The St. Ciaran's Chronicles: The Lonsdale Files, #1

By Will Mullin

Eighteen year-old Aidan Lonsdale thought he was in store for the best years of his life when he arrived at St. Ciaran's College. But on his first night as a freshman, his room is ransacked and his best friend vanishes.

 

A fish out of water, with no clues or friends, Aidan dives deep to uncover just what happened that night. His search will soon require him to uncover secrets lying beneath the college's pristine façade. Shocking, dark secrets that lead all the way to the highest levels of the St. Ciaran's administration. If Aidan fails to uncover the truth, he stands to lose far more than the chance to ever find out what happened to his friend.

Perfect for fans of Young Adult mysteries/thrillers like Karen M. McManus's Nothing More To Tell.

NOTE: Contains strong language, brief violence and sexuality, alcohol and drug use, and references to suicide.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Will Mullin
• Release date: Mar 6, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215263914

Will Mullin

Everything you need to know about Will can be summed up in the Four B's: Bond, beaches, buds and brews. (Interchangeable order.) He also loves his family and traveling, even though those don't start with B.

Book preview

PROLOGUE

Stop! The chief of the St. Ciaran’s campus police held out both of her hands. Not another step!  

The person on top of the stone encasement inched closer to the edge. It was too dark to see his face.

Inside the encasement was a statue of Mary. She pressed her hands together in prayer, her expression somber yet content. 

Sir! cried the chief. Get down from the statue and come with us. Everything’s going to be okay. I promise. 

The person lifted his right foot off the encasement and moved it in front of the left. Now it hovered over thin air.  

Sir...!

CHAPTER 1

Aid, can you believe it?! Rob held his hand up at an angle. We’re roommates!  

I know, dude! Aidan couldn’t stop smiling as he completed the mid-air clasp. This year is going to be sick!  

The clasp turned into a hug as the two eighteen year-olds embraced. After hours of driving, unpacking, saying goodbye to their parents, and setting up their respective halves of the dorm room, it finally started sinking in for Aidan.  

He was in college. The next epic chapter of his life had begun. 

Sucks we don’t have any beer, Rob said. This would’ve been the perfect time for a cheers.  

Aidan picked up his reusable water bottle off the old yellow pinewood desk on the side of the room he’d claimed. We could make a toast with water.  

Aid! You want our first drinks together in college to be water? 

Well, we don’t have any alcohol, and it’s only two in the afternoon. This place probably won’t come alive for another five or six hours. 

We should ask one of our new neighbors if they’ve got beer to spare. 

I don’t want someone’s first impression of me to be a mooch.

"They won’t think you’re a mooch, Aid. They’d be like, ‘Now here’s a guy who likes to have fun! I want to be friends with him.’" 

Maybe Rob could have pulled that off, but Aidan had no faith in himself. Well, even if you’re right, I don’t know if I feel like drinking right now. 

What!? 

Dude, we just spent three hours hauling ass and unpacking. I’m fricking parched.  

Fine, Rob sighed in mock defeat. He grabbed his own half-filled water bottle. What’s our first toast to in college, Aid? 

Way to put me on the spot. Aidan was extra careful to hold up his water bottle without touching it to Rob's. Here’s to an awesome four years at St. Ciaran’s with my best friend.  

Rob tapped his bottle to Aidan’s. Cheers to that!  

It wasn’t the most creative toast Aidan had ever come up with, but, given the circumstances, it was the only appropriate one. By the time night fell and they could have their first proper drinks as college roommates, he'd have something more imaginative. 

As they drank from their water bottles, Aidan looked around at his new living space.  

His 36-inch 4K TV sat against the wall at almost exactly the midpoint between their two beds. Both of them had video game systems—a Sony console for Aidan, and a Microsoft one for Rob—that were a few years old but still got the job done. Aidan predicted many, many hours of Call of Duty and Halo in the months ahead. 

On the far side of the room, Aidan had made his bed for the first and probably only time of the semester. Next to the foot of the bed was his computer desk.  

The only item on Aidan’s desk was his prehistoric brick of a laptop. He hated it. The thing was slow, loud, heavy, and was too big to fit into his backpack. But it was a free hand-me-down from his older brother, and, now that Aidan was a 'broke college student,' there were some things he literally could not afford to be picky about.  

As he moved on to admiring the wall decorations, something wiped the content expression off his face. Ah.  

What’s the matter, Aid?  

Aidan stepped backwards so he could get a better look at the three movie posters on the wall over his bed. There was one for Skyfall, next to one for Scarface, next to one for Commando. This is serious, Rob. I’m having second thoughts about the order I’ve got my posters.  

Oh, no!  

What do you think, man? Do they look good where they are, or should I switch them around?  

Was Aidan really taking that kind of advice from the guy who had a ‘Periodic Table of Sex Positions’ poster over his own bed? Yes, he was.   

"Why don’t you put Commando in the middle? said Rob. That way you won’t have two black-and-white posters next to each other."  

Man. It’s such a shame you’re not an Interior Design major.

* * *

It was exactly 9:07pm when Aidan heard the first hints of partying on their floor. After a busy move-in day, the corridors of Doyle Hall now echoed with laughter, excited talking, and loud music. 

