by Alexa Steele
“Well, Carly is the one who is going, obviously, but it was Jos who won.”
Bella’s surprise at this answer was palpable. She mulled over it a moment. Acceptance to college was considered a win for the mother? Did that mean rejection was a blow to the mother as well? Stephanie interrupted Bella’s thoughts.
“We were with them actually when they got the news over Christmas break. In Mexico—our family, the Freeds, the Jordans, and the Brennans. We were celebrating the girls’ last year of high school at the resort Riviera de Maya.”
“The Jordans? Are you referring to Jenna and Doug?” Mack remarked.
“Yes…” She trailed off. “We are all best friends. Me, Jenna, Kim, and Jos.”
Bella and Mack glanced at one another and Stephanie put her head in her hands.
“Oh my god,” she cried.
Maybe her friend’s death was just now hitting her. Mack reached over to give her a tissue, but when she lifted her head, he saw she had not shed a tear. She took the tissue and rested it in her lap.
“Am I in danger?” she wailed out of nowhere.
“There’s no reason to think so, Stephanie.”
“But I can’t! I just can’t! It just hit me that I too could be in danger!”
“Why would you be in danger, Stephanie?” Bella asked.
“Why wouldn’t I be? How could this have happened at the Yacht Club?” Stephanie wailed.
Bella didn’t know how to answer that non- sequitor.
“OK, calm down,” Mack intervened, calmly and smoothly. “No need to get upset.”
He said this sweetly and kept his hand on her arm while he did. It seemed to do the trick. She smiled appreciatively and quieted down.
“Did you see her last night with her husband?” Bella asked impatiently.
Stephanie looked anxious all of a sudden.
“No,” she replied.
“Were they happily married?” Bella asked softly.
Stephanie looked surprised.
“Yes…I mean, I assume so,” she answered, backtracking.
“You were one of her best friends,” Bella pointed out.
“Yes, but some things are private,” she replied, looking embarrassed.
“You spent more time with them than anyone else, practically,” Bella pressed, with a smile. “And women know these kinds of things. Just looking for your impression.”
Stephanie looked uncomfortable now. Bella wondered why.
“Jamie is a lovely man and I am sure he is heartbroken,” was all she said.
“I am sure he is,” Bella agreed. “I noticed he doesn’t wear a wedding band,” Bella added with a smile. “Did you ever notice that too?”
“No, I didn’t…well, yes, actually now that you mention it, I did notice that, yes. But that’s quite common. A lot of men I know don’t wear their wedding bands.”
“Really?” Bella asked, with genuine surprise. “Why would that be?”
An image of Ryan wearing the makeshift rope band she had given him as a joke popped into her head. He had told her he would never take it off if that would make her happy. He had meant it.
“I don’t know,” Stephanie faltered.
“But it’s an important symbol, no? Especially to other women?” Bella pressed.
Stephanie’s squinted her eyes and seemed to be trying to read Bella’s meaning. Bella needed to repeat her question.
“I guess. Jos was happy all the time though, so…” She trailed off.
“All the time?” Bella replied. That was exactly what Jamie had said. “That’s a pretty amazing feat.”
“Why is that so amazing?”
“I just don’t know many people who are happy all the time,” Bella pointed out.
“Well, look at the people you hang out with, Detective. Maybe that’s why.”
Wow. So this woman did have some bite in her. Bella looked at Mack.
“Even the people I know who are not behind bars are not happy all the time,” Mack laughed. He and Bella both looked at Stephanie.
Stephanie carefully sipped her iced tea and a basil leaf got stuck on her lip; she slowly peeled it off and put it on a napkin beside her. She avoided their gaze.
“Did you by any chance know the two girls who died? The two you mentioned before?” Mack asked out of the blue. Bella was grateful for the question.
Stephanie’s mouth hung open.
“I did,” was all she said.
“Can you tell us anything about them?” Mack continued.
