Keep Your Friends Close: A Gritty YA Crime Thriller, page 19
“You’re not that naïve, Eddie. Riley didn’t have shit but the shirt on his back. Just like us. Coach Donahue couldn’t provide a damn thing, so yeah, we did what he had to. When Riley started blackmailing us, he got greedy with everything. He wasn’t fair in dividing our shares.
“But Diego—he broke the rules. We were never to give anything to anyone in our circle. Shit like Mario’s party or whatever was fine.”
No, it wasn’t. I arched a brow.
He rolled his eyes, reading my mind. “What pisses me off is it went on right under my nose, and I didn’t even see it. Diego never said a word to me about that.”
“Neither did Brooklyn.” But I suppose there was plenty she hadn’t told me. I blinked toward my window, the image of her and Mack flashing before me. I bit the inside of my jaw so hard I tasted blood. How long had that gone on? Diego’s supplying her, and her interest in Mack? What else did Brooklyn keep from me?
DETECTIVE BRODY
Mrs. Dimitri shook my hand. “The flowers you sent were lovely. Thank you.” She offered me a tight-lipped smile.
“My pleasure.”
She gestured for me to have a seat across from Mr. Dimitri, who gazed at the wall ahead. I knew that faraway stare of a grieving parent all too well.
“Dana—the detective’s here. Dana?” Mrs. Dimitri’s voice rose.
Mr. Dimitri blinked. His wife nodded in my direction. I fumbled around in my jacket, pretending not to have seen a thing, and produced my pad and pen.
“Oh—” Mr. Dimitri laughed. Hard. “How nice of you to stop by.”
“Shall I bring tea or cheese and crackers?” Mrs. Dimitri asked, hands fixed as if to play the piano.
The piano. My eyes flicked to it. I immediately put my focus back on the Dimitris. “Oh, no—I’m fine. I only wanted to ask a couple more questions about Brooklyn. If that’s okay,” I added, for they eyed each other questionably.
“Sure, but I don’t understand. I thought Brooklyn’s case was closed,” Mrs. Dimitri said.
I hoped they wouldn’t say that. I nodded along, holding a straight face. “Just tying up a few loose ends first, ma’am. One more time, I’d like to go over what Brooklyn was like the days leading to—” I pointed to the piano. “I understand she had a recital?”
Mr. Dimitri squinted in the piano's direction as if noticing it for the first time. “Yes. Brooklyn—wanted to go to Julliard next year, but she didn’t qualify.”
“It was unlike her to be so distracted,” Mrs. Dimitri said with a sad sigh. “But I suppose that’s what the pill business was all about…” She waved a hand.
I nodded. “I’m trying to understand if it was an accident or suicide.”
“Suicide?” Mrs. Dimitri slowly turned to me.
I slid to the edge of my seat. “There were two traces of drugs in Brooklyn’s system—amphetamine and methamphetamine.”
“Meth?” Mrs. Dimitri echoed me once more. She stared at her husband, who was just as bewildered.
I cleared my throat. “Yes. So, if Brooklyn spoke about the future and made plans for tomorrow, then most likely it was an accident.” Again, they exchanged glances.
“Well, the three of us intended to speak the following morning about what was troubling her,” Mr. Dimitri said. “But we never got the chance.”
“You do not know what it could’ve been?”
Mr. Dimitri’s shoulders went up and dropped. “It had to do with that boy, Edward. I just know it.”
My heart jumped a beat. “What makes you say that?”
As Mr. Dimitri explained, his wife shut him down. “Just stop it, Dana. You can’t assign blame to anyone except us. We were the ones who were too late to act. We spent so much time expecting the best of her we couldn’t see how much pressure she was under. If anything, Edward was her relief.” Mrs. Dimitri rolled her eyes before burying her face in her hands.
But Mr. Dimitri shook his head. “She changed after that boy came into her life…”
“She grew up.” Mrs. Dimitri glared at him. “That’s what teenagers do.”
“On the night you last saw her, you grounded her, correct?” I asked.
“Yes. Dana wanted to cancel her birthday because that’s suiting when you turn seventeen. Make her feel like she’s twelve.”