Since classes didn’t begin for another four days, there was no reason to hold back. Tonight, Aidan was pulling out all the stops to show his new hallmates he was a fun, likable guy. That was always challenging when he had to compete with Rob for attention.  

Aidan checked himself out in the mirror on the inside of his closet door. His light blue and white tie-dye t-shirt didn’t do much to hide his bony arms and scrawny frame, but at least it was stylish. He ran a hand through his dark hair, trying to refresh the ‘straight out of bed’ look after it had wilted from a day of lugging boxes and walking up and down stairs.  

Hey, Aid? Rob called from across the room. What would go better with an open plaid shirt? A solid white, or a solid black?  

I’m sure either would be fine.  

Aid. Which one would look better?  

Aidan rolled his eyes. I'd go with white.  

I think black would go better.  

Aidan wasn’t going to let himself get annoyed. Conversations like this were practice for when he had a girlfriend, he told himself.  

You got a solid black t-shirt, Aid?  

What, you don’t?  

I thought I did, but I can’t find it.  

Jesus Christ.  

Aidan opened one of his drawers, dug out a black t-shirt with a silver 007 logo on the left pectoral, and tossed it to his friend. 

Rob looked at the garment for maybe a full second. This isn’t solid black.  

It’s the closest I’ve got.  

Rob groaned before changing into it. He looked in the mirror after putting on Aidan’s black shirt and his own plaid button-down. Aw, man, you can still see half the logo.  

"You’re welcome," said Aidan.  

Hey, you only get one shot at a first impression, Aid. 

You know, it’s okay if you don’t get laid tonight.   

I just want to look good, man. I'm not worried about hooking up. 

Of course he wasn’t worried about that. On any given party night, Aidan put the odds at about one-in-five Rob would go to sleep in a girl’s bed. Why was Rob fretting so much about his clothes, anyway? With his slim and athletic build, chiseled face, and slightly long, thick blond hair, Rob was no stranger to girls approaching him. He probably could've secured a hook-up even if he dressed as a clown.  

After looking at himself every which way in the mirror a hundred times, Rob finally said he was ready to go. Then, rather than making for the door, he sat at his desk and fired up his sleek, bright-white Mac. 

Now what are you doing? asked Aidan.  

Rob was scanning multiple pages on the St. Ciaran’s website. Trying to find the timetables for the RAs.  

Why?  

Dude, don't you want to know when they’re doing rounds? I'm not getting written up at my first college party! After a few frustrated clicks of his wireless mouse, Rob said, "Come on, who designed this website? That dude who made The Room?" 

What did you expect? The school's run by a bunch of priests who probably think a VCR is high tech. 

Rob threw his hands up. Can you believe this? They have the schedule for the dance team competitions, but they don’t tell you when the RAs are on patrol?  

I’ll just ask Anthony to shoot me a text when the rounds are starting. 

Ah. Good call. Rob closed the laptop.  

Aidan held up his right hand. Ready for the first of many awesome nights?  

"Aw, yeah."  

The two friends gave each other another mid-air hand clasp. When they let go, Rob led the way to the door. He opened it and flicked off the lights. 

They stepped into the hall, but before Rob shut the door Aidan had one very important question. You got your room key?  

Rob reached into his pocket and held out the small, dirty piece of brass he received earlier in the afternoon. He’d attached it to the lanyard that housed his student ID card. You have yours? 

Yup. It’s in my pocket. As Rob shut the door, Aidan muttered, You’d think a school that charges fifty grand a year would be able to afford an electronic keypad lock.  

They probably used all the money to build that new science center.  

Aidan tried opening their door, but the handle wouldn’t budge. Alright, it’s locked.  

Even though they weren’t in their dorm room any longer, the basic surroundings were identical: white cinder block walls and scratchy dark blue carpet. Aidan could’ve sworn he still smelled puke in the carpet from when past residents had a bit too much to drink and failed to reach the floor’s bathroom in time.  

They only had to take a few steps down the hall before identifying the party zone: room 224. There were two Avengers-themed name tags on the door; one had a picture of Iron Man, and the other was of Hawkeye. The names on the tags respectively read Carl and Derek. Maybe Aidan was biased, but he thought his Black Panther door tag was cooler than either of those.  

Before he could offer to knock, Rob took the initiative. 

The door creaked open, and Aidan saw a sliver of a face that presumably belonged to one of the room’s new residents. The guy on the other side of the door must have been making sure Aidan and Rob were guests, not RAs.   

Hey, said Rob, coming off as friendly and self-assured. Is it cool if we come in?   

Sure thing, dude. The resident opened the door all the way. 

The guy who answered the door—the first person who Aidan met for his whole college career—was completely unremarkable. Dull face, a bit pudgy, and short, neat brown hair. Even the way he said 'sure thing, dude,' gave the impression he was half-asleep. 

At least he had the friendliness to go in for a handshake. I’m Carl.  

Rob and Aidan introduced themselves, though they had to practically shout so Carl could hear them over the thumping rap music and other partygoers. All the florescent ceiling lamps were off, so the only illumination came from the red Christmas lights on the walls. Cheap beer and hard liquor stunk up the room.  

