“I’ve got to go. I’ll call you later.”
For the second time that day, I hung up on him. Then I tried to mimic Sebastian’s own casually dismissive expression to hide my hurt.
“As entertaining as your attempts at puppy love are to watch, you have more important things to focus on, like how to be of assistance to me.”
“You’ve got that last part backwards.” It wasn’t exactly my wittiest comeback, but given the current state of my life, I was willing to count the absence of humiliation as a win. “You’ve gone through my stuff, right?”
“You think I’d lower myself to searching your belongings?” He did that annoying answering a question with a question thing.
I didn’t even have to think it over. “Absolutely.”
Sebastian’s eyes flashed with amusement. “I’m touched, especially since you called me—what was it again?—oh right, ‘not always a jackass.’ I’m starting to think you like me.”
I choked at the thought. “Not even a little. Did you make any progress with the Slate you stole while I was sleeping?” I put some extra bite into my tone so he'd know I wasn't joking around.
“If I had, I wouldn’t be having this lovely chat with you.”
No matter what I did or said some boy always seemed to be standing nearby, ready to tell me that I was wrong or naive or making an enormous mistake. I clenched my teeth.
“So you tried and failed to crack the code. That must sting, given that he was your grandfather. Shouldn’t you have some firsthand knowledge into the inner workings of his mind?”
That wiped the smile off Sebastian’s face. “My grandpa was too smart to pick something obvious. He wouldn’t use his birthday, or mine, for that matter.”
“That’s why you were supposed to use your insight to figure it out. Wait a second,” I gasped in mock surprise. “Are you telling me that you don’t know everything? Wow. Who would’ve guessed? Oh, that’s right. Me.”
“I told you, if he wanted me to have the Slate he would’ve handed it to me.”
I dimly remembered him saying something along those lines right before the world had gone black. That was no reason for me to give an inch, though. Not when he’d made it clear that he considered me an incompetent failure ever since our interaction at the police precinct.
“Then maybe you should leave the real investigative work to me instead of worrying your pretty little head,” I said.
I would have seen red if he’d said those words, which was probably why it felt so damn good to watch his eyes harden. Then he stretched out, lounging on his bed, his anger betrayed only by the telltale tightening of his jaw.
“Does this mean you’ve finally come up with a plan?” Sebastian looked skeptical, probably because for the past two days my answer had been a resounding, “I don’t have the faintest idea what I’m doing, but thanks for asking.”
“Actually, yes.” I pulled up the most recent call log on my phone. “I’m calling in backup.”
“Your backup called me a jackass right before you hung up on him. Or did I misinterpret that fascinating teen soap opera?”
I smiled tightly. “That’s why it’s good to have more than one best friend. Sorry, I guess I should explain. Friendship must be an unfamiliar concept to you since it doesn’t involve buying or bribing loyalty.”
Sebastian remained unimpressed. “This coming from the girl who made a dozen enemies on her first day.”
“That’s only because the people here suck.”
“Sure. Keep telling yourself that.”
I raised my hand over my lips in the universal shushing gesture before calling Audrey. Sebastian continued right on talking. “So you’re trying to rope somebody else into solving your problems. Such a shame your boyfriend couldn’t take care of it for you.”
“Shut up!” I hissed.
Unfortunately my timing left something to be desired.
“Is that a new form of greeting you’re trying out, Em?” Audrey asked. “I’ve got to say, I’m not a fan. Call me a traditionalist, but I prefer a simple hello.”
I closed my eyes and instantly regretted the gesture since my nap hadn’t eliminated my exhaustion. It had only sandpapered the roughest of the sleep-deprived edges.
“How’s it going, Audrey?” I said obediently, as Sebastian scoffed in disgust.
“I’ve been better. My best friend thinks someone wants her dead, so I’ve started researching nearby insane asylums.”
“I think they prefer the term ‘mental health facilities’ now.”
“Yeah? Well, I’d prefer for you not to become an inmate—”
“Resident,” I corrected.
