Gifts: A Killers Novel, Book 3 (The Killers)

by Brynne Asher

  Our radios alert us of another. When they run the locker number from the office, the secretary gives us the name of the student.

  “Levi Hollingsworth.”

  I still, but take in a quick breath, trying to keep my composure to cover my initial surprise. “That’s one of mine.”

  “Looks like we each have one so far.” Marcia sighs. “What a mess. How stupid can they be?”

  Trying to think quickly, I’m not sure what to do. I’ve worked with Levi since he was a freshman. I know him, but I don’t really know him. He’s got a full ride to play lacrosse. Dabbling in drugs—at school, no less—would be all kinds of stupid for him. He’ll lose his scholarship in a heartbeat and I’m pretty sure he’s eighteen—he’ll be charged as an adult. He gets good grades and he’s never been in trouble. This makes no sense.

  I raise the radio to my mouth. “This is Lockhart. You have your hands full. Hollingsworth is my student, I’ll bring him to the office.”

  I look to my coworkers. “I’m going to look up his schedule. I’ll be back.”

  I move back to my office and pull up Levi’s classes. Huh. He’s in AP Statistics.

  Who takes AP Stat and keeps drugs in their locker?

  A complete idiot, that’s who, which I don’t think Levi is. Either way, as the minutes tick by, the more frustrated I become.

  I barely know Asa and my experience with Levi is limited to helping him pick classes each year, as well as providing help with scholarships. I know it shouldn’t, but Asa talking all smooth and whatnot on the phone last night is clouding my judgment.

  I calm my face and try to pull it together as I open the door to AP Statistics and say to the teacher, “I need to see Levi, please.”

  I find him sitting in the middle of the class and he looks up from his textbook, appearing as surprised as I feel.

  When he gets up and starts for me, I add, “Bring your things.”

  This time he frowns before going back to pack his books. When he finally makes it out of the room, we start down the hall, and I slow my pace.

  “Ms. Lockhart, is there something wrong?” he breaks the silence.

  I hear another name come across my radio, but it’s not one of my students, so I lower the volume and stop in the hallway. “The police are here.”

  He tips his head and frowns deeper. “Why?”

  “The administration had some suspicions and brought in K-9 units.” I take a breath. “Levi, illegal substances were found in your locker.”

  The color drains from his face as an expression falls over his features that’s so similar to his father’s, I have to try hard not to think about Asa. Levi starts to breathe deeply, so much so, I take a step toward him, not knowing what to expect.

  I do know this isn’t the face of a young man who’s been caught doing something wrong. No, Levi Hollingsworth is trying to process how this could have happened.

  “Levi,” I lower my voice. “Do you use your locker?”

  He ignores my question and I can tell everything is starting to click because he becomes angry. “I didn’t do it,” he hisses, trying to keep his voice down. “I mean, whatever it is they think they found, it’s not mine. There has to be a mistake. It can’t be my locker. I’m not a druggie—at all.”

  His anger quickly grows into fury, and if he’s telling the truth, who can blame him? “Have you been to your locker today?”

  He exhales and runs a hand over his face as he thinks. “Yeah, but not since before school. I carry everything in my backpack ‘til lunch.”

  I look up and down the hall, knowing we need to be on our way to the office. Looking up at Levi, I explain, “I don’t know if he’s told you, but I know your father—through discussions about Emma.”

  He nods once. “Dad told me.”

  Okay, good. One less thing to explain to him here in the hall while the police are waiting. “Right. Here’s what’s going to happen—the police and Mr. White are going to question you. I don’t know what exactly was found, but we’ll learn soon enough. Your dad is going to be getting a call from the school. You might want to give him a heads up on our way to the office. I don’t know if they’ll let me, but I’ll try to stay with you, at least until your father gets here. Don’t waste any time, Levi. Make that call.”

  He digs his phone out of his back pocket and follows me as we slowly make our way back down to the first floor toward the office. All the while, listening to Levi explain to his dad what was happening was uncomfortable, to say the least.

