Second Nature by Ae Watson Read Free Book Online

at
college. He could have just wanted to kill Rachel and try to lead us all to
think it’s something else. He might have even just wanted Andrew’s dad dead and
Rachel was a great diversion. Maybe it was a hit. Maybe he came here to do a
hit on Andrew’s dad, but Rachel and him ended up hooking up, and she found out
why he was here. So he killed her so she couldn't warn Mr. Henning.”
    “Like the mafia would do?
A hit on Mr. Henning?” Vincent lifted an eyebrow.
    “I
mean, it could be mafia. But maybe it’s more than that. Maybe it’s a conspiracy
against the wealthy—”
    “Oh stop.” Vincent lifted
his hand. “All we need to know is that there is a person who has done terrible
things and has proof of us doing terrible things, and is coming after us. Any
other opinion is foolish. Before you start listing conspiracy theories and
providing examples of how they fit into this moment—”
    “She’s not there yet.
She’s at pacing and running through the worst-case scenarios,” I pointed out.
    Lindsey gave us both a
look as the steam faded from her rant. “I don't do that.”
    “Okay, you don't. Anyway,
the fact the killer hasn't contacted us doesn't mean that someone hasn't died.
It just means that maybe someone we don't know died. Maybe the missing link
between Mr. Henning and Rachel has died.”
    I couldn't help but nod
along with Vincent. “He’s right. Just because the death hasn't happened here
doesn't mean it didn't happen somewhere else.”
    “That’s a lot of double
negatives.” Lindsey frowned at me, completely deflated. The crazy had slipped
away in the reality she was facing. “I don't want to think about it that way.
That means that this is still going on, and we aren’t ever going to see an end
anytime soon.” She turned and looked around us. “I like the idea that maybe he
just wanted to scare us into thinking he was coming for us so we wouldn't look
for him—rather than the very likely possibility that he is watching all
of us now.”
    Her words made the breeze
colder and my skin feel like it was crawling off my bones.
    “Someone is watching us.”
Vincent nodded at the girl—Coffee Shop Girl with the lip ring. She was
trying not to look noticeable as she sipped her latte and had a smoke, but her
heavily lined eyes darted to us, particularly to Lindsey.
    Lindsey waved, offering a
smile. It was very obvious what had happened between them and how the girl still
felt about Lindsey. But the moment Lindsey turned back to Vince it was
shockingly clear how she felt about him.
    “Shall we take this
conversation somewhere more private?” Vincent slid his sunglasses on again and
got into his car.
    Lindsey sighed and nodded.
“Okay. Meet at my place. I’ll message Sage, Sierra, and Rita and see if they
want to come. You ask Andrew and Jake. We can go for a swim. I need my daily
dose of pool house anyway.” She shuddered when she gave Vincent a look. He
laughed at the way she was finally realizing she needed to overcome her fear of
the place the killer had once trapped her. Vincent forced her to go in there
every day.
    “Okay.” Her house was
better than mine any day.

 
 
 
 
 

Chapter Four
    Slutty pots and kettles

 
 
    The cool water of Lindsey’s
swimming pool wasn't as relaxing as I had hoped it would be. It was a bit
chilly.
    And I realized when we
got there that we hadn’t taken our conversation somewhere else. We’d stopped it
altogether. The moment we got there it was as if the summer hadn’t happened at
all. No one wanted to talk about what-ifs.
    Jake bounced the spongy
pool ball off my head and grinned. “Why the long face?”
    I swam over to where he
was and splashed him, not playfully. “You know why.”
    His dark-blue eyes shone
with mischief. “Do I?”
    “Don't be obtuse.”
    “Did you just call me
fat?” He winked and played at being dumb.
    “Yes.” I wondered if the
comfort we had with one another was why everyone assumed I was into him. He