I drove home alone since Rebecca said she’d catch a lift back with Dad.
The house was empty when I got there, and I was so exhausted by the day’s events that I laid down on the couch in the living room and fell asleep. When I woke, someone had placed a soft, cosy cashmere blanket over me, likely my mother. I heard voices trickling in from my dad’s study in the next room. It sounded like he, Mum, Gabriel, and my mother’s best friend, Rita were conducting a hushed, serious conversation.
“Are they really considering her as a suspect? She’s only a kid,” Uncle Gabriel said, sounding worried.
“It’s only the start of the investigation, and they need to explore all possibilities,” Dad replied. “We all know Darya had nothing to do with this. And besides, the Guard will have to go through me first if they dare try to arrest my daughter.”
My heart leapt up into my throat. I was being considered as a suspect? This had to be a nightmare.
“It certainly wasn’t Darya who killed the teacher,” Rita said as I strained to listen. “I sensed a new presence in the city only recently. A malevolent force. It seems far too coincidental that someone has turned up dead soon after.”
“What kind of presence?” Dad asked.
“Someone has travelled from the dimension where Theodore sent my father,” Mum replied for her. “I sensed them, too.”
What the hell? I knew so few details of what happened to my granddad Martin. Like I said before, he rarely spoke about it, and it had all occurred before I was even born.
“Why didn’t you inform me?” Dad demanded.
“Because I didn’t want to worry you until I knew for sure their intentions.”
“I did some research,” Rita added. “The dimension is a whole world within itself, very different to ours. They call it Oreylia, and it’s mainly occupied by demons. Whatever or whoever has come through, it wasn’t an easy task.”
“What do you think they’ve come for?” Uncle Gabriel asked.
“I have no idea,” Mum said. “My father has always refused to speak about his time there, but I’ll invite him over and see if I can get anything out of him. Any small bit of information could help.”
They fell into silence then, and I took the opportunity to make my entrance as I left the living room and strode into the study. “Darya, I thought you were asleep,” Mum said when she saw me.
“Am I really a suspect in Mr Williams’ murder?” I asked as I placed my hands on my hips.
5.
“It’s very rude to eavesdrop, Darya,” my dad calmly scolded.
“I saw my teacher’s dead body today,” I stated firmly. “And if they think I killed him, I have a right to know.”
Mum came forward, pulling me in her arms. “Don’t fret, honey. We’re going to take care of this.”
“Why do they think it was me?”
“Mainly because of the argument you both had and how he was killed,” Dad replied, a low simmering fury in his voice. “Wolf told me all about what happened during class with you two. If the man weren’t already dead, I’d be having some harsh words with him for disrespecting you in such a way.”
“So, what’s going to happen? Am I going to be taken in for further questioning?”
“The main thing is that you establish an alibi,” Uncle Gabriel explained. “Once you manage that, the Guard can take you off their suspect list.”
“Right,” I said, my brow furrowing.
“So, do you have an alibi?” Rita asked, raising one dark eyebrow.
I folded my arms, suddenly uncomfortable. If Mr Williams was killed during the short timeframe in which I think he was, then there was only one person who could vouch for my whereabouts.
“Yes, I have an alibi,” I answered quietly.
“Perfect. So we’ll take care of that tomorrow,” Mum finished.
“Who is your alibi?” Dad questioned, his eyes narrowing as he studied me.
I blew out a breath. There was no point in lying. He would find out tomorrow anyway. “I was speaking with Peter Girard in the hallway when the murder happened.”
“You weren’t in class?” Rita asked, and I shook my head.
“I was on my way to the bathroom.”
“And you bumped into Peter?” Mum questioned.
“Oh, my God, is this an interrogation? Yes, I bumped into Peter.” Technically, he followed me, but they didn’t need to know that.
“Is there something between you two? Is that why his father confronted me on New Year’s Eve?” Dad asked.
“No, there isn’t anything between us. We were just talking. We share a lot of classes, and I had a question about one of our assignments. As you know, Peter is one of the best students at St. Bastian’s, and I wanted his advice about a spell.” I hated lying to them, but it was better than telling them about Belinda’s attack. There was already enough going on without adding that drama to the mix.