

  “Hey, pass me a beer.”

  Panicking, I look around for the source of the alcohol but come empty handed. “Sorry, I don’t know where it is.”

  The voice blends into the crowd and I don’t know who spoke to me.

  I look for a familiar face and begin to scan over all of the people I’m not acquainted with. A bright blonde is what I’m looking for, but instead I catch the eyes of the redheaded girl. Lily rolls them at the people and pushes her way through the crowd to get to me.

  “Whose idea was this?”

  I laugh. “Yours.”

  “Well, I’m an idiot.” She shakes her head. “I need a drink.”

  “I don’t think so,” I respond quickly.

  Lily laughs at the horror on my face.

  Based on the spectacle happening in front of us, I’m both surprised and not that Lily doesn’t want to fit in. There’s nothing about her that will help her blend into a crowd anyway.