Best Friend's Ex Box Set

“It wasn't Panetti. He's dry; he doesn't have no Rocket right now.”

“Oh, is he?” I asked, feigning ignorance about Panetti's situation. “Well, then who was it? Tell me!”

“We don't know who the guy is,” Dylan blurted out suddenly. “All we know is that he drives a black Lexus with black tinted windows. He drives past the park across the road at 12 o' clock sharp every day and sells to whoever is waiting there. He's only there for 30 seconds though – real fast. We can't see who he is either coz he wears a mask. We just know him as Mr. Mask.”

I nodded.

“Mr. Mask, huh? And you say he's there every day?”

“Every weekday. No weekends.”

“That's good. Thank you for that information, Dylan. I might go easy on you when your parents are here. Might. Now get outta my sight. You two wait on the bench outside while I wait for my secretary to get hold of your parents.”

The boys shuffled out of the office, looking downcast.

“Have you heard anything before about this 'Mr. Mask' character?” I asked Ben.

He shook his head.

“Nothing with that name specifically,” he replied. “But I have heard of a dealer who goes around in a Lexus, specifically targeting high school kids. It's gotta be him.”

“So what do we do, Ben? Set up a sting for this guy on Monday?”

“Yeah. I'll get hold of a friend of mine who's a cop. I'll see what he can do,” Ben stated.

“Good. I'll call a quick staff meeting as soon as the day is finished, just to let the teachers know about this situation.”

“Sure. Thanks for the help, Ev.”

“No problem.”

I sent out a message to all the teachers informing them of the meeting after school, and at the meeting, I told them about the boys who had been caught sniffing Rocket and the fact that there was a dealer known as Mr. Mask who sold the stuff to kids at the park across the road. I cautioned everyone and suggested they remain aware of this, and keep an eye out for any kids attempting to sneak out to the park during recess.

After the teachers all left, I went and spoke to the boys who had been busted and their parents. Both boys, who had since sobered up, agreed to not touch the drug again. If they did, they'd be hauled out of school on the spot and sent straight to two months in a rehab center.

It had been a long day, and the sky was already low in the sky when I walked out to the parking lot where my truck was. As I opened my truck's door, however, I saw a note stuck under my windshield wiper. I pulled it out and saw that it was put together with letters cut from various newspapers and magazines.

“Hey, Principal James,” it said. “I know you think you're onto me – but I want you to know that I'm onto you. Good luck finding me, chump. - Mr. Mask.”

I wanted to crumple up the paper and fling it aside with rage, but instead, I kept my cool. I peered around me, subtly assessing the situation as old but not forgotten instincts and training kicked in.

It appeared that I was safe, for the moment at least. Nobody was here. I carefully set the note down on the passenger seat, then got in and drove off.

THAT EVENING

It was at 7:15 in the evening, when I was getting ready for my date with Vivienne, that I got the message on my phone from Panetti.

“Mr. James, it's Panetti. Mr. Henderson told me you guys are looking for Mr. Mask. He's gonna be outside the apartment building you guys busted me at in 15 minutes. Please don't mention my name – the guy seems a little crazy. Fifteen minutes sharp. Be there at exactly that time if you want to catch him.”

I replied right away.

“Thanks, Panetti. Don't worry; your secret is safe.”

There was no time to think or do anything else. Thankfully, I had already dropped Jane off with Maggie. Leaving my tie and my bottle of cologne on the table in front of the mirror, I sprinted out to my truck with my shirt still unbuttoned. I would call Vivienne when I was at the apartment building where Mr. Mask was gonna be and tell her I was gonna be late; it would be last minute notice, but I hoped she would understand. This was very, very important business.

I scrambled into my truck, started it up, and gunned the motor, screeching the tires as I

tore out of my driveway and raced down the road. I was thinking of Vivienne as I drove, and obviously not wanting to screw things up before they had even started – but my mind was also on Mr. Mask. He had made this personal, and now it was my mission to get him, and this might be the only chance I had, now that he knew we were onto him, and would probably not go around to the park anymore.