You guys freshmen? asked Carl.  

Yeah, Aidan yelled.  

We live in 228, said Rob.  

Cool. Carl brought them over to someone on the sidelines of the party. This is my roommate, Derek.  

Derek had pressed himself so deeply into the corner that Aidan hadn’t noticed him until now. The guy was borderline anorexic, and it didn’t look like he’d washed his black hair in days. His eyes were half-closed and brooding.

Did you meet our two new floormates? Carl asked. This is Rob and Aidan.  

Derek greeted them with a bored, Hey. The air around him reeked of weed. 

After that warm welcome, Derek started playing on his phone while Carl went to mingle with some of his other guests. Now Aidan and Rob were standing in the middle of the room with no one to talk to. 

He’s going to ask, Aidan told himself. Five, four, three... 

Alright, Aid: who do you like here? 

And there it was. No matter where they were or what they were doing, Rob always had to bring up the nearby girls and Aidan’s thoughts on them. You see the thin one with the long, curly brown hair?   

Yup. 

She’s kind of cute. 

Good choice, Aid. Now give it to me. What can you tell about her?  

Why do you always make me do this?  

Because you're so good at it!  

I literally just listen to people and watch what they do.  

Well, you're better at it than I am. Now come on: what have you got?  

Why was Rob so desperate for a conversation starter? He was always fine without one. I think she plays rugby.  

How do you know?  

Because the girl she’s with just said, 'They couldn't have moved it back to eight?' And there were flyers up all over the walls for rugby tryouts at 7:30 tomorrow.

Rob gave Aidan’s shoulder an affectionate pat. This is why I keep you around, Aid. He approached the brunette as if he knew her as well as he did Aidan. As soon as she noticed him, Rob greeted her with a cheery, What’s up?   

And there it was: the subtle, giddy smile. Every time a girl made that face at Rob, she was never far from him for the rest of the night.  

Stupid, stupid Aidan. After all the house parties in high school, he should've known to tell Rob which girl he was less interested in.  

Are you a freshman? asked Rob.  

Yeah, said the brunette. 

Me too! He shook her hand. I'm Rob. This is my buddy Aidan.  

I can introduce myself!  

What's your name? Rob asked.  

Jennie. She sipped from her can of Pabst Blue Ribbon while pointing at them with her free index and middle fingers. Are you two roommates?   

"Roommates, and besties!" Rob put his arm around Aidan and brought him in closer.   

Jennie’s eyes looked so heart-warmed they were borderline sad. She was a sensitive one. Or maybe she was already half a dozen drinks deep.  

You got any hometown friends here? asked Rob.  

No, she said with playful self-pity. I'm here all alone.  

Really? Who's the girl you were talking with a second ago?  

My roommate.  

Can we meet her?  

Of course!  

Aidan shifted his attention to the girl who'd been standing quietly off to the side.  

She was a couple inches shorter than him, so he'd guess she was about 5'6, 5'7. She had a sweet face and a round head. Her demeanor was personable, if not a little shy. The red Christmas lights made it hard to say for certain, but he was pretty sure her shoulder-length hair was blond. 

She was also the only person at the party who didn’t have an adult beverage. 

Before Rob could steal both chances at a first impression, Aidan introduced himself. He said his name and shook her hand, probably with a bit too much authority. 

I'm Ashley, she replied.  

Which building do you guys live in? asked Rob, his tone effortlessly casual.   

We live in Madec, said Jennie.  

Ah, so you guys are near the middle of the campus, said Rob. You can wake up fifteen minutes before class and make it on time pretty much anywhere.  

I wish the field was that close, said Jennie.  

Rob raised his eyebrows. Why do you say that?  

I've got to be there tomorrow by 7:30. I'm trying out for the rugby team.  

No way, said Rob, doing a great job at feigning surprise. Did you play in high school?  

From there, Rob didn't stop asking questions about Jennie's rugby days in the past and what her ambitions were for college. Jennie was okay in high school, but didn't expect to make varsity now. Still, it was the only sport she considered herself even a little good at, so she figured she’d give it a shot. 

Aidan, meanwhile, may as well have not been there. He resented being left out of the conversation, but Rob was on a roll. He didn't want to be a cock-block on their first night of college, so he stayed quiet.  

As Rob chatted up Jennie, Aidan realized Jennie's roommate had stopped talking as well.

Now's my chance! So what's your major?  

Ashley did a double-take. Had he asked that too abruptly? I'm bio-chem.  

No kidding, he said with fake astonishment. Damn it. He didn't know anything about biochemistry. What was he supposed to ask for follow-up questions?  

What about you? she asked, running a hand through her hair.

Poly-sci.   

Ashley nodded, but Aidan could tell it was only out of politeness. Cool. 

Not really. I just chose it because I wanted a major, and political science sounded more impressive than communications.  

Ashley nodded again. 

And that was the end of the conversation, apparently. 

Two minutes later, Jennie finished off her can of beer. Shoot. I'm all out.  

Want me to get you another one? Rob asked. He and Aidan still had no booze of their own, so Rob must have planned on leeching off Carl and Derek.  