  He hangs up when we get to the office. I pause before opening the door and lower my voice. “Try to be calm. If you’re truthful, I promise we’ll do everything we can to get to the bottom of it.”

  Taking in Levi Hollingsworth, I think his remaining calm will be a challenge. But he finally nods, even though he’s tense and appears to want to take someone out with his lacrosse stick.

  *****

  Asa

  I hung up with the principal not three minutes ago and am already pulling into the visitor parking lot of the campus. When Levi called, I could barely get a word in as he growled over the phone, but he did tell me Keelie was with him and I needed to get to the school fast.

  My son’s not a dumbass. I don’t think he’d fuck up his scholarship or his future. But really, if he was stupid enough to experiment, I don’t think he’d be stupid enough to bring that shit to school and keep it in his locker.

  I’m pissed, but I’m not sure who to be pissed at right now.

  After checking in at the front desk, I’m ushered to a back hall and taken to a small conference room. When I open the door, Levi is sitting at a table across from a man in a suit with a uniformed police officer standing beside him. I see movement to the side and there she is, Keelie, leaning against a wall. She bites her lip when our eyes meet, but I look back to my son and step into the room, closing the door behind me.

  The man in the suit stands and I offer my hand. “Asa Hollingsworth. Levi’s dad.”

  “Thanks for coming. I’m Brett White, Principal. This is Officer Lucas and Levi’s counselor, Ms. Lockhart. We were just discussing what we found in Levi’s locker this morning during a surprise drug search of the school.”

  Levi shifts in his chair to look up to me. “It’s not mine, Dad. I swear it. I keep telling them there was nothing there before school. I have no idea what’s going on.”

  “Calm down.” I hold my hand out to my son and look up to the officer. “What exactly did you find?”

  The officer steps forward and slides the contents out of a large manila folder. Three evidence baggies lay on the table in front of us, containing small amounts of pills, weed, and syringes.

  Levi raises his voice. “They’re not mine!”

  I cross my arms as I take in the shit laying in front of us. “Those don’t even go together.”

  The principal frowns at my comment but when I look to the officer, he has the decency to nod. “I’d agree with that.”

  “Does it matter?” Brett White asks.

  “If you don’t think it matters, then maybe we should lawyer up,” I threaten, and watch the principal’s face tense. “I’m just saying, it might make sense for a dealer, but for a user? No, way.”

  The officer adds, “I will say, in all my years doing this, I’ve never seen evidence lying out in plain view. As soon as we opened the locker, we didn’t even have to dig. It was all sitting there, tossed on a pile of books.”

  “I don’t know what to say.” Levi, who’s intense and agitated, leans forward and points to the evidence on the table. “That’s not mine. I threw those books in the bottom of my locker this morning before school. They’re for my afternoon classes.” He turns to me, his expression frantic. “Dad, do something!”

  “The cameras.” I look at Keelie after she speaks and she widens her eyes as she shrugs a shoulder. “It would be worth checking the recordings.”

  “There’re cameras?” I ask.

  “Yes,” Brett White confirms. �
�All the hallways are under surveillance.”

  “If Levi is telling the truth,” Keelie offers, “then this will be an easy fix.”

  I look back to the principal. “When can this be done?”

  Brett stands and looks to the officer. “We can pull up the feed now if you have time.”

  Keelie pushes away from the wall and states in a firm voice, “If we’ve gone to all this effort, I can’t imagine there wouldn’t be time. After all, it is within Levi’s rights to have that video pulled. If there’s anything there, Officer, I’m sure you’ll want to add that to your evidence, right?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” the Officer agrees, and follows the principal out of the room after collecting the so-called evidence, leaving me alone with Keelie and my son.

  “Dad, what the fuck? That shit is not mine.”

  “I didn’t think it was. And watch your mouth,” I add. If we can’t prove that shit’s not Levi’s, his language will be the last thing Danielle will be pissed at me about.

  Keelie takes the few steps toward the door and looks back. “I’ll go watch them pull the video.”

