Chapter 8 - Intentions

Kenzie took Savannah with her to the nearest lab in Lucky Palms. The pill was tested, and the results were revealed within the hour.

Unfortunately, since there was no trace of it in any of the victims’ blood, the results were inconclusive as to whether or not it was the culprit.

“What if someone just took it, and then got their blood drawn?” Savannah suggested.

Kenzie hated to admit it, but that didn’t sound like a bad idea. But there had to be another way. Which brought her to the interrogation room with Warner, who had stupidly gotten himself caught with spray paint (Renata had vacated the premises beforehand) and was already in the dean’s office for vandalism. Convincing the dean and campus police to get him into an isolated room that would serve as an interrogation chamber was simple.

“So,” Kenzie began, out of disguise and back to her usual self (at least hair and eye-wise; she still had her college attire on, though she hadn’t bothered to pull her hair out of its up-do in her haste to get this mess figured out), “where did you get that pill?”

“Why should I tell you?”

“I don’t know. The fact that you gave it to me? You whipped it out in front of me, no questions asked, and just offered to give it to me?”

“Do you have any idea how dirty that sounds?”

Typical college guy. Everything was about woo with them. Plus, Kenzie couldn’t help noticing that Warner was staring at her chest with her low-cut top. She was starting to regret not changing out of this wardrobe.

“Answer the question,” she replied instead to Warner’s inquiry. “Where did you get them?”

“What if I don’t tell you?”

“Well, you’ll go down for possession and distribution with intent to sell, plus you’re nineteen. You’re not a minor. These are serious charges. For all we know, you were making the pills too, and that’s another twenty-plus years added to your prison sentence. I suggest you cooperate. And if you do cooperate, we might be able to get you a lesser sentence.”

Warner sighed. “I don’t know the dude’s name, okay? I pay him to get me the stuff, then I sell it.”

“How do you get in touch with him?”

“He’s in the science lab all the time. That’s where he makes the stuff. I know he’s in the science and medicine field, but I don’t know his name. And he never told me. I just send him a text, we talk in code, and then I meet him there.”

“And that’s it?”

“That’s it. No questions asked. Whenever I need it, he tells me how much he’s got and what it’ll cost me.”

“Okay then. Well, I have your phone right here,” Kenzie withdrew the phone she’d received from the dean, who’d confiscated it earlier, from her pocket. “So here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to send this guy a text, just like you usually would, and tell him you need more pills. Then, you’re going to meet him there and we – campus security and I – will be watching. Then we’ll handle the rest once we get what we need.”

Warner furrowed his brow. “What makes you think that’ll work?”

“You said it was simple. So do it.”

Kenzie slid the phone toward the guy sitting across from her. He skeptically picked it up and started texting (with Kenzie hovering above him to see what he was saying). When the phone jingled with a response, Kenzie and the campus security officers set Warner up. He’d be wearing a wire that recorded everything the pill-maker said, and a small camera disguised as a pin would be used to identify the culprit.

This was some pretty high-tech stuff, much more advanced than what Kenzie was used to when it came to staking out criminals. The nerd in her was excited to try it out for the first time.

Once everyone was at the science lab, it was already dark. Kenzie and the security guards (she’d shown them her real ID, not her fake student-issued one) were staked out in an inconspicuous van on the street equipped with cameras that were fed by the pin Warner was wearing.

After a short time, there were signs of activity.

“Yo,” a voice not belonging to Warner said in greeting. Kenzie was surprised at how normal the guy looked; almost like a nerd. Why would someone of that status be distributing illegal drugs?

This just proved that looks can truly be deceiving.

“What’s up?” Warner replied, a little too nervously.

“Really? That’s what you’re asking? I got your stash; where’s my cash?”

Warner, seeming to stumble but reclaim himself, reached into his pocket and produced quite an impressive wad of cash. Then again, he probably made a profit selling the stuff he was now buying.

He handed the cash over, and then Kenzie and the campus police saw a vial of pills being placed into his hand.

That was their cue.

They all burst out of the van (Kenzie in the rear considering she didn’t have a weapon, having not registered for one) and quickly covered the distance between the street and the suspect.

“What the hell?!” he demanded angrily. “You set me up?!”

“Wrong,” Kenzie huffed as she joined the crowd. “We set you up.” She indicated herself, the police, and Warner.

“I’m not doing anything wrong,” the kid protested. Kenzie snorted. “Yeah, because distributing illegal drugs that have a deathly effect is nothing wrong.”

“It’s not like that! I developed these things to help people!”

Kenzie rolled her eyes. “How could those things possibly help people? They’ve done quite the opposite.”

“It was just to help people get through finals. Everyone’s stressing, freaking out, and a lot of people have jobs on top of it. This was just to help them along a little bit. I’m studying to be a doctor so I can help people.”

“But when you heard everything that was going on after people took these pills, and all the bad side effects and other results, you didn’t stop. You kept right on making and distributing them.”

“I’m low on funds, too. Besides, I don’t know for sure that it’s those pills causing it.”

“We’ll find out soon enough when we compare the pills you just gave Warner to the one he gave me. I’ve got a witness who knows the side effects, maybe even two witnesses. We’ll get the proof we need.”

The guy uttered several profanities before the cops slapped a pair of cuffs on him and whisked him away, along with Warner.

Back at the police station, the lab results came back and it proved that the same pill that Warner gave Kenzie was created by this student, whose name turned out to be Chad, according to his student ID. Chad was at Lucky Palms University on a scholarship, and as Kenzie had suspected, he was very serious about his studies. Too serious, apparently, to be included with the “It” crowd, so these pills were just another way for him to be popular in addition to his original intentions of trying to help people (though that plan obviously backfired).

Kenzie could relate to that, but she thought such asinine feelings of wanting to be “cool” vanished after high school. Apparently not.

Chad also confessed to selling the pills to the sorority and fraternity on campus, and the police would obtain a warrant to search both houses.

“Poor kid,” one cop muttered, “so young and with a bright future ahead of him, and it’s all out the window now.”

Kenzie thought of someone else who was young with a bright future ahead of them, and how it could now all be out the window. She headed back to the dorm to see Savannah. She had a few things to discuss with her.

She found her painting (something new this time; she’d undoubtedly scrapped the last one), but looking somewhat melancholy.

“Savannah?” she questioned. “Are you okay?”

Savannah turned to look at Kenzie, and fear flashed in her pretty blue eyes.

“I’m fine,” she replied. “How did it go? What about the pills? And Warner?”

“We got the guy who was making them. He and Warner are both in custody.”

“And…what about me and Renata?”

“It’s too early to tell. But…well, that graffiti business…you do know it’s illegal, right?”

“Yeah, I know. But I told you that Renata doesn’t play by the rules when it comes to art, and neither do I.”

“That isn’t the way to make your mark on the world. And it isn’t the way to prove your parents wrong, either.”

“I guess I don’t care.”

“Well, you have something to care about now. You’re going to have a baby. And any actions you take now will impact its life.”

Savannah nodded. “Yeah. I know.”

She obviously didn’t want to talk about it, and Kenzie didn’t want to push it. But Savannah didn’t seem too pleased when Kenzie told her she hadn’t started investigating her hazing allegations. She’d have to talk to the dean about that first, anyway. Her first priority had been to get the dangerous pill off campus.

Unfortunately, she realized the next day that she probably should have spoken to the dean earlier considering the events that were about to transpire.

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