The Shadow
Page 9
“Maybe.” Alyson looked at the spot where the drama had just played out. “I hope not. If that’s the case, I’m not sure how we can right this wrong. I’m hoping he just wants to know what happened to the child.”
“We don’t know that either,” Mac pointed out.
“I know, but at least finding out the fate of the child is possible. Undoing an unjust hanging, not so much.”
“Let’s go. It’s getting cold.” Mac said. “Maybe we’ll figure this out tomorrow.”
Chapter 10
Thursday, May 25
Alyson was lucky enough to run into both Rick Grimes and Tony Wallace on her way to first period the next morning. After a sleepless night, a bit of good luck was more than welcome. “Hey, guys. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?”
“If they’re quick. The bell is gonna ring in a few minutes and I already have a week of detention for being late last week,” Rick answered.
“I heard you guys were at Tommy Bilson’s party.”
“Yeah; so?”
“Do you remember seeing Jessica Henderson there?”
“No,” Rick said. “But Josh said he did. Said she was totally wasted. He went upstairs to use the can and found her passed out on the floor.”
“Said it looked like she just slid down the wall next to the bathroom,” Tony added.
“Yeah, she was pretty far gone that night,” Alyson acknowledged. “I’m trying to help her remember something she forgot. Do you know what class Josh has first period?”
“Biology, with Mr. Werner,” Rick told her. “Hope that helps, but I really gotta go.”
“Yeah, thanks. Hey, I liked your demonstration at the rally yesterday.”
“Next meet’s Tuesday. You should come,” Rick called as he hurried down the hallway.
Alyson would have liked to track down Josh before class, but she barely made it to first period herself before the bell rang.
“Where have you been?” Mac whispered.
“Talking to Rick and Tony. They said Josh Harding saw Jessica passed out upstairs. He has biology just down the hall. I’m going to try to catch him after class.”
“You don’t think he did it, do you?”
“Probably not. But he might have seen something. It won’t hurt to ask. I don’t know him. Do you know what he looks like?”
“Yeah; I’ll go with you.”
After class Mac and Alyson hurried down the hall, trying to catch Josh as he came out of his class. Luckily, theirs had let out a minute early, so they made it there before the students dispersed.
“Josh,” Mac called as they ran down the hall after him.
He stopped walking. “Hey, Mac. What’s up?”
“This is my friend, Alyson. She wanted to ask you about Tommy Bilson’s party.”
“Do you remember seeing Jessica Henderson there?” Alyson asked.
“Yeah. I went upstairs to use the toilet and she was totally passed out on the floor. I helped her into one of the bedrooms. I figured she’d sleep it off. I got pretty drunk myself on one very forgettable occasion and woke up on the floor in the middle of the party. I always wondered why someone didn’t move me.”
“Was there anyone else in the room at the time?”
“No, it was empty.”
“Did you see anyone else upstairs?”
“There was a line for the bathroom by the time I got back. It must have been that key point when the beer everyone’d been guzzling hit at once. I waited for my turn, then went back downstairs.”
“Did you see anyone go into that bedroom while you were waiting?”
“No. Everyone just did their thing and went back downstairs.”
“Okay, thanks. I’d better let you get to second period. I wouldn’t want to make you late.”
“Hey, no problem. See you around.”
“What do you think?” Mac asked as they walked to their second-period class.
“I think he’s a nice guy who tried to help Jessica out. Once she was on the bed anyone could have gone into the room. It seems like whoever was in the upstairs bedroom at the time Jessica first went upstairs had cleared out by then.”
******
Alyson stared out of the window at the ocean in the distance as she poked distractedly at her salad. It seemed her appetite had totally flown the coop.
“Are you going to eat that thing or are you trying to kill it?” Trevor asked.
Alyson smiled. “I’m definitely checking for deadness. You can never be too sure.”
“Are you okay?”
Alyson shrugged. “Just a little tired. My brain has a hard time shutting down at night. I keep thinking that if I think things through enough I’ll figure out a solution to this whole mess.”
“Are we talking about the mysterious murders or Jessica’s baby?” Mac asked.
“Both, actually.”
“Well, I’ve got some news on the Jessica issue,” Trevor volunteered.
“Spill.” Alyson set down her fork and gave him her full attention.
“I talked to a girl who was coming down the stairs in Tommy’s house just as Jessica was going up. She said she saw a group of guys in a bedroom and Derek Gordon was definitely one of them. She also said the guys had a lot of money lying on the bed. It looked like they were gambling.”
“Gambling?” Alyson asked. “Were there cards?”
“She didn’t see cards, only money and a piece of paper.”
“A paper?”
“She didn’t get a good enough look to know what was on it.”
“Okay, I guess it’s time for my conversation with Derek.” Alyson tossed her uneaten salad in the trash. She turned to Trevor. “Do you want to come?”
“Yeah, sure.” He stood up.
“Be careful,” Mac cautioned them. “Derek has an unpleasant personality.”
