by Ruby Vincent
“He didn’t stop as Cameron got older. Dominick took him to work with him all the time. He taught Cameron everything he knows.”
She dropped her head on my shoulder. “Dominick is wrecked over this. Losing his only son and the police haven’t found who did it. I still can’t believe it. Who would want to kill Cameron?”
I was ready as the tears came. I wrapped my arms around Beth and let her cry.
“I want to find them too,” she said between sobs. “I wish I knew something that could help.”
“You are helping, Beth.” I looked at the album. “You’ve helped me more than anyone.”
“I don’t know who was getting to him but his girlfriend might.”
My hand stilled on her back. “Girlfriend? What girlfriend?”
“I never met her but a few weeks before he died, I caught him in his swimsuit dripping wet by the pool and snapping pics. I asked what the hell he was doing and he said he was just sending Em a few previews so they’d both be wet. He could be gross like that.”
I giggled. Oh my goodness. Cameron Dupre had a sense of humor.
“So he had a girlfriend but you never met her? She didn’t go to the funeral?”
“Dominick made the funeral family only and us. Plus, I say girlfriend but she could have been his sexting buddy or something. I don’t know how serious they were.”
“But whatever they were doing, they were doing around the time he was killed. He may have confided in her.” I was warming up to this quickly. “I have to talk to her.”
“I hope you find her and that she knows more than I do.” Beth snuggled in further. “Thanks for this, Zela. I’ve missed him so much. It was nice to talk about him.” She pulled back and looked me in the eyes. “And thank you for trying to do something. I’m sorry I ever thought you could hurt him. You’re good person.”
“You’re going to be okay, Beth. Just...” I wrapped her hands around the album. “Hold on to the good memories. Remember your funny, happy, protective big brother.”
Her smile trembled at the corners, but it held. “I will.”
I didn’t leave right away. I stayed with Beth until I was sure she was okay. Then I returned to our room and found Melody on her bed working on the same project I needed to finish.
“Hey. Your phone’s been going on nonstop.”
“Of course it has,” I said, “because I chose to date the most overprotective guys on the planet.”
“You love it and you know it.”
“Shh.” I winked at her. “Don’t let them know.”
I turned on my phone to three calls and seven texts.
Me: Chill, my loves. The one hundred pound fifteen-year-old girl didn’t hurt me.
Their replies came back almost instantly.
Landon: Did she know anything?
Cole: What did she tell you?
Michael: How close was she to Cameron?
Derek: You promised we’d do this together.
Me: This I had to do on my own and not just because you can’t come on the girls’ side.
Derek: Did she know something about Cameron?
Me: She knew he was hooking up with someone before he was killed. Maybe Cameron complained to her about the guy who cut his face and shoved him against the door.
Michael: If we could just get a name. He might not be the killer but at least we’d know we need to look somewhere else.
Derek sent me a text outside of the group chat.
Derek: Zee, meet me tomorrow.
Me: I meet you every day. I’m not about to forget.
Derek: Tomorrow especially. I have to talk to you about something.
Me: Okay. I love you.
Derek: Love you too.
I sent private I love yous to Cole, Michael, and Landon and promised to tell them the rest of my conversation with Beth the next day.
I tossed my phone on the nightstand and reached for my project.
“Melody, quick question.”
“Yeah?”
“Do you know an Em? She might have been a year ahead of us, or she lives in Evergreen.”
“Em as in Emma or Emily?” she asked. “I know an Emma who is six and lives a few houses down. Then there’s Emily. She’s twenty-something and works in my favorite store in the Promenade. Is it Emily you’re talking about?”
Is it? Could Cameron have been hooking up with a twenty-something-year-old shop clerk?
“Maybe,” I said. “How well do you know her?”
“She is super sweet. Whenever they get something in stock that she knows I’ll like, she sets it aside for me. I’ve gone out to lunch with her and her girlfriend a few times.” She shook her head. “Or I should say fiancée. She told me she proposed a few weeks ago.”
“Fiancée? Is there any chance Emily would have hooked up with an eighteen-year-old high school boy?”
Melody laughed. “What are you talking about? She’s not into guys and definitely wouldn’t go for high school ones. Why do you ask?”
I considered how much I should tell her. “I’m trying to track someone down for a friend, but all I’ve got is a nickname.”
“Why doesn’t your friend tell you the full name?”
“She doesn’t know,” I said simply. “Sexting buddy.”
Melody formed an “o” with her lips. “Gotcha. If you want to pass on my advice, keep those things anonymous. It can get a lot less sexy outside of cyberspace.”
My brows shot up my head. “Are you speaking from experience?”
It was her turn to wink at me.
THE NEXT MORNING, I met Derek in our usual place. We kissed hello like people who hadn’t seen each other in months.
“What’s going on?” I asked. “What did you want to talk about?”
“It’s about the Network.”
“I thought everything was quiet?”
“It was quiet. The Network went dark and Dad started to believe Dupre took over just to shut it down. That is until”—he took an envelope out of his pocket—“we got this.” He handed it to me. “We all got one. It’s an invitation to Dupre’s house over winter break. I told the guys I would tell you about it.”