Stephanie looked at him with uncertainty in her eyes.
“They had been accepted to Vanderbilt.”
“Like Carly?” he continued.
“Yes, but Carly wasn’t close with them. They were softball girls.”
“OK…?” Bella let the question in her voice be heard.
“You know…they joined the LGBT club. That’s what my daughter Ashley told me. It was a big deal.” Her voice had dropped to almost a whisper. She looked down at her feet and wiggled her toes.
“So they were gay?” Mack asked, sounding surprised.
“That’s what Ashley said. That’s what the rumor was. This year they were caught in the locker room together and it became news. I mean, at school. They must have been more tormented by it than anyone realized. That’s the only explanation—I mean nothing else makes sense. I mean, they got a spot at Vanderbilt for god’s sakes. I mean who kills themselves if they have the chance to go to Vanderbilt?”
CHAPTER 13
“This is freaking lala planet,” Mack hissed as he drove to Kim’s house. Kim was the third friend on Jamie’s list.
“I feel like someone deposited me somewhere,” he snickered.
Bella didn’t think it was funny. She was disturbed by these women’s lack of genuine grief.
“I’m used to whack jobs,” Bella replied. “It’s all in a day’s work. But man, their best friend is killed last night and they’re acting like nothing happened. I mean, what the hell?”
“Sure don’t seem too bent out of shape,” Mack agreed.
Kim was not home, and her nanny did not know where she was or when she would be back. With no other names on the list they decided to drive about half a mile out of town to the only real diner in the area that wasn’t organic, overpriced, or fancy. It was on the main drag leading into Greenvale, near the border. It was nearly empty when they sat down with the box of files and called Billy, who informed them Ridley was still nowhere to be found. Soon, a middle-aged, redheaded waitress approached, Rosie according to her name- tag.
“You guys who I think you are?” asked Rosie. “Don’t mean to pry or nothing. I saw your car out the window, your badge.” She pointed at Mack’s waist. “I just kind of guessed.”
She poured coffee, introduced herself, and told them Joslyn had become a regular at the diner this year, and that she had gotten to know her by name.
“Really?” Bella asked when she heard this, not bothering to conceal her astonishment. She tried to picture Jamie, Doug, Jenna, or Stephanie eating at this place. It was kind of hard.
“Yeah. She came in all the time with her friend. They always sat at the table by the window over there,” she said, pointing to the corner. “Such a friendly, nice woman.”
“Do you happen to remember the friend’s name?” Bella asked.
“Of course I do. Erika. Erika Gadoff. She’s a doll. Been coming here for years. A lot longer than Joslyn.”
Bella wondered why Jamie hadn’t put her name on his list. They found Erika’s number and address quickly enough and decided to head over.
Her garden apartment complex was only half a mile down the road and, when they turned into its parking lot, Bella wondered if there was a mistake, so incongruous was it from the homes on the other side of town. From the little they had seen of Joslyn’s life, this apartment complex, and the overweight woman who answered the door, simply did not fit the profile.
Erika looked like she had been crying—crumpled tissues filled h
er hand and her eyes were red. She welcomed them in and brought them into her cramped, but neat living room, where Bella and Mack sat on a well-worn couch. Erika spoke about herself with a heavy heart.
She told Bella and Mack that she was a single mother who bought her apartment with her divorce settlement when her daughter was young. She chose Greenvale for its school’s reputation and had met Jos when she moved to town fifteen years ago.
“We heard she had a specific crew of friends,” Bella commented, not mentioning they had met two of them.
Erika made a sour expression.
“Not to your liking?” Bella asked.
Erika shook her head.
“Why not?” asked Mack.
“I see you haven’t met them yet,” Erika said as she shook her head. Mack and Bella didn’t bother to correct her.
“So what’s so bad about these girls?” Mack smiled.
Erika took a minute before answering.