It's okay, said Jennie. I've got some in my room. I can run back and get it.  

Sounds like a plan, Rob said, sounding perfectly content to let Jennie go on her way.  

You want to come back with me?  

Barely hiding his jealousy, Aidan said, Careful, dude. You've only got another half hour before you're not allowed in the girls' dorms for the rest of the night.

Oh, is it that late? asked Jennie, now sounding doubtful.  

Not fazed at all, Rob said to Aidan, If they catch me in there after 10:00, your brother can bail me out.  

It doesn’t work that way, Rob.  

Then I guess Jennie and I will have to make it quick. You said you have your room key, right, Aid?  

Aidan showed him the key in his pocket.  

Awesome. If I don’t see you, enjoy the rest of the party!  

Wait! said Jennie. Before we go, I want to get a picture! She pulled out her phone, set it to take selfies, and held it in front of her and Rob. She put an arm around him, and even went so far as to touch heads.  

Aid! said Rob. Get over here!  

Was he inviting Aidan into their photo out of pity? That was more offensive than if Rob had forgotten to include him at all.  

You too, Ashley, said Rob. 

While Rob and Jennie flashed their cheeriest grins at the camera, Aidan’s smile was stiff and uncomfortable. Ashley didn’t look like she was feeling it, either. But her smile was a reserved, friendly one—unlike Aidan’s. His served no other purpose than hiding how envious he was of Rob for going back to a girl’s room at their first college party. 

After Jennie pressed the button to record the moment for eternity, she and Rob made for the door. 

Catch you later, Aid! 

Aidan watched as Rob slipped out into the hall and disappeared to the right. He could still hear Rob talking to Jennie as the door closed.  

Now Aidan was alone at the party. Ashley was still standing next to him, and they’d already talked about their majors. What else was there to ask? 

Your friend is pretty cool, said Ashley, talking with the same enthusiasm as one stranger commenting on the weather to another. 

I know. I told him he should be running for office instead of studying history.  

He’s a history major?  

Yeah. For reasons my dumb brain can’t understand, he thinks that kind of stuff is interesting.  

It kind of is when you think about it, said Ashley. All those events that turn out to be really important. All the battles...  

Oh, yeah. For sure. Great. He was contradicting something he’d said five seconds ago. Now he sounded wishy-washy. Probably too agreeable, as well.   

Then Aidan’s pride got the better of him. He couldn’t stand the thought of walking away from tonight ‘empty handed’ after Rob had scored an invite to a girl’s room. Hey, can I get your number?  

You want my number? asked Ashley. 

Sure. You know. Just in case Rob and I go to another party and you and Jennie have nothing going on.  

The odds of that were zero, and Ashley must have known it. Even a small private Catholic school like St. Ciaran’s would have numerous party options available every weekend.  

Okay! said Ashley. She recited her number, and Aidan entered it into his phone.   

He dashed off the word ‘test’ to the same number Ashley had given him.   

Got it, she said. 

Whew. She hadn’t given him a fake number.  

Somehow, he’d done it. There was nothing smooth about how he’d done it, but that didn’t matter. The next time he saw Rob, and Rob asked, ‘What did you do at the party after I left?’ Aidan could tell him he got a girl’s number. 

At least the night wasn’t going to be a total failure.

CHAPTER 2

Knock, knock, knock.

Aidan gulped.

The seven people who had yet to leave Carl’s and Derek’s party fell silent. All eyes turned to the host.

Carl had gone still. Like everyone else, he seemed to realize the knocks on his door were not friendly ones.

The person at the door banged on it another three times.

Carl didn’t bother putting on a brave face as he made for the door. As he reached for the handle, he signaled for the remaining girls to get in the blind spot between the inward-opening door and the wall. It was way too late for any of them to still be in one of the men’s residence halls. If an RA caught them, the girls would get written up. Carl and Derek would be in trouble, as well, for hosting them.

Once his female guests were out of sight, Carl cracked open the door.

It was as Aidan feared. Through the small slit, he saw the face of a guy who was clearly an upperclassman. His muscles, coupled with his stern expression and buzz-cut black hair, gave him the appearance of a man who belonged in the military rather than a private Catholic college. On the left side of his shirt, he wore a blue name tag that read MIKE CONNOLLY – RESIDENT ASSISTANT.

Aidan couldn't believe it. Was he about to get busted for drinking in the first twelve hours of his college career? What would his parents do?

You guys. Mike sounded like he was forcing himself to be assertive. It's 1:30 in the morning. Quiet hours.

Sorry, dude, Carl said, half-slurring those words.

Keep your voices down and turn the music off. I don't want to hear a peep out of here the rest of the night.

As Mike walked away, two other RAs accompanied him. To Aidan’s relief, his older brother was not one of them.

For some reason, Carl held the door open long after the RAs had gone. Then, with a disappointed sigh, he let it shut and faced his guests. Well, he sort of faced everyone. His gaze drooped to the floor. You guys should probably leave now. I don't want to get in trouble with them again.

He didn’t want to get in trouble with them ‘again’? So Carl was at least a sophomore? If they were roommates, did that mean Derek had also gone through something similar with the school’s disciplinary system?

