Page 62 of Kill Your Darlings

“No.You don’t understand.It’s so much worse than…this.”

Finn’s eyes narrowed.“What do you mean, it’s so much worse than this?”

“About a month after it happened, Milo disappeared.”

“Disappeared,” Finn repeated.“What’s that mean?”

“I mean, he left.I guess.Without waiting to graduate.Without a word.”

“He left, youguess?”

“Yes.”

“Without a word toyouor without a word to anyone?”

“Definitely without a word to me.I think without a word to anyone.His family eventually reported him missing.”

Finn prompted impatiently, “And—?”

“I don’t know.I left Steeple Hill the day after I turned eighteen.I never spoke to my father or anyone else from there again.With the exception of Kyle.”

Finn did a double take.“Kyle?Kyle Bari?”

“He grew up in Steeple Hill.”

“Did you know him then?”

That was almost funny.“Kyle?No.He’d have been around seven at the time all this happened.Anyway, the art colony residents stuck mostly to themselves.And probably still do.”

After a few seconds of bleak reflection, Finn seemed to relinquish whatever sinister idea had struck him.He asked, “What did you think happened to Milo?”

I shook my head.“I didn’t know.I thought his nerve gave out.I thought he ran away.He was terrified we were going to be caught.”

“You weren’t terrified?”

“Of course I was.”Terrified.Guilty.Lonely.Life had been difficult before.After Milo left, it had been all but unbearable.“I couldn’t leave, though.I didn’t have that option.I had to graduate.My grandparents had taken out a reverse mortgage and put the money into a trust for when I turned eighteen.I needed that money for college.I stuck out the last few months and then I left, too.”

I couldn’t read Finn’s expression at all.

I said, “At the time, I felt betrayed.He’d left me with this horrible thing we’d done.He couldn’t even say goodbye?Later, I began to wonder.I tried to find him a few times, but he’d vanished.There was nothing.No trace.”I met Finn’s gaze.“I even thought about hiring a private detective.But I was afraid that might lead someone back to me.Eventually, I began to suspect he was dead.That maybe he killed himself.Then I wondered if maybe someone else had killed him.And after last night, I’m sure of it.”

Finn said slowly, wonderingly, “I feel like I’m in that story about the guy who comes back from a trip and the servant tells him his favorite dog died.”

I laughed shakily.“The Climax of Horrors.”

“Yeah.”He fell silent, thinking.“Locating Milo is a priority.If he can confirm your version of events, that would go a long way toward keeping you out of prison.”

“But that’s what I’m trying to tell you,” I said.“I think he’s dead.I believe he must have died that same year.”

“Why?Why do you believe that?”

“Because I think someone tried to kill me last night.”

Finn slowly sat back in his chair.“Go on.”

I said, “I know how it sounds.I swear to you, Finn, I’m not making this up.”

He gave a funny laugh.“I think if you were making this up, you’d probably try not to incriminate yourself so thoroughly.Tell me about last night.”