Player

by DeLuca, Laura

  “I think I actually believe you, Kevin,” Bryan said, and Josh saw Elena’s mouth fall open. “I don’t think you’re smart enough to pull this off without getting caught.”

  Kevin scowled at him and the room fell into silence as Bryan tapped the tip of the gun against his forehead. The sound of the ticking grandfather clock echoed throughout the room. Every second that ticked away felt like hours as they waited for Bryan to decide who to cross-examine next. Josh was starting to worry that Bryan had just lost it. How could he put a loaded gun so close to his face? What if it went off? It had to be awkward trying to handle a weapon when he only had one good arm. Josh had no idea what he was thinking or if he was thinking at all and not just following some desperate, grief-inspired fantasy. A fantasy that could wind up getting someone killed.

  “Rosa!” He shouted her name so loud that she actually squeaked in response. He crossed the room to stand in front of her. “You’ve been awfully quiet today. Don’t you have an opinion about who the killer might be?”

  “No, not really.” She stuttered, but she did look over at Kevin, and everyone noticed it.

  “You were pretty upset with Josh when you found out about all his girlfriends, weren’t you?” Bryan asked. “You must have felt like another notch on a very, very long belt.”

  Josh couldn’t help but glare at him for that one, even if it was true. At the same time, he tried to shift his weight to block Rosa from the aim of the gun.

  “I was mad for a little while,” she admitted softly. “But then he convinced me to give him another chance.”

  “And just like that it was all okay? Do you always believe any line a guy tosses at you? Kind of makes you seem a little gullible, doesn’t it?” He narrowed his eyes and lifted the revolver. “Or maybe you’re just a really good actress.”

  “And maybe you’re just being a total dickhead,” Josh yelled. “I got sick before Rosa found out about the girls. So it couldn’t have been her. Now would you put that stupid gun away? Someone else is going to get hurt, and this time it will be your fault.”

  “I know you want to defend your woman, Josh, but let’s think about this logically. Did you ever get in an argument with Rosa before you got sick?”

  Bryan had a lot of nerve to talk about logic when he was behaving like a raving lunatic. If he wasn’t holding that gun, Josh would have given him another bloody lip, dislocated shoulder or not. When he thought about it, he realized Bryan was right. The day Rosa had come over to tutor him, she had gotten angry. Maybe she had known more than he realized. He had left her alone when he went to make the hot chocolate. It wasn’t impossible that she could have gotten into his bag—

  What am I thinking? There is no way my Rosa would ever hurt me.

  He knew his long silence had already given it away.

  “Dammit, Bryan,” he swore. “You’re seriously taking this thing too far. But yes, we did have a minor disagreement before I got sick.” He gave Rosa’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “But that certainly doesn’t mean Rosa’s responsible for any of this.”

  “What about you, Grant?” Kevin’s voice was bitter from his lonely corner. “How come you get to point the finger at everyone else? How do we know it wasn’t you who killed them? You’re the only one waving a gun around!”

  “That’s ridiculous!” Elena cried. “Why would he want to hurt his own sister?”

  “Well, maybe she really did off herself because of Josh,” Kevin suggested. “And all this other crap is just him tryin’ to get even.”

  “Maybe I did do it,” Bryan said casually. “It could be anyone in this room. And they could strike again, right here, right in front of everyone. And any one of us could be the next victim.”

  “You’re seriously messed up, dude.” Jim shook his head. “You realize that, right?”

  Andrea was inclined to agree with her boyfriend. “I thought you said you knew who the killer was? Why don’t you just tell us already and get it over with? Why are you playing these stupid games?”

  “I’m playing games because the killer likes to play games, and that’s the only way to lure them out. But you already know all about those kinds of games, don’t you, Andrea?”

  Andrea glared at him. “And what is that supposed to mean?”

  “The killer was someone who knew Josh really well,” Bryan explained, taking a few steps in Andrea’s direction. “Someone who knew about all the girls from the very beginning. Someone who could have easily slipped the notes into his mailbox or rat poison into his medication because they lived right next door and had easy access. Someone could easily sabotage the homecoming dance because she was in charge if it.”

