by Claire Fogel
“Okay, I’m getting hungry. How about you?”
He laughed. “You didn’t hear my stomach growling?” He stood up and took my hand as we walked through the woods back to my house.
I was reminded of last spring when our relationship was new. I sighed.
Sean looked over at me and said softly, “Memories, right?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
He squeezed my hand as we walked out of the woods.
After stopping at my house to leave a note for Mom, Sean drove us to The Grill. I could smell the burgers before we even walked through the door. Apparently, a lot of people were unwilling to face more turkey this weekend because the place was full, and we had to wait for a booth.
Sean wanted to hear more about the Barrett Art Institute while we waited. I had already given him the Readers Digest version of my visit there, but I hadn’t mentioned the co-ed dorms or the Life Drawing class.
“Completely nude?” he asked, his eyebrows up around his hairline.
I laughed. “Yep. Not even a fig leaf. The instructor told me I wouldn’t be in his Life Drawing class until my second year there, so I think I have time to become more accustomed to the adult world. The guy who was modeling wasn’t at all embarrassed, but I thought my mom was going to have a stroke!”
“I’ll bet. What about the co-ed dorms? Will you be living in one? Is there any possibility you might have a male roommate?”
“No, thankfully. I don’t think I could handle that.”
He smiled. “Well, if I were going to Barrett, I’d definitely volunteer for the roommate job.”
I elbowed him gently, laughing.
“My parents are both in favor of renting an apartment for me off campus. Those dorm rooms were so tiny, I don’t see how two people could possibly coexist in one. Mom described them as closets.”
A booth had finally opened up so we took our seats and placed our order for burgers, fries, and chocolate milkshakes.
“You know, when I’m away at school, I’m really going to miss this place,” I said.
“Yeah, me too. But you’re planning on coming home most weekends, right?”
“Absolutely. At least I will when it’s not snowing. Any idea where you’ll be going to school?”
“No, I’m still waiting to hear about scholarships. I’d like to stay close to home too, but I may not have that choice.”
When our food was brought to our booth, conversation stopped. I had to laugh as Sean bit into his first burger, rolling his eyes in obvious pleasure. I started remembering all the occasions when Adam and I had been here together, but quickly pushed those memories away.
Adam was gone. I knew I’d be better off enjoying the company of my devoted friend, smiling at me across the table.
On our way out, we stopped at several other booths to say hello to Sean’s buddies, mostly other football players, a few of them with dates. I didn’t know any of the girls, but I recognized a few of the faces that habitually gave me dirty looks. All of them would have loved being in my place.
I could understand why everyone thought I was Sean’s girlfriend. We were together so much, both in and out of school.
The Grille was situated on the corner of Main and South Streets. South Street was a narrow side street that continued into Thornewood’s industrial park on the south side of town. As we crossed the street to reach Sean’s car, I looked down South Street and was surprised to see Randi’s red BMW parked a block away. I stopped short.
Sean asked, “What’s wrong?”
“That’s Randi’s car. She was staying at my house until this morning. She only left because she had a date with Joey this afternoon. I see Joey down there with those other kids, but I don’t see Randi. What’s he doing here without her?”
“Let’s go ask him.”
We walked to the end of the block where Joey was standing with a group of younger boys. I walked up to him and said, “Where’s Randi?”
He looked over at me, obviously annoyed. “How the hell would I know?”
He couldn’t be any ruder. “That’s her car. What are you doing here in Thornewood with Randi’s car without Randi? She was at my house until this morning. She drove back to Greenville because she said she had a date with you.”
His eyes narrowed, he said, “I borrowed her car to take care of some business, not that it’s any business of yours. Now get lost.” He actually sneered at me.
Was he blind? How did he miss Sean standing behind me? Of course, Sean was no longer behind me. He’d walked up to Joey and got right in his face. “I think it is our business. Randi’s a friend of ours.” Joey was tall but very thin. Sean made him look like a toothpick.