“Whatever! You’re driving me crazy, Em!”
My lecture on political correctness could wait. “I kind of need a favor.”
“Did you not hear anything I just said?”
Mostly what I’d heard was that she needed me to grovel. “I should have called earlier. I’m sorry. Ben has already yelled at me for forgetting to charge my phone. Now is there any chance you gave that project I mentioned earlier any more thought?”
Audrey snorted. “The one where I hack a dead man’s tablet? I hoped you were kidding.”
“I wasn’t.”
“It’s not too late to change your mind, like, oh say, now for example. Before I spend any more time on this project.”
I couldn’t help grinning. Audrey loved to stress the time-consuming nature of all her undertakings. I suspected it came from having a mother who could barely work a TV remote, but dismissed Audrey’s passion for programming as a “little hobby.” Audrey’s mom had never been subtle about her desire for her oldest daughter to go into engineering or medicine. Her dad mostly stayed out of those conversations, although he quietly appreciated her ability to hack their neighbor’s Netflix account so that he could watch House of Cards.
“Can you do it?” I asked simply. “You’re kind of my last resort. So if this is beyond you, I need to figure out something else. Fast.”
“You definitely need another plan.”
My stomach dropped, panic seizing control of my vocal cords, right before I heard one of my favorite sounds. Audrey sighing. I knew I had her.
“I can give it a shot, but I’m not making any promises.”
“Really?” I twirled in place on the Moroccan rug, loving the soft texture beneath my toes. “You’re okay with that?”
I could practically hear Audrey’s shrug in her voice. “It won’t kill me to try. Probably.”
I grinned. “If it makes you feel any better, nothing bad has happened since I parodied ‘Call Me Maybe’ for the psychopath. So either he wants nothing to do with me or he’s plotting how to make it really hurt.”
“Next time throw some One Direction lyrics his way,” Audrey suggested sarcastically. “He doesn’t know he’s a psychopath and that’s what makes him a psychopath. I’m sure he’ll appreciate the gesture.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” My shoulders relaxed slightly as the easy comfort of her voice slid over me. “Can you come over here now?”
Sebastian’s low, “Why am I not surprised?” filled the momentary silence.
“It’s almost one in the morning.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“I have school tomorrow. Scratch that, I have school today. I need to get up in less than seven hours.”
Ignoring Sebastian’s knowing smirk, I concentrated on my best friend. “Look, I know it’s a lot to ask, but I need you, Aud. So—”
“Promise me there will be coffee. Lots of it.”
I made no attempt to hide my smile. “Done. I’m sending a car to pick you up right now.”
Audrey’s disbelief traveled through the phone. “Um, who is paying for that, Emmy?”
“Sebastian St. James,” I announced with relish.
“Well, in that case, I’ll raid the minibar.”
Audrey disconnected, probably so that she could grab every piece of equipment that might theoretically co
me in handy, leaving me supremely aware of the fact that I was still in Sebastian’s bedroom. Oh, and that the boy in question was scowling at me from his very large, very appealing bed. His high thread count sheets probably felt like a cloud of unicorn hair.
Audrey wasn’t the only one who desperately needed a caffeine boost.
“Care to share what you volunteered me for?” Sebastian didn’t sound particularly concerned. If anything, he seemed amused, like I was a crappy infomercial trying too hard to sell him something that he didn’t want.
“You’re going to ask Force to drive Audrey. Right now.”
He shook his head with mock regret. “I don’t do favors for Audrey Weinstein. Ever. That’s nonnegotiable.”
“Because she caught your friend stealing her phone? That makes sense.”
Sebastian’s eyes iced over. “I don’t help people who hurt my friends.”
If the situation was reversed I’d be equally protective of Audrey or Ben, but I didn’t have the luxury of caring about his personal reservations. He needed to get over them. Now.
Because there was nobody I trusted more to have my back.