“She failed her SAT exam and didn’t even tell us. I only did what I normally would. Had I known she might…”
“Is it okay if I look in Brooklyn’s room?” I interrupted.
Mrs. Dimitri nodded. “Sure. Everything is just the way she left it.” She rose to accompany me.
“I should be fine.” I smiled. “It’ll only take a sec.”
“It’s the first door on the right,” she called after me.
I went up the stairs, straight to Brooklyn’s room, and clicked on the light. Someone had made up the bed with oversized teddy bears. I nudged one aside to feel beneath the pillows. There had to be a journal or something.
“Who are you?” A tiny voice called from behind me.
I spun around and straightened. “Janie, right?” Her head bobbed. She looked like a pint-sized Brooklyn with the same mystic blue eyes and waist-length hair. I showed her my badge. “I’m a detective.”
“Like a police officer?” She scrunched her nose.
“Smart girl.”
“What are you looking for?”
“Well,” I tucked my badge away, “a secret.”
Her eyes lit up as she rushed to me. “I know a secret,” she whispered in a loud voice, piquing my interest.
“Really?”
She nodded again. “Brooklyn had a friend over after Mom left her snack.” Her wide eyes blinked up at me.
“Are you sure? Your mom and dad said they grounded her.”
“Uh-uh. I heard them fighting.” She waved me closer. I leaned forward as she cupped a hand to my ear. “They called Brooklyn a slut,” she whispered.
Interesting. “That’s a big secret, Janie,” I said, straightening. “You think you can get your mom to pour me a glass of juice?”
“I can pour it!” She spun on a heel and darted down the hall.
I dialed my partner. “Do you have anything for me?”
“Unfortunately, no. Not yet, anyway.”
I nodded. “Someone knows more than they’re letting on. I just found out a friend of Brooklyn’s was here the night she died.”
“You think it’s the boy?”
Did Eddie have something to do with Brooklyn’s death? I slowly took in the room, my eyes landing on the window. A huge oak tree was right outside.
“I don’t know yet. But keep up what you’re doing. Someone is bound to slip soon.”
29
Eddie
Now
“So, for the social studies lecture, I’ve assigned your partners,” Miss Harper said on Friday. “When you hear your teammate, I’d like you to sit with them and take notes together.” She called off a list of names. Of course, she put Savannah and me together.
I shifted as she came over and put her seat beside mine quietly.
“…and last, Diego and Wesley…” Miss Harper set down her slip of paper.
“Like hell we are,” Wes grumbled, loud enough for everyone to hear.
“I don’t want a piece of shit partner anyway,” Diego fired back.
“Ooh!” Someone egged them on.
Wes jumped to his feet and stormed over. “Fuck you, Diego.” He shoved Diego out of his seat. Students gasped excitedly as a fight ensued.
Diego staggered, caught his balance, and flung his weight at Wes. The two sprawled across the floor, wrestling and throwing punches.
“Hey!” Miss Harper dashed from behind her desk. I moved, too, to control Wes. I hooked under his armpits and dragged him away as he thrashed a kick in Diego’s direction.
“Get to the principal’s office!” Miss Harper pointed at the door, fuming at Wes. If I weren’t standing between them, she probably would’ve taken off his head.
“But—”
“I don’t care,” Miss Harper said, taking a threatening step forward. “Go!”
Wes bumped Miss Harper’s shoulder on his way by. Both she and I stared at him in disbelief. What the hell was he thinking? He knew the penalty for fighting in class.
I slumped in my seat, but then straightened at the sight of Diego. Wes only fought Diego in Brooklyn’s defense, for he sold her the drugs that’d killed her. He glared at me, plopping into his chair with his arms folded. I clutched the edge of the desk, rising, when Savannah clamped her hand tightly over mine.
“Don’t…” she whispered, her touch warm and gentle.
Shoulders rising and falling as I struggled to control my breathing, I shrugged her hand away and relaxed in my seat.
“You’re not off the hook either, Diego,” Miss Harper warned with fierce eyes. “Come with me.”
