“What the hell!” Dusty exploded. “She might be dead or hurt for life, and all you can think or worry about is my v-card? What is wrong with you?”
“Hey, I’m sorry. I won’t mention it again if you’re going to be so sensitive.”
Dusty was certain Charlie had taken something while he was in the shower because the friend he knew could never act so callously.
“Good night.” Dusty tried to repair the break, but didn’t receive an answer.
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The boys were awakened by both of their phones going off at the same time.
“Hello?” Dusty answered sleepily. “Eric?”
“She’s dead? Do they know anything about what happened?” Nodding his head in response to what Eric was saying, he tried to listen to what Charlie was mumbling as well.
“Hey, thanks for calling.” He waited until Charlie finished his call.
“Well, what did Cindy say?”
“She’s pretty broken up about it. The hospital let her stay with her until Mendy’s parents got there.” Charlie rubbed his bloodshot eyes to help focus on what had happened. “They weren’t sure exactly what she took, but they’re blaming it on an allergic reaction to oxycodone and her antidepressants.”
“I had no idea she was on antidepressants. To be honest, I didn’t know much about her yet, but would it have had an effect that quickly?”
“Cindy says since she was taking several medications, mixed with both oxycodone and alcohol, it’s what caused it to happen so fast. They put her on anti-seizure medicine, but it was too late. Her body couldn’t take it, making her heart stop.” Charlie wrapped his arms around his knees, trying to find some comfort.
“Eric was saying that they weren’t going to prosecute Cindy, but will be looking into where she got the drugs. Nothing was left there for the cops to find, right?” Dusty asked hesitantly.
“The classmate who is in charge of the event is supposed to make sure nothing is left behind. They always have a car right next to the building. If the lookout spots anything, they leave with the drugs, just to be certain no one gets caught,” Charlie explained.
“Can’t they, like, trace the pills? So what if your pills aren’t used for months, or someone finds them and brings the cops to your door?” Dusty asked nervously.
“Then you say they fell out of your bag or something. Never admit your connections to a party, ever. You were never there, period. End of story.” Frustrated, Charlie ran a hand through his hair.
“You know, I think I’m going to see if my mom will come pick me. All this has made my stomach sick.” Dusty spoke as he texted his mom.
Charlie jumped out of bed and grabbed the phone. “You can’t say anything about this or we’ll go to jail. Probably for manslaughter since you were with her when it happened,” he threatened.
“Chill out. I know how to handle my mom, Charlie. I just want to go home. I texted her that I’m sick. See for yourself.” He motioned to the phone his friend was waving around dramatically.
Looking at the text message Dusty had been about to send, Charlie realized he had reacted prematurely.
“Sorry, dude. Here’s your phone. I’m going back to sleep.” With that, he climbed into his bed and turned away from Dusty.
Quietly gathering his stuff, Dusty decided not to say anything else to Charlie for fear he would go off the handle again.
Charlie’s mom was in the kitchen already when he finally made his way downstairs, but barely noticed his exit when he went to sit outside and wait on his mom. When she walked out to the car, Dusty climbed in without saying anything and tried to hold it together until they reached home.
As they parked in the driveway, he began to cry.
“Mom, I’m so sorry.”
“Honey, I was up anyway, and I don’t want you somewhere else if you don’t feel good.”
“It’s not that…I,” Dusty could hardly speak through the emotions overwhelming him. “I’m glad you’re my mom,” he finally managed to say.
“Me too, honey.” Sunni reached across the seat and pulled him into her arms. Knowing something was wrong, because Dusty never acted like this, she waited for him to explain what was going on.
“The girl I like died last night. Well, this morning.” Ignoring Sunni’s gasp as she pulled away to look at him, he continued. “She overdosed on drugs and alcohol at a party last night.”
“Were you at this party?” Sunni tried to keep any hint of judgement out of her voice.
“We just went to see the girls. Charlie and Eric were trying to get me to hook up with her, but I wasn’t ready for that yet.”