“How badly do you want to help your grandfather?” I said, bluntly. “He gave that Slate to me and I’m a package deal with Audrey. So here’s my first lesson for you: Sometimes you have to work with people you don’t particularly like in order to get what you want.”
Sebastian’s mouth twisted into the distant cousin of a smile. “Alright, Emmy. We can play this out your way—for now. Just remember, if anything goes wrong, it’ll be on you.”
Yeah, I didn’t need any reminders on that score.
Chapter 26
Audrey’s arrival shouldn’t have felt like a big deal.
We’d seen each other at least five days a week—usually more—for the past seven years. Even though my math skills left a lot to be desired, I figured we had clocked in well over ten thousand hours together. So it shouldn’t have felt like my birthday and Christmas and New Year’s all wrapped into one explosion of awesome when a familiar black town car pulled up to the manor house and Audrey climbed out of the back seat. Except it did.
The force of my hug nearly tackled her, as she tentatively patted me on the back. “You okay, Em?”
“Never better.”
“Uh-huh. Okay. Well, you’re starting to cut off my oxygen—”
I laughed, releasing my stranglehold to affectionately swat at her arm. “It took you long enough. Did Force take you sightseeing or something?”
Audrey glanced apprehensively over her shoulder at the very tall, imposing figure of a man who still looked fully capable of cracking my head open like a walnut. He didn’t smile at me, but his wooden expression no longer disconcerted me. Maybe because Force ranked significantly lower on the list of the people who had reason to hate me than my dance teacher.
“How’s it going, Newton? Stab anyone lately?”
Audrey gasped, clutching on to my arm, and making a futile attempt to drag me away. There was no way Force could have missed Audrey’s reaction, but his expression remained calm.
“Not yet. It’s still on my to-do list.” He nodded once at Audrey before heading off into the darkness, ostensibly to take care of whatever outranked “murder” on his agenda.
“Do you have a death wish?!” Audrey hissed the instant she thought he was out of hearing range. “Stop. Provoking. Strangers.”
I shrugged. “Force thinks it’s funny.”
“Um, are we talking about the same guy? The silent behemoth who drove me here isn’t a stand-up comic. I’m not sure he even knows how to smile.” Audrey’s grip tightened. “Just because you think something is funny, doesn’t mean you should say it!”
I wanted to point out that Force was probably sick of people tiptoeing around him, and that if he hadn’t appreciated my teasing he would’ve put an end to it. There’s no way you get the nickname “Force” without being able to kill an unwanted topic of conversation. Since he hadn’t scared me witless with a death glare, I was inclined to say that we were friends.
Sharing that wouldn’t make Audrey feel any better about my personal safety, so I took her advice and kept it to myself.
“C’mon, let’s get you that coffee.” I ushered her inside the manor house, which looked even more regal now than it had my first night. The gray stonework, the high cathedral arches, the intricate stained glass windows that were swallowed up by the darkness but which didn’t need to be seen in order to be felt. The entire structure dominated with a sense of its own self-importance.
“Holy crap. This place is insane.”
I grinned in total agreement. “The weirdest part is that everyone thinks it’s totally normal for a school to be a few flying buttresses short of a Gothic church. Well, okay, Kayla appreciates the absurdity, but that’s only because she’s also here on a scholarship.”
Audrey stiffened but her pace never slowed as we moved through the manor house. “Right. Kayla. Are we meeting up with her?”
“I think she’s sleeping.” I stared in amazement as the tension in Audrey’s body began to ease. “Wait, are you actually jealous right now?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she said quickly. Too quickly. The same way she had assured me that she was fine the first time I spent the night at Ben’s without her. Even knowing that her parents never would’ve been comfortable letting me crash on their couch in order to avoid my mom’s new boyfriend, it had still made her feel excluded. As if we’d somehow shoved her out of the inner circle. It had seemed ridiculous to me, but that didn’t change how it had made her feel.
“If there’s ever a zombie apocalypse—”
“You mean when there’s a zombie apocalypse,” Audrey corrected.