Alyson and Trevor found him hanging out behind the school, as predicted. He was with a group of students, some male, some female. “Let me do the talking,” Trevor whispered. He put his arm around Alyson’s shoulders and walked toward the group. “I think I have an angle that might work.”
“Okay,” Alyson agreed, putting her arm around his waist.
“Hey, Derek. Can I have a word with you?” Trevor asked the guy, who was dressed in black leather, a chain around his waist.
“Whatever you want, you can ask it here.”
“It’s kind of private.” Trevor pulled Alyson against him.
“Oh, I see. Okay.” Derek stood up. “Watch my stuff,” he instructed a girl with blue hair and multiple piercings.
Trevor kissed Alyson hard on the lips and told her to wait for him. Alyson started to protest, but the pleading in his eyes made her reconsider.
“Okay, pookums. Don’t be long.” Alyson waved.
“Pookums?” Alyson heard Derek say as they took a few steps away, though they were still close enough for her to hear.
“It’s a nickname.”
“What can I do for you?” Derek asked.
“My girl and I have been dating for a while and she’s great, but she’s a little shy in the intimate-contact department. I heard you were the guy to talk to about getting a little something that might loosen her up a bit.”
Alyson rolled her eyes. She hoped Trevor’s little lie didn’t end up all over campus.
“And who might have told you that?” Derek looked Trevor up and down, sizing him up.
“Just a guy I know. He said you had some stuff at Tommy’s party.” Trevor crossed his arms. Alyson assumed he was trying to look intimidating.
“I might have. But what I don’t get is why you’re wasting your time on her. I could hook you up with several less-shy chicks, if you know what I mean, and for a lot less money. The kind of thing you’re asking about is pretty pricey.”
“Oh, I can pay. I’m sort of attached to this particular girl, although maybe I’d better check with one of your satisfied customers to see if it’s really worth dipping into my college fund.”
“Who’d you sell it to at the party?”
Alyson noticed Trevor was clenching his hands into fists.
“Oh, I didn’t sell it. I had another, more entertaining use for it.”
Trevor turned his head slightly. “Like what?”
“I put it in one of the drinks they were mixing and some buddies and I bet on who would get it.”
“If you randomly put it into a drink how did you know who got it?”
“We waited upstairs near the bathroom.” Derek leaned back against the warm surface of the cement wall. “We figured she’d be up eventually. The drug makes them feel loopy.”
“How’d you know a girl would get the spiked drink? It could have been a guy if it was random.”
“You know something, Conner actually bet it would be a guy. Thing is, we put it in a drink with Diet Coke, and generally speaking, guys don’t drink Diet Coke.”
“So what did the winner get? To have his turn with the victim?”
“Nah. The winner just got the money.” Derek ran a hand through his long hair.
“Who was the lucky girl?” Trevor asked.
“Jessica something. I don’t know her, but one of the other guys did. She was totally wasted. Now, you want the stuff or not?”
“I’ll have to see if I can get some money together. Who else was in that little group?”
“You sure are asking a lot of questions.”
“Just curious.”
“If you want the stuff bring the money tomorrow.” Derek walked away.
“So he spiked the drink, but did he rape Jessica?” Alyson asked as soon as they were out of earshot.
“I don’t think so. I didn’t get that vibe. He seemed totally indifferent to Jessica.”
“If he didn’t rape Jessica who did? One of his gambling buddies?”
“I don’t know.” Trevor put his arm around Alyson’s shoulders and started walking back to the cafeteria.
“What was with the kiss?”
“I had to sell the fact that we were a couple.”
Alyson looked at him suspiciously. “It wasn’t enough to just tell him we were a couple?”
Trevor shrugged. “Hey, I saw an opening to kiss a pretty girl and I took it.”
******
Alyson was on her way to fifth period when she saw one of the girls who’d been hanging out with Derek digging through her locker. Taking a detour to her left, she headed toward her.
“Hi. I’m Alyson. I saw you a little while ago with Derek.”
“Is that a crime?” The girl continued to look through her stuff without raising her eyes.
“No. I just wondered if I could ask you a few questions.”
“I gotta get to class.” She grabbed a few books and slammed her locker door shut.
“It’s really important. I can make it worth your while.” Alyson pulled several twenty-dollar bills out of the pocket of her jeans.
The girl’s eyes, heavily lined in black pencil, focused on the cash. “I guess I got a minute. What do you want to know?”
“I saw you on the night of Tommy’s party,” Alyson lied.
“You a cop or something?”
“No. I was just curious about who else might have been in on the bet. I think my boyfriend might have lied about his involvement. He has a gambling problem and I’m trying to help him stay clean.”
“You were with that baseball player today, Trevor something. He’s your boyfriend?”
“No, he’s just a friend.”
“Well, unless you’re dating Conner Nelson, Greg Branson, Terry Black, or Wallace Friedman, I think your guy was telling the truth.”
“Oh, I’m so glad. Thanks.” Alyson turned to walk away. “By the way, who won? The bet, I mean?”
“I did.” The girl smacked her gum and then blew a bubble that burst, covering her dark lips. Alyson couldn’t help but focus on the diamond tongue piercing as the girl licked her lips clean.