  Andrea started to squirm uncomfortably in her seat. Josh knew it was just her turn and before long, Bryan would move his interrogation to the next suspect. Several long seconds passed and he didn’t move on. He just glared at Andrea, holding the gun firmly.

  “What do you expect me to say?” Andrea said, breaking the silence. “Those accusations are just ridiculous.”

  Bryan’s face was set in an icy stare as he inched closer to her. “I don’t think it’s ridiculous. In fact, it’s so obvious; I can’t believe I didn’t realize it sooner. It was you, Andrea. You attacked Jasmine. You killed Lily and Nadine. You are a murderer.”

  “I don’t believe it,” Elena whispered, stunned.

  There were gasps of shock throughout the room, but Josh didn’t believe it. There was no way that Andrea was the killer. It was ludicrous. As if to prove Josh’s unspoken thoughts, Andrea’s mouth fell open and her big green eyes filled with tears. She stood slowly on shaking legs, clutching her handbag to her chest, as though she could use it as a shield in case Bryan decided to fire the pistol.

  “Get that out of her face!” Jim screamed.

  Each word was enunciated and laced with uncontrollable fury. Before Bryan had a second to consider what was happening or to mount any type of self-defense, Jim had him in a headlock. With his bad arm, Bryan was no match for Jim’s expert wrestling moves. Once he had Bryan down, he knocked the gun out of his hand. Bryan tried to grab for it, but Jim was too quick. He kicked Bryan in the ribs, grabbed the pistol, and jumped to his feet.

  “Doesn’t feel so good when the shoe’s on the other foot, does it, Bryan?” Jim snapped. His red hair fell into his eyes, giving him a crazed, disheveled look. He went back to try to kick Bryan again before he could catch his breath, but Josh stepped between them.

  “Let’s just calm down,” Josh told his friend. “I know this is tough on everyone, but let’s give Bryan a chance to explain why he thinks it was Andrea. Then she can defend herself and prove that he’s wrong. I know she has nothing to hide.”

  “It’s okay, Jim,” Andrea agreed. “I can handle it.”

  Jim seemed unsure, and he wasn’t about to give up the gun. He lowered it so that it was no longer aimed at Bryan or anyone else. It was an improvement, but Josh would have felt better if it was out of the picture all together. It already seemed like Bryan was hurt. He cradled his injured arm and flinched as he tried to drag himself to his feet. Josh helped him to stand.

  “Explain yourself, Bryan, and it better be good,” Josh told him. “You need to have proof before you start making these kinds of accusations.”

  Bryan nodded. “The only proof I need is the facts. Andrea was the only one with the means and the motive. Like I said, she knew about all four girls from the very beginning.”

  “Elena knew about them before I got sick,” Josh argued. “And let’s not forget we found her earring in Lily’s car.” If Bryan could blame his best friend, Josh could find enough reasons to accuse Bryan’s vindictive girlfriend.

  “What earring?” Elena asked, honestly surprised. “What are you talking about?”

  “We found a butterfly earring in Lily’s car,” Bryan explained. “Josh has pictures of you wearing the exact same earrings.”

  “Oh my gosh! They were my favorite earrings,” Elena told them. “I took them off when I was i
n the shower after cheerleading practice a few weeks ago and they just disappeared. I figured someone had stolen them, but I never imagined it was to try to frame me!”

  “Frame you, huh?” Andrea queried. She had almost recovered from the shock of having Bryan point the gun at her. “As if we don’t know you’re capable of just about anything.” Elena sneered, but Andrea had already turned back to Bryan. “If you found proof that it was Elena, then why are you harassing me?” she demanded. “I really don’t think it’s fair for you to single me out.”

  “And I don’t think it’s fair that you’re getting away with murder,” Bryan replied dryly.

  “Shut up, Bryan!” Jim shouted. “Just shut up and leave her alone.”

  Andrea was handling things better than Jim. His eyes were bulging and his finger was dangerously close to the trigger. It was making Josh nervous. Rosa and Elena looked utterly terrified, but Bryan didn’t seem to care that his own weapon had been turned against him. He continued his verbal bashing, though he did so in an eerily calm voice, and hardly spared Jim a glance.

