Suddenly, it clicked. “Derek,” I said. “And Clark.”
Hadn’t Bryce said that one of the guys she was assigned to work with in the Monsters or Men class was named Derek? And the other reminded her of a roly-poly….
How in the world had Lia managed this? She met my eyes slyly, and I realized that I’d underestimated her. I shouldn’t have—not when the reason she was doing all of this was Dean.
“Brilliant deduction,” Derek told me, with a trademark smile that he’d probably practiced in the mirror. “Call Mensa,” he said. “This girl’s a genius!”
The patronizing tone in his voice told me that he didn’t expect me to recognize the put-down for what it was. I suddenly knew exactly what Bryce had meant when she’d described him as “that guy.” He almost certainly came from a wealthy family—I was going to guess a long line of successful lawyers, most likely with an Ivy League pedigree. He liked the sound of his own voice even more than Geoffrey did. He was the type who’d debate an issue in class just to prove that he was the better man. He probably whitened his teeth.
“Clark and Derek knew that girl,” Lia said, slurring the words. “I met Derek at the party. He called Clark. I asked him to.” She leaned into Derek’s chest and reached a hand out to Clark’s cheek. Clark flushed a brilliant red. Derek nodded at me over Lia’s head, as if her presence on his chest was proof that I should want to be there, too.
I was officially never wearing this dress again.
“What girl?” I asked.
“The girl who got killed,” Derek answered. “Emmie.”
“Emerson,” Clark muttered.
“What was that, Clark?” Derek said, shooting the rest of us a grin, like Clark’s inability to speak up was the world’s cleverest joke.
“Her name was Emerson,” Clark said, flushing even brighter than he had when Lia had touched him.
“That’s what I said.” Derek raised one of his palms upward in a gesture I translated to mean, roughly, What’s this guy’s problem—meh, what are you gonna do?
Clark mumbled something in reply. Derek ignored him.
“She was in our class,” Derek told me.
“I think I met your TA tonight.” I measured their responses to that. Derek stiffened. Clark didn’t appear to move at all. Beside me, I could practically feel Michael cataloging every detail of their expressions.
“That guy’s a tool,” Derek replied.
Quite frankly, I thought that tools who lived in tool houses probably shouldn’t throw stones.
“Geoffrey seemed into death,” I said. “Like, really into death. And the way he talked about Emerson, it was like he didn’t even care.”
Agreeing with Derek was like throwing water onto a grease fire. It just made this situation that much worse.
“TA Geoff thinks that frowning and wearing black is a substitute for genuine intelligence. I bet he told you he knew Emerson.”
I nodded, willing to see where this was going.
“He didn’t know her,” Derek said. “He just sits up at the front of the class and grades papers. Clark and I, we knew her.” He leaned back on his heels. “That stuck-up blond chick in our group, she knew her. Hey, even Fogle knew her. But TA Geoff is just blowing smoke.”
“What do you mean ‘Fogle knew her’?” Michael asked. “Isn’t it a pretty large class?”
Derek turned his attention to Michael. Whatever he saw there, he liked. Given Michael’s background, he’d probably known a dozen Dereks growing up.
“When I say that the professor knew Emmie, I mean that he really knew her,” Derek said. “Biblically.”
I looked at Lia. She nodded slightly—Derek was telling the truth. Beside her, Clark’s face was growing red again.
“The dead girl was involved with the professor,” Michael said. “That kind of thing could get a guy fired.”
“No kidding. Person of interest?” Derek scoffed. “Try he did it.” Derek laughed under his breath. “He did her, and then he did it.”
“Shut up,” Clark said, the words exploding out of his mouth as his hands balled into fists at his sides. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” He sucked in air like he’d just run a mile. “She wasn’t…she wasn’t like that.”
“Whoa there, buddy.” Derek held up both palms this time. I didn’t bother mentally translating the gesture. “Simmer down. I get it. Don’t speak ill of the dead.” Derek turned back to the rest of us and proceeded to continue blessing us with his wisdom. “I promise you, once the police find Fogle, the university will be looking for a replacement teacher for our class. Guy’s guilty.” Derek blanched. “I hope they don’t hand the class over to TA Geoff.”
Beside him, Clark sucked in another audible breath. Lia met my eyes, then Michael’s. We’d gotten what we came for—and more.
The ride home was quiet. Lia was in the back, her legs stretched out the length of the seat. Michael was driving the speed limit. I stared out the window into the black.
“That actually went better than I expected it to,” Lia said finally. “If we can sneak back in without getting caught, I’m willing to call it a win.”
“I thought you never got caught,” I told her, pulling my eyes away from the window and turning to look at her.
Lia inspected her fingernails. “We live in a house with a trained FBI agent and a former military sniper. I’m stealthy, not magic. Call it an acceptable risk.”
That was a very different tune than the one she’d been singing when she talked me into this.
“Are you sorry you came?” Lia gave me a pointed look. “Or, given the opportunity, would you do it all over again?”
I couldn’t be sorry I’d agreed to this. We’d learned too much.
“What did you think of the TA?” I asked Michael.
“Yes,” Lia said, yawning and fanning her hand over her mouth. “Do tell, Michael. What did you think of the TA who was such a promising lead that Cassie left the party to go with him, with you on her heels?”
That was the first time Lia had referenced the fact that we’d left her. She tossed the words off like she couldn’t be bothered to care.
“The guy was looking at Cassie like she was some kind of specimen under a glass.” Michael eyed Lia in the rearview mirror. “You really think I should have let him take her off alone?”