“So she’s not really a friend, is she? Not anymore. She’s your girl,” Zach said, leaning back into his chair and looking at me with a raise of his brow.
I shook my head. “No. She’s not. She’s… mine.”
“So do you think that Juniper was hit because she looks like your girl? Or because she helped you?” Zach asked, his eyes assessing.
“I don’t know,” I said. “But Adrian Mastings is a little conniving shithead. I wouldn’t put it past him to do either.” I paused. “I’ll be having a look at all of his vehicles. I’ll also have one of the detectives with me to get his whereabouts at the time of the accident last night.” I looked at him, giving him the promise in my eyes. “I won’t let this go.”
Zach stood up, and it was then I noticed his clothes.
He was wearing black scrubs with black motorcycle boots. He looked like a badass.
I would’ve laughed had this situation been the least bit funny.
“I won’t let it go, either,” Zach promised. “Not even a little bit.”
I held out my hand to shake his, and he took mine.
Something—a promise maybe—crossed through his eyes.
If I didn’t do something about this, he would.
There would be no denying that.
My head nodded the tiniest bit. Admission acknowledged.
• • •
“What are you doing here?” the school resource officer asked.
The officer, his name was Bandile Mahone, had volunteered for the position.
He was a younger cop, barely about two years out of the academy, but so far, I could tell that he was doing a great job here. Especially after all the bullshit that the last one had put the school through.
But that was a story for a different day.
I walked up to Bandi and offered him my hand.
“Did you hear about the accident last night?” I asked.
Bandi nodded. “Yes. Why?”
I gestured to the detective that was with me. Her name was Anna Grand, and she was the most senior detective now that a few had retired.
“We have reason to believe that one of your students was involved in the hit and run last night after uncovering some evidence,” she answered. “I’d like to inspect the vehicle in the lot first. We’ve already looked at the family’s today, and we do have permission from the parents.”
Bandi gestured to the parking lot. “Have at it. Do you know which one is his?”
She nodded. “Not that we see it.”
Bandi held up one finger. “Give me a few seconds. I’ll go get his parking space assignment out of the shack.”
The shack was actually a small security office that the security guard occupied during school hours.
Bandi came out with the security guard, who was surprisingly a female.
She hustled behind Bandi and watched his ass the entire time.
It caused Anna and I to look at each other with amusement.
“It is a good ass,” she teased.
I grunted a laugh and raised a brow at her. “I wouldn’t know.”
She snickered. “And here I was thinking that you’d make a good detective with all the information you were able to lob at me this morning. Now, I’m not certain you’re so great for the job as I’d originally assumed.”
I would’ve flipped her off if the other two hadn’t arrived when they did.
“He’s actually right there,” the woman said as she pointed at the front of the lot. “The one taking up all four spots.”
“Did he pay for all four spots?” I asked curiously.
Literally, the truck was actively taking up four spots.
“Yes,” the woman said. “His family sponsored all four of them. Though, three of them were supposed to go to a few other people, but Adrian decided that he would just take up all four spots instead. He’s a little…”
“Jerk?” Anna supplied.
“Dick?” I said when the woman didn’t reply.
“Pissant,” the woman agreed. “Jerk isn’t even a strong enough word for what Adrian is.”
I could imagine.
The few dealings that I’d had with him were more than enough for me to realize that he was used to getting what he wanted, and when he didn’t, he would throw his little bitch fit and his parents would buy it for him.
“But you’re not going to find anything off of this.” She gestured toward the truck that was taking up all four spots. “It was delivered this morning and they took away his truck during first period.”
I growled out a curse.
“My sentiments exactly,” Anna grumbled.
“No wonder we had permission,” I moaned.
“Because they already took the other one into the shop,” she muttered, looking at the fucking rental truck that the kid had driven to school. “How about I stay and talk to the kid. You run to the autobody shops around town and see if you can find the truck.”
I nodded. I had a few friends that would be more than willing to help me.
Starting with a still slightly irritated Sammy.