Chapter 3: Muggle Among Wizards

I changed into jeans and a faded gray T-shirt, then made my way to the café. Detective Derek had already claimed a spot by the window and ordered two coffees. The plastic lid clicked as I took a desperate gulp. Ice rattled against my teeth, the bitter cold shaking me awake.

I let out a long, grateful sigh, almost laughing at myself. I caught Detective Derek watching, my cheeks burning with embarrassment. "Sorry, that was probably not the classiest move."

He smiled, easy and understanding. "My mom’s a doctor too. After surgery, she’s always this tired—coffee and a maple donut, every single time."

"Actually, I should apologize for interrupting your rest, Dr. Harris."

I shook my head, cutting to the chase. "Did something happen in the gifted class?"

Detective Derek’s eyes clouded over. "After you graduated, did you keep in touch with anyone from that class?"

"No. I haven’t spoken to any of them since high school."

"Not even one?"

"No."

He nodded. "Recently, there’s been a serial murder case. Six people have been killed—one after another. All of them were your former classmates."

"Given that, we suspect the killer is someone from the gifted class. Someone who knows the group."

I met his gaze. "So, the police think it’s me?"

He stayed professional, but I could read it on his face. "No. Right now, all surviving members are suspects. We have to talk to everyone—"

I cut him off. "But there was only one outlier in that class—me. The kid who was always last, who never fit in. In the eyes of the police, that’s suspicious, isn’t it?"

Detective Derek looked away, picking at his blazer sleeve like he wished he could soften the truth.