Diego snickered as he passed. Fists clenched, I kept my eyes centered ahead.
“Hey.” I caught up with Savannah when school was done. She slipped out the entrance door just as I slammed my locker shut.
She glanced at me and kept on ahead. “Sup.”
I hurried to fall in step with her. “I just wanted to say thanks for earlier.”
She gave me a sideways look of confusion. “Stopping me from kicking Diego’s ass.”
She nodded. “There was no point in you getting detention, too. Plus, that guy was hardly worth it.”
“Yeah, he kinda is.” She blinked at me, waiting for me to elaborate. “Diego killed my girlfriend.”
“What?”
I shook my head. “Sorry. I should be literal. He gave her the drugs she overdosed on.”
Her mouth opened, but she couldn’t find words. She adjusted her backpack. “Maybe I should’ve stayed out of it then. That sucks. Have you told anybody? Can we hold him accountable somehow?’
I hesitated. If I turned on Diego about that, without a doubt, he would go to the cops and tell them we were the ones who dumped Riley in that lake. He’d rat out Wes and whatever drug relations he had, too.
“I—I don’t know if it’ll be any good. The case is closed or something.”
She shrugged. “Maybe it isn’t too late. I’m sure her parents would still like to know where she got it from.”
I realized I shouldn’t have mentioned it at all. “What is that necklace?” I changed the subject. It looked like an animal’s tooth.
She glanced at it and then laughed. “You’ll think it’s silly.”
“Try me.”
“It’s—” She shook her head. “It’s nothing.” She tucked it beneath her shirt quickly.
I half-smiled. “Hey, I’m really sorry about before. I wasn’t myself.”
She waved her hand. “No need to explain. I’m just glad we got paired together, anyway.” She flashed me a bright smile. “Which is why I didn’t want you to get detention, too. Saturdays are the only time I’m free for that project.” She winked, making me laugh.
“And here I thought you gave a damn about me.” My hand went over my heart as I pretended to be hurt.
She giggled. “No shit. My folks will kill me if I get anything less than an A.”
My pace slowed, Brooklyn coming to mind. Her grades had been one of many things pressuring her.
“Well, if you ever need help with anything, don’t be afraid to let me know. I’m no Einstein, but together we can figure it out.”
She stared at me. “Thank you. That’s very kind.” We got to the corner. “I’m that way.” She nodded in the opposite direction to the way I had to go.
“Sure. I’ll see you tomorrow, then?”
“Of course, as long as you stay out of trouble.” She grinned.
WES
I glared at Libby. “I can’t believe you sent me to detention. Why couldn’t you have my back?”
“What did you expect me to do? Allow my students to believe that they can pull something like that with no consequences. What the hell were you thinking, Wesley?” Libby demanded, giving me the evil eye for the umpteenth time. We were at the Sweet Haven Hotel, only it wasn’t our typical meeting.
“If you’d given me just five more seconds, you would’ve found out what I was thinking.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah. And I suppose your little petty beef is worth being expelled. Why bother putting all that effort into passing the SAT exam if you’re only going to throw it down the fucking drain? And why are you so pissed at Diego? I thought you two were best mates.”
“Fuck him. You wouldn’t understand it, anyway.” My phone pinged. It was April.
I REALLY NEED 2 C U
Ever since Brooklyn’s funeral, she’d been ringing my phone off the hook.
See me for what? I wasn’t hooking up with her anymore.
“Who are you talking to?” Libby asked, a hint of jealousy in her voice.
Seriously? I could roll my eyes, but I went along with it instead. “Just some girl.” I shrugged nonchalantly. “Anyway, what’s it to you?” She took a deep breath, her lips forming a straight line.
April pinged again. PLEASE
Libby crossed her arms as I continued swiping April’s texts. “Anyway,” she sighed again, “you left me no choice but to give you detention. If you behave like a child in my classroom, I will treat you like one.”
I glanced up from the phone. “Yes, ma’am, Miss Harper.”
“Fuck you, Wesley.” She turned away from me and collected her things to leave.
