through her. She typed:
Str-S-d: You’re the one who has to stop
IaMnEmEsIs: Don’t tell us what to do. You’re in this with us
Str-S-d: No
IaMnEmEsIs: Who’ll believe you?
Str-S-d: All I did was write a blog. I didn’t know
IaMnEmEsIs: You’re an accomplice
Str-S-d: No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IaMnEmEsIs: We thought you’d be pleased
Str-S-d: You’re crazy
IaMnEmEsIs: Now there’s an original thought
Str-S-d: Why did you do it?
IaMnEmEsIs: We think you know
Str-S-d: Oh, God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IaMnEmEsIs: Too late. We want you to see
Str-S-d: See what?
IaMnEmEsIs: What we’ve done for you
Str-S-d: No
IaMnEmEsIs: Yes. Hillsdale Kennels
Str-S-d: Never
IaMnEmEsIs: Yes
Str-S-d: I’ll tell the police
IaMnEmEsIs: Can you spell accomplice?
Str-S-d: I dont care. I’m not coming
IaMnEmEsIs: Then we’ll bring it to you
Maura closed the application. Her heart was pounding.
chapter 19
Wednesday 7:58 A.M.
Don’t be upset, Adam. We told Courtney to stop screaming. We only did what we did because she wouldn’t stop. Why was she screaming? Because of Lucy, you say? Let’s see. Oh, dear, look at that. She doesn’t look well at all, does she? Yes, yes, Adam, it was just a joke. We know that she’s far beyond not well. We’re afraid you’re right. Isn’t that sad? She had so much to live for, didn’t she? What? What will we do with her now? Oh, aren’t you sweet to be concerned? Don’t worry, Adam. We’ll take very good care of her. The timing couldn’t be better.
* * *
IT WAS THE coldest morning so far that fall. A few white flakes drifted out of the gray sky. I had just gotten out of my car in the student parking lot when I heard a scream. Kids all over the lot turned and looked. A few began to jog toward a small patch of trees at the bottom of a short slope next to the school. Others walked slowly toward the trees, as if they wanted to let the runners get there first. Still others, myself included, didn’t want to go, or look, or know.
Looking down at the trees I felt a shiver of fear.
A boy named Tanner Wilks ran up the slope as fast as he could. With terror in his eyes he raced past me, yanked open a door that led into the gym, and disappeared inside. Meanwhile, voices, gasps, and shouts came from the wooded area. A girl trudged up the slope sobbing, her face buried in her hands, her shoulder cradled by a grim- looking boy.
The gym door opened and Mr. Alvarez, the gym teacher, raced down the slope towards the woods. The door had hardly closed when it swung open again and Principal Edwards came out, speaking urgently into a walkie talkie as he ran.
“Everyone back! Get back!” Mr. Alvarez’s booming gym-teacher voice echoed up the slope. Now Mr. Edwards joined in the chorus. “Everyone go! Get away from here! Go inside. Now!”
A few male teachers went down toward the trees. A small group of female teachers and secretaries came out but stayed near the gym door and watched.
In the distance the police sirens started. Even though they sounded far away, I turned to look and found Tyler standing a few feet behind me. I gasped and felt startled.
He frowned. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“Sorry, I’m just freaked.”
“What’s going on?” He looked somber as he glanced past me toward the trees.
I shook my head. I didn’t know. The sirens were getting louder. I counted two, maybe three different ones, and felt a terrible sensation of foreboding. Tyler stepped closer and I felt his arm go around my shoulders. I shivered and hoped he’d assume it was from the cold, but the truth was, I didn’t know how I felt. Yes, I wanted to feel his arm around me, but only if that arm was attached to someone who had nothing to do with the terrible things that were going on. And right now I wasn’t sure of that.
A police car screeched into the parking lot. Two officers got out and quickly jogged down the slope and into the woods. An ambulance arrived next, and some EMTs carrying orange medical cases ran down the slope. A dark green sedan pulled into the parking lot, and Detective Payne got out. Our eyes met for a second, and then he hurried down the slope.
Mr. Alvarez and Principal Edwards came out of the woods, both grim and ashen-faced. In a voice filled with angst Principal Edwards shouted, “Everyone, back into school!” In response, kids moved faster toward the doors than they might normally have. Down in the wooded area, a police officer was going from tree to tree, stretching yellow crime-scene tape.
My stomach was in knots and I began to feel light-headed and sick.
“You okay?” Tyler asked.
I nodded but stumbled when I took a step. Tyler slid his arm around my waist. I couldn’t tell him that part of my discomfort stemmed from not knowing if I could trust him.
Inside, the PA blared, “Students, go directly to your homerooms and take your seats. Do not congregate in the halls. Go to your homerooms and wait.”
The hallways were filled with frightened-looking students. Everyone wanted to know what was going on. Tyler and I passed the nurse’s office just as Mrs. Johnson, the school psychologist, rushed in. Through the doorway we could see Tanner Wilks sitting on a cot with his hands over his eyes and Ms. Perkins, the nurse, sitting beside him with her arm around his shoulders.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“It’s obvious,” Tyler muttered as we continued down the hall.
“But we don’t know. I mean, obviously it’s something bad, but we don’t know.”
“The only thing we don’t know is which one.”
“Please don’t say that.” At the same time I thought,
The thoughts only made me more uncomfortable. I wished he’d take his arm from around my waist. Thank God we were in a crowded hallway at school. I was so uncomfortable with him at that moment that if we’d been someplace else alone, I think I might have screamed and run away.
I was glad when we stopped outside my homeroom. I eased myself out of his grasp. “Guess I better go in.”
“Talk to you later?” Tyler asked.
I nodded, but inside I wasn’t so sure.
Inside the room Ms. Skelling was sitting quietly at her desk, staring out the window. At their desks, kids were talking anxiously about what was going on outside. Over the PA came the static that often preceded an
