Malice

“There are cops on campus,” she whispers.

“What?” I exclaim. “Why?”

She licks her lips and it’s clear she’s hesitant to tell me. I stare at her insistently, though, and she finally releases a sigh of defeat.

“Jon Eric’s car was found in LA,” she explains. “In a really dangerous area.”

I swallow hard, desperate to ease the panic rising in my throat, but I still sound choked when I ask, “And Jon Eric?”

She shakes her head. “He still hasn’t been found, but…”

When she trails off, my whole body goes numb and I’m suddenly freezing. “Loni,” I snap. “What is it? Just tell me.”

She gulps and avoids my eyes as she says, “They found blood inside his car.”’