“Congratulations. And the others? Were there any consolation prizes, like a night with the victim?”
“Nah. I think I saw Derek talking to her boyfriend, though. Knowing Derek, he worked out a deal with him.”
“Like what?”
The girl leaned in to whisper, “Like a little reward money for getting his girlfriend loosened up for him.”
“I see. I have to ask: Doesn’t it bother you that Derek drugged some unsuspecting girl? I mean, it could have been you.”
“It has been me. In the past, I mean. It’s a kick; you should try it. I’m sure Derek could hook you up if you’re interested.”
“I’ll keep it in mind. Thanks again for the info.”
“Hey, thanks for the bank. It’ll keep me in smokes and vodka for a week.”
******
After school Alyson met up with Mac as promised. Her head had been spinning ever since her conversation with Derek’s girlfriend. Why would anyone willingly let themselves be drugged? The whole thing was disturbing on so many levels.
“Earth to Alyson.” Mac was waving her hand in front of Alyson’s face. “Are you in there? I’ve been standing here for a while now.”
“Sorry. Something really upsetting happened this afternoon and I guess I’m a little distracted.”
“What?”
“Get in the Jeep. I’ll tell you on the way.”
Alyson pulled onto the main street that ran in front of the school as soon as Mac buckled herself in. “When Trevor and I talked to Derek this afternoon, there were several girls there, including one with shoulder-length blond hair.”
“Did it have a purple streak?”
“No. It occurred to me that everyone assumed there were only guys in the room that night at the party, but what if one or more of the kids was a girl?”
“You think a girl would be in on a scheme to drug another girl?”
“Apparently so.” Alyson adjusted the rearview mirror. “I saw one of them on the way to fifth period and convinced her to talk to me.”
“How’d you do that? You didn’t hurt her, did you? ’Cause lately you’ve been a little big with your hands.”
Alyson turned onto the highway. “Actually, I paid her.”
“Good thinking. What’d you find out?”
“Well, first of all, she’s the one who won the bet, so our theory that the winner of the bet got the girl in addition to the money was wrong.”
“I can’t believe she’d even be part of drugging another girl.” Mac grimaced.
“That’s what disturbed me so much. She even said she’s taken the drug willingly. She said it was a real kick.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Horrible. I know.” Alyson pulled into the right lane.
“Did she know who raped Jessica?”
“Not for sure, but she suspected Derek tried to get Jessica’s boyfriend to reward him for loosening her up.”
“Steve?” Mac turned in her seat to face Alyson. “I thought he left after the fight.”
“I guess we should find out,” Alyson said.
“Do you think he’d do that?”
“I don’t know him, so I have no idea, but it seems as good a theory as any.”
Chapter 11
Alyson pulled into Booker’s driveway and parked. She hoped he wasn’t getting tired of their daily visits. It did seem they might be taking advantage of his good nature and willingness to help. Mac knocked and a petite woman dressed in a black maid’s uniform answered the hardwood door.
“Hi. We’re here to see Booker,” Alyson said. “He’s expecting us”
“He’s in the library. Follow me.”
“Alyson, Mackenzie, come in, come in,” Booker greeted them as the maid ushered them into the room. “Coffee?”
“Sure; thanks.” Both girls sat do
wn on the sofa and waited while he poured coffee into two matching china cups.
“I went back to the bluff last night,” Alyson began as soon as he’d finished serving them. “Again, I witnessed two people arguing, the culmination resulting in the death of the woman. This time, though, the argument began at an earlier point. Although it’s never explicitly stated, I believe what the woman hid was the child, her child.”
“I believe you’re correct about the child.” Booker went over to his desk and picked up a pile of papers. “On a recent trip oversees, I spent a great deal of time in the General Archive of the Indies in Seville, Spain. The library is the world’s largest repository of old records, maps, diaries, and other documents that pertain to the Spanish conquests and colonization, including in the Americas. It’s a wonderful place, full of musty old documents that reveal the intricacies of people and events that might otherwise have been forgotten over the centuries. I’m sure you’d find it fascinating. Of course almost all the documents are in Spanish. I don’t suppose you girls read Spanish?”
“I can get by.” Mac stirred some sugar into her coffee.
“I’ve studied French, but I’ve thought of expanding into Spanish.” Alyson poured milk into both cups.
“Oh, the museums of France…I spent an entire year in Paris doing nothing but exploring the richness and beauty of the great masterpieces. Most people simply walk through these great repositories in a single day, but when one takes the time to embrace the full essence, the very heart of what the artists were seeking to portray…well, let’s just say it’s truly a spiritual experience, regardless of your religious beliefs.”
“The General Archive of the Indies?” Alyson gently steered Booker back to the subject.
“Oh, yes. How I digress! Anyway, while I was there I enlisted the help of a friend who’s something of an expert on everything ancient and Spanish, and together we identified and copied as many documents as we could find that pertained to shipping and colonization along North America’s West Coast. I have piles of documents, all in Spanish. The task of weeding through them to find something relevant to our own situation is daunting. I did find a journal I believe could be important, however.”