  “Jasmine remembered one small detail about her attacker,” Bryan continued. “The color red. What did she see, Andrea? Were you wearing Jim’s letter jacket, like you normally do? Or was it just the color of your hair that caught her eye?”

  “This is crazy!” Andrea exclaimed. “We all wear red jackets. Red and white are our school colors!”

  “You’re getting nervous,” Bryan pointed out. “I can tell. Why not just admit it, Andrea. Get the guilt off your chest.”

  She lost her composure and burst into tears, glancing desperately between Josh and her boyfriend in the hopes that one of them would come to her rescue. “I didn’t do anything!” She sobbed. “I even tried to help Nadine. If Elena hadn’t held me back, I’d be dead!”

  “Enough!” Jim declared. “Leave her the hell alone, Bryan. Just stop it. Or I . . . I swear to God, I’ll shoot you right now!”

  “Jim is right. Lay off her for a while,” Josh agreed. He took a tentative step in front of Bryan.

  “And you!” Jim spat, turning his fury onto Josh. “You’re the whole reason for this mess. None of this would be happening if you could just keep your shit in your pants. Damn it! If anyone deserves to get shot today, it’s you.”

  The more crazed Jim became, the more things made sense. Josh realized what Bryan’s plan had really been. He never thought it was Elena, or Rosa, or even Andrea. He was trying to lure Jim into a trap. There was one thing he hadn’t counted on—Jim getting the gun away from him.

  He should have realized he couldn’t fight Jim when he was hurt. He should have let Josh in on the plan. At the very least, he should have shut the hell up when he lost the gun. If Jim didn’t shoot them both, Josh decided he was going to kick Bryan’s ass later.

  “Jim, man, you just need to calm down,” Kevin said suddenly. “Don’t make the same mistake I did. Josh and his drama ain’t worth throwing your life away.”

  “No! I’m not going to let them do this to Andrea.”

  “Nobody’s doing anything to Andrea,” Elena soothed. She walked over to Andrea, and put her arm around the sobbing girl. “Look, she’s just fine. But that gun is scaring the hell out of her. So just put it down, okay? Let’s talk about this rationally.”

  “All of you just shut up!” Jim shouted. “Let me think.”

  “There’s nothing to think about, Jim,” Josh told him. “I know I was an idiot. No one will blame you for any of the things you did. We all know I had it coming.”

  “The things I did?” Jim swore under his breath. “Screw that! You aren’t pinning this on me. If anyone is going to go down for this, it’s you.” Jim pulled back the hammer on the gun. Even though his hands were shaking, Josh had no doubt that he meant to pull the trigger. “I’m sorry, man. I really don’t want to do this. But if it’s you or Andrea, I’ve gotta save the girl I love.”

  “No!” Rosa cried.

  It had been so long since she had spoken, Josh had almost forgotten she was there. Just as Jim raised the gun and took aim, she was suddenly beside him. He only caught a brief glimpse of her long braid before she crashed into his chest and blocked Jim’s shot just as he pulled the trigger. Josh tried to shield Rosa from the danger she had placed herself in, but there wasn’t enough time to push her out of the way.

  There was a loud click. Josh waited for the bang. He waited to feel the pain as the bullet tore through his flesh. Or worse, to feel Rosa go limp in his arms. None of it happened and no one fell. Instead, the same click was repeated over and over until Jim let out an animalistic shriek.

  “Are . . . are we alive?” Rosa was still trembling in his arms when Josh opened his eyes. He hadn’t even realized he had closed them.

  Josh felt a little shaky himself. “Yeah, we are.”

  “I knew it,” Bryan said. “I just knew it was you!”

  Jim tossed the useless gun to the ground. “You don’t know anything, you moron! You have no idea what you’ve done. Now you’re all doing to die!”

  “I’m not as dumb as I look,” Bryan bragged. “I knew that the gun would be all the bait the killer needed. I knew they would try to take it away and get rid of the witnesses. That’s why I made sure there weren’t any bullets. The gun’s not loaded!”

  “Well, then.” A sarcastically sweet voice rang out and there was a distinct click as the hammer of a gun snapped into place. “I guess it’s a good thing I brought my own gun.”