That didn’t matter right now.

Somehow, Aidan had resisted every urge to leave early. While everyone else on his floor cycled in and out of Doyle 224 all night, Aidan stayed where the party was. As far as having fun was concerned, the night had been a total failure. He talked to only four other people, and his conversations were about as deep and natural as the one he’d shared with Ashley. But at least he could go to sleep with his self-respect intact. He hadn’t spent the first night of college alone in his room, and he’d gotten a girl’s number.

Aidan offered some quick words of gratitude to Carl for hosting, and then made the fifteen-second walk down the hall to his own dorm. He used his key to unlock room 228.

The lights were on and Rob was nowhere in sight. It didn't appear as if anyone had touched Rob’s belongings. He must have gone straight to Madec Hall with Jennie and never came back.

Now that he’d had a few moments away from the loud music, the raucous partygoers, and the unending flow of beer, Aidan realized how tired he was. By now he’d been awake for nearly eighteen hours and had spent most of that time on his feet.

Yawning, he dragged himself to his wooden desk. He wanted to stay up a bit later, just to see if Rob would come back. That also gave him time to drink some water and sober up a little. Until then, Aidan was content to goof off on his computer.

That was when he noticed his laptop wasn't there.

The hell?

He stared at his empty desk in shock. Then he checked the floor because, hey, maybe his laptop could have somehow fallen. When that turned up nothing, he began looking in every conceivable area of the room—under his bed, in his backpack, on top of his closet, and on top of Rob's closet. Hey, maybe Rob had returned at some point and hid Aidan's laptop as a prank?

No luck.

Aidan hated to interrupt Rob during what was probably a good night, but he fired off a text. Hey dude. You have any idea what happened to my laptop? I can’t find it.

He waited a full minute for a reply, but it never came. Rob normally responded within seconds. He must have been having a good night.

Meanwhile, Aidan was now missing an item he absolutely could not go without. What was going on? How did someone lose a laptop as big and ugly as his?

He resorted to searching in ridiculous places, like inside his pillow cases or under his clothes hamper. As each search failed, Aidan had a sneaking suspicion about what had happened.

He confirmed those suspicions when he checked the outlet next to his desk. The power cord to his laptop was still plugged in, the round DC connector sitting on the floor like an abandoned toy. There was no way he would've remembered to pack the power cord to his laptop, but not the laptop itself. That left him with only one conclusion.

While he’d been at the party, someone broke into his room and stole his computer.

To hell with a bad first party! Aidan didn't have the money to buy a new laptop, especially after he'd shelled out hundreds for textbooks. Plus, his entire life was on that hard drive. It held PDFs of his driver's license, credit card, and passport. He had so many photos and pieces of downloaded media. And that didn't touch upon any of the more 'private' files hiding behind boring or innocuous names.

Why would anyone want his laptop? Did someone from his hometown have an axe to grind, and so they sneaked onto the campus, broke into his room, stole the laptop and...

He mentally smacked himself. What a stupid idea. Security at St. Ciaran's was as strict as its attitude towards men and women being in each other’s dorms after 10:00pm. How would anyone from home get into his building? Hell, most of them didn’t even know where he was going to school. And even if they did, how would they know where to find his room?

Aidan used his phone to send out a school-wide listserv in which he described his laptop—it's dark gray and is probably older than you—and asked people to keep an eye out for it. But he knew he'd be lucky if, out of the school’s almost three thousand students, a dozen spent two seconds reading his email. The odds of anyone seeing his message, going, ‘Oh, hey, I think I saw a laptop like that in a parking lot!’ and returning it to him were basically zilch.

Still, at least he'd done something.

I definitely locked the door, he recalled. Rob and I were making fun of how this school still uses brass keys.

In fact, didn’t they kill the lights before leaving for the party? When Aidan returned a few minutes ago, the lights were on. That should’ve been the first sign of trouble.

Aidan checked the room's sole window. It was locked, and both the glass and the screen were in one piece. So obviously no one had entered through there. Also, his room was on the second floor. An intruder would have needed a ladder and, somehow, Aidan doubted a thief could have snuck in that way without someone noticing.

Maybe Rob did come back to the room with Jennie before heading over to Madec Hall? He could have needed a box of rubbers and then, in his excitement, forgot to turn off the lights and lock the door.

Well, since he wasn’t answering Aidan’s texts, the only way to confirm that theory was to dig through Rob’s belongings.

Screw it. We've known each other since we were eight. He won't care.

Aidan zeroed in on Rob's desk. He reached for the top drawer, until something on the desk itself caught Aidan's eye.

It was Rob's shiny new MacBook.

That made no sense at all. Rob had left his laptop out in the open, just like Aidan did. Yet, when choosing between the two, whoever broke into the room stole Aidan's.

Why would someone choose Aidan’s computer over Rob’s? Aidan’s PC was a dinosaur in the tech world. It was a hand-me-down from his older brother, and it was a pretty crappy one to begin with. It lagged to maddening extents every time he tried streaming high-definition video or visiting any website made after 2005.

For some reason, the thief must have been targeting him, specifically.

