Page 16 of Dance With Death

I’ve never visited Leif’s room before, or needed to, but I’m acutely aware that he requires my help as much as Holly does currently. I don’t need my detective skills to find Leif on campus, as he always skulks in his room if he wants to avoid what’s outside his door.

I rap my knuckles sharply on said door, holding the strap of the small rucksack on my shoulder, and when he takes longer than ten seconds to answer, I impatiently lift my hand to repeat the exercise. The person who answers isn’t Leif.

Roommate. Buzz cut hair, half his size. He gawks, deep brown eyes wide. I scour my head for the guy’s name and fail, so greet him with a smile instead. I’d push past but he’s slender, and I’d likely knock him over.

“Leif?” he calls, not taking his eyes from me.

Leif doesn’t respond. “Is he here?” I ask.

“Yeah.” The guy picks up a discarded drinks can and throws it across the room behind him, and I hear Leif swear. “Your, uh... girlfriend’s here.”

I give a tight-lipped smile at that word again. Leif appears at his shoulder, a black pair of headphones wrapped around his neck, hair falling into his face.

“Hey, Violet,” he says, confusion fogging his expression.

“I’m taking you for a walk,” I inform him.

His roommate snorts a laugh. “She has you on a leash, huh? Should’ve expected that.”

“Leash?” I frown. “Why would Leif need a leash? That’s a ridiculous comment.”

“Ha ha, Dane,” says Leif, and slices a look at his friend who backs into the room. Leif holds the edge of the doorframe. “Um. Sure. Where did you want to go?”

Pursing my lips, I pull my phone from a sweater pocket. “I researched popular places. Here.” Leif looks at the screen and shrugs. “Am I to take that gesture as agreement or disinterest?”

“I wasn’t expecting to see you, that’s all. You haven’t answered anybody’s messages since last night. Again.”

“While we wait for further communication from... someone, I decided to spend time with you.”

“Right.”

“This feels like the reverse of you bringing me flowers,” I say. “Are you surprised or uninterested?”

“As if I’d ever say no to time with you, Violet.” His cheeks dimple. “Let me grab my boots and jacket.”

He ducks back into the room that neither guy invited me into, and his roommate continues to observe him, sneaking looks at me too.

Leif reappears, shrugging on his padded green jacket. “Let’s go.”

As we step back along the hallway, Dane calls after us, “Leif. You forgot your ball.”

I halt. “Did you wish to play a game?”

Leif scowls back at Dane who smirks at him and says, “Woof.”

“Dickhead,” Leif calls back.

“Excuse me?”

With a shake of his head, Leif slips his large hand into mine. “You said ‘taking me for a walk’. Like I’m a dog.”

“Oh.” I sigh. “Humans find amusement in such imbecilic ways.”

“Don’t say anything to Dane. I’d rather leave before someone else asks me about Holly.” Leif tugs me away from the potent male area. “What’s in the bag? Are you planning to investigate Madison?”

“Again, excuse me?”

“We’re going to the place in the video clips, and you brought tools?”

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