“They are the worst—as phony as the day is long. All about themselves. I don’t know why it took Jos so long to see it—maybe because she had that midwestern purity—but it all came to a head this year. She finally realized who they were.”
Bella pictured Jos’s terrified expression under the tarp.
“What happened this year?” Bella asked.
“College applications,” Erika said in a matter-of-fact way. “Jenna was crazy over Carly’s getting into Vanderbilt when her own daughter, Jessie, got deferred. She attributed it Jos and Jamie giving large donations to the school.”
Bella and Mack looked at one another. Erika continued:
“Things changed after the early decision acceptance. Jenna was nastier than ever.”
Erika was a bit rough around the edges, but she was direct.
“Jos left the tennis team and stopped going to spin class with the girls,” Erika said. “I asked why and she told me she was trying to get distance. She needed a change. She couldn’t stand any of them anymore.”
“We heard she hurt her ankle,” Mack said.
“No, she blamed it on her ankle, but her ankle was fine.”
So all was not lala on planet lala after all.
“Then last month it all kind of came to a head. We were at the library fund-raiser and Jenna went on a tear about Vanderbilt right to Jos’s face. She came this close to accusing her of paying for Carly to get in.” Erika pinched her fingers together. “Jos was saying that’s not true, Carly worked hard, Jesse got into so many good schools, you should be happy—yada yada yada…placating her like a child. Stephanie and Kim stood there like Switzerland, refusing to speak up.”
Erika paused and looked disappointed. “They believe in remaining neutral.”
The three of them sat there quietly.
“I opened my mouth, of course,” Erika added.
“What did you say?” Bella was intrigued.
“I told Jenna to stop begrudging Carly her acceptance and to leave Jos alone,” Erika said plainly. “I’m not about to stand by and let a friend be treated like that.”
“What did she do?” Mack asked.
“She sneered at me, rolled her eyes and told me to stay out of it—that it was none of my business.”
Erika seemed like she couldn’t care less.
“And?” Mack pressed.
“And nothing. I walked away, but not before telling Jenna to go F herself.”
She snickered and Bella and Mack joined her.
“I’ve never been able to stand that woman, but everyone seems to love her. I don’t get it.”
A silence descended in the room. Then Erika broke it.
“Jos made a comment a few weeks ago. She said life had shown her people are not who they seem.”
“That’s a pretty telling comment. To whom was she referring?” Bella asked.
“I don’t know. She was very gloomy so I didn’t pry too much.”
“Do you know Jamie well?” Bella asked.
“I’ve known Jamie for years. We all met when the girls were little. He was warm and gracious then, wasn’t uber-successful yet… He forgets those days,” she said, shaking her head, then continued, “You want to know the truth? He’s got an ego the size of Alaska, like most finance guys. Other people matter, but he matters more.”
Mack and Bella nodded, and Erika said, “He’s a bigwig because he’s made a lot of money, a LOT of money, so people want to be around him—they actually enjoy sucking up to him. It’s crazy. If you dare say anything bad about Jamie Freed and you are not rich, then people think you are jealous.”
“Money hides a lot of shit,” Mack jumped in, as though he knew this personally.
“Sure does. After living here this long I am not enamored. I might have been once, I admit—but no more. It has gotten so that I stay away from the super-rich deliberately because I know too much I don’t like. Their money rules them and ruins them.”
Erika looked resigned.
“Do you know if Joslyn was happy in her marriage?” Bella asked.
“I really don’t know,” Erika replied. “She never said she wasn’t. But this year she always seemed sad.”
“Did you ever see them together?” Bella asked.
“Not for a long time. Jamie didn’t mind my being friends with his wife in the early days, when he was no one special. But as soon as he made it big, they socialized only with those on their level financially. I can’t rent a yacht in St. Barth’s for Christmas or fly private, but plenty of others can, so that’s who they narrowed their circle to.”
Bella squinted her eyes and Mack whistled.