Looking around at the group of kids standing there, Sean said, “Time for you guys to go home. There’s nothing here for you.”
They all knew Sean, of course. They scattered.
I don’t think either one of us had seen the man slouched down inside Randi’s car. He emerged from the back seat of the Beamer with a mean look on his face and a knife in his hand, pointed at Sean.
The moment he raised his arm, my knife buried itself in his hand. There was a look of total shock on his face as he dropped his own knife. He let out a pained scream, his eyes bugging out of his head.
Giving me a hate-filled look, he clutched his injured hand with his shirt. Joey pushed him back in the Beamer and pulled away from the curb in a hurry.
Sean put his arm around me. “Let’s get out of here. That was some bad business that was about to happen.” He shook his head. “We walked right into the middle of it.”
I reached down and picked up the other man’s knife and shoved it in my pocket.
When we got into Sean’s car, I said, “What kind of business was going on? What did we walk into?”
Sean pulled out on Main Street and headed back to my house. “I’ve heard a rumor that a drug dealer from Greenville was hanging around, selling drugs to kids. I recognized some of those boys. One is only in Junior High, the rest are in Tenth Grade. I wonder if Randi has any idea she’s been dating a drug dealer.”
“Sean, I’m sure she had no idea. And she thought she had a date with that creep this afternoon.” I snorted. “All he wanted was a date with her car.”
He pulled up in front of my house, turned off the ignition, and turned to look at me. “I’m still wondering when you pulled your knife. It was so fast, I never even saw it in your hand. But thanks.”
“When that older guy got out of the car, I saw something shiny in his hand so I slid a knife out of my boot, just in case. To be honest, I don’t even remember throwing it. It happened the same way when one of Gaynes’ men aimed a gun at Amy outside school. One of the cops called it an automatic response.” I shrugged.
He slid over and wrapped both arms around me.
“Cara, I’m really glad you’re my friend and not my enemy.”
His arms felt so good around me, without thinking I snuggled up to him, resting my head against his chest, enjoying that sandalwood and clean laundry smell. His arms tightened as he kissed my forehead, then leaned down to kiss my lips.
I’d always liked kissing Sean, but it was a different pair of lips I wanted. I hated feeling I was taking advantage of Sean.
Sighing, I pulled away slightly and said, “We should talk to the Chief and let him know what happened . . . before I get arrested for assaulting that jerk.”
“Yeah, we should. Should we mention Randi’s car? The police might think she’s involved with this drug business.”
He was right. The last thing I wanted to do was get Randi in trouble.
Sean came into the kitchen with me where my parents were just finishing their dinner. They both greeted us as Mom said, “This happens every year, Brian. It’ll be a few days before Cara can look at turkey again.” She laughed. “That’s what you get for stuffing yourself on Thanksgiving, dear.”
“I know, I know. I might be able to handle a turkey sandwich in a few days. But today Sean and I both craved burgers.
”
Mom smiled. “Well, sit down and help yourselves to coffee. What have you been up to today?”
Sean and I looked at each other. He whispered, “You’d better tell them.”
Once I’d explained what had happened outside The Grille, Mom said, “Cara, please call the Chief. Now.” She and Dad both looked worried. My father looked especially grim.
I nodded. Since I still had the Chief on speed dial, I dialed his one-digit number, muttering to myself, “Yeah, the fun never stops around here.”
When Chief O’Donnell answered, I told him what we’d seen outside The Grille. He asked if we’d gotten their license plate. I didn’t answer that question but told him I could describe the two men. “Actually, I can do better than that. I’ll sketch them for you.”
He chuckled. “I’d forgotten what a good artist you are. Would it be okay with your parents if I came over tonight to collect those sketches?”
I told Mom what he’d asked and she took the phone out of my hand. “Come on over, Tommy. The coffee’s hot.”
The Chief was at the front door ten minutes later.
