Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 95676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 478(@200wpm)___ 383(@250wpm)___ 319(@300wpm)
"Neither did I," Adam says when Cam looks at him.
"I did."
Cam turns to Penny, who blushes and shifts her gaze to me and then back to him. Curiosity shines in her blue eyes, as if she's wondering why I didn't introduce myself, but she doesn't seem to recognize me, either.
"We were friends," she says, her voice full of sadness.
Both Adam and Jonathan scoot closer to her, as if to shield her. Jonathan slips his hand into hers, holding it tightly.
"When was the last time you saw him?" Cam asks her.
"A couple of days before he left campus. Um, Friday, I think."
"Did he seem distraught or upset to you?"
I tense, waiting for Penny to point at me and tell him yes, that I made him that way. The fear is completely irrational given that she didn't seem to recognize me a few moments ago, but I can't help but hold my breath, waiting for her to call me a murderer and send the entire student body after me.
"A little," she says, biting her bottom lip. "I mean, he's been upset a lot lately. When I first met him, he was really laid back and cool, very gregarious. The last few months though, he's been sad and depressed, withdrawn. There was a rumor going around that he wasn't able to pay his tuition, but I don't know if that was true or not. He didn't really talk about it."
"Did he mention anything about why he was upset?"
"He said he was having girl problems."
"Girl problems?"
"Him and his girlfriend broke up again, I guess."
"Again?"
"They fought a lot," Penny says, shrugging.
"Apparently, he was dating some high maintenance model who used to go to school here," Adam supplies, one leg bouncing up and down against the wall. "Ivy or something. No one really believed him though. I mean, stranger things have happened, but models don't usually fall for nerds."
"Not unless they're rich," Jonathan agrees.
"So you never met his girlfriend?" Cam asks, looking at Penny.
"No. I don't think anyone did."
"Oh?"
"She didn't live here," Penny explains, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Honestly, I'm not even sure if Rory ever saw her in person. It was one of those online relationships, you know? He spent a lot of time holed up in his room, or on his phone, talking to her. Who knows if she was really who she said she was? People lie online all the time."
Even though her comment adds credence to my claims that Fake Ivy isn't me, my shoulders sag. If no one ever met her, proving she isn't me is going to be a lot harder than I need it to be. I think Cam knows it, too. He's quiet for a moment, jotting in his little notebook, before he glances up again.
"Do you know who might know more about his relationship?" he asks.
"Tommy Wahler or Jessica Mabry might," Penny says. "They were really close with him. Tommy was his roommate, so he'd know more than anyone. I haven't seen either of them around today, though."
"Any idea where we might find them?"
"Tommy is probably with his parents," Adam says. "He's pretty torn up about the whole thing. He was the last one who saw Rory."
"Any idea what they talked about?"
Adam shrugs.
"He said Rory was kind of out of it," Penny mumbles. "Tommy thought he'd get over it, so he didn't push when Rory refused to tell him what was going on. And then Rory left and never came back."
"What about Miss Mabry? Any idea where I might find her?"
"She's probably with Tommy." Penny's gaze drifts from Cam to me again, but she still doesn't comment on my presence here. "She and Tommy are dating."
"I'd imagine they've already told LAPD everything they know," Jonathan murmurs. "Their detectives have been here asking questions as well."
Cam pulls a couple of business cards out of his pocket and holds them out to Jonathan and Penny. "If you think of anything else that might help, please call me."
"Of course," Penny says, looking at the card before sliding it into her textbook.
Jonathan slips his into his breast pocket and nods.
"Thank you for your time," Cam murmurs politely before leading me away.
I follow after him, dejected.
"You okay?" he asks, leaning close to me once we're out of hearing range.
I nod.
"You satisfied now?"
I nod again, more slowly this time.
"Good. Then let's go."
I don't argue with him this time. There's nothing for me to find here today.
Chapter Eleven
Ivy
"Where are you parked?" Cam asks me when we reach the small parking lot outside the UCLA Police Department a few minutes later. His SUV is crammed between two cruisers, a placard in his front windshield identifying him as law enforcement.
"Near the Alumni Center," I mumble, my gaze drifting around the lot before returning to him.
He cocks a brow. "I'm gonna need more than that. I didn't go to school here."