Killer Instincts

Chapter Four

Bailey and Eva arrived at the University of Arizona campus; their usual excitement overshadowed by a palpable sense of unease following the recent news of their friend's murder. The sun, though shining brightly, seemed to cast a somber light over the familiar palm-lined pathways, heightening the tension in the air.

As they walked, the usually animated conversation between the two girls was replaced by a contemplative silence. Bailey's thoughts turned to the details of the case, her mind grappling with the complexities of the crime scene investigation. Eva, usually effervescent, seemed preoccupied, her artistic spirit momentarily subdued by the weight of the tragedy that had unfolded.

They passed by the campus cafes, where the aroma of coffee now mingled with the whispers of concern and speculation about the recent events. The vibrant ambiance of the campus seemed to have dimmed, as if the very air was heavy with a shared sense of mourning and uncertainty.

Bailey and Eva exchanged a solemn glance, their steps heavy as they made their way through the campus and towards their first classes of the day.

The two girls stop in front of the Koffler building. Students chat vibrantly as they pass the building. Bailey sighs and adjusts her book bags straps and watches as one of the small Grubhub cartken bots roll by. A small flier - that read something along the lines of a protest happening on campus - was taped onto the hood of the bot. Eva joins in with watching the small bot as it continues its mission to deliver the food that was inside it, to the customer. When the bot was out of view, Bailey and Eva met each other's eyes and smiled softly. "I will see you for lunch at the Cactus Grill at one pm?" Bailey says to Eva. Eva nods in response and wraps her arms around Bailey. "Definitely." She says as she lets go of Bailey, her hands lingering on Bailey's shoulders. "You have a great class, tell Marlee and Austin I said hello." Eva finishes as she spins on her heels and begins her walk across the UA mall towards the Modern Language's building.

Bailey watches Eva for a few short seconds before heading into the Koffler building. When she enters the semi lit lecture hall, she scans the seats in search of her blonde friends. Bailey eventually finds them sitting in the center of the fourth row. Marlee's blonde ringlets were tied into a high ponytail, her face enthralled in whatever she was looking at on her cell phone. Austin, however, was trapped in a book. The title was too far for her to read properly, and the dim lighting didn't help. 

Bailey ascends the steps towards the fourth row but stops at the third row and makes her way through the tight space until finally reaching Marlee and Austin. Bailey drops her book bag on the floor in front of her seat, then sits down and turns slightly in her seat to greet her friends. Bailey lightly taps on Marlee's knee and Marlee looks up from her cellphone, her face lighting up when she realizes who had tapped her. "Hey Bee!" She says cheerfully as she drops her phone into her lap, it nearly sliding out and onto the floor. "Hey Marlee, how are you?" Bailey asks her. Marlee catches her phone and sticks it under her leg as Bailey fishes her laptop out of her book bag. "I'm doing well today. How about you?" Marlee pauses, her smile vanishing from her face. "I heard about Khloe." Marlee finished. Bailey visibly tenses. "I'm sorry, news travels pretty fast here." Marlee sighs. She sits back and nudges Austin beside her. He quickly glances over his book, which Bailey could now see as being Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco. It was a series she was still reading. Austin closes his book and sets it in his lap. "Hey Bee." He says as he slides his MacBook out of his book bag, replacing the space with the book. Bailey acknowledges his greeting with a short smile. "I'm doing okay." Bailey replies to Marlee as she types in her laptop's passcode. The news article about Khloe was still up on the screen, the scarce details of the murder highlighted. Bailey curses slightly, forgetting she had it open and minimizes the page. She then opens a new page and types in the web address for D2L.