“Testimony? For what? He’s dead.”
She sighed and shook her head. “Frankly, I don’t really know. We’re still trying to figure out what happened, and if anyone else was involved. But thank you for telling me the truth.”
“That’s it? You don’t know who killed him?”
“No, we don’t.” She hesitated and grimaced. “If someone killed him at all.”
She slipped up.
“I’m happy he’s dead, you know.” The words tumbled out. I shouldn’t have said it, but Lynn didn’t seem surprised.
“After what you went through, I can’t blame you. But if someone murdered that man, they’ve got to pay for it.”
“I hope they don’t.”
She only sighed and stood. When she extended her hand, I took it and shook. “Thank you for speaking with me. If there’s anything more, I’ll be in touch.”
“What happens next? Will anyone know what he was?”
I caught a glimmer of a sparkle in her eye. “Oh, I don’t know. Things leak to the media all the time.”
I walked her to the door and waved as she got into her car.
I went to my room after that. I couldn’t face my parents, couldn’t do anything at all but shove my face in a pillow and cry so hard my ribs felt like they might crack and crumble.
15
Cora
I bought a new burner phone that night, and the next day I drifted through my classes like a zombie. If Robyn noticed, she didn’t mention anything. I texted Jarrod’s burner number that afternoon from the library, my hands shaking, knees jostling up and down.
Cora: New phone.
A few minutes later, an unfamiliar number texted me.
Jarrod: What’d you do with the old one?
Cora: Smashed it. We need to talk.
Jarrod: I’m busy.
Cora: It can’t wait.
Jarrod: Meet me after practice. We’ll go to the quarry.
I didn’t want to go there, but I didn’t argue. I was too nervous to push back against him. At the end of the day, I lingered near the stadium again like last time, and the Horsemen came out together looking sweaty and tired and glorious. I felt like a pathetic loser waiting for her unrequited love.
“There’s your girl again,” Des teased Jarrod. “She’s like a little puppy dog, but sexier. Like a puppy you can fuck.”
“That’s seriously sick, man,” Addler said, punching Des in the arm. “Seriously, bro, what’s wrong with you?”
“Ah, fuck off, bruh. Don’t act like you can’t see her little puppy dog eyes staring up at big old Jarrod like, take me with your massive dick.” He cackled as Addler punched him again.
Calvin stared at me quietly. Jarrod ignored his friends and stood by my side.
“You ready?” he asked.
“Whenever you are.”
“Studying again?” Calvin asked suddenly. “You’ve been doing that a lot lately, Jarrod. I hope your grades improve.”
Jarrod looked back at his friend.
“Our boy’s a genius,” Des said. “Don’t you worry about his fucking grades. Worry more about his dick.”
“Nobody needs to worry about Jarrod’s dick,” Addler said. “Seriously, something is broken inside of you, Des.”
They laughed and headed off and I was left alone with Jarrod. He watched them go, frowning slightly. “You might have to start tutoring me for real.”
“Seriously?”
“Calvin’s a little too perceptive for his own good.”
Jarrod shook his head then walked to his truck.
I followed. We drove to the quarry in tense silence. He parked and we got out, following the familiar trail. The cliff looked gorgeous at sunset, the forest bathed in gentle light steaming down from the clouds. Jarrod approached the drop and looked down at the water, but I hung back, afraid to get too close to him. In the distance, a truck kicked up dirt. It looked like a toy from so far.
“You know what photographers call this?” he asked, glancing back at me.
“I don’t know.”
“Golden hour. Best light of the whole day.” He took a deep breath then faced me. “You look good out here.”
I tugged at my hair, strangely self-conscious. “A detective came to see me.”
He went very, very still.
It was uncanny. I couldn’t imagine a man his size suddenly not moving at all, but Jarrod’s whole body tensed like he was about to spring.
“What happened?” he asked very slowly.
I told him everything, start to finish. When I was done, he began to pace.
“I’m not sure if I should flip out or be happy,” I said, watching him warily.
“You’re getting what you wanted, right? The pedo fuck’s going to get exposed to the world.”
“But now I’m on their radar.”
“You and a few dozen others.”
“They came to me first.”
“Only because your brother was on the list too.”
“You really think this is nothing to worry about? Why the hell would Dr. Silver keep a freaking list of his victims?”
He stopped pacing and knuckled his forehead. “I think we have to worry about everything right now, but this isn’t high up on my priority list.”
I let out a long exhale. I didn’t know what I expected—anger maybe, or something else, something worse. He constantly surprised me with his reactions, and I danced around him, always worried that he’d snap and do something vicious.