  Chapter 32

  The whole group turned as one. All their eyes grew wide and silence enveloped them. All that could be heard was the sound of their strained breathing and the ticking clock that seemed to pulse in time with their heartbeats. Josh pulled Rosa close, but he was hardly the one doing the protecting. It was only her strong, unwavering presence that kept him from collapsing. For one glorious second, as he had watched Bryan’s victorious face, he had thought the nightmare was over. Jim was guilty. While it didn’t seem to make much sense, Josh figured crazy people didn’t need a motive. He had been so wrong to think it ended with Jim. The real truth was enough to make him dizzy.

  “Andy . . . Andy, what are you doing?” Josh stammered.

  His gaze traveled from her face, twisted into a mask of fury, to the shiny pistol she clutched. Josh recognized the gun from her father’s office. They had snuck in there often enough to raid his liquor cabinet, and the gun was kept right beside his stash. Once his only child had grown up, Mr. Carpenter didn’t think it was necessary to keep it locked up anymore. What an idiot he had been—almost as big of an idiot as Josh.

  With the shock of Andrea’s betrayal still washing over him in waves, Josh couldn’t bring himself to move. Bryan was ready to pounce on the much smaller girl. He took only a few steps before he noticed that the barrel of the gun was pressed against Elena’s ribs. Bryan froze in mid-stride. Elena shook her head when she saw the completive look on his face. She knew he was trying to think of a way to get her out of harm’s way. She also knew that while Andrea had them backed up against the wall, there was no chance of Bryan succeeding without someone getting hurt.

  “Bryan, don’t come any closer!” Elena cried.

  “If I were you, I would listen to your pretty little girlfriend,” Andrea told Bryan when she noticed him shift his weight in deliberation. “As I’m sure you know by now, I’m not afraid to shoot.”

  “Oh man!” Kevin exclaimed. He finally moved from his chair and scooted closer to the others, stepping behind them to shield himself. “What the hell are you doing?”

  Andrea didn’t even acknowledge Kevin. She laughed humorlessly as she eyed the startled, pale faces that surrounded her. “The junior detectives should stick to their day jobs.” She sneered. “For a minute there, when Bryan was drilling me, I thought you had actually figured it out. You thought it was Jim. He doesn’t have the wits or the balls to pull this off.”

  “Andrea, please,” Jim begged. “Don’t say anymore.” He turned to Josh and the others,
his face desperate. “It was me, okay! I did it. I admit it. Andrea’s just trying to protect me. Don’t listen to her.”

  Josh shook his head. He knew it was the other way around. In his own way, Jim was just as sick and twisted as Andrea.

  Andrea protested. “You’re not taking the credit for all my hard work. You see this gun, Bryan? I used it to force your sister into writing that suicide note. I made her turn on the car in the garage.” Bryan had to clutch the side of the couch to keep from falling over. His heart wrenching groan seemed to amuse Andrea. “You wouldn’t believe how easy she was to kill. Not like Jasmine. That girl was a challenge. She really put up a fight.”

  “Andrea,” Jim pleaded desperately. “Please stop. You don’t know what you’re saying!

  “Why should I stop now?” she demanded. “Just look at them!” Andrea cackled again, glancing from one terrified face to another. Josh couldn’t see any hint of the friend he had known all his life in the wild green eyes that stared back at him. “You should see yourselves. You all look so shocked! I swear it’s been worth it just to see the expressions on your faces.”

  “For God sakes, Andy! How . . . why? What’s wrong with you?” Josh stuttered. “Why would you do this? Those poor girls. . . .” He shook his head again. “Why?”

  Andrea’s insane grin faded. The unbridled fury that replaced it was just as terrifying. “Why do you think I did it, Josh?”

  Josh shook his head. “I can’t even imagine. I thought we were friends.”

  “Friends.” She pushed Elena aside in her agitation so that she could focus her attention—and her firearm—on Josh. Josh was relieved to see Elena scoot over to Bryan. “You thought we were friends. You were always so blind, Josh. You never see what’s right in front of your face. Don’t you know that I love you? That I’ve always loved you?”