Sunni silently did a little dance in her head. That’s my boy.
“They thought if we did some pills and drank, it would loosen me up so that Mendy and I could get together. It almost worked, but after we kissed for a few minutes, Mendy started to seize up and shake, so I called the cops and everyone left.” Dusty left out the lap dance, figuring she already knew more than most moms would at this point.
“It wasn’t your fault, sweetie. None of you could have known what was going to happen.” Sunni tried to comfort him.
“But we left her there. I wanted to stay with her, only the guys were certain we would go to jail and they pulled me out. Cindy stayed and the paramedics tried to save her, but when they got to the hospital it was too late, and nothing they did could revive her.”
“Honey, you did more than most kids would have by calling 9-1-1 in the first place.” Placing her hand on his arm in reassurance, Sunni hoped he wouldn’t beat himself up about it. “Should we be expecting a visit from the police?”
“Mom!” Dusty rolled his eyes. “Cindy wouldn’t rat on any of us. Plus, with all the other kids at the party, I don’t think they’ll know who was with her.”
“Well, I think you should help me with the cooking today so we don’t have to think about. I’ll go with you to the funeral if you want me to.” Without flat out saying it to him, he wouldn’t be going anywhere ever again without her by his side.
“Sure, Mom. I think I’m going to go lay down for a while first. I still feel a little sick to my stomach.” Impulsively hugging his mother, he got out and went inside like nothing had happened.
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Hours later, while the twins were napping, she checked her phone and found several voice messages from the school.
“A high school student, Mendy Iris, died this morning from a reaction to medications she was taking. Please talk with your children and inform them of this tragedy. There will be counselors available the first day school resumes. Have a happy holiday.”
Listening to the messages drove home exactly how devastating this could be for her son.
She dialed a number. “Aunt Marie, it’s Sunni. Is there any chance you could watch the twins this afternoon for a few hours so Dusty and I can have some mother-son time?”
“Sure, is something wrong?” Marie’s curiosity got the better of her.
“He was at a party last night and the girl he was dating died from a combination of drugs and alcohol. I just think we need to have some quality time.”
“Oh, my goodness. Is this connected to what’s going on at the bingo hall? Do you think the drugs they’re collecting are going to these parties?” Marie asked, appalled.
“There’s only one way to know for sure, but it’s a possibility. I don’t see how they could connect, though. I’ll try to ask a few questions if the topic comes up.” Sunni sighed loudly. “I just don’t know if I should punish him for sneaking out, or just let that part go and make sure he’s okay emotionally.”
“Just bring those babies over here and play it by ear with Dusty. He might just need a safe place to let it all out. We need to make sure this doesn’t happen again, though.”
“I agree. Bring them over when they wake up, and I’ll have something fun to do while they’re here.”
“All right. See you soon.” Sunni decided to let Dusty know what sh
e had planned.
“I’m taking the twins over to Aunt Marie’s, and then we can get started on the baking.” Receiving no reply, she opened the door hesitantly.
He was staring at the ceiling, lost in thoughts she knew weren’t good for him.
“Hey, will you be okay while I take the twins over to Aunt Marie’s house?”
“Yeah. I’ll be fine, Mom. Go ahead. I’ll be right here when you get back.” Dusty gave her a tight smile in reassurance.
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Marie hadn’t had the twins at her house before, so she hurried to make sure it was as childproof as possible.
Dumping the mail from the basket onto the counter, she placed all the pills from her counter into the basket and hid them above the refrigerator in the cabinet.
Glancing around, she tried to see her house from the perspective of a curious five-year-old’s eyes.
Other than the glass curios and various china cabinets with collectibles, there wasn’t anything terribly tempting, until she landed on the cat curled up on his cushion.
“Ah, Fido. It’s time you went to the bedroom for a few hours. I promise you, you’ll be glad I’ve saved you from torture.”