“Look, I am a divorced woman raising a kid in a small apartment on the wrong side of town. He didn’t exactly want her slumming with me, ya know?” she asked. “Funny thing is if most of the women in town knew how close Jos and I were, they would pursue me to no end. Anything to get their husbands access to Jamie, ya know?” She seemed disgusted.
Bella did know. Mack rubbed his chin.
“When Jos and I got together every week, we did it alone,” she said sadly.
“This bullshit didn’t bother you? Man, it would eat my insides up,” Mack blurted out.
Bella looked over at him, surprised that he would care.
“Look, they were part of a social set whose entrance fee was money and status,” Erika continued. “I wasn’t part of their world, obviously. What the hell was I going to offer—a warm spot on my couch and a hug? But for Joslyn—well, that’s exactly what she needed.”
“Why did Jos go along with all of this?” Bella was perplexed.
“It’s not that she wasn’t a good soul,” Erika replied. “She was a very good friend. Just last year I had a bad case of flu for a couple of weeks and she sent me dinner a few times. She lent me money a few years back when I needed some help,” she continued. “She was a good listener. She was super bright. Her mind worked at warp speed.”
She got a faraway look in her eyes. “But being Jamie’s wife catapulted her into a world she was not accustomed to, and despite herself she got caught up in all the trappings of wealth and just kind of lost who she was.”
Bella was impressed with her insight.
“They don’t call it trappings for nothing,” Mack remarked.
Erika caught her breath and put her hands over her mouth. Bella watched as Erika fought desperately to hold back a sob.
“This article she wanted to write for the Gazette—this was a big deal for her,” Erika cried. “She needed to do something that mattered outside of her girls. She was convinced Adderall was being sold at the high school and, well, it was like she was on a mission to stop it. She even visited Dr. Weber a few weeks ago, although that didn’t turn out so well.”
“Who is Dr. Weber?” Bella asked.
“The psychiatrist in town who treats everybody’s kids. Carly is one of her patients. Jos confronted her about some high-dose pills she found in Carly’s room,” Erika whispered.
“Did she get any answers?” Bella asked.
“Weber threw her out of her office.” Erika snickered halfheartedly.
Bella and Mack looked at one another. Before they could respond Erika spoke.
“Something was up, though, that much I know. A few weeks ago she didn’t show up at a school event. When I asked where she had been, she said she had a meeting related to her article. She winked and said she would fill me in later.”
“And?” Mack asked.
Erika’s eyes welled up with tears.
“She never got the chance.”
CHAPTER 14
Ridley squatted down behind the grille until the police car passed. He was in southern Jersey now, far from the eye of the storm, but didn’t want to take any chances. He had come too far.
He knew the police would be looking for him. He knew by now they probably knew about his argument with the Freed woman last week. It was all but certain. He couldn’t believe his damn luck. How could this be happening again?
He considered unhappily whether his mother was behind this. She was capable, that much he knew. Could it have been Mugger B? Maybe it had nothing to do with him at all. Maybe this was just bad luck. Damn bad luck. Maybe it was just coincidence. His gut told him no, though. He believed in coincidence, but this would be too much coincidence even for him. Maybe the same guy who told Freed about Ridley took care of her too? Was that possible? Ridley had no way of knowing or finding out.
Or did he?
He had an idea, but he would need Jay’s help.
Jay.
His best buddy since the beginning. Both were only children, and they were more than friends; they were brothers. From the day Jay moved next door to Ridley, at age five, until middle school…ahh, middle school. Painful memories flooded his mind. That was when life changed as he knew it. Jay’s strength and height catapulted him into the world of sports while Ridley, not athletically inclined, was left behind. They fell in with different groups and that was that. The four long years of high school passed with barely a word between them.
The last time they spoke they stood in the same spot in Jay’s driveway where they had met the day Jay moved in. Jay was loading his car for college, heading to the University of Texas. Ridley gathered his courage and walked over to say goodbye.
