“So . . . after,” Cassidy asked. “What happened?”
William sighed. “It got really late. We decided we’d better walk back.”
“But what about the video? Did Izzy agree to Cody sharing it?”
William’s eyes slunk away. “I don’t know.”
Cassidy tried to refocus her thoughts. “Okay. So the next day, did you talk at all? What was the mood like?”
“Cody and I woke up late. It was . . . weird.”
“But you got in the same van. Did you talk then?”
William picked up the bong and his lighter, looking pensive. “I was pretty hung over. We didn’t get much sleep.” He lit the bong and took another hit.
“When I sent you guys off that last morning, I remember you and Cody focusing on a screen. Were you . . . watching it then?”
William let the smoke out of his lungs and rested his elbows on his pointy knees. “Cody had done some . . . editing.”
Cassidy stood, feeling wretched for not knowing what had been going on right beneath her nose. Could I have seen this coming? she wondered. “But didn’t the other students see it?”
William shook his head. “We had the sound off. And after it . . . was done we . . . put it away.”
Cassidy paced in front of the coffee table. “Did you talk to Izzy at all during the drive?”
William shook his head. “No. But I think she and Cody were texting.”
“Do you know what it was about?”
“I think she was pissed.”
“You know that that video is now up on a porn site, right?”
William nodded, looking uncomfortable.
“Was that your idea or his?”
“I wouldn’t even know how to do something like that,” William said, and this time, she heard an emotion in his voice: anger.
“Cody posted this without your permission, didn’t he?”
William’s lips pressed into a firm line. “No, I knew about it,” he finally said. “It’s just . . . ” He looked off for a moment. “I didn’t think he’d actually do it.”
“Why would he then?” Cassidy asked.
“That’s just Cody,” William said.
“So, are you still friends?”
William nodded. “He’s my best friend. What am I supposed to do?”
“Text him,” Cassidy said after a long moment, trying to decide what to do. “But don’t tell him I’m looking for him. He’s avoiding me.” She said this last bit while glaring at William, who looked away. “See if you can find out where he is.”
William already had his phone out of his pocket, his fingers flying, and had a reply within seconds.
“He’s at Blairalley,” he said.
Cassidy looked at the clock: 10:47. “Let’s go,” she said, spinning for the door.
He blinked a wide-eyed look at her.
“You’re part of this, too,” she said. “Whether you want to be or not.”
Fourteen
The distance to the vintage arcade in the northwest section of the city meant that by the time they arrived, Cassidy’s Subaru smelled like marijuana and B.O.
“So, Izzy left the van at that gas station?” William asked.
“Yeah,” Cassidy said. “Then she got to Bend somehow.”
“It’s a cool town,” William said absently, as if Izzy deciding to disappear was no big deal.
Cassidy held onto her musings regarding Izzy’s motivations. “So, did you have a crush on her?” she asked.
William stared out his window. “She’s hot. Who doesn’t?”
“Were she and Cody going out?”
William shook his head. “He’s not . . . like that.”
“What’s that mean?” Cassidy asked, sneaking a glance at him. They pulled up to a stop light.
William shrugged his lanky shoulders. “He gets more ass than anyone I know.”
They arrived and Cassidy parked in a crowded lot. Inside the arcade, the bright lights and colors shining from the rows of arcade games lit the room. It was like stepping back to her childhood—Quinn used to go spend his quarters at places like this. Pac Man, Space Invaders, pinball—the robotic chirps and bleeps filling the bar brought it all back. She thought of Quinn right now, probably asleep in his hotel room and hopefully ready for his big race the following day. Would he still enjoy playing these games as an adult?
Cody stood at the bar, his back to them, wearing jeans and a white t-shirt. Cassidy hurried over just as Cody turned, holding a beer. The music seemed to pulse in her ears as she crossed the remaining distance.
Cody quickly recovered from his surprise, and sipped from his beer. “Dr. Kincaid!” he boomed. “Here to play a little pinball?”
William and Cody slapped hands in greeting, exchanging a look that Cassidy couldn’t read.
Cassidy ignored his remark. “Why haven’t you answered my calls?”
Cody grimaced playfully, then his impish blue eyes drifted to the row of arcade games behind him. “Sorry. The tournament’s been kind of all-consuming.”
Cassidy turned to see a dozen or so young men, some playing, some leaning against the machines, watching. Two players gyrated in front of a pair of machines, dueling it out while the others cheered.
“Have you heard from Izzy?” Cassidy asked.
“Huh? No,” Cody replied, his smooth face blank.
“She left the field camp van on the way home yesterday. Did you know about that?” Cassidy said.
Cody’s eyes glazed over. “Huh,” he said.
William shifted behind her, and Cassidy wondered if the two friends had spoken much since returning from field camp.
Cassidy crossed her arms. “I know about the video. Did you post it without Izzy’s permission?”
Instead of being surprised, Cody flashed her a shrewd look. “I’m seeing a whole new side of you tonight, Dr. Kincaid,” he said. He raised his eyebrows.
Cassidy resisted the urge to shove him against the wall. “Did you?”
Cody shrugged, his expression hardening. “I sent it to her dad.”
“You what?” Cassidy cried, but before she could make her next move, William sprang at Cody, shoving him back, hard enough to make his head snap back. “You fucker!” he shouted.
Cody stumbled back, his beer flying through the air and crashing to the floor. But William wasn’t done. He grabbed Cody’s shirt and shoved him into the bar. “God
