by R. G. Angel
I looked at Archie, surprised to see the name on the list.
Archie shrugged. “If it was murder, it was covered up really well. The Sheriff, coroner... Anyone and everyone who touched the case.”
Antoine slipped the note into his pocket. “It might take a little while to go through the names on the list. I need to be extra careful and do it all myself.”
“It’s not like she is going anywhere, is she?” The bitterness in Archie’s voice was not surprising. He had lived with our mother.
I extended my hand to him and he took a couple of steps forward. He was reaching for my hand when he was nudged forward as the door was opened by Caleb.
“Ah, the Scooby Gang is in session. Sorry to interrupt.” He crossed his arms on his chest. “Anything I’m missing?”
“Where were you this morning? You missed the council meeting.” Archie turned toward him, blocking my line of vision.
“So what?”
“It was critical.”
Caleb scoffed. “What could be so critical at a High School meeting, huh? What will the prom theme be? Sorry to break it to you Archibald, but some of us deal with more important things.”
This intrigued me, especially since both Antoine and Archie looked surprised. I took it that this wasn’t Caleb’s normal behavior with them.
“What are we talking about?” Caleb asked, and the smirk that appeared on his face showed me he was about to inflict pain. I just didn't know who the recipient was going to be. How sad was it that I could recognize his moods just by the type of smile he was sharing?
“Maybe we should do a couple’s evening. What do you say? Oh no, wait.” He turned his icy gaze to Archie, locking onto his prey. “We can’t, Archibald Forbes is all alone,” he added before looking at Taylor.
Caleb knew, that much was clear. He knew that Archie loved Taylor even if that idiot refused to admit it and I would bet everything I owned that he had played a part in whatever had gone down between them.
Caleb was a gifted puppeteer, one who thrived on people’s misery especially when he was in pain, and I suspected that he was always in pain now that he’d lost Theo, now that I’d betrayed him after he’d dared showed me a little softness. I prayed for us all.
He extended his hand to me as the bell rang. “Let's go.”
I looked at his hand, which was, I knew, just as soft as it looked. Why did he want to hold my hand?
“Come on, sweetheart.” The word in his mouth sounding anything but endearing.
When I didn't make a move, he grabbed my hand and pulled me to the door.
“My fiancée just came back after a month in Paris. I missed her dearly,” he added with such a flat voice that he could’ve very well been reading a science manual. But then, I realized, it was all about appearances yet again.
I sighed with resignation and squeezed his hand. It would always be about appearances – forever.
The morning classes went by painfully slowly. I just couldn’t wait for lunch and hearing all about Taylor and Antoine.
I half-expected Caleb to demand I sit with him when we entered the cafeteria, but he didn’t. Was it because I needed alone time with my friend? I shook my head at the thought. No, of course not. It was probably because he needed to deal with some Kings stuff.
“So how did that happen?” I asked Taylor as soon as we set our tray on our usual table.
She looked around ensuring we were out of earshot. “Why are you so surprised? You suggested it.”
I snorted.” As a joke, yeah. I didn’t think it would happen.”
She shrugged. “It almost happened… naturally.” She cocked her head to the side, taking a drink of her Coke. “Archie was becoming a bit too present in my life after you were gone, you know for messages and stuff.”
I nodded. I’d been grateful when she’d offered to relay messages to my brother while I’d been away, knowing all the bad blood between them.
“Yeah and I thought I was emotionally equipped to deal with him. Turned out I was not as strong as I thought I was.” She looked away and I was way too familiar with the shine I could see in her eyes.
“Then one day I was just getting in my car after school and out of nowhere Antoine hopped in. He told me about the conversation he had caught between your father and his and... I’m not sure what happened really. I missed you. Archie was messing with my head again and then…” She shrugged again, her cheeks turning red.
“There is no shame in breaking down every once in a while, Taylor. We’re human.”
“Yeah…” she gave me a side smile. “Anyway, I broke down, telling him I knew the truth about him and he gave me a hug and it felt so good – so comforting. People saw us and the next day, the rumor mill was going full force.” She sighed. “Anyway, that night he took me out for dinner and we just connected, you know? Him dating me made his father ecstatic, as you can imagine.”
I snorted, shaking my head. This society was so backward.
“It was a way for him to protect me too. His father would never do anything which might hurt our relationship.”
“Smart move,” I conceded.
“And in the end this relationship is one of the best and truest I have ever had.”
I frowned. Was Antoine bi?
“It’s not what you think,” she quickly added, probably seeing the confusion on my face. “The thing is,” she leaned closer, almost whispering. “Because sex is off the table, we can be completely ourselves, you know, and we do have an intimacy which I think is greater. I just…” she shrugged. “I don't hate it.”
I nodded, not really sure how that all worked, but if she was happy...
“I’m happy if you’re happy,” I said. “But I fear it is just a way to keep Archie at bay.”
“It is, in a way,” she admitted. “I’ll tell you one day.” She reached for my hand across the table and squeezed it. “I missed you, truly, and I’m sorry about the circumstances that brought you back here, but we’ll figure it out and then you’ll be free to leave again.”
