Brotherhood of the Wolf

Chapter 8.1: The Body

We follow the flashing police cruiser to the scene, Carlos driving us in a black SUV.

There was no way I wasn't going to come.

True, I was in the middle of storming out of Clayton's mansion and ready to go home, but after hearing that the police had found a body, my plans changed.

Clayton's first question to the officer had been, "Who is it?" But the response was just an unhelpful, "It's too early to tell."

Sitting in the back seat of the SUV as we speed across campus through the rain, I'm not sure what I'd prefer the answer to be.

I want the missing girl to be found, but not like this. I want her to still be alive. But not getting an answer to what happened to her might be just as painful for everyone. And it would leave me forever questioning whether I was involved.

We don't go far and after getting to a wooded section at the perimeter of the campus, Carlos stops at a roadblock.

There are police everywhere along with a coroner's van.

"Stay here," Clayton says to me as he unbuckles his seatbelt, but I have no intention of listening.

"Don't worry. I'm not made of sugar so I won't melt," I snap back at him as I throw open the back door and step out into the rain.

I think I hear him mumble, "Suit yourself," but he doesn't stop me, instead following the officer who had knocked on his door.

After weaving through the flashing police cruisers stopped criss-crossed across the road, we duck under a line of yellow police tape. Behind it, two people in rain dusters are huddled over something on the ground. Next to them is a body covered with a white sheet.

I've only seen crime scenes in movies and now I'm not so sure that I should be here. But going back to the car isn't an option unless I want to look like a fool.

"Tell me everything you know, Captain," Clayton says to the officers picking through the wet leaves on the ground before one of them turns toward us.

"Dean Ward. Thanks for coming so quickly," she says, standing. "We don't have much yet, but I thought you should be aware of the developments."

"You thought right," Clayton says before nodding with his chin towards the body. "So who's this?"

I inhale a deep breath and prepare for the worst. But instead of answering, the police woman in charge bends down and pulls the sheet partly off.

"Maybe you could tell me," she says.

Clayton remains silent as he studies the corpse's features in the dim of the flashlight while I cover my mouth in shock.

It's not Jules! There's no mistaking it. This unfortunate soul has masculine features and dark, curly hair, and the relief I feel now is only surpassed by the guilt for my happiness.

"No idea," Clayton says, motioning for the sheet to be replaced. "And I don't understand why you think I would know."

"Standard procedure," says the captain, and I'm beginning to sense a bit of tension in the air.

But why? Has the police connected this victim to Clayton Ward and they're just not revealing it? Is that why he was called here so quickly after the discovery?

"Investigating deaths is your job, not mine. So if you've got nothing then you're wasting my time," Clayton says, now obviously annoyed as he makes a move to leave.

"So you'd rather have me make an initial statement to President Calhoun?" asks the police captain.

Clayton stops as though that name was his kryptonite.