Aidan scanned the whole room one more time. His dark blue bed coverings, his three movie posters, his clothes, his toiletries, his food, the TV, the video game consoles—everything else was still there. Whoever came into the room had taken his laptop and nothing else. Why, of everything in the room, did the thief want an old, bulky, obsolete, password-protected laptop with nothing valuable on it?

Aidan threw his hands up. What was he to do? He was in college now; he couldn’t just go without a laptop. But he’d been out of the room for six hours. Whoever swiped his PC could have crossed state lines with it by now.

At least classes didn’t start for another four days. He could take all the time he needed tomorrow to think about how to get around this predicament and...

Ah, damn it!

No, he couldn’t. Tomorrow was the convocation ceremony. All students needed to attend.

What were the administrators thinking? If the priests in charge of the school thought there was more for the students to know, they’d had eight months of mailings, orientations, emails, phone calls, social media posts, and special on-campus events to dispense the information. Why did they have to do that stupid ceremony tomorrow? Literally every student on the campus could come up with ten things to do that would be more fun or more useful than listening to the school’s leaders regurgitate the rules and talk at them with platitudes.

Aidan cast a dejected look at Rob’s unoccupied half of the room.

At least one of us is having a good first night.

CHAPTER 3

Even though Aidan knew his phone hadn’t rumbled, he checked the long, long thread of text messages between him and Rob. 

The most recent exchange was still the message he’d sent Rob thirty seconds ago. Hey, you at convocation? I’m at the side entrance to Horgan. Horgan Hall was the central academic building on the St. Ciaran’s campus. 

For the hundredth time, Aidan scanned the growing crowd of students gathering on the quad. In case anyone was paying attention to him, he made sure his expression conveyed a very particular message. ‘I am totally not all by myself, like some dork with no friends! I’m expecting to see someone here and am looking around for him.’ 

Those searches for Rob may have turned up nothing, but at least the campus was beautiful to look at. The grass was perfectly-cut and vibrant, especially when contrasted against the late-summer sky. Old, sturdy brick buildings of all shapes and sizes topped off the collegiate ambience. Not a single piece of litter soiled the radiant quad or the brick walkways. The whole campus looked exactly the way the marketing department would want it for a photo shoot.  

Aidan had seen such photos several times during the application process. They all told the same story: St. Ciaran’s College was a bubble. A fantasy land where everything looked pretty, the students were always happy, and everyone on the payroll—from the most junior plate cleaner in the dining hall, to the school’s president, Fr. Alex Hesburgh—cared about nothing more than ensuring the 2,900 young men and women enrolled in classes had the most fulfilling and joyful four years of their lives.  

Outside of that bubble was the large town of Saban. Decades ago, it may have been the perfect New England suburb to raise a family. Now it was chock full of crumbling strip malls, public- and low-income housing, homelessness, dropouts, and uninhabitable buildings. An aerial view of Saban would make St. Ciaran's College look like a stunning emerald sitting on a pile of gravel. 

After spending the better part of a minute staring at the flawless quad, Aidan re-focused on the crowd of students. To his disappointment, Rob had not magically appeared. 

Where the hell was he? And why had he not answered a single one of Aidan’s texts for ten hours? 

Aidan wondered whether it would be better to grab a seat in one of the white fold-out chairs and forget about rendezvousing with him. If Rob approached him later and said, ‘Dude, where were you at convocation?’ Aidan could say, ‘You weren’t replying to my texts, so I didn’t think you wanted to sit with me.’ 

Would that have been a good idea, though? He and Rob lived together now. He didn’t want to spend their first full day as roommates bickering at each oth...

Someone playfully snarled in Aidan’s ear, almost giving him a heart attack. At the same time, two firm hands grabbed Aidan’s shoulders from behind and rocked him. 

At least he wasn’t standing alone, anymore. 

Hey there, little bro! bellowed Anthony Lonsdale. Before Aidan could get a word in, Anthony opened his arms for a bear hug.  

Aidan always felt weirdly hugging his brother, but he went along with it anyway. There was no point in hurting the feelings of the guy who’d been nothing but good to him from the minute he was born. Hey, Anthony. How was move-in day? 

Smoothest one ever! 

Aidan would hope so. Anthony was a senior, and this was his third year as an RA. He should have had the routine down pat. 

More importantly, how was move-in day for you? asked Anthony. 

Well, to be honest... 

"To-ny!"  

Wherever that voice came from, the person it belonged to was pretending to be a goofy drill sergeant. 

Anthony’s grin grew even wider. Mikey! What’s happening, my guy? 

‘Mikey’? 

Aidan’s concerns materialized when ‘Mikey’ turned out to be Anthony’s fellow Resident Assistant, Mike Connolly. The same Mike Connolly who shut down the party in Carl’s and Derek’s room last night. 

You still on for the gym as soon as convocation is over? asked Anthony. 

You know it, said Mike. I hope Fr. Alex doesn’t talk too long. 

He won’t. I’ve heard him say Mass at least a dozen times. He doesn’t go off-topic that much. Like he’d forgotten Aidan was there, Anthony said, Oh! Mikey! You meet my little bro yet? 

