console, so the map would show up on the screen. I didn’t know much about the technology my new car had to offer, but I remembered that much from Leo’s short lesson.
Less than ten minutes later, I was nearing Harbor U. The directions led me past the main entrance to a treelined street less than a mile off-campus. The houses were older, a charming mixture of sizes and styles. At the end, a community of newish-looking, two-story townhouses had been built in a way that made it obvious that the developer had taken full advantage of a relatively small plot of land.
The exteriors were dark gray with white trim, and each townhouse had a balcony and a small, fenced-in yard with a patio. They were cute. The kind of place the wealthy parents of Harbor U students would love to put up their darling daughters and sons.
Spotting Leo’s Range Rover in one of the drives, I pulled up next to it and parked. Who lived here? Maybe one of his football buddies? He rarely mentioned anyone else, seeming to have endless acquaintances but few close friends.
When I reached the door, he was waiting for me, an excited grin on his face. “What’s going on?” I asked hesitantly.
He ushered me inside. “Nothing bad. Don’t worry.”
Expecting to be met with the sound of ESPN or a video game blaring from the TV, the silence was almost startling. In fact, even though the place was furnished in neutral colors, there wasn’t a single sign that anyone actually lived here. It was too clean, without any stray shoes or books or dishes strewn about.
“Whose place is this?”
Leo’s phone rang then, and he held up a finger. “Hold that thought.” Into the phone, he said, “Hey, Hayle. I’m putting you on speakerphone.”
“You told me you’d call as soon as Thea got there,” Hayle replied through the speaker, sounding annoyed.
“Calm down, runt. She just walked through the door.” Leo took my hand and led me to the couch.
“Don’t call me runt. And, hi, Thea.”
“Hi, Hayle. What’s going on?”
“I wanted to hear how it went with Greg, and since Leo whisked you away to some secret location, I’m listening in.”
Leo looked down at me and rolled his eyes, though there was nothing but amusement on his face. Speaking to me, he said, “Only if you want to tell us what happened.”
Hayle made some kind of huffing sound on the other end of the line but didn’t say anything else.
Since there wasn’t that much to tell, I quickly replayed the conversation with Greg. In summary, I said, “If anything, I think it strengthens our theory that someone at Green was behind everything. As far as I can tell, Vincent doesn’t panic, so if he was doing it then, he must have been worried that someone else would get hurt. Probably one of you.”
“And it does explain why he allowed your aunt to take you away,” Hayle added. “I always wondered why. He could have easily fought for and obtained custody of you. We all know he’s good at that.”
Was it possible that, in Vincent’s own, twisted way, he’d been protecting me?
I didn’t want to think about it, because I needed to be angry with him. It was easier than trying to see his side of things.
“What now?” Leo asked.
“I know you don’t want to hear it, Thea,” Hayle said, “but you need to talk to Dad. He’s the only one who can answer these questions.”
Even knowing he wouldn’t see me, I shook my head. The mere thought of confronting Vincent over all of this made what little I’d eaten of my lunch threaten to resurface. He was happy with me right now, because he believed I was responsible for getting Tristin home. But that benevolence could change in an instant. And I wasn’t ready to see his dark side. The one that I knew was lingering beneath his businesslike, philanthropic exterior.
Leo must have sensed my rising alarm, because he ran a thumb along my collarbone. “It’s okay. No one is going to make you.”
I nodded, but deep down, I knew Hayle was right. Vincent was the key to all of this, and I couldn’t keep ignoring that fact forever.
“How about a compromise?” I offered. “If we haven’t figured it out on our own by the end of the semester, we’ll go to Vincent. Together.” I was including Tristin in that, though who knew if he’d still be speaking to me by then.