Undercover Justice

by Laura DeLanoy

  Chapter 6

  The next morning, I carefully tucked the note back into my handbag after reading it again, and set it on the floor beside my feet while balancing the three boxes of pizza we had just picked up.

  Looking at Kent, I said, “I think we should show the group.”

  “I’ll be honest. I don’t know how much to trust Jed,” Kent said, as he pulled the car out of our driveway.

  “He was there with me. He wasn’t involved, if anything he was just as surprised as I was.”

  “I’m not implying he was involved. I just think he could be trouble. I don’t think you should get involved with him.”

  “I’m not involved with him, for goodness sakes. We only just met him yesterday,” I said exasperated. “Is this because of the scene with the cop we saw?”

  “All I’m saying, is that he is not someone in your usual crowd. He looks rough, and like I said before, trouble.”

  “You don’t have to worry, I’m sure he wouldn’t be interested in someone like me. Besides, what makes you think I am interested in someone like him?” I said, with what I hoped was a suitable tone of uninterest.

  “I am your twin,” Kent reminded me, in a ‘that explains everything’ tone.

  Being twins, we have both found that it was impossible to hide what we were thinking from the other.

  He had me there. I couldn’t deny that I was attracted to Jed. Any living breathing female would find his dark handsome good looks irresistible. Add in the mystery and aura of danger surrounding him, and it made one lethal combination.

  The problem was, he was WAY out of my league. Not only in his dangerous reputation, but also in life, he looked and acted like there was nothing he wasn’t capable of, and he oozed self-confidence. I am sure he was the type who didn’t take no for an answer. When he wanted something, he didn’t stop until he got it. He was the kind of guy you would want on your side in a fight.

  Many rumors were already circulating in school about him. I heard more than one person saying he was trouble. Christ commands us to treat others how we would want to be treated, no matter how much we disliked them. I felt bad that some were avoiding him because of what they had heard about him.

  “He is part of our group. If we are going to talk about what happened, then it will involve Jed also,” I reminded Kent.

  “That’s fine. I just don’t want you getting any ideas where he’s concerned, until we know more about him.”

  I know he was just concerned because I really didn’t date much. For the most part it was nice having a brother look out for me and be protective. Other times, it was downright annoying. This was one of those times.

  Pulling up to the high school, we drove around the side looking for the door into the science club.

  “Oh, look there’s Jed and... Ollie?” As we pulled up, we watched Ollie get off the back of Jed’s motorcycle.

  I wonder why Jed gave Ollie a ride. It seemed strange that Ollie’s parents would let him ride on the back of a motorcycle with…Jed. Remembering the incident with the cop last night, I suddenly felt nervous about seeing Jed again. I was pretty sure I had seen him look up just as we were passing. He had to have seen us, watching him get frisked. If that’s what you call it.

  Charlotte pulled up next to us as we were getting out of the car. I momentarily forgot my nervousness, I was glad to see her. Getting out, before she could open her door, I stood there waiting for her. With a huge smile on her face, she opened the door and got out.

  Looking right past me she said, “Hi! Kent, how are you?” Noticing I was in her way, she said quickly, “Oh, hi Nora.” Grabbing the two liters of pop from her back seat, she quickly walked over to where Kent was standing on the sidewalk. I could hear her talking up a storm as she opened the door and walked inside. I just stood there with my mouth hanging open. So it was like that was it? Apparently, Charlotte likes my brother and I’m just an afterthought.

  I will admit that watching my brother’s face light up when he saw her made me feel good. Charlotte seems like a really nice girl. Kent has dated some very stuck-up and mean spirited girls. Of course, he doesn’t see it until they break up with him.

  Closing my mouth, I turned toward the door, only to find Jed a couple feet away grinning at me quite wolfishly. I gasped. He must have snuck up on me when I was still standing there with my mouth open. My heart felt like it was going into shock. Frantically, I looked around for Ollie, Kent, anybody. Backing up against the car, I warily watched him as he sauntered closer.