A hint of ‘Serious Mike’ from last night bubbled to the surface. Maybe Mike’s subconscious was telling him he and Aidan had crossed paths, briefly, and that the encounter wasn’t a friendly one. No, I don’t think I did. He’s your brother? 

Mike said that with incredulity. And while he couldn’t blame Mike for his reaction, Aidan still resented it. No matter how many times someone was shocked to find out he and Anthony were brothers, Aidan never got used to the implied insult. After all, Anthony had the body of a hero in an action movie. And he could tan. And people always walked away in a better mood after talking to him. Yup. He sure is. 

You’re a lucky kid, said Mike. 

Tell me something I don’t know. 

Ah, you guys are making me blush! said Anthony. Hey, Mikey, we didn’t talk much over the summer. How was your semester in Prague? 

Dude. Mike dramatically paused. "It was incredible. So many medieval castles." 

I didn’t know Prague had castles! 

Neither did I! There was this awesome one called the Waldstein... 

Aidan waited and waited for them to stop talking. As their chat dragged on, his annoyance grew harder to hide. There was something he wanted to ask Anthony, and every time he thought Mike was about to walk away, Anthony came up with another question to prolong their jabbering. 

To distract himself, Aidan watched the crowd. The number of vacant white chairs continued shrinking, and one priest—a plump middle-aged man with dark brown hair, an expensive watch, and a shiny silver ring on the third finger of his left hand—walked up to the lectern. He shuffled the lectern around and gave it several once-overs. 

No doubt Anthony knew the name of that priest. Hell, Anthony probably knew the priest’s entire life story. 

At long, long last, Mike said, Hey, I’m going to grab a seat. But I’ll see you at the gym afterwards. 

It’s a date! said Anthony. 

Mike said a few final words, and then he was gone. 

Anthony stared after him like he was looking at a nostalgic photo. 

Seems like a nice guy, said Aidan. 

Mikey? Yeah, he’s great. 

Not if you get on his bad side when he’s doing his rounds, he isn’t. Hey, if you’ve got two minutes, you mind if I ask you something? 

Anthony’s eyebrows shot up. Something wrong? 

Kind of. So, Rob and I spent last night getting to know a few of our hallmates. But when I went back to my room at the end of the night, my laptop wasn’t there. 

It wasn’t?! 

No. I think someone stole it. 

Oh, no! 

But Rob and I locked the door when we were heading out! And since I live on the second floor, it’s not like someone could have climbed in through a window. 

Yeah, I hear you. 

Well, you’re an RA. You can get into any dorm you want, right? Don’t they give you master keys? 

Yeah, but what’s that got to do with...wait, you think an RA stole your laptop? 

I mean, if they have master keys, then... 

Sorry, Aidan, but there’s no way that happened. The first night back is like the Super Bowl for RAs. People are reuniting with their friends, there are parties, everyone’s enjoying the last couple of days without homework... 

What’s that got to do with anything? 

With a self-deprecating giggle, Anthony said, What I mean is, it was a busy night. So, all the RAs were on duty. Normally there’s only one of them doing a round. But since everyone was on duty last night, all the RAs were doing rounds in groups of three. 

Oh, yeah. There were other RAs with Mike when he shut down the party in Carl's and Derek's room last night. So, you’re saying it would’ve been impossible for an RA to have stolen my laptop, because there would have been other RAs with them the whole time to act as witnesses? 

Yeah, exactly! 

But couldn’t an RA have broken in when they weren’t on duty? 

I guess technically they could, but I know all the RAs here. Trust me: none of them would do that. 

Yeah, and the neighbors of serial killers always say ‘he was so quiet.’ Then what if one of the RAs gave their key to someone else? Like, what if someone went up to an RA and said, 'Hey, I'm locked out of my room. Could you give me your key to open it'? And then they used the RA’s key to get into my room instead? 

"It doesn't work like that. If someone lost their key, the RA would've gone to the room and opened the door for them. RAs never give out their master keys. And if someone came to us because they lost their key, we would’ve had them fill out a report." 

Let me guess. No one filled one of those out last night. 

Nope. Sorry. 

Any chance the thief could’ve been someone from off-campus? 

No way. You know how tight security is here, right? 

Yes, he did.  

In the age of mass shootings, especially in schools, the beefed-up security at St. Ciaran’s was a major selling point to both students and parents. There was only one roadway onto the campus, and there was always—always—at least one person manning the guard station at the entrance. Anyone who wished to drive or walk onto the campus had to present a student or staff ID card. Students needed to register guests 24 hours in advance, and those guests needed to show photo ID when passing the guard shack. There was also a four-foot stone wall around the perimeter of the campus. If anyone stepped within ten feet of the wall on the inside, it would trigger an alarm.  

I’m guessing there was no one trying to sneak onto the campus last night? said Aidan. 

Nope. Did you fill out a missing item report with the campus police?  

Yeah, but they weren't really helpful. They sounded like they had more urgent stuff to deal with. That was a claim Aidan found laughable. What could have been ‘more urgent’ business on a campus where three-quarters of the students were too shy to talk to a professor after class? You know, this wasn't exactly how I wanted to spend my first full day of college. 

