The police car pulled up to Julian Blackwood's dormitory building, followed by three other vehicles. Two contained additional officers, and the third carried Liliana Pierce's colleagues, discreetly monitoring the operation from a distance. Behind them, news vans screeched to a halt, reporters scrambling out with cameras and microphones.
"We've got company," Officer Jenkins muttered, eyeing the media circus forming at the perimeter. "Move quickly. We don't need this turning into a spectacle."
The team of officers marched through the lobby, ignoring the startled looks from students lounging in the common area. As they reached Julian's floor, raised voices echoed down the hallway.
"You ungrateful, worthless boy!" A woman's shrill voice cut through the air. "After everything I've done for you!"
Officer Jenkins signaled his team to approach cautiously. The door to Julian's room stood ajar, revealing Colette Blackwood towering over her nephew, a crumpled paper clutched in her fist.