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever. You’ll still be the first person I call.”
Audrey shook her head and laughed. “There are so many problems with that statement, I don’t even know where to begin. Telecommunication will be down, for starters, and the subway system will be an all-you-can-eat zombie buffet. I love you dearly, Em, but you won’t last an hour with the zombies.”
“Hey!” I said indignantly. “I’m being stalked by a ninja assassin right now and I’m still alive. That’s got to count for something, right?”
Audrey groaned. “No, it doesn’t. This—right here—this is why people want to kill you.”
I pushed open the door leading out of the manor house. It was the fastest way to reach the enormous grassy lawn that was surrounded by all the most important buildings, including the computer lab. And I wanted to actually talk to my best friend without disturbing Kayla in the process. Audrey didn't stop twisting and craning her neck so that she could get a good look at everything we passed. If Emptor Academy was the kind of place that gave tours to prospective students, the picturesque cobblestone pathways and manicured lawns would be a strong selling point. Except the sight of Peyton, even without her minion horde, lounging on the steps of the girls’ dormitory would have sent the smartest kids scurrying for the nearest exit. I had no idea what Peyton was planning at two in the freaking morning, but I had a feeling that Sebastian was involved. Either she was going to warn me away from him or she was lurking around on his behalf. I couldn't get a read on that relationship, but if they were ever cast as the protagonists in a novel it would be the kind of story that ended tragically for everyone.
She straightened, tilting her finely pointed chin into the air when she spotted us.
I tried to act calm. “On a related note, there’s a soul-sucking monster headed our way.”
“Zombies don’t suck souls, Emmy. They either eat people or infect them with their bite.”
I didn’t think my lack of zombie knowledge was our most pressing concern, especially since Peyton was sauntering toward us with malice in her eyes.
“Oh good, you’ve brought a friend to help you pack.” Peyton gave Audrey a once-over, noting the lack of designer anything before turning back to me. “Don’t let the door hit you
on the way out.”
Great. So apparently she was waiting on the steps to chase me away. Good times.
“Wow, okay. I take it this isn’t Kayla.” Audrey scanned the lawn as if expecting my roommate to pop out at any minute, which wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility. “Can we skip to the part where I get coffee?”
“Absolutely. The computer lab is right this way.”
Peyton stepped forward, blocking our path. “Let’s clear something up first. If you screw with Sebastian, I won’t hesitate to mess with your permanent file in Gilcrest’s office. Got it?”
That caught Audrey’s attention. “Whoa. Did I miss something?”
“Not a thing.” I spoke a touch too quickly to be convincing.
“And that’s exactly how it’s going to stay,” Peyton hissed.
I raised my hands in the universal “don’t shoot” gesture. “Hey, I don’t care about whatever weird thing you’ve got with Sebastian. If you have a problem, take it up with him. Just leave me out of it.”
Something flashed in her eyes—anger or hurt, maybe—but whatever it was she banked it before I could get a good look. Still, for a second it made her seem almost human.
“I’m Peyton McQueen,” she stated as if she expected me to genuflect or dip into a curtsy. “I don’t have problems, only fleeting annoyances.”
Instead of contradicting that obvious lie, I concentrated on pulling Audrey toward the pathway. She craned her neck for a parting view of Emptor Academy’s most intimidating student. “But—”
“Don’t stop moving!”
“But what did she mean about Sebast—”
I rubbed my forehead, which did nothing to abate what would undoubtedly become a full-blown migraine. “I’ll explain later.”
Audrey looked like she wanted to protest, but seemed to think better of it. “Fine, but you better not hold anything back, Emmy. I want details. All the details.”
“I’m telling you, nothing happened.”
“All. The. Details.” Audrey said with such finality that I knew nothing except the sudden appearance of Benedict Cumberbatch would distract her for long.
“Oh, will you look at that! We’re here.” I pulled out my ID card and swiped us into the building before she could pry anything else out of me.
Dial Em for Murder Page 18
