Page 134 of Rear View
“I really do need to wait for Dean—”
“You were the one who insisted I come. I have somewhere else I should be right now, but I’m here. So, either start talking, or we’re gone.”
“Alright.” He raised his hands in surrender. Clearing his throat, he faced me fully. “It’s my job to pay attention around here. I’ve noticed you’re with Professor Barlowe often, generally at odd hours. I’d been hoping to ask you about him.”
“Yes. I’m his TA and he’s my thesis adviser.” I exchanged a “What the hell?” look with Zoya before returning my attention to Stan.
“We’ve had complaints regarding his behavior from yourself and three others. Some quite serious. All young women. It was enough that I started digging.” He gestured to Barlowe’s computer. “The equipment supplied to staff is property of the university, which means they have the right to access it at any time. With the dean’s permission, I came in this morning with one of our IT specialists to complete an audit on Professor Barlowe’snetworks and found some troubling things, Miss Nolan. Several involving you.”
Zoya sucked in a sharp breath.
The world spun as I grew dizzy. “Me?”
His stare flicked toward the door. Rising, he strode around the desk and turned the computer on. “Emails and voice recordings and”—shifting like he was uncomfortable, he clicked several buttons, then swiveled the screen my way—“images.”
My lungs refused to work. I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. My stomach rolled with a wave of nausea.
Images. So many images. Images of me on campus. In class. In the Parc Ferme at Emerald Cove. In a pub. Dancing with Xavier. In my room, undressing.
Zoya gasped. “Oh my God!”
My hands flew to my mouth. Barlowe. It wasBarlowe! The truth clicked like the cock of a gun and the explosion of relief and terror that hit me stole my breath. Relief because I had a name. Terror because he was close. Entirely too close.
He’d had access to me. Controlled our meetings. Controlled me.Counseledme. Got information. It’s why he’d hidden his face, disguised his voice, because he knew I’d recognize him. It’s why he’d gotten so strange when I’d started seeing Xavier, when I’d started speaking up, because he was losing access. Losing power.
“I wanted to take my findings to the police right away, but Dean Ansell requested we wait and see how you’d like to proceed first.”
Zoya scoffed. “To see if she could convince Ryah to forgo the cops and save the university the embarrassment, you mean?”
Stan’s mouth thinned, but, notably, he didn’t deny it.
He eyed the door again before he found me. “With or without her approval, I intend to present this to the EPD. But in good conscience, I couldn’t allow you to continue being near him unaware. At the conclusion of this meeting, I suggest you leave school property until Barlowe’s been removed.”
My gaze grew distant as I tried to focus.
“Are you alright, Miss Nolan?”
No. I wasn’t. Not even close. Xavier. I wanted Xavier. “I need to—”
The door pushed open. Barlowe stood in the entrance, his glare skimming our group before it locked on me and he stepped deeper inside.
Zoya went rigid.
I couldn’t think. The walls were closing in.The walls are closing in!
Stan edged around the desk and turned to face Barlowe fully. “This is a private meeting, Professor.”
“A private meeting in my officewithoutme?” Barlowe tsked. “I think not.” He pulled something from his pocket. Something small and metal.
Stan’s hand dropped to the radio at his hip. “I can deal with this, ladies. You two should go on out, now.”
Leave. Yes. Leaving was good. We’d call for help. Figure everything out. Pulse thrashing in my ears, I grabbed Zoya’s trembling hand and took a shaky step toward the door.
Barlowe’s head cut our way. He snapped a gun out, its silver reflecting the fluorescent lights above when he pointed it straight at my head. “Did I say you could leave, Ryah Jane?”
My blood ran cold, blackness creeping around the edge of my vision. The words. The cadence. If I’d doubtedit before, that had been enough. It was him. Oh, God!It was him!
That familiar ringing started, growing louder and louder in my mind.