I didn’t take out the invitation. “What does this mean?”
“Whatever his plans are, he’s going to announce them at this party. The entire Network is invited all the way down to the recruits. And you have to be there.”
The envelope shook in my hand. “Me? Derek, I don’t want to see him. I’m not ready.”
“This isn’t about him.” He stroked my cold cheek. “It’s about Cameron. His old friends will be there. Heath, Santiago, and the rest. They might know more about his death. They could tell us who Em is.”
“They won’t talk to me.”
“Most likely not, but you’ll be close by.” He kissed the tip of my nose. I did it to my boys all the time. I loved the rare moments they did it too. “I won’t push if you really don’t want to go.”
My first instinct was to refuse. I had too much to sort out. Watching Dominick Dupre take apart the Network while my heart worked to reconcile that my father wasn’t a good man seemed like a terrible idea.
“I’ll think about it,” I said. “Let me see what I can find out about Em. We might not need to question his friends if we find her.”
“True.” Derek used his hold on my chin to pull me in for a kiss. “While I have you here...”
“It’s too cold for you to strip me down and tease me.”
“I’m saving that for this weekend. What I really want to do is sit here and talk books with you.”
“What a coincidence. I want that too.”
Almost an hour later, we headed back to the main building. Derek kissed me goodbye in front of the door to the girls’ campus.
I reached for my phone instead of the handle. I waited for a reasonable time to call. That time had come.
Langman answered on the third ring.
“Hello, this is Detective Langman. What can I do for you?”
“Langman, this is Zela Manning.
“Miss Manning? Is there a problem?”
“I wanted to ask you about Cameron Dupre. Did you ever speak to a girl named Em? Or Emma or Emily?”
“No, I can’t say that I have.”
“But you have his phone. Did you find the half-naked swimsuit pictures he sent to Em?”
“I didn’t find— Hold on. What exactly is going on here?”
“I spoke to one of Cameron’s childhood friends. They told me he was hooking up with a girl named Em around the time of his death. She might know who he was having a problem with.”
“We’ve interviewed Beth and she mentioned that she believed he was dating,” said Langman. “He and this Em could have been involved, but by the time of his murder, her contact information was deleted from his phone and those pictures erased. None of the texts we read were of a romantic nature.”
I deflated. “Did you find anything else on his phone?”
“I can’t discuss this with you, Miss Manning. Thank you for making sure I was aware of all the information, but I’ll handle things from here.”
Miss Val’s door flew open.
“—later. I hope you have a great day of classes.”
Zach walked out. “I’m in the F Class, Miss V. That’s impossible. Bye.”
“Bye, Zach.”
Miss Val landed on me. “Zela. How lucky is this? Come in.”
“Miss Manning? Miss Manning?” Langman brought me back to the conversation.
“I have to go, Detective. I’ll call you if I have any more questions.”
“No, you w—”
I hung up.
“Morning, Val.” I hugged her tight. Adam’s mom was the best. Mine took top spot and then there was Aunt Bev, but she placed third for my favorite moms of all time. “How is everything going? Any luck getting the rules changed officially?”
She blew out a breath. “Working on it. How about you?” Val shifted the conversation. “Do you want to come in?”
“I have to get to class.”
She waved that away. “I can give you a note. Come inside. I’ll make us some tea.”
I surrendered my feeble fight and followed her in. I sank into the seat that was always mine during our sessions and wondered if this was fate. I never needed to talk to a therapist more.
“You must be on the hook for updates,” Miss Val said. “I’m making progress convincing Adam’s dads to let him go backpacking with you. Ryder is starting to thaw.”
“I really want him to come. He says you guys haven’t explored Europe much.”
“We usually visit family or take trips to the Caribbean.” Val set my mug on the coffee table. “With all the kids, we’re not up to longer trips yet. I want him to have this experience with you.”
Miss Val claimed her armchair and beamed at me. “Alright. Now tell me what’s on your mind.”
I chuckled. “How do you know something is on my mind?”
“You have four boyfriends. You’ve been outed and forced onto the girls’ campus. The student body is locked in turmoil, high school is ending, and university is ahead. Of course you have a lot on your mind.”
A smile tugged at my lips. “That’s why they call you the best.”
She laughed. “Do they?”
I sobered quickly. “Actually, there is something I want to ask you.”
“I’m listening.”
“Val, what if you...?” I trailed off. Picking up my cup, I took a few sips to delay finishing my question.
“What if I what, Zela?” she asked calmly.
“What if you had the chance to see your father? Talk to him. Visit his home. Find out more about him. Would you go?”
“No.” Her response was immediate.
“No? Honestly?”
“Honestly. I once had that chance, Zela, and I made the decision not to take it. Have you found yourself having to make the same decision?”
I nodded.
“What do you want to do?”
“I want to know him. I want to know my father. I want it so bad that I’ve made decisions I can never take back to get close to him. This time, I don’t want to make the wrong one.”
“What are your fears?”
