CHAPTER 24
The sun is just setting when I pull into the high school's parking lot. A silver punch buggy sits perfectly parked in the middle of the empty lot. Christina and Will are leaning against the hood of the small car, talking quietly to each other. They see me and turn around.
"So where do we start?" I ask Christina. She points at an entrance of the school.
"The third West entrance. That door leads straight out to the street and is the quickest exit home. Come on." Will and I follow Christina as she leads us to the path leading from the entrance to the street. We wait a minute for the light to blink and let us cross.
"Where from here?" Will asks once we have crossed the street. Christina points toward a neighborhood and starts following the sidewalk. We eventually pass the Blacks' house. Their lights are on. I stop Christina in mid-step and begin walking up the front steps to the Blacks' house. I press the doorbell harder than I need to. We wait for a minute in silence.
The door clicks open to reveal Susan Black, Robert's younger sister. She politely gives us a smile and opens the door for us to pass through.
"I'm sorry to disturb you Susan, but can I ask you something?" Christina asks the girl. Susan nods. She's so quiet.
"Did you walk home with Beatrice Prior after school today?" Susan nods earnestly.
I feel a little prickle of hope in my chest. Maybe Susan saw what happened to Tris.
"Were you walking with anyone else?"
Susan takes a few seconds to consider her answer, then nods again.
"Was it a boy?" Will asks her calmly. Susan gives him a look and nods again.
"He had red hair and green eyes. Kind of cute actually. He was talking to Beatrice as they walked. But he kept texting someone as they walked. Then they went around a corner and I didn't see them again." Susan's voice is small and polite. I admire that greatly.
Christina gives her a weak smile before thanking Susan and we walk away.