Page 21 of Hunting Pretty

Her sharp frown fit her features: angular cheekbones, a severe black bob, and pale eyes the color of hydrangea macrophylla,a delicate pale blue.

Unlike the two men, she looked a decade younger thanher mid-forties, only the beginnings of fine lines in the delicate skin around her eyes.

I sank back in my chair, my cheeks hot, as the commissioner traded a look with the dean.

These two very important men were only here in the dean’s large high-ceilinged office listening to me because Ebony knew them from college and called in a favor.

And I was embarrassing Ebony.

Ebony cleared her throat, immediately getting the attention of the two men, a strained smile pulling at her rose-tinted lips. “Gentlemen, my daughter isn’t prone to flights of fancy.”

She called me her daughter.

A small thread of guilt weaved through me. Even after she officially adopted me, even after living with her for over five years, I still couldn’t call hermother.

Ebony placed a hand on my shoulder and gave me an awkward pat that I guessed was meant to be reassuring. “If Ava has reason to believe that Liath didn’t run away, then we need to at least listen to her.”

I shot Ebony a grateful look and turned back to lock gazes with the commissioner.

“I know Liath,” I pressed. “She wouldn’t run away.”

The silence grew heavy, the only sounds the ticking of the elaborate grandfather clock in the corner and the faint sound of a lawn mower.

The dean’s office overlooked the main college green in Regent’s Hall, an imposing Georgian building near the main Darkmoor entrance.

This imposing office was lined with bookshelves and adorned with rare artifacts from around the world, gifts tothe long line of esteemed Darkmoor deans from wealthy, diverse alumni.

There were ancient tribal masks, stuffed exotic birds, and several coats of armor in a glass-paneled display case.

The dean sighed, took off his round glasses, and began polishing them. “I’m sorry, Ava, but we have it on good authority that Liath was… doing illicit drugs.”

I glanced between the faces of these two old white men.

Okay, so Liath had been partying more the last few months.

But we were college students for God’s sake.

We all drank too much, had sex, and experimented with drugs.

Drugs didn’t turn us into runaways.

I licked my lips. “So?”

The dean peered through his lenses and placed them on his face as casually as if we were discussing the fucking weather and not the disappearance of one of my fucking friends.

“We understand that she wasn’t… dealing with things lately.”

“Whatthings?” I demanded, my voice echoing off the high ceiling.

The dean pursed his thin lips, his gaunt cheeks appearing even more sunken. “I’m afraid that’s confidential.”

“My men did a thorough investigation, Ava,” the commissioner added, balancing his service cap on his lap and mopping his sweaty pink forehead with a monogrammed handkerchief. “I oversaw it personally, the Byrnes being close personal friends of mine.”

“But—”

“Her toothbrush and clothes were missing, as was her phone and wallet.” The commissioner set his cap back on his head and folded the handkerchief into his front pocket lined with shiny medals.

He continued. “Mr. Byrne discovered that several thousand euros worth of cash had gone missing from his office safe. Only he, Mrs. Byrne, and Liath knew the code. And neither he nor Mrs. Byrne took that money.”

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