  “I can tell by the way you look, that you saw my run in with the cops,” he said huskily.

  “No... I mean um...yeah,” I said.

  “Are you scared of me now?” he asked looking away and swallowing hard. Jed hated the thought of Nora being scared of him, but he figured scaring her away, was the best way to fight the attraction between the two of them. He was nervous that she would see right through his tough guy act, but on the other hand, desperately wanted her to accept him for who he was. Most people, his whole life had been wary of him. It had made for a lonely life at times. If not for his grandfather and Skip and Betty, he would have been alone his teenage years.

  It was almost as if he was nervous or something, I thought. As if my answer meant a lot to him.

  My heart was beating so fast, I thought it was going to jump out of my chest. Fighting my attraction for him was going to be harder than resisting my favorite double chocolate molten lava cake. He turned to look at me, his dark eyes looking straight into mine. I felt like he was looking at every thought that was streaming through my head. I knew in that moment I was lost. It felt like my brain and my heart were at war with each other. I had a sneaking suspicion that my heart was winning the battle.

  Taking my silence as my consent, he started backing away. I could tell he was hurt, but trying not to show it.

  “No,” I blurted out.

  “What?” he said his eyes searching mine again.

  Finding my voice, I heard myself say boldly, “No, I’m not afraid of you.”

  “Oh really?” he said with complete male confidence, seeing right through me, “You should be.”

  Backing me up further against the car, he towered over me. Our bodies were a hairs width apart. I could feel the heat radiating off of him. Looking down at me with his dark eyes, he said smugly “This doesn’t make you nervous?”

  My heart started racing. He was way to close. I am honest to admit that a small part of me was curious about the feelings I was experiencing being so close to him. The other part recognized the danger.

  Putting both my hands up to push him away, I felt his solid chest and quickly dropped them to my side. Glancing back up at him, I said shakily, “Please move back.”

  Holding my gaze, he whispered, “I don’t think I can.”

  I was out of my league here. I was fast forgetting everything, where I was, what I was supposed to be doing, and that I wasn’t supposed to be getting involved with him.

  Our eyes locked.

  “What do you think you’re doing!”? Kent yelled, angrily from the door.

  Backing away from me, Jed spread his hands wide and turned to Kent saying, “Just saying hi to your sister. Calm down.”

  “I will NOT calm down. You stay away from her you hear me!” he said striding over to Jed.

  Seeing a fight coming, I stepped in between them putting a hand on each of their chests. Kent may be tall, but Jed was just as big and more muscular.

  “You!” I said, pointing to Kent, “I can live my own life, I don’t need you always stepping in for me. I am fine,” I stressed to Kent giving him the eye. To Jed I said, “You! Stop looking so smug.”

  Turning away from them both, I marched into the room and slammed the door behind me. Men!

  Looking up at me, Charlotte and Ollie stared, surprised.

  Rushing over, Charlotte said, “What’s the matter? Where are Kent and Jed?”

  “Probably killing each other,” I said crossly, stomping
over to the drinking fountain, my mouth suddenly dry.

  Gasping, Charlotte yanked open the door and quickly ran out with Ollie close on her heels.

  To my surprise, everyone walked calmly back in the door not a minute later.

  “What was going on?” Charlotte mouthed when no one was looking.

  I shrugged, “I’ll tell you later,” I mouthed back.

  Apparently, whatever happened after I left didn’t result in anything physical. Neither one of them looked like they had been in a fight. My curiosity aroused, I looked from one to the other, hoping for some clue as to what they had said to each other. Nothing.

  Jed calmly took a seat next to me and Kent sat across from me sending me a quick wink. A wink? What the heck? I thought having a twin brother gave me unique insight into the way guys thought and operated, but I guess not.

  Ollie looked around the table at each of us and then shrugged. “Okay…let’s get started. I don’t think Jed was with us when we filled Nora in on what we found out about room 35.”