“I’m afraid I’ll hurt Mom. I’m afraid that the rumors about him are true. Dominick Dupre made a terrible first impression. What if that’s exactly who he is?”
“Dominick Dupre?”
“He’s my father.”
Miss Val was a professional. Of all the things I’d told her in this room, she never visibly reacted—until now.
Her eyes flared. “Your father? But that means Cameron...”
“Yes,” I whispered.
“Oh, Zela. I’m so sorry.”
“I am too. I find my real brother months after he’s murdered. I discover my father has mafia ties and probably killed his nanny.”
“That was never proven.”
“Imagine only having that to hold on to? ‘At least the cops can’t prove it.’” I gulped down some more tea. “I have an invitation to a party he’s throwing. Do you think I should go?”
“I don’t know.”
I heaved a sigh. “Val, come on.”
“Zela, this isn’t me playing the you-must-discover-the-answers-on-your-own game. I really don’t know. I come from this from so many angles. As a mother. As someone who grew up not knowing my father. As a person who cares about you, and as your therapist. Each one as a different answer.”
“Then, can I admit I’m happy there is someone else as confused as me?”
“Yes.”
I smiled despite myself. She might not have had an answer for me, but this was helping.
“Okay. Let me ask you this,” Val said. “When you got the invitation, what was your first thought?”
“I want to go.”
She nodded like she knew it would be. “Maybe there’s your answer.”
IT SEEMED SO SIMPLE that day in her office, but as we neared finals, I flip-flopped on my decision so many times Derek said he’d have sex with me if I made a choice and stuck with it. I chased him through the halls for that one, but when I caught him, he pushed me into a bathroom and we got each other off, so I don’t think he learned his lesson.
Having everyone close to Cameron in one room was a chance I couldn’t pass up. I could speak to his mother or listen in on the boys talking to his friends. My desire to go was rivaled by my need to avoid Dominick Dupre. I didn’t know how to feel about him yet. If I witnessed him act like the man everyone said he was, the decision would be made for me.
“You won’t go near him,” Cole said under his breath. “You won’t have to talk to him. We don’t even have to stay long. We can get in, talk to Heath and the guys, and then get out.”
The two of us were in the library studying and sneaking kisses. Finals began and our teachers gave not one iota that we were seniors with college acceptances in the bag. The first day and I felt like I pulled out my brain and squeezed every drop of knowledge I accumulated over the years on my exams. I was wrung out.
Spending time with Cole perked me up considerably. Our exams weren’t scheduled for the same days or on the same topics, but we studied together anyway. Mostly for the kissing.
“That’s true,” I said. “I’m overthinking this, aren’t I? I just need to focus on why I’m doing this. Someone killed my brother. This is bigger than me.”
Cole held my hand under the table. “You’re allowed to be freaked. I would be too if Mom up and told me I’d been fathered by Dominick Dupre.”
“I hope that never happens. I can’t fall in love with any more brothers.” I cringed. “That was weird. Way too soon for that joke.”
He laughed softly. “It’s going to be okay, Zee. Come with me to the Promenade this weekend. We’ll get you a dress for the party, grab some lunch, and then drive up one of the secluded dirt roads and have sex in the backseat.”
“Ooh. Yes to all of the above.”
We leaned in at the same time. Cole’s kisses were fierce, demanding, and passionate, just like him. He kissed me like he wanted me with every fiber of his being and he did it every time. No quick pecks for him.
Proving that miracles are real, we all survived finals. Friday afternoon, I hugged my friends goodbye one by one and wished them a happy holiday. Our relief at being away from Breakbattle was carved into our faces. For just a little while, a ceasefire had been called on the battle between the classes.
Saturday morning, Cole showed up at my door and whisked me away to Evergreen. The party was being held three days before Christmas. It gave me two days to find a dress.
“You’d think it would be Christmas themed,” I called to Cole.
“He chose the date so everyone could be there from members to recruits. That’s it. It’s not a celebration.”
I plucked a dress off the rack and held it up to my frame. “Alright. I have mixed feelings about Christmas, so a black dress works for me.”
“I like it.” Cole appeared at my side holding my purse and a bag with the shoes I bought earlier. He was surprisingly cool about holding my things. According to him, Christina wished for a little brother solely for the purpose of him holding her shopping. He was used to it. “Get that one.”
My find was a halter dress with no back and a deep slit up the leg. Of course he liked it.
And I’ll like the way he’ll look at me in it, so this one it is.
I purchased the dress and then we spent the rest of the day exactly like we planned—back road car sex included.
I made it through the next couple of days secure in my decision. It wasn’t until I was hours away from the start of the party that I realized it was a monumentally stupid idea.
“What was I thinking?”
Jordan tracked me as I paced a hole in the carpet.
“This isn’t even about Dominick. If Cameron’s friends knew something, they would have told the police a long time ago. It’s been almost a year since he was killed. What am I going to find now?”
“They might have held back something they didn’t know was important at the time,” Jordan said. “It’s worth a try, Zela.”
Jordan knew the truth about Dominick. Of course she did. I told her everything.
