Dreams of the Golden Age (Golden Age 2)

She did. Teddy had sent her an e-mail with a link that led to a news story. “Breaking,” the headline announced. She squinted, read on.

Notorious drug dealer Jonathan Scarzen has been arrested on charges based on evidence delivered in an anonymous tip.

Anna clapped her hand over her mouth to keep from screaming. “It worked!” she finally managed to squeal.

“Told you you had to look.”

If he’d been there this minute, she would have hugged him.

* * *

What she wanted more than anything was to go to school and rub Teia’s face in their success. But Teia still hadn’t returned to school, third day in a row. This became apparent on the car ride over, and Anna grew more anxious, until Bethy asked, “What’s wrong, you have a test today or something?”

“Yeah, that’s it,” Anna muttered.

She’d printed out the article about the arrest and the anonymous tip. She wanted to frame it, but she couldn’t, so she kept it folded up in the pocket of her uniform blazer. She kept hoping to sense Teia’s approach, hoping that her mother had changed her mind about pulling the twins from Elmwood.

But no, Teia was at home. Again. Anna ducked behind the corner of the building and called her.

“Where are you?” she said when Teia answered.

“You know exactly where I am,” she shot back.

“I thought your mom would change her mind and let you come back.”

“Not a chance. She’s definitely taking us out of Elmwood. We’re home until she can get us enrolled somewhere else.”

“She can’t do that, can she? Not in the middle of the school year.”

“I keep trying to talk to her and she just tells me I don’t know what I’m talking about. Elmwood is suddenly evil. I mean, we all know it’s evil, but not like that, you know?”

“I’m really sorry, Teia. Maybe my mom could talk to her.”

“I don’t think anyone should talk to her, the mood she’s in.”

This proves I’m right about publicity being a bad thing … She didn’t say that because that would just twist the knife, and she wasn’t that petty. Only sort of petty.

Anna continued, casual-like, “I don’t suppose you checked out the news this morning? Look up the Eye, on the front page.”

A few minutes passed while Teia found the website. Anna waited, smug, sure Teia would be impressed.

“Wow,” she said finally, as amazed as Anna could hope for. “Pretty cool.”

“See?” Anna pointed out. “No publicity, no exposure. Fight crime and stay secret, no problem.”

“That was you and Teddy who sent in that anonymous tip? Really?” Teia said.

“Yeah,” Anna said, trying to keep the grin off her face.

“Prove it.”

The breath went out of her, just for a moment. Anna didn’t cough, sputter, tear up, or shout, even though she could have done all of those things. She had never wanted to punch anyone before, but she did, right then. Not because Teia was being mean, even though she was. But because Teia was right.

Anna hung up on her.

NINE

WHEN Anna came home and told Celia that Teia and Lew hadn’t been at school the last couple of days and were likely withdrawing from Elmwood, Celia wasn’t surprised. It was what she’d have done, finding out her children had this shadow life that her best friend had been manipulating behind the scenes.