Chapter 3

The police still hadn't made any real progress on Louis' murder when, a few days later, something else happened at school.

This time, the one who died was Fred Roth from my class.

The news spread before the first period even started. The whole grade was buzzing.

"Fred Roth is dead, too! It happened last night!"

"How did it happen?"

"His mouth was torn open from the corner of his lips all the way to his ears, like he was laughing like mad."

My hand, holding a pen, started to shake. Fred was the one who'd been snickering in the crowd that day when Louis humiliated me. He'd been sitting in the back row, thinking I couldn't see him, but I clearly remembered the gloating look on his face.

"Where was he found?" Micah asked in a low voice.

"The same back alley behind the school, near where they found Louis' body."

"What are the cops saying?"

"They're saying it was the same killer because of the similar methods. There weren't any real clues left at the scene, too."

Rita's face had gone pale. "This is seriously messed up. Two of our classmates have died, one after another.

She turned to look at me. "Jeremiah, are you okay? You look awful."

I forced a smile. "I'm fine. Just a little scared."

But inside, my feelings were a tangled mess. Sure, I was scared, but under the fear, there was this strange rush of pleasure.

Fred was dead. The guy who'd laughed at me… was dead. And the way he died—his mouth torn into a grotesque smile—was just like the smirk he wore when he was watching my humiliation.

There was no way that was a coincidence. Absolutely no way.

"Do you think the killer's gonna keep going?" someone whispered.

"Probably. It's starting to look like a serial killer."

"Doesn't that mean we're all in danger?"

"I don't know, but we should all be extra careful for the next few days. Don't walk around alone at night."

I lowered my head and pretended to read as I listened to them. My mind kept replaying what happened that day, though.

Besides Louis and Fred, would there be a next one? Who would it be?

The thought filled me with both terror and excitement. I couldn't help being scared of myself because of these warring emotions.

…

The next morning, the school held an emergency assembly for all students and staff.

The principal, Mr. Bronson, stood on stage, looking grim. "In light of the recent violent incidents, the school has decided to implement the following safety measures."

The auditorium fell completely silent. Everyone listened closely.

"First, students are forbidden from going out alone after 7:00 pm. Second, the back alley behind the school will be temporarily closed off. Third, someone will be assigned to each class to keep track of students' whereabouts."

He paused, then went on, "The police have confirmed that this is a serial murder case targeting our school. You must all stay on high alert."

…

After the assembly, Captain Colson came to our class again. This time, his expression was even more serious.

"From our preliminary investigation, we've noticed a pattern." He swept a gaze across the room. "Both victims were involved in the food delivery incident from a few days ago."

My heart almost stopped.

"Louis was directly involved, and Fred was there watching. We have reason to believe the killer may be taking revenge on someone's behalf." Captain Colson's eyes settled on me again. "Jeremiah, think carefully about this. Who else was there that day? Did anyone react in a particularly strong way?"

I tried to dig through my memories and said shakily, "There were a lot of people watching. I can't really remember anything specific."

"That's okay. Take your time. Contact us anytime if you remember anything." He left his name card and walked out, but the look in his eyes made me very uneasy.