Over coffee, he listened patiently to both of us as we described what we’d seen and heard on South Street. Sean was able to give him the names of the kids we’d seen with Joey. But Randi’s car wasn’t mentioned.
While Sean spoke, I quickly sketched both men and handed the sketches to the Chief.
He recognized the older man in my sketch and told us that the man was currently on a “Watch” list. He was known as “Nick Romanov,” although that probably wasn’t his real name. However, Joey wasn’t someone the police were familiar with. At least, not yet.
I hadn’t yet admitted throwing my knife at the older man. I think I was saving the best for last.
“Uh, Chief, the older man was angry that we’d chased those young kids away. He pulled a knife on Sean, and I, um, reacted.”
The Chief closed his eyes for a second. “Tell me what you did, Cara.”
“Well, when I saw him point a knife at Sean’s chest, I threw my knife. It pierced his hand and he dropped his knife. They got into their car and drove away in a hurry.” I handed the Chief the knife I’d picked up off the ground.
The Chief nodded, one eyebrow raised. “You’re saying he left with your knife stuck in his hand, right?”
“Yes. Am I in trouble?”
Sean reached over to hold my hand. My mother’s eyes were shut, but my father looked as though he fully approved of what I’d done.
Mom asked, “Will Cara be in legal trouble for this, Tommy?”
Chief O’Donnell shook his head. “I don’t think so, Alicia. Cara has had a Concealed Carry Permit ever since Gaynes was on the loose so that she could carry her knives legally. I’ll be speaking to the police chief in Greenville tonight. I’ll fill him in.” He sighed. “I’ll also have to explain why Cara carries a knife and how expert she is with it. I don’t think he’ll want to charge Cara with assault. She was defending herself and Sean. Cara, did he say anything else to you?”
“No. He was screaming in pain when they left.”
The Chief nodded. “He’s a nasty piece of work, from what I’ve heard.” He sighed and looked at my father.
Dad looked at me. “Cara, you may need a bodyguard again.”
I shook my head. “No thanks, Dad.”
The Chief said, “That’s up to you. I’ll alert my men so they’ll keep an eye on her. And we’ll all be watching for Nick Romanov. We don’t want him or his people running around Thornewood. Greenville has had a serious drug problem for the past few years. We don’t want one here.”
He stood. “Thanks for calling me. I have to go call Chief Russo in Greenville.”
Turning to me, he said, “Keep me on speed dial, Cara. Let me know right away if you see either of those men again.” I was relieved he hadn’t asked about the car again.
I said I would and my dad walked the Chief to the front door.
Mom still sat at the table looking at me and shaking her head.
“Well, Cara, here we go again,” she said, looking resigned. I think she had finally accepted the fact that her daughter was a disaster magnet.
Sean was still holding my hand. “I’m afraid I have to get my dad’s car home so I’d better take off.”
We stood as my dad returned to the kitchen. My father said, “Sean, you’ll have to be careful too. Keep your eyes open for Romanov and Joey, and let the Chief know right away if you see them again. I’m afraid you and Cara made a new enemy tonight.”
I walked Sean to the door and he wrapped his arms around me. He whispered, “You have to tell Randi what happened.”
“Yeah. Definitely. I just wish we could convince her father to let her move back to Thornewood. It’s not safe for her in Greenville.”
He nodded, then leaned down and kissed me. Having his arms wrapped around me felt so good, so comforting, I kissed him back. He deepened the kiss until I pulled away, once again reminding myself that I wasn’t being fair to Sean. I knew I shouldn’t encourage him this way. But he was such a sweet guy and really hard to resist. I sighed as he ran out to his car.
Mom and Dad were talking quietly when I walked back into the kitchen. I made a pot of tea and sat down with them.
As we sipped our tea, we were quiet. I was thinking about Randi and the details we hadn’t shared with the Chief. Mom was probably thinking about her disaster-prone daughter.
I had withheld things from my mother before, which, in retrospect, had not been a good idea. I knew I had to call Randi later and tell her things that would make her unhappy, but right now I needed to tell Mom and Dad the whole truth.