“Yeah.” I smiled, but I wasn’t sure I’d leave again. The terrifying part was that it was not because they would prevent me, but because I wasn’t sure I wanted to.
Chapter 7 - Esme
“Antoine needs to see you in the student council room about that French assignment,” Taylor announced as she came to stand beside me.
Suddenly, all the weariness I’d felt over the last week of living with Caleb and being thoroughly ignored, lifted, and the excitement at having a lead – any lead at this point – felt like a gift.
I looked around and met Caleb’s eyes at the end of the corridor. It felt like he was always spying on me, trying to find anything wrong. I lifted my gaze and quickly met my brother’s; he rolled his eyes, and that made me smile.
Caleb’s scowl deepened as he looked from Archie to me. We should have been more careful about displaying the extent of our attachment, but my father thought it was a trick played by Archie to fool me. As for Caleb, Archie said he was too smart to be fooled.
Caleb said something to my brother before walking toward me. “Esmeralda, I’ve been informed by Saint-Vincent that he is tutoring you in French. When were you planning on telling me?”
Why did he have to be so formal all of the time?
I was about to snap that he was not my guardian and that I didn't have to tell him everything, but Archie threw me a warning look, so I swallowed my pride. I wondered how long I could keep doing this before I snapped or choked.
“I’m sorry, but it is during school hours and therefore doesn't affect our schedule, and it’s not like I see you much around the house to exchange pleasantries.”
Sorry Archie, I just couldn't contain that jab.
Caleb’s nostrils flared. “Even so, this is the kind of thing I must be informed of.”
“Well, maybe you should have chosen a location other than Paris for my… ‘sabbatical’,” I whispered angrily, using quoting fingers. I wasn’t sure why, but
even when I was committed to keeping the peace, I just couldn’t stop myself from fighting back.
Caleb leaned toward me, grinding his jaw. “And maybe you shouldn’t have run away like a little girl with a temper. You started all–”
“Come on, bro,” Archie clapped his hand on Caleb's shoulder in what seemed to be a friendly gesture, but I knew better. My brother was fiercely protective.
Caleb turned his head and looked at Archie’s hand on his shoulder with a cocked eyebrow as if he couldn’t believe my brother, or anyone for that matter, had dared touch him without his consent. He looked up from Archie’s hand to his face. “If I were you, I’d remove my hand this second, Archibald,” he murmured, so eerily calm it was terrifying.
Archie conceded with a sigh. I knew he was not afraid of Caleb, at least not really. I was pretty sure he was giving in to avoid Caleb taking it out on me later. “You’ll have enough on your plate with your parents coming back tonight. Why does it matter that–”
That caught my attention. “Your parents are coming back tonight?” I all but shrieked. I was not ready. “You said two weeks!”
“And it has been a week. What does it change for you?” He asked, looking at me challengingly.
“I–” What could I say? That, depending on what Antoine was going to tell me, I was planning on snooping around his house? Something I would have a hard time doing with his parents back home. “I would have liked to know. I live there too.” I turned toward my locker to fill my bag; Caleb was too perceptive and I was too transparent. “Have you told them you moved me in?”
He stood there silently and I turned to look at him. His glare was a clear indication he hadn’t.
“Maybe you should tell them. Your mom’s clearly not my biggest fan. She deserves to know I’ll be sharing her space.” Maybe she can force you to send me back to the Forbes Estate, I added to myself.
“How I deal with my parents is none of your concern.” He looked down at his watch. “Aren’t you going to be late for your tutoring session?” he asked tauntingly.
“I am. I’ll see you later.” The elation of having news couldn't be tempered.
I found Antoine sitting on a stool facing the door, a French textbook in front of him.
I grimaced. “Okay…”
He chuckled, opening it to a random page. “Props.” He patted the stool beside him. “If you care to join me.”
I sat beside him. “So, what’s new?”
He chuckled. “Hello to you too, sunshine. I'm doing well, thank you. How about you?”
I blushed at my rudeness, but the teasing look in his eyes showed he hadn’t taken offense.
“I’m sorry, Antoine. It’s just– I want to solve this so much.”
“I know.” He nodded, looking so serious that I was taken aback. “Anyways, so here is what I’ve found so far. The sheriff? Squeaky clean. Seriously, always has been. He is aggravating to our fathers which I enjoy very much. However, there was a deputy at the time - David Phang.” He tapped the piece of paper. “The guy quit six months after your mother’s death and bought himself a Chinese restaurant in New York City, cash. Do you know how much a low-ranking officer makes in such a small town?” He snorted. “He smells fishy.”
“Maybe we can go and ask questions? A road trip or something?”
He shook his head. “No, we need to be smart about it. If there was foul play, it happened thirteen years ago. Their guard is down now, and if any evidence exists, it will be easier to find. However, if anyone suspects we’re poking around… They will protect themselves again.”
I sighed. “You’re right. Do you know anyone who can help?”
He grimaced. “That’s the problem. All the detectives, technicians, and IT experts I know are on my dad’s payroll. I’m not sure they would be discreet.”
The bell rang. “We’re going to be late for homeroom,” I offered when Antoine remained seated.