  I catch her arm and stop her before she leaves. “Thanks.”

  She looks at Levi before widening her eyes at me. “Don’t thank me yet.”

  She pulls out of my hold to leave and I sit down next to my son, but he doesn’t say a word. He puts his elbows to the table and buries his face in his hands where he mumbles, repeating, “I didn’t do it, Dad.”

  I sigh. “Okay, son.”

  He looks up immediately and reiterates firmly, “I didn’t.”

  “Like I said, I don’t think you would. I still really hope you didn’t.”

  He leans back and crosses his arms. “What if they don’t find anything on the tape?”

  I wonder the same thing, but try to make him feel better. “We’ll cross that bridge if we get to it.”

  He shakes his head and then, as if he all of a sudden remembers something, he asks, “Are you really dating my counselor?”

  I raise a brow and tell him the truth because after reading her history last night, I’m not sure what the fuck I’m doing. I do know if I pursue Keelie Lockhart, it’s a whole other ballgame that I didn’t expect. “I’m not doing anything yet.”

  “Emma said you’re a freak over her. Said it was embarrassing and our lives at school will never be the same.”

  “She did, did she?”

  “I don’t care.” He frowns and gestures to the room, emphasizing the current situation he’s in. “She’s cool. I’m good with it.”

  I look up to the ceiling and shake my head. Never thought I’d be sitting at my kid’s school after they found drugs in his locker as he tells me he’s good with me being with his widowed counselor.

  What the hell? I’m forty-fucking-three and have no fucking clue what I’m doing. This full-time parenting shit isn’t easy. I rub my face wondering how I ever thought traveling the world while taking out the scum of the earth was hard. That shit was easy compared to this.

  Chapter 7

  Transparent

  Keelie

  I watch the recording of a student I’m not familiar with use a master key to get into Levi’s locker while, of all people, Maggie Stockton, stood as lookout. The boy who tossed the drugs and paraphernalia inside looked much older than the freshman girl I made a visit to on Friday. My instincts last week were right on, but what she’s into or how deep? I have no idea.

  “I knew it.” I put my hands to my hips and let out the breath I’ve been holding. I’m not sure who I was more nervous for—Levi because I didn’t want to believe he would compromise his future, Asa, because for the first time in forever a man is making my insides churn and I didn’t want him to go through this, or relief for myself professionally since I demanded to see the video. “Levi’s a good kid. It just didn’t add up.”

  “Can you ID those students?” the officer asks.

  “The girl is Maggie Stockton,” I offer.

  “Unfortunately, I’d recognize him a mile away. That’s Terry Mosher.” Brett exhales and sounds exhausted even though it’s only lunchtime. “He spent plenty of time in my office over the past two years. He’s skated the line, but we’ve never caught him stepping over it like this.”

  “We’re going to need a copy of the video. I assume you’ll keep a copy, for their records?” the officer asked Brett.

  “Yes.” My principal leans back in his chair. “This is a mess. Not only have we had five hits this morning, but now we have students setting up other students.”

  “Levi seems to get along with everyone. I wonder what he did to be targeted?” I ask.

  “I don’t know, but we’ll do everything we can to figure it out. I’ll pull Terry from class. Maggie is Tom’s student, he can get her and we’ll question them separately.” Brett stands and looks to me. “Hollingsworth should stay put in case we have any questions for him, but do you want to deliver the news that he’s clear?”

  I smile. “That’s news I’d love to deliver.”

  I go back to the conference room where I’m sure Asa and Levi are stressed to the gills. When I open the door, my thoughts are confirmed. Two sets of deep, dark hazel eyes snap to me before I step through the door and close it.

  “Well?” Levi’s tone is insistent and demanding.

  I try to give him a reassuring smile, but I’m not sure anything can make up for what he’s had to go through all morning. “You’re good, Levi. Video surveillance doesn’t lie. Someone got into your locker.”

  The poor guy. His eyes immediately fall right before his head does. He quickly recovers, hiding any emotion, even though he’s justly deserving of it. He nods and looks to his father—his voice thick and laced with conviction. “I told you.”