“Mom, Dad, I should tell you some things we didn’t tell the Chief. I think I need your advice.” They looked up, frowning.
“Before you get mad at me, you have to know I thought I had good reason for omitting certain details. So just hear me out, okay?”
Mom sat back, took a deep breath and nodded in agreement reluctantly. For my mother, not asking questions immediately required real self-control. Mom had never been known for her patience. My father was frowning.
“The whole reason those men and the young kids with them attracted our attention was because I saw Randi’s car parked where they were standing on South Street. But we didn’t see Randi. Remember, she left for Greenville after lunch because she had a date with Joey, the guy she’s been dating.”
Mom nodded. “Yes, I remember her mentioning him. I also remember you didn’t seem too enthusiastic about her date.”
“No, I didn’t like the guy from the first time I saw him. He was rude and acted like he owned Randi. So when we saw him in town with Randi’s car, we were suspicious. Sean and I walked down the street to ask him where Randi was, and he was, as usual, rude, telling us to mind our own business. Sean recognized the young boys standing there with Joey and told them to go home. They all know Sean from school. He has a lot of influence with the younger kids. They took off, which was when the older guy got out of Randi’s car with a knife in his hand. You know the rest.”
“Well, why did you leave out the details about Randi’s car? Joey obviously borrowed it without telling her where he was going or why.” My father nodded, still frowning.
“We were afraid the police would think Randi was involved with drug dealers, simply because it was her car they were using. Chief O’Donnell knows us, but the police in Greenville don’t, and they don’t know anything about Randi, who lives with her party-girl aunt now. Maybe we were wrong, but we thought it best to leave her out of it, which meant leaving her car out of it too.”
My parents looked at each other, Mom shaking her head.
“Cara, I think withholding these details from the Chief was a mistake.” Frowning, she added, “These things usually come back to bite you on the butt, you know.”
I had to admit she was right.
“I have to call Randi now. This won’t be fun.”
I went up to my room and plopped on
my bed where Ralph was already sleeping.
When Randi answered her phone, she sounded surprised to hear from me. She also sounded upset.
“What’s wrong,” I asked.
“Two things, Cara. When I got home from your house, Joey was waiting for me. He was mad that I’d been away for two days. He had no right to be, of course. He was having Thanksgiving with his family, but he hadn’t invited me to join them.
“When he got through yelling at me, he said he needed my car. I wasn’t in a good mood at that point, so I refused. Of course, then he decided to be nice and said if he could borrow my car for a few hours, he’d take me out for dinner. My aunt wasn’t home, and I didn’t really want to spend the evening at home alone. I gave him my car keys.
“It was late when he got back, too late for dinner. He didn’t even apologize, just handed me the keys and took off.
“Cara, you can imagine the mood I was in. I decided to take myself out for dinner. I was starved by that time. But when I got in my car, I found blood on the front seat, on the door handle, even on the floor mat. No explanation from Joey, of course. He’s never getting my car again, trust me.”
At least she wouldn’t be in tears when I told her where Joey had been. If anything, she’d just be angrier. Which, in my opinion, would be a good thing.
“Randi, Joey was in Thornewood with another guy tonight. When Sean and I left the Grille, we saw your car parked on the side street but we didn’t see you, so we walked over there to investigate. Uh, I hope you’re sitting down.
“Joey was with a known drug dealer, apparently trying to drum up business with a group of young kids that Sean knows. Sean sent them all home, and that’s when the other guy, a man named Nick Romanov, pulled a knife on him. I, uh, intervened and threw my own knife at Romanov. My knife pierced his hand; that’s where all the blood came from, I’m afraid.”
There was dead silence on the phone for about ten seconds.
Her voice was faint. She sounded like she was in shock.
“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I’ve seen Joey with Nick, who is definitely not a nice man. I had a feeling they were up to something, but I never imagined drugs.”