  As Charlotte and I set out the pizza and the drinks, Ollie filled Jed in on room 35 being one of the Mayor’s private rooms. Jed didn’t seem surprised to hear that the Mayor had lied. Instead he was nodding.

  “So we know he’s hiding something. Did anyone else find out anything more?”

  Shaking our heads, I looked up to find Kent giving me the eye. “What?” I asked silently with a shrug of my shoulder, taking a bite out of my pizza.

  To everyone, he said, “Last night at the country club someone gave Nora a note warning us not to ask any more questions.”

  To me, he said, “Nora, give Jed the note, we might as well tell everyone.” I gave him a questioning look. The last I had heard, he didn’t want to trust Jed with anything. Something had happened out there, and I was more determined than ever to find out what. Since when did Kent just decide to be buddy-buddy with Jed?

  Pulling the letter out of my bag, I handed it to Jed who looked at me strangely. He was angry I realized. At me? I don’t think it’s at me, but then why…?

  “Someone sent you a threatening letter?” he asked, opening it up. Reading it, he jumped up and began to pace. I could tell he was upset. Looking at Kent to help, I said, “Do something.”

  “Jed,” Kent said.

  That didn’t work so Ollie shouted forcefully, “Jed!”

  “What?” he said stopping in the middle of the room.

  “We’re all still here. Come sit back down, we need to figure out what to do now.”

  Grinning sheepishly, he walked back to the table, “You’re right, I guess I got a little carried away. Ok, here’s what we're going to do...”

  Pulling out his chair, he flipped it around and sat down with his arms over the backrest.

  “Have any of you heard about the two teenagers who have disappeared in the last couple of months?” At our nods, he continued. “Do any of you know Mark Mason? He’s currently missing, as of two days ago. That makes three missing boys in the last six months.”

  “Mark!” Charlotte gasped, “He’s in our science club, I can’t believe he’s missing. Poor Mark!”

  “What does that have to do with the Mayor’s office, and why do you know about Mark before anyone else?” I asked.

  “I just do, ok. Don’t ask so many questions because I can’t answer them. Let’s just say I have inside information.”

  “Just trust him ok,” Kent told me. Looking from me to Jed, he then added. “Just don’t trust him too much.”

  Winking at me, much to my mortification, Jed looked at the rest of the group. “Does anyone else want to question me?”

  “Nope,” Ollie said with a grin.

  “I’m sure you know what you’re doing. You look like that kind of guy,” Charlotte said graciously.

  Nodding his thanks, he said, “I am pretty sure that what we saw in the Mayor’s room was Mark struggling with his captors. They wanted something that he didn’t have and so they took him. So far there is no evidence as to why or how these kids disappeared. We have the first real link and clue with the symbol Nora found.”

  “Did you give it to the police? Does anyone remember what it looked like and what it said?” Kent asked.

  Taking out her notebook, Charlotte opened it up. “I copied it down before Jed left.”

  “Great Job!” Jed said smiling at her. “I want you all to look at it and study it. Then keep your eyes open at school. It must mean something and until we figure out what that is, we aren’t going to know what they are trying to hide, or why they don’t want us asking anymore questions.”

  Because the main reason we had all gotten together was to discuss our project, we spent some time going over it.

  “I know everyone has other things to do today, so if you want to give me your notes on the interviews you did at the Mayor’s office I will start typing them up,” Ollie offered.

  Typical Ollie, I thought, remembering that he likes to do things his way. Smiling, I gladly handed over my notes. At this moment, the last thing I wanted to worry about was my project.

  Reaching over to grab the empty pizza boxes, I stood up and carried them over to the garbage can in the corner of the room. Looking at my watch I realized that I only had ten minutes before Gabby was going to pick me up to go shopping for our prom dresses.

  “Charlotte have you gotten a dress for prom yet?” I asked, her after I walked back to the table. “My friend Gabby Smith and I are going to the mall to look at dresses. She is picking me up in a few minutes. Would you like to come with us?”

  “Oh, no thanks, I already have a dress. My mom is altering her old dress for me, if I get a date that is. Do you have a date? Who are you going with?”