By the time Sunni arrived, all evidence of her clandestine activities were gone, and the cat, while mad at her, was safe. Opening the door, Marie watched Flynn and Lilly’s eyes get big when they saw the inside of her house.
“Mom.” Flynn motioned her down so he could whisper in her ear. “Is this an old people’s house? The kind where we have to be really quiet and tiptoe?”
Sunni’s cheeks flamed in embarrassment.
“Don’t worry about it.” Marie squatted down to Flynn’s level. “I’ll have you know, young man, that many adventures happen in this house.”
“Mostly by Sir Fido the Brave, as he fights off the mice army, who are forever trying to invade the castle.”
“Wow!” Flynn exclaimed. “Where’s Sir Fido?”
“Oh, well…he, umm…he’s out checking the perimeter. If he returns before you leave, then you can meet him, okay?” Marie rushed to assure him.
“What are we going to do while he’s out making sure we’re safe?” Flynn asked suspiciously.
“Why you, good knight, are going to help me get the Christmas tree and decorations out of the garage.”
“Aunt Marie, are you sure you’re up to this for a few hours?” Sunni asked nervously. The twins were a handful when separated, but together, they could demolish kingdoms.
“Hey, I need the help of these good citizens. Otherwise, the festivities won’t be completed on time. Right?”
Flynn and Lily nodded in agreement.
“I’ve got lots of muscles.” Flynn volunteered, flexing them in proof.
“Why I think you do, young knight. And how about you, miss? What talents do you bring with you today?” Marie tried to look stern.
“I have many skills to decorate the tree with, Your Highness.” Lily smiled at Marie.
“Well, since you seem to have things well in hand, I’ll leave you to it. Make sure to do as Aunt Marie says or next time, you’ll have to stay home.”
“We’ll be fine. Go do your baking, and we don’t want to see you back until after dinner,” Marie declared.
“Now, let’s go get the tree from the garage, but we must be careful to go undetected because there are scouts from the mice army waiting for an opportunity to sneak into the house,” Marie cautioned as she led the way through the kitchen and out into the garage.
Sunni smiled as she closed the door behind her. Maybe the holiday spirit wasn’t dead because she’d never seen Aunt Marie in such a good mood before.
The drive home went quickly as Sunni contemplated the best approach to helping Dusty through this crisis.
No closer to a solution than when she left, Sunni dreaded opening the door to the house, unsure of what she would find.
Dusty was sitting in the living room, eating a bowl of cereal while watching cartoons.
“Finally got hungry?” Sunni questioned.
“Yep. When this episode is over, I’ll come help in the kitchen.” Dusty volunteered without prompting.
Shaking her head in disbelief, Sunni started a load of clothes and got the ingredients out for the sweet potato pie. Dusty joined her shortly after, and silently began to find what he needed for the cookie dough.
The silence was broken when he slammed the refrigerator closed and left for his room.
Mouth hanging open, Sunni closed it quickly when he returned and put his IPod on, filling the kitchen with music.
There was no need to talk over the music as the sounds of the ’60s and ’70s filled the room.
Knowing he was playing her kind of music went a long way to reassuring her that he might be okay in the long run.
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The smell of their work lingered in the air as they cleaned up the kitchen and put the dishes into the refrigerator until they could go in the oven tomorrow.
“Mom, do you think we could go to the police station so I can give them a statement?”
Surprised, Sunni’s hands slowly finished washing the dish in her hand. “Are you sure that’s what you want to do?”
“Yes. I think I can at least let them know what happened.” Dusty leaned against the counter as he anxiously awaited his mom’s answer.
Placing the dish into the drainer, Sunni turned to face him. “We should go now because they’ll be closing soon because of the holiday.”
“Mom,” Dusty smirked. “The police station never closes.”
“Oh, you know what I meant. All the detectives will have gone home. We want to talk to someone who knows what they’re doing.”
“Will I need a lawyer?” Dusty asked, looking slightly scared now that she was taking him seriously.
