Eden's Playground: Graystone Academy Book One, BE Kelly [good short books .TXT] 📗

he was going to find his father. His poor dad wouldn’t have a clue as to what was about to happen to him and he just hoped like hell that Duff did his part.

Did you get Dad? Anson thought, hoping that Duff would pick up on his thoughts.

Yep. Locked him away in the lavatory in his dormitory. Duff thought. Anson laughed, loving the thought of their father being locked in the toilet. His brother sounded quite smug about it too. Now, all he had to do was find Eden and make sure that the authorities found Bianca’s body in the woods before his father found his way free and stumbled across her. Then, the three of them could go home to a future that was hopefully brighter than the one they had come from.

Anson closed his eyes and tried to listen for Eden and when he found her, he inwardly cursed. She was with her aunt’s body, trying to figure out why she attacked the Head Master and if the authorities found her there, they might never find their way back to the future. He had to get to her before the cops showed up. Otherwise, the three of them would be trapped in the past forever.

Duff

Duff wasn’t sure how he had gotten so lucky, finding his father in the bathroom at the dormitory. He first had to remember his father’s stories from his time at Graystone, and then remember which dormitory he had stayed in. Stumbling across his dad in the bathroom was just a bonus.

His father walked into the lavatory just after he had and Duff ducked his head, hoping that his dad wouldn’t notice him. Even though he hadn’t been born yet, he worried that on some level, his father would be able to recognize him.

“Evening,” his father breathed. Duff didn’t turn around to face his dad, rudely giving him his back and simply nodding. His dad chuckled and started the shower, waiting for the water to heat. He unrobed and stepped into the spray, pulling the opaque shower curtain and Duff took that as his cue. He grabbed the robe and towel that his father had hung on the hook outside of the shower and took off for the door, saying a little prayer that the bathroom door had a lock.

“Hey, come back here,” his father shouted from the shower stall. He poked his head out from behind the curtain and squinted at Duff through the shampoo that ran down into his eyes.

Duff didn’t bother to turn around to see if his father was following him. He left the lavatory and saw that there wasn’t a lock—just his damn luck. Duff quickly searched the closest open room and found a chair that he could prop under the door’s handle, effectively locking his father in the bathroom. “That should hold you for a bit,” he whispered to the door.

He could hear his brother trying to reach him telepathically and he smiled. He took great pleasure in telling his brother that he had locked his father in the lavatory. Anson’s laughter filled his mind and Duff started out of the dorm.

His brother’s mood quickly shifted and Duff wondered what was up. Shit—meet me back at the woods. Our girl is about to do something stupid. Anson thought.

Duff sprinted across the quad, heading to the woods when he ran into Theodore Graystone. “Shit,” Duff grumbled.

“Is that how you address someone after you run them down?” Mr. Graystone shouted.

“I’m sorry, Sir,” Duff said, ducking his face. It was ridiculous to worry that he’d be recognized by Mr. Graystone since they had never met, but he didn’t know how their run in would screw up their future and he knew to proceed with extreme caution.

“Just get out of the way,” Theodore Graystone ordered. He tried to side step Duff and seemed agitated when he couldn’t get around him. “What’s your name?” he asked. “I don’t remember seeing you around campus.”

Duff realized that he and Mr. Graystone were around the same age. In fact, he was probably a few years older than Eden’s father. He believed Duff to be a student and that worked in his favor.

“I’ve just transferred in,” Duff lied. “I’m new around here. My name is Patrick Duff.” It was an alias he had used before and even though it didn’t roll off of his tongue, Mr. Graystone seemed to believe his lie.

“I’d say it’s good to meet you, Patrick, but I’m in a hurry and don’t have time to make small talk or new friends. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have business to attend to.” Mr. Graystone tried to side step him again and he worried the getting in the man’s way again would only prove to piss him off further. But what if he was heading back to the woods to accuse his father of Bianca’s murder? Duff had to stop him from making such false claims—it was the only way he’d be able to help save their future.

“Wait,” Duff shouted. “I just met a man back in the dorms. He was looking for someone named Theodore Graystone. Do you know where I’d be able to find him?” Duff asked, already knowing his answer. Mr. Graystone looked at him as if surprised by his question.

“I’m Theo Graystone,” he admitted. “Who the hell was looking for me?” he asked.

“It’s good to meet you, Theo. A man named Dugan Kirkpatrick was asking about for you. Do you know him?” Duff asked. He smiled at Eden’s father, waiting him out.

“Shit,” he breathed. “You know where Dugan is? I was just going to find him myself.” Duff knew exactly why Mr. Graystone was looking for his father, but with any luck, by the time he found him, the authorities would already be on campus and the blame for Bianca’s death would rest squarely on the shoulders of the guilty party—Head Master Simmons.

“Well, I just left him back at the library,” Duff fibbed.

“The library?” Theo asked. “I