  Four pair of eyes looked over at me. Mortified I mumbled, “Um…no I don’t have a date yet. Things didn’t work out like I thought.”

  “Oh! I am so sorry for asking you that in front of the guys,” Charlotte said quietly to me. “I take it, you and Tyler are not together then?”

  Surprised, I wasn’t aware other people in school outside our circle of friends thought we were going to get together. After all, Tyler had just recently broken up with someone else. We HAD been spending more time together in school. I thought we were becoming an item, but apparently not. “Actually, he never intended for us to get together,” I admitted.

  “I’m sorry, I just thought…”

  “That’s ok,” I interrupted. No need to dwell on it. “The invitation still stands if you would like to go with us anyway.”

  “Oh, thanks, maybe I will.”

  Gathering up our stuff, I was careful not to look at Jed as we said goodbye to the guys and wandered outside to wait for Gabby. I didn’t want to see his reaction to the news that I didn’t have a date for prom. A part of me, hoped he would be glad to hear it, but I didn’t want to be disappointed if he looked like he didn’t care.

  “I am truly sorry that things with Tyler didn’t work out,” Charlotte said after we were out of earshot.

  “You know, surprisingly I am not that upset about it,” I told her and realized that I meant it.

  “Could that be because of a certain good looking guy in there?” she teased.

  Blushing, I allowed myself to picture going to the prom with Jed. I didn’t even really know him, and yet for some reason I was drawn to him. It wasn’t just his looks, or even the mystery surrounding him, it was the way he looked at me. The way I felt being near him.

  “Ok, I admit it, I may have a small crush on Jed, but don’t tell ANYONE. My family wants me to stay away from him.”

  “Why,” Charlotte asked puzzled.

  I told her about the incident with the police we saw last night. She understood that I would be hesitant to get involved with someone in trouble with the law.

  “Did you ask Jed about it?”

  “I started to, and then he distracted me.”

  “Does that have anything to do with why you thought Kent and Jed were fighting outside?”

&nbs
p; “Kent came out and caught Jed trying to...um… kiss me,” I said clearing my throat.

  “What!” Charlotte squealed.

  Not one to kiss and tell, I shrugged and said, “Sometimes Kent can be over protective.”

  “At least you have a brother who can look out for you,” Charlotte said wistfully. She was an only child whose parent weren’t home much. They were always at work, trying to make ends meet.

  “That’s true,” I admitted. If I were being truthful, I would also admit that I was a tiny bit relieved that Kent had interrupted us. Even though I tried to pretend otherwise, Jed was a little intimidating.

  Just then, Gabby pulled up. Relieved to have something else to focus on, I walked over to meet her. Introducing Charlotte, I said,” Do you mind if she comes with us?”

  “Of course not. Hi! I’m Gabby, it’s nice to meet you,” she said sticking out her hand for Charlotte. “I think we have a class together, don’t we?”

  “You’re right, we have P.E. together,” Charlotte said smiling, shaking her hand.

  “Ugh!” They both said in unison.

  Laughing, we all got into Gabby’s car. Sitting back, I concentrated on forgetting all about room 35, the warning note, and my growing attraction to Jedediah Greyson.

  Chapter 7

  We were giggling so hard at something Gabby said, that I wasn’t watching where I was walking as we entered the mall. Knocking into Charlotte, I stumbled. Catching myself, I happened to look behind us. I saw a man slowly walking towards us. He was wearing a dark baseball cap with a black windbreaker over blue jeans. Very normal, common clothing, but something about him seemed familiar. Shrugging, I turned back to my friends.

  “Do you want to hit Macy’s first?” Gabby asked.

  “Sure. I think it’s over to the right,” I said pointing. As expected, the mall was pretty crowded. Being the only mall with major department stores in the tri-county area, it was a big hangout for this area’s teenagers.

  Making our way toward Macy’s, we paused to window shop as we went. Stopping at a kiosk that sold sunglasses, we took turns trying on the latest styles.