I hear you, little bro. But God tests those who He loves. 

That was another one of the many differences between the two Lonsdale brothers. If faith was inherited, then Anthony sucked up all the religious genes. Aidan never really believed in God, just like he never really believed in Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. How could people accept those beings as fictional, but were so willing to accept God—an even more powerful and prescient entity—as real? 

And while Aidan would be the first to acknowledge how lucky he was to have a great older brother and two very loving parents, that’s all it was: luck. Just like it was luck how Mrs. Price gave him an assigned seat next to some kid named Rob Dunne in second grade, or how he once passed through an intersection three seconds faster than that truck driver who wasn’t paying attention and ran his red light. People could say those were signs God was ‘watching out’ for him, but, to Aidan, everything could be explained with two very simple words: ‘shit happens.’ 

Just keep your faith in Him, said Anthony. And everything will be fine. 

Uh...no. Everything would be fine if I found out who took my laptop.

* * *

Aidan returned to Doyle Hall after convocation with sunburns on his ears and the back of his neck. That was totally worth it to hear the school’s higher-ups pontificate about how awesome St. Ciaran’s was, and how anyone who didn’t have an enjoyable, productive four years at such a wonderful school had only themselves to blame. He opened the door to room 228, and still there was no sign of Rob. What, did he go back to her house?  

Well, if Rob wasn’t around, surely he wouldn’t mind Aidan using his stuff.  

Aidan turned on the TV and Rob’s Xbox. He opened a streaming app Rob’s parents were paying for, and after several minutes of scrolling he fired up an episode of an animated post-apocalyptic comedy in which humans lived alongside intelligent zombies. Then he plopped onto his bed and watched the show for about 45 seconds before he began playing on his phone.  

Every once in a while he looked up at the TV. He even smirked at some of the jokes. It was such a ridiculous scenario, watching a zombie debate a Harvard grad about who should be the Alderman of their quarantine zone. 

Some knocks on the door snapped Aidan back into the real world.  

With an odd sense of dread, he picked up one of the controllers to pause the episode. He walked to the door with quiet, careful steps.  

Aidan must have been too slow to answer, because the person at the door knocked another three times.

His visitor turned out to be a campus police officer—a balding African-American man with a thin mustache who appeared to be in his mid-fifties. His soft, round figure confirmed Aidan’s suspicions that the St. Ciaran’s campus police did not have a physically demanding job. To Aidan’s amusement, the nametag on the doughy officer’s uniform indicated his last name was Braun.  

Are you Aidan Lonsdale? asked Officer Braun. His voice was unexpectedly calming. 

Yeah, that’s me. Have they found my laptop?!

Is Robert Dunne your roommate? 

Yeah, why? 

Great. We wanted you to know we have Mr. Dunne down at our station, and he's fine now. 

"Wait, what do you mean, 'he's fine now'?" 

Oh, you didn't hear? Well, don't worry, there's no problem anymore. 

"There's no problem anymore? What happened?"  

Er...Sorry, Mr. Lonsdale. Officer Braun actually did sound apologetic. But if no one's told you, I'm not sure I should. Chief Hicks might want it to stay under wraps. 

Come on, man!...Officer! That kid's my best friend. He’s like a brother to me. I'm not going to be able to focus on anything else if I don’t know what’s going on with him. 

Officer Braun had no visible reaction to that plea.  

Hey, I'm his roommate, too. Doesn't that count for something? 

There was a long silence, and then Officer Braun sighed. Alright. You didn’t hear this from me. But, last night, your roommate tried to kill himself. 

Aidan felt like he had turned to stone. He was pretty sure he blurted out a shell-shocked, ‘What?’ but he couldn’t be certain. 

But don't worry! said Officer Braun. He didn't actually go through with it. 

Oh, no, Aidan was definitely going to worry. 

Like I said, we've got him down at the station. He's safe. 

Aidan made several false starts before spitting out a question. What happened? 

You know the statue of Mary right by Saigir Hall? 

Not really. I know Saigir’s the main administration building on campus, but that’s about it. 

Ah. Well, there’s a stone encasement next to the building, with a statue of Mary inside. And, last night, your friend tried to jump from the top of it. 

Aidan had no idea what to ask, but he had to keep the questions firing. For all he knew, Officer Braun would be the only cooperative member of the campus police. What time did this happen? 

We got a call from him around 10:45 last night. He kept saying he was going to jump and... 

"He was the one who called you guys?" 

Yes, sir. When we got there, your friend was already on top of the encasement. After a couple of minutes, we were able to talk him down. That's pretty much all I can tell you. 

But you said he’s okay. Right? 

Yes, sir. We have him down at the station. The nurses and the counselors are still doing evaluations, but they seem pretty sure he’ll be fine. You said Mr. Dunne is your friend? 

Yeah. We’ve known each other since we were eight. 

Has he ever hinted he'd try to take his own life or deliberately hurt himself? 

N-no. Aidan was too stunned to show any sort of emotion. "Rob’s always been a pretty happy kid. If he was ever thinking about something that serious, he definitely would've talked to me about it first. We don't keep