Someone Knows

by Lisa Scottoline

  “Oh my God!” Sharon caught Buddy by the collar. “Let’s take the car! It’ll be faster!”

  “Kyle!” Barb ignored her, racing toward the woods in the downpour. She ran across the grass, almost tripped running down the hill, and crashed into the woods. Her shirt caught on a branch. Limbs scratched her arms and legs. She ran forward, putting up her arms to break the vines and branches.

  “Kyle!” Barb shouted again, tears flooding her eyes, desperate, terrified, not knowing if Kyle would make fun of her and not caring. She ran through vines, leaves, and branches, fighting her way forward. She tripped on rocks and logs but kept going to get to the lights.

  “Help, help!” Barb hollered, over and over until she heard the cops’ voices deeper in the woods, then the mechanical crackling of walkie-talkies. Flashlights shone her way through the trees and branches, their cones of light zigzagging, trying to find her.

  “Help, Kyle! Kyle!” Barb saw the cops coming closer, hustling through the woods to her, and she barreled forward, down a hill, powered by momentum and terror.

  “Ma’am, ma’am!” the cops shouted, and in the next moment they shone their flashlights on her.

  “My son, I’m looking for my son! His name is Kyle!” Barb kept going forward, but two cops held her and tried to stop her.

  “Ma’am, please—”

  “Where’s my son? Is he there? What’s going on?” Barb couldn’t see the cops’ faces, only the outlines of their caps, lit from the red-and-white flashing lights. Their badges glinted in the darkness, and their radios crackled at their utility belts.

  “Ma’am, please, don’t go down there,” one cop said, holding her, and then Barb couldn’t be stopped. She slipped past him, running downward. Cops holding flashlights formed a ring at the bottom of the hill, and one of the flashlights shone on the ground.

  “Kyle!” Barb screamed in horror. Kyle was lying sideways on the ground. Blood covered his face and matted his hair. His head was horribly cratered. His Buckeyes T-shirt was black. He was so still. Barb didn’t understand what she was seeing. She didn’t know what happened to his head. It couldn’t be.

  Barb made a sound she’d never made before, it wasn’t even human, and the cops surged toward her, trying to keep her away, pushing her back; it took four of them, dropping their flashlights, calling ma’am, ma’am, please!

  Barb cried, fighting them, pummeling them with her fists. She had to get to her son, protect him from the rain, save him somehow.

  “Kyle!” she screamed to heaven.

  CHAPTER 42

  Sasha Barrow

  Sasha lay in bed in the darkness, the covers up to her chin. Her room was quiet and still. She had cried all the tears she could cry, or all she wanted to. Crying doesn’t do any good, her mother always said. Sasha wished her mother was here, or her father, because they were lawyers and they would know what to do. Because she knew something that Julian, David, and Allie didn’t. She could have left a bullet in the gun, by accident. She had been in the woods yesterday, late at night. She could have killed Kyle.

  Sasha tried to rewind Saturday in her head, to understand what happened. She should be able to figure this out, but she couldn’t think. She felt hungover. She kept hearing the boom of the gunshot. Flame had burst from the gun, right at Kyle’s head. It had been so awful.

  A tear slid from underneath Sasha’s eyelid, but she wiped it away. She had to keep it together. They had all thought the gun was unloaded, and so had she. She hadn’t realized that she might have accidentally left it loaded, might have left, until it actually went off. She might not have, too. It might not have been her fault. It probably wasn’t. She was an organized person. She got things done. She didn’t make mistakes. She had tons of extracurriculars. Her grade average was 4.1. She was going to make National Honor Society and already ranked first in her class.

  Sasha tried to think back in time. She hadn’t been alone Saturday night. She had been with a boyfriend she kept secret from everyone, even Bonnie and Clyde, who would have told her parents. His name was Luiz Carvalho and he went to Penn, from a super-rich family in Rio de Janeiro. He was gorgeous, sexy, and smart. A man, not a boy.