He shook his head. “No, I’ve got it covered with the admin. You and I have French tutoring once every two weeks to keep you posted.”
“Oh,” I sat back down. These guys could really do whatever the hell they wanted here. “So, your dad…” He has nothing to do with this, I reminded myself. Taylor had told me Antoine had moved here the summer before he’d entered high school. “Do you think he will talk?”
Antoine cocked his head to the side with uncertainty. “My father is very business-driven. He moved us here to be closer to his business associates. He has no loyalty other than money and his family. So no, I don't think we can trust him if it might cost him a deal.”
“I see…” I trailed off, looking down at the French book and the text I couldn’t understand. “Meaning, if my father ended up in jail…” I added as a subtext.
He nodded. “I’ve ensured Taylor’s protection for as long as we are together.”
“Talking about Taylor…”
His back turned rigid, his posture clearly defensive. The happy-go-lucky flirt was suddenly gone. “I’m not sure this is relevant here.”
“It is. I understand it came from a good place, I do, but you can’t miss the extra tension it is adding to our…” I twisted my mouth to the side, not sure how to define our relationship. “Our weird little circle of trust.” I ran my hand along my chin. “We’ve already had so many challenges to face, I'm not sure a love rivalry, even a made-up one, would be productive.”
He chuckled, but it lacked humor. “Pot, meet kettle.” I frowned in confusion. I was about to ask what he meant when he raised his hand. “You were not there. You didn’t see. You wouldn't be so quick to defend your brother's tender feelings if you knew.”
“Then tell me!” I let out, throwing my hands up in frustration. “Fucking hell, it’s like Watergate! Everyone is alluding and nobody’s talking.”
“I have no dog in this fight, Esmeralda, and it is not my place to say. But what I can tell you is that when it all unfolded, I’d been here a week, and it was that same week I realized your brother is as cruel as Caleb Astor, maybe even more so… I will not be the one changing your views of your brother. He might have changed; you might have changed him, but I know who he was then, who he was until recently. I don't feel bad for him and his poor bleeding heart. He deserves this, just as Caleb deserves to be tormented by his unwanted obsession and not-so-unrequited destructive feelings.”
“What do you mean?”
He sighed, throwing a quick look at his watch. “This is a conversation for another time, with a lot of alcohol, but I’ve been closeted for way too long to miss the signs. A faker can’t fool a faker and all I’m saying is that before looking into Taylor, Archie, and me you’ll have to accept your feelings, just as he will have to accept his because if neither of you does you’ll destroy each other and everyone around you in the process.”
He shook his head, opening the folder again.
“For the deputy guy,” I started. He was right, there was no good reason to dwell on what was and what should be. I had to deal with my mother’s death first. The rest would have to wait.
“We can’t go. Any of us getting too close to him would ring alarm bells.”
I nodded. “What if I knew someone that could go undetected?”
“Someone you trust enough with this?”
I nodded, thinking about Ben. Before being a crush, he was first and foremost a friend- one who always came through for me, even when I couldn’t explain why I needed him.
“Yes, I do.”
“Okay, I’ll get you the bugs to give your friend so he can plant them on Phang’s phone and car.”
“Okay.” I bet Ben would have a field day with that. He loved all the stupid spy movies.
“I haven't investigated the parents yet, but will do that next,” said Antoine. “As for your librarian, I didn’t find anything.”
“Yeah, I expected as much.”
“No, you don't understand – I couldn’t find anything – good or bad. It’s like Anna White didn’t exist before she atten
ded Oklahoma Panhandle State University.”
“Maybe there is nothing. It was before social media.”
He looked at me like I was a mentally challenged child. “There is always a trace, Esmeralda. Social Security number, driving license, high school diploma… Always something, but here? Rien du tout. I’m not saying it has something to do with this. I mean, the woman is quite a bit older than your mother, so I don’t think it is linked, but she is not as clean and innocent as she seems to be.”
I shrugged. “Everybody has a past. It doesn't mean she is bad.”
“No,” he agreed, “it doesn’t, but it intrigued me to look deeper, and also, I don’t mean to brag, but Brentwood Academy is one of the best schools in the country. Four out of the six most recent Presidents have graduated from here. All the staff, academic, administrative or otherwise, are paid three to four times the average salaries for their respective roles. This has been done to ensure we attract the best of the best, but also so they keep their mouths shut and remain loyal.”
“Okay…” I didn't know all that, but I still didn't see how it mattered here.
“She graduated from a state university. A state...” The corners of his mouth curled deep down in disdain.
I frowned, angry at his reaction. “I didn’t peg you as an elitist pig.”
It was his turn to frown. “Why? Because I’m gay? I assure you, Esmeralda, I'm just as entitled, and my sexuality has nothing to do with it.”
“No, I just thought you were better because you’re funny and a hedonist and also because you don't seem to mind sticking your tongue down the help’s throat.”
His eyes lit up with mirth, and I knew I had managed to diffuse the existing tension. “Guilty as charged.” He shook his head, his bronze hair so perfectly styled, it didn’t even move. “But all I'm saying is that this school is even more elitist than I’ll ever be, and they’d never hire an average librarian from a state university. She would have to have graduated from the Ivy League.”
