Page 49 of Sinister Legacy
“The friends who found him confirmed his name is Jasper Massey.” She rises to her feet and hands me a plastic zip bag. “This was found on the lawn, by the tree line.”
The plastic rustles beneath my fingers as I shine a flashlight on the devil mask inside. “It’s identical to the one in the changing room.”
“There’s writing on the inside.”
I turn it over. “What did we find out about the mask?”
“Generic. Two of the leading retailers stock it, so it’s impossible to track it down. By this time tomorrow, kids all over the country will have masks just like it. Sales have already sky-rocketed since the news first broke.”
“And with Halloween around the corner…” I look up. “No DNA on the mask in the changing room?”
Riveiro shakes her head.
“You’re next,” I read aloud. “The killer likes to play games.”
“Another deviation from Jimmy Hill.”
I hand her the mask back. “Let’s get the kids back to the station for questioning.” After throwing one last glance at the corpse on the ground, I rub my hand down my face and add, “Let’s get them counseling, too. God knows they’ll need it.”
King’s lunch table remains empty for the rest of the week. None of them return to school for days.
According to the news, Jasper’s friends found him murdered in the woods. The cops are tight-lipped about what happened to Jasper, but we all know it was bad.
The atmosphere at school is demure, and the other students give me a wide berth. I don’t blame them. None of this would be happening if it weren’t for my father.
Jessica, Principal Byrne, and Jasper would be alive. How can I not blame myself?
I stare at King’s locker across the hall while Liam shuts his. Cassie is reapplying her lipstick in a pocket mirror, and Madison is leaning with her shoulder and temple against the locker beside me.
“They’ll be back soon,” she says quietly, as if she can see the worry on my face.
Slowly dragging my eyes away, I let my gaze trail over her raven hair. I’m so used to her bobble hat that I had forgotten what she looks like without it. She now has thick bangs that are slightly too long.
I reach out and finger a few of her silky-smooth strands. “Two of our classmates are dead because of me, and I never once spoke to them.”
She leans in, lowering her voice. “Babe, you can’t think like that. It’s not your fault, okay?”
Releasing her hair, I punch her in the arm gently. “I like your new puffer jacket.”
“You know me, it’s my staple item.”
I grab the straps of my backpack and lean my temple on the locker. “I miss the pink.”
With a simple shrug, she smiles. “Red stands out more.”
“True.”
“I’m serious, Keira. You can’t blame yourself for what’s happened. It’s not your fault!”
Before I can reply, Liam slides his arm around my waist from behind and pulls me into his chest. “I think we need a party this weekend.”
“Did someone mention a party?” Marcus says as he joins us.
“It’s nearly winter, and you’re dressed in your letterman jacket?” Madison questions, removing a packet of bubblegum from her pocket. There’s only one left. She pops it into her mouth, crumples up the empty packet, and tosses it at Marcus. “It’s snowing outside.”
“It’s not snowing,” Cassie says, rolling her eyes.
“It sure feels like it.”