  Sasha loved seeing Luiz. He lived in an entirely different world, even bigger than college, hanging out with other rich Latin Americans from New York. He’d taken her to private casino nights and VIP dinner clubs in Philly and Manhattan. She’d lost her virginity to him, and he’d taught her everything. He told her she was good, and she felt like she’d gotten another A.

  Sasha tried to stay focused, thinking back to last night. Luiz had called her, saying he was free, and he’d picked her up around the block, away from the house, the way he always did. She’d told him about the gun because she wanted to go shooting. It would be fun. He had a car and could take her anywhere she wanted, to shoot. So they’d gone to the woods to get the gun. But he’d had other things in mind. He’d kissed her against a tree, so hard that she’d felt his teeth pressing into her mouth, like he would bite her. His hips grinded into hers, making her feel his erection, parting her legs with it, letting her rub against it, teasing her until she was begging him to make love to her.

  Sasha felt her eyes close, and a tingle shuddered through her body. When Luiz had had enough, and so had she, they’d dug up the gun and the bullets. He’d had a penlight on his keychain, and they’d used it to see in the dark. She’d loaded the gun, showing off. He’d never held a handgun, and she’d felt like she was the adult, for once. They’d been about to leave when they’d heard women walking a dog at the top of the hill, where Luiz’s Porsche had been parked.

  Sasha hadn’t wanted to get caught with the gun, and Luiz hadn’t wanted to get caught with her. They’d unloaded the gun quickly, put the bullets back in the box, reburied the bullets and gun, and run from the woods the other way. Sasha hadn’t checked to make sure the gun was unloaded. She hadn’t been paying attention. It had been dark. They’d had only the penlight. They’d had to hurry. But still, they’d probably unloaded the gun completely.

  Sasha bit her lip. She hadn’t told Julian, David, or Allie about Luiz and the gun. She was supposed to have kept the gun a secret. She was supposed to have kept Luiz a secret. She wasn’t about to tell them now that Kyle was dead. Maybe it wasn’t her fault. She thought she’d unloaded the gun and put it back the way she’d found it, and she probably had. She never messed up. It was like when you thought you left the water running, but you didn’t.

  Sasha never left the water running. She wasn’t that kind of person. It definitely wasn’t her fault.

  Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them away.

  CHAPTER 43

  Julian Browne

  Julian’s bedroom was dark, and his mother thought he’d gone to sleep, but he was sitting at his computer, having messaged Sasha to call him. Across the street, her bedroom was dark, but she wasn’t asleep, either.

  Julian had never felt more focused. He hadn’t drunk as much as the others had. He’d wanted to keep his wits about him. He had to make sure they didn’t get caught. It would ruin his life, his father’s business, and the Browne brand. His mind was clear, and he knew what to do.

  His phone rang, and Julian picked up right away. “Sasha, are you okay?”

  “No, it’s just so awful.” Her voice sounded soft and shocked, and Julian imagined her curled up naked in bed, talking to him in the darkness.

  “I know, it’s so sad.”

  “What the hell happened? How did a bullet get in the gun?”

  “I don’t know.” Julian loved the sound of her voice. She sounded so sweet and feminine. He started to get hard. His hand strayed to his shorts.

  “You said the gun was empty when you buried it. Didn’t you check it?”

  “Sasha, none of this matters now. I have a plan—”

  “Of course it matters. I want to know what happened, and I think you know.”

  “I don’t.” Julian didn’t like the change in her tone, which turned accusa
tory.

  “You have to know. It’s your gun. You didn’t do it on purpose, did you?”

  “No, of course not.” Julian’s boner stalled.

  “You know you were jealous of him, and the prank was your idea—”

  “No, are you crazy?” Julian moved his hand away. He had to focus anyway. “Listen, I have this figured out. We have to stay quiet. No one knows we were there. No one knows we know him. The cops are going to find him alone with a gun. They’ll think he shot himself because of the news story about his father.”

  “Don’t forget he returned my cat. His mom called here looking for him, but Bonnie told her I was asleep.”

  Shit. Julian had forgotten. “It better not be a problem.”

  “Julian, if anybody’s the problem, it’s you. The Russian Roulette thing was your idea, and it’s your gun. You got us into this.”