“Wait, wait—” I got to my feet, shoving the cell into my pocket. “I’m sorry, alright?” I dipped into her sight. “I’m an idiot, but I promise to be better. And in your class, you’re the boss, alright? I’ll even get that tattooed on my ass if that will make you happy.”
She frowned, but then giggled that boisterous laugh. “You need help.”
I pouted. “So, help me…” I leaned in for a kiss, and my phone beeped again. I didn’t need to check it to know it was April. Why the hell was she going psycho on me after all that time?
I pecked Libby on the lips and took out my phone again.
I’m in trouble Wes come over asap
Icicles trickled down my spine.
“You can go if it’s urgent,” Libby said. She went and sat on the edge of the bed. “But you know what’s waiting for you when you’re done.” Her lips spread into a slow grin.
“Then I mustn’t keep you too long,” I said, giving her a small salute before getting out to my car. “This had better be worth it, A,” I muttered.
I parked across the street from April’s house a short while later. She sat on the bottom stoop, cigarette dangling between her fingertips. She wore an oversized cardigan with short shorts and a nightshirt with an owl on it. She tucked her braids beneath a dark silk scarf.
She took a long drag as I approached and exhaled in the opposite direction. I wanted to rip the cigarette from her hands, but she appeared desperate.
“What’s so goddamn urgent?” I raised my arms, stopping in front of her.
She lifted her gaze to mine, revealing her tear-stained face. “Let’s go inside.” She stood for the door. Sighing, I followed behind. She led me to the kitchen, where she rummaged around in the fridge. “Want something to drink?”
Was she being serious? “Sure. I’ll have a bottle of what the fuck is going on?”
She spun to face me, slamming the fridge door. “I messed up, Wes. Bad.” The tears dripped from her eyes in big drops. She put a hand over her mouth as she sobbed.
I’d never seen her like that. Ever. On impulse, I went to her side. “Hey—just breathe, alright?” I ushered her to a stool. She plopped down, defeated. I nuzzled her shoulders. “What’s up?”
She swallowed and dried her face with her wrist. And with no emotion, she blinked up at me and said, “I killed Brooklyn.”
The words struck me like a lightning bolt. My legs wobbled. I grabbed the edge of the island for support, fearing I was going to collapse right there. “What do you mean, April?”
She hung her head low. “Brooklyn was a drug addict. I only wanted to expose her to her parents, not kill her. That was an accident.”
“What did you do, April?” I clutched the edge of the counter tighter, my knees weakening.
April clutched a fist full of her braids, her gaze distant. “I crept into Brooklyn’s room that night and dropped some pills into her glass. It was enough to get her high. I don’t understand how Brooklyn—” She peered at me, eyes pooling as she broke into another sob. “I didn’t mean for her to die. You have to believe me.” She searched my face for a response, but I couldn’t speak. I could hardly breathe. It felt like a three-hundred-pound dude sat on my chest.
I dashed to the sink and fumbled clumsily to turn on the tap. I stuck my lips under the faucet and gulped the water in mouthfuls. Gasping, I straightened and faced her, water dripping down my chin. I didn’t bother wiping the tears rolling down my cheeks.
She groaned, stomping a foot. “Brooklyn was going to tell her parents the truth the next morning. I wanted her parents to find her high and send her to rehab or wherever. She was going to tell the truth about Riley—what we really did to him.
“She was going to ruin all of our lives, and she was doing it out of jealousy. She failed her SAT exam, blew her chance with Julliard, and she was gonna make us pay for it.” She sniffled. “That detective knows something.”
“Knows what?” I finally croaked.
“I—I don’t know. He saw me today, asking if I’d met Brooklyn the night she died.”
“Mr. Dimitri grounded Brooklyn. Brody can’t prove you were there.”
She laughed. “That’s what I thought, too. Except I fucked up and dropped the pill bottle underneath her bed. It’s only a matter of time before they find my prints on it.” Her enormous eyes peered at me. “I’m fucked,” she whispered.
Shit. I bit my lip. I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and just shake the life out of her. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “Okay. So, what if your prints are on the bottle? If anyone asks you about it, just say you and Brooklyn took the Adderall together. Brody can’t prove a damn thing.”