  “You did.” Asa stands and grasps his son’s shoulder and I can tell he’s relieved as well. That is, until he crosses his arms and the air surrounding him becomes so thick, I’d need a machete to break through. His eyes narrow, his beautiful jaw covered in his clipped beard clenches, and it feels as if he’s towering over me when he demands, “Who the fuck did this to my son?”

  Wow. Just witnessing Asa Hollingsworth angry and leap into protection mode for his son sends my insides into a flurry of tornadic activity.

  Shit, shit, shit.

  *****

  Asa

  Keelie’s eyes get big and she shifts her weight uncomfortably. “Mr. White said he’d like you to wait here so he can speak to you.”

  “Tell me who did it,” I demand. Someone just tried to fuck with my son’s future. No way does that happen without consequences. I can’t even try to hide how fucking angry I am.

  She shakes her head. “I can’t. Mr. White wants Levi to stay here in case he has any questions. Maybe he’ll divulge who it—”

  “I know,” I interrupt. “You’ve said that before—you can’t speak about other students. I get that. But this isn’t girls being mean. Levi’s eighteen. He could’ve been charged, fucking up his future. He has a right to know who it is.”

  She lowers her voice, trying to calm me. “I agree.”

  “I want to talk to the principal. Now.”

  “He’s questioning other students as we speak. I’m not sure how long it will take—”

  She’s interrupted when the door opens and the principal is back, this time much friendlier since he knows my son isn’t either doing drugs or dealing them, and offers me his hand again. “Mr. Hollingsworth, I’m glad we got it all cleared up. Levi, sorry you had to go through that.” He takes a seat across from Levi, but there’s no way I can calm down enough to sit right now. “While the police are processing information, I wanted to ask you a few questions. Have you had any issues, disagreements, or problems lately? Anything that would spur something like this on?”

  Levi doesn’t even take a moment to think. “No. Not at all. Look, I’m just as sick of high school as the next guy. I want to graduate and move on to college. I hang with my friends and Carissa, that’s
it.”

  “No one’s holding a grudge against you? In school or even lacrosse?”

  Levi shakes his head. “I don’t know why they would.”

  The questions continue and Levi has no answers.

  Finally, when the principal seems convinced my son has no helpful information, I interrupt, “I want to know who was on that video.”

  “I’m sorry.” Brett gets up to leave. “It’s school policy. I can’t discuss other students with you. I need to get back. Ms. Lockhart will see you out.”

  I watch the guy leave, shutting the door behind him, and turn to Keelie. Before I open my mouth to demand it, she looks away from me and to Levi when she asks, “Do you know Terry Mosher?”

  Levi looks confused. “I think I might’ve had a class with him a couple years ago, but other than that, no. We don’t hang in the same groups.”

  “That’s who did it?” I ask, pissed yet surprised, Keelie gave that up.

  “A girl was with him,” she adds carefully and her eyes come to me. “Maggie Stockton.”

  I tense and she gives me barely a nod. When I look to Levi, I ask, “You have a beef with either one of them?”

  Levi frowns. “No. I don’t even talk to them.”

  “There’s no denying what’s been done, especially by Mosher,” Keelie says. “Video doesn’t lie and there’s a clear view of the drugs as he tossed them in Levi’s locker. Mosher’s eighteen—my guess is the police will take it from here. His consequences here at school will be the least of his worries.” She gives Levi a reassuring smile. “You’re all good, Levi.”

  It’s well after lunch and I’m sure Levi wants to get out of here. “I’m gonna pull Emma from class and take them both home. The day’s almost over. Levi can come back for practice.”

  Keelie looks at her watch. “I’m behind on everything, but I’ll walk you out while you wait on Emma.”

  Levi doesn’t argue and is up and out of the room before I can say another word. When we all get to the office, Maggie exits another door with her parents filing out behind her. She’s red in the face with swollen eyes from crying and her parents look like they could wring her neck.