  “You wanted to prank him, too, Sash. You were the one who told him about the gun in the first place. You invited him to meet us.”

  “I can’t believe you’re trying to blame this on me.”

  “I’m not,” Julian shot back, but the conversation wasn’t going the way he planned.

  “You were in charge of everything, Julian. If you didn’t do it on purpose, then you did it by accident. You’re careless, and you know it. You always lose your keys, and your backpack, too. You’re arrogant, and that’s how Kyle ended up dead. Anyway, I don’t want to get caught, so we shouldn’t hang out for the rest of the summer.”

  “What? No.” Julian felt a wrench in his chest. It sounded like she was breaking up with him, and they hadn’t even gotten started.

  “Yes. We need to chill. Lay low.”

  “I don’t agree.” Julian couldn’t lose Sasha. “We should act natural. Hang out, like normal. I was going to see if you wanted to go out on my dad’s boat.”

  “No, I don’t want to get caught. I can’t get caught.”

  “Sasha, I can’t not see you all summer.”

  “You don’t want to get caught, do you? We could go to prison. Julian, grow up.”

  “Come on, Sasha.” Julian felt like he was begging her. “So you’re saying we’re not gonna be . . . friends anymore?”

  “You were supposed to be looking out for me. Instead you got me mixed up in this awful thing.”

  “I’m sorry.” Julian could hear her slipping away from him. He didn’t know what to do. Sasha had so many other guys. She could have anybody. He would never get back in with her now.

  “Whatever, just don’t say anything to the police.”

  “I know that. I figured that out. That was my plan.”

  “Well, good, because it’s completely obvious. We all need to keep quiet.”

  “Except our fingerprints are on the gun.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Julian blinked. “Like you told Allie, when you made her touch the gun. Our fingerprints—”

  “I was jerking her chain. Don’t you know anything? Our fingerprints aren’t on any record. They can’t match our fingerprints to anything.” Sasha snorted. “God, I pranked you.”

  Julian didn’t laugh. He felt miserable. He couldn’t speak, but Sasha was taking over.

  “I’m not worried about Allie. She’s too chicken to say anything, but you have to talk to David. Call him and tell him to keep his mouth shut. He’ll do it if you ask him to. He’s in love with you.”

  “What?” Julian didn’t know what she meant.

  “David will do whatever you want, the same way you’ll do whatever I want, and for the same reason.”

  Julian recoiled, his mouth going dry. “Sasha, no, that’s not true. David’s my friend.”

  “Oh my God, boys are so dumb. You’re oblivious, Julian.”

  “No, you’re totally wrong. That’s ridiculous. That’s crazy.” Julian knew she was wrong. She had to be wrong. She had to be wrong, didn’t she?

  “Whatever, you’re in love with me, you can’t deny that. Are you looking at me now? I can’t tell, your room is dark, but I know you watch me. I’ve seen you.”

  “You have?” Julian looked over at her window, stricken.

  “Of course. If you can see me, I can see you. It’s a window, not a door, you idiot.”

  “Why didn’t you say anything?” Julian reeled, busted.

  “Because I like it. And it doesn’t matter, you’re my neighbor.”

  “Your neighbor? That’s what I am to you? I’m your neighbor? Like Mr. Rogers?”

  “Have a great summer. Goodbye.” Sasha hung up.

  Julian couldn’t bring himself to say goodbye to Sasha. He didn’t know what to do. He hung up the phone, put his head down on the desk.

  His life was over.

  CHAPTER 44

  David Hybrinski

  David crouched on his bathroom rug, stretching the phone cord so he could close the door. Everyone was asleep, and he’d been waiting for Julian to call him. David was getting more and more nervous, so he called Julian, who finally answered.

  “David, yo.”

  “Julian, why didn’t you call?” David whispered into the phone.

  “I was talking to Sasha. How are you?”

  “How do you think?” David could barely keep it together.

  “Calm down.”

  “Are you crazy? After that?” David tried to talk in code, in case anyone happened to wake up. It was unspeakable, what they’d done.