“Hmm. Let’s see what the police say when we get there. I wouldn’t think so if we’re just giving them the facts of what happened.”
“All right. Let’s do this before I lose my nerve.” Dusty left her standing in the kitchen as he went to get his coat.
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The police station wasn’t crowded as they approached the desk, due to it being before the holiday weekend.
“May I help you?” A young officer asked.
“We hope so. My son has some information about the girl who overdosed last night. Well, early this morning, really.” Sunni placed a comforting hand on Dusty’s arm.
“So I’m not sure what information you need—” Dusty began, only to have the young cop yell, “Durant! There’s a kid with information for you.”
Taken aback by the cop’s attitude, Dusty suddenly wasn’t sure if he wanted to go through with it after all.
Sighing loudly, the young cop turned toward Sunni and Dusty. “He’s so old that his hearing is gone. I’ll have to go get him.”
As soon as his back was turned, Dusty grabbed Sunni’s arm. “Come on, we’re leaving.”
“Honey…” Sunni started to say, but Dusty was past the point of listening. When she didn’t move fast enough, he pushed open the door and ran to the van.
Sunni hurried to catch up, but when she reached the van, she didn’t see him. Unlocking the door, she was startled when he stood up and slid silently into the van without saying a word.
“Dusty, what on earth is the matter with you?” Sunni asked, climbing into the car.
“I just changed my mind. Now hurry, or they’ll come out and try to find us,” he spat out as he ducked down into the seat, trying to hide.
She knew that asking him more questions would only push him to retreat further into his shell. “Let’s go pick up the twins and go home.” Sunni sighed in resignation.
“Mom, it’ll be okay. I just changed my mind. The cops will ask a lot of personal questions that I don’t feel comfortable answering.” Dusty glanced behind them to make sure no one had come out after them.
Reassured, he sat up and hoped he hadn’t been seen by the bouncer g
uy who had been talking to police officer in the back. It had only been a glimpse, but Dusty didn’t need anyone thinking he was a snitch.
They dropped the subject as the holiday traffic became heavy, and Sunni had to concentrate on her driving.
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Unable to go to sleep, even though she had to wake up at three to put the turkey in the oven, Sunni tossed and turned.
“Honey, what’s wrong?” Her husband couldn’t take it anymore. “Something is bothering you, so out with it.”
“I just can’t get over what happened with Dusty and the girl that died.”
“Hold on, when did this happen?” Daniel reached over and turned the light on.
“Didn’t you hear? Our son snuck out with his friends last night and went to a party with drugs and alcohol.” Sunni faced him in surprise. “I thought he told you after dinner when you both went out back to the shed to get out the tables and chairs.”
“Hello, we’re guys. All we talked about was how many chairs we would need.” Daniel threw his hands up in the air in exasperation.
“He was talking about it, and everything seemed okay until we went into the police station. Suddenly, he got spooked or scared, and raced out without saying another word about the whole deal.”
“What were you thinking? Why didn’t you call me? You took the kids to the police station?” Daniel yelled as he jumped out bed and started to pace.
“It all happened so fast. I picked him up before you left for work. We had a moment and he went to go lay down because he wasn’t feeling good.”
Crossing her arms against his anger, Sunni continued. “Of course I didn’t take the twins to the police station. I took them to Aunt Marie’s so I could have some time with Dusty, without them interrupting all the time. He decided after we got done with the baking that we should go and give the police his statement.”
“Did it ever occur to you that they might charge him?” Daniel stopped pacing and faced her. “He shouldn’t ever go to do something like that without a lawyer.”
“First of all, he didn’t do anything wrong, and they might be able to find out where all these drugs are coming from.” Sunni defended herself.
“Going to the police wouldn’t bring that girl back, but it will get Dusty in trouble.” Daniel resumed pacing, but at a much slower pace.
The Mommy Detectives and the Bingo Hall Mystery Page 5
