Before I know it, the sun is peeking out from under the horizon. I notice that a new email has appeared in my inbox. It’s from Dr. Conlon:
Mason – please come see me in my office this afternoon at two.
Maybe he’s ready to confess.
Or maybe he wants to feel me out—see how much I know. Maybe he’s going to threaten me. Or maybe he’s trying to figure out the best way to kill me.
Still, it’s worth the risk. I want to know what he wants.
I visit Dr. Conlon’s office that afternoon. The door is slightly ajar, and I walk inside without knocking. At first, I feel nervous about the idea of being alone with this sociopath, but then, I realize we’re not alone at all. Patrice Winters, the shrink, is sitting in a chair in front of Dr. Conlon’s desk. She turns when I enter the room and close the door behind me.
Why the hell is Patrice here? Is she in on it too?
“Mason…” Dr. Conlon looks me up and down. Maybe sizing me up.
“What?” I say.
“How have you been doing, Mason?” Dr. Conlon says. His voice is gentle, and there’s a crease between his black eyebrows.
This sensitive professor shit is all an act. Probably for Patrice’s benefit. I’m hoping she’s a neutral.
“I feel great,” I say.
“Is everything all right at home?” Patrice pipes up. “With your family? Mom and Dad?”
“Yes, of course,” I reply tightly.
Patrice’s thin eyebrows rise. “Girl problems?”
I shake my head no. “I’m fine. Really. I don’t know what this is all about.”
Dr. Conlon and Patrice exchange looks. Finally, Conlon says, “Mason, you failed the last exam. You know that, right?”
The room gets really quiet. Did I know that? I don’t know anymore. Something is wrong. Something is really, really wrong.
How could I have failed an exam? I’m the best student in the whole damn class! I got a perfect score on the first practical. I knew the material backward and forward. There’s no way I could have failed.
Of course, Conlon was the one who graded the exam. So if he says I failed, who’s going to doubt him? He’s showing me that he’s not messing around, that he has the ability to wreck my life. Except I’m not messing around either.
I stand up. “I have to go.”
Patrice stands up too. “Mason, don’t go. We need to talk.”
“What’s there to talk about?” I say through my teeth. “Dr. Conlon messed with my exam and failed me on purpose.”
It’s almost enjoyable to see the way Conlon’s blue eyes widen and his jaw falls open.
“Mason,” he manages. “I would never…”
“Mason,” Patrice says, “this is a really serious accusation.”
I shrug.
“Mason…” Dr. Conlon struggles to his feet. Or at least, hepretendsto struggle to his feet. I’m more convinced than ever that his disability is all an act. “Please sit down. Let’s talk about this.”
“What’s there to talk about?” I practically spit at him. “You’re trying to destroy me, aren’t you?”
Dr. Conlon just shakes his head. “Mason, I would never mess with your exam. This is outrageous. How could you ever think that I’d—”