  “Dude, take a breath. Chill.”

  “I can’t. How can I? How can you?” David didn’t understand how Julian could be so calm, or so cold. It was weird.

  “We have nothing to worry about.”

  “What are you talking about? We have everything to worry about!”

  “Dude, focus. Nobody knows we were there. Nobody knows we even know him. Nobody saw us. It’s dark now, I covered up the hole.”

  “When did you do that?”

  “Before you and Allie came. I took the gun out and covered the hole back up. I didn’t want him to know where it was buried. Now listen to me—”

  “I can’t, I can’t.” David struggled to stay in control. “We’re in so much trouble, dude.”

  “No. It’s going to be fine. Don’t tell anyone and don’t IM it. We have to chill. The police are going to think it’s a suicide.”

  “Why would they think that? We were there.”

  “Don’t say that. They won’t know that. They’re going to find a kid with a gun in the woods. He shot himself because his pervy dad was in the newspaper.”

  “But our fingerprints are on the gun. Remember, Sasha made Allie touch it?”

  “Fingerprints only matter if they have a match in the computer, like on TV, don’t you know that?”

  “But I smelled his . . . brains.” David sniffled, trying not to cry.

  “You didn’t smell anything. Don’t be so dramatic.”

  “I’m not,” David said, defensive.

  “Don’t say anything to anyone. Don’t tell your parents. Act normal. Get it together. You’re going to get us in trouble.”

  “We should be in trouble. We killed him.”

  “Never say that again.” Julian’s voice hardened. “He killed himself. We weren’t even there.”

  David raked his hand through his hair. He’d never heard Julian sound like this. “We can’t get away with this.”

  “Dude, we shouldn’t talk for a while.”

  “What do you mean?” David asked, surprised.

  “I think we should cool it for the summer, at least.”

  “What?” David couldn’t believe the way Julian was acting, like he didn’t even know him. “What about camp?”

  “I’m quitting. I’m gonna get my mom to go down to the shore early. We all need to separate.”

  “You’re going to separate from Sasha?” David didn’t think it was possible.

  “Yes, I told her. It’s for the best. If you shut up, we’ll be fine.”

  “No way, they’ll figure it out.” David felt more pani
cky as Julian got calmer. “They’ll know; someone will know—”

  “No, they won’t.”

  “Why are you acting so—”

  “Excuse me if I don’t want to go to jail. Maybe you do.”

  “Of course I don’t! Why would I?” David felt tears come to his eyes. “I’m scared! I’m fucking scared!”

  “If you shut up, nothing’s going to happen.”

  “Something already happened.”

  “Don’t be such a pussy. We can’t do anything about it now. Don’t say anything. Don’t ruin me or our business. If Browne goes bankrupt, so do you. My dad can’t give your dad money he doesn’t have. So shut up.”

  “Okay.”

  “Promise me, bro.”

  “I promise.” David took it like a blow. He realized it was never going to be the same between him and Julian. No friendship could survive what they had done. He held back his tears. “Okay, I get it. What about Allie?”

  “She’s nobody. Freeze her out.”

  “Like you’re doing to me?”

  “Whatever, dude. Have a nice life.”

  CHAPTER 45

  Allie Garvey

  Allie slid out of Jill’s bed, left the bedroom, and headed down the hallway to her own room, closing the door quietly. Her head hurt, and she felt sick to her stomach. She hadn’t slept a wink. She went to her desk, sat down, and opened her computer, blinking against the brightness.

  The clock on the screen said 2:17 A.M. She knew the others had to be awake, too. She felt a part of them now, in the worst way possible. They had all done a horrible thing. They were responsible for it. They caused Kyle’s death. Tears came to her eyes, but she wiped them away.

  She logged on to the Internet, then AOL Instant Messenger. Sasha and Julian weren’t online, but if they had taken her off their Buddy Lists, she wouldn’t know if they were online. David was online, and he was the only one she wanted to talk to. She knew he’d be feeling as awful as she was, and he liked her. He might be hoping to hear from her.