“No, I’m not scared,” I say. “I’m angry. I want to know who did that to Lindsay, and why. And I want them caught.”
“Well,” Gavin says, finally looking me in the eye, “do they have any leads?”
“I don’t know,” I say. “If they do, they aren’t telling me. Let me ask you something. Do you think Coach Andrews is gay?”
“Gay?” Gavin lets out a big horse laugh. “No!”
I shake my head. “Why not?”
“Well, because he’s a big jock.”
“Historically, there have been a few gay athletes, you know,” I say.
Gavin snorts. “Sure. Lady golfers.”
“No,” I say. “Greg Louganis.”
He stares at me blankly. “Who’s that?”
“Never mind.” I sigh. “He could be gay and just not want everyone to know. Because it might freak out the players.”
“Gee, ya think?” Gavin asks me sarcastically.
“But you don’t think he’s gay,” I say.
“How would I know?” Gavin asks. “I never met the guy. I just know he’s a basketball coach, and they aren’t gay. Most of the time.”
“Well, have you ever heard anything about Coach Andrews and Lindsay?”
“What, like, romantically?” Gavin wants to know.
“Yeah.”
“No,” he says. “And, might I add, gross. He’s, like, thirty.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Yeah. That’s ancient.”
Gavin smirks, and says, “Whatever. Besides, I thought Lindsay was all hot-and-heavy with Mark Shepelsky.”
“They’ve cooled off, apparently,” I say. “Lately she’s been hooking up with a kid named Doug Winer. Do you know him?”
“Not really.” He shrugs. “I know his brother, Steve, better.”
And the earth suddenly seemed to tilt on its axis.
“What?”I can’t believe what I’ve just heard.
Gavin, startled by my response, stammers, “St-Steve. Yeah. Steve Winer. What, you didn’t know—”
“Steve?” I stare at him. “Doug Winer has a brother named Steve? Are you serious?”
“Yeah.” Gavin looks at me strangely. “He was in one of my film classes last semester. We worked together on a project. It was kind of lame—which makes sense, since Steve’s kind of lame. But we hung out some. He’s a senior. He lives over at the Tau Phi House.”
“He’s a Tau Phi, too?” I can’t seem to digest any of this.
“Yeah. He’s, like, president of the house, or something. Well, he should be, ’cause he’s the oldest guy there. The dude’s twenty-five, and he’s still taking classes like Intro to Social Work and shit. Steve wants to be a big-time breadwinner, like Daddy. But he’s too stupid and lazy to think of any way to do it except through dealing. So… ” Gavin shrugs. “He deals coke and shit to college party kids, while Dad—and New York College, as far as I can tell —turns a blind eye. I mean, it makes sense the school won’t do anything about it, because old man Winer donated the sports complex.” He chuckles. “Too bad his own kids are too fucked up most of the time to use it.”
“So the Winer boys are big-time dealers?” I ask. Suddenly Coach Andrews isn’t interesting me half as much as he was earlier.
“I don’t know about big-time,” Gavin says, with a shrug. “I mean, they both deal, and all, which is fine. But you aren’t supposed to sample your own wares. But back when I had class with him, Steve was using, all the time. And so he was always asleep—crashing, you know—when we were supposed to be working on the project. I had to do the whole thing myself, practically. We got an A, of course. But no thanks to Winer.”
“So what’s he deal?” I ask.
“You name it, the Winer can get it. Though he’s got principles. He only sells to people who are ready to experience the alternative planes of reality that drugs can help them achieve. It’s like this thing.” Gavin rolls his eyes. “Some principles. You know what that guy’s hobby used to be when he was a kid? Burying cats up to their necks in dirt in the backyard, then runnin’ over their heads with the lawn mower.”
“That,” I say, wide-eyed, “is disgusting.”
“That’s not all. Steve’d tie a brick to their tails and throw ’em in the pool. That guy is a maniac. Plus, he’s got this thing about money. See, their old man made a pile of money in construction. And he wants his boys to do the same. You know, find their own entrepreneurial fortunes, and shit? So soon as they graduate from college, they’re cut off. That’s why Steve’s trying to keep the gravy train go as long as he can.”
I eye him. “Gavin,” I say. “How do you know all this stuff?”
“What stuff?”
“All this stuff about the Winers.”
Gavin looks blank. “I dunno. I’ve partied with them.”
“You’ve partied with them?”
“Yeah,” Gavin says. “You know. I think Steve’s a loser, but the guy’s got connections. That is one bridge I’m not burning, even if he did totally fuck up our project. But, you know, when I get my own production company going, I’ll need investors. And drug money is better than no money. I don’t have to ask where it came from. Plus, some great-looking chicks show up at those Tau Phi parties. There’s one tonight… .” His voice trails off, and he looks at me warily. “I mean, women. Not chicks. Women.”
“There’s a party at the Tau Phi House tonight?” I ask.
“Um,” Gavin says. “Yes?”
And suddenly I know where I need to be tonight.
“Can you get me in?”
Gavin looks confused. “What?”
“Into the party. To meet Steve Winer.”
Gavin’s perpetually sleepy brown eyes actually widen. “You wanna score some coke? Oh, man! And I always thought you were straight! All those anti-drug ads you did when you were a star—”
“I don’t want any coke,” I say.
“’Cause coke’s no good for you. Reefer’s the way to go. I can get you some excellent reefer, mellow you right out. ’Cause you can be a real tight-ass sometimes, you know that, Heather? I always noticed that about you.”
“I don’t want any reefer,” I say, through gritted teeth. “What I want is to ask Steve Winer a few questions about Lindsay Combs. Because I think Steve might know something about it.”
Gavin’s eyelids droop back down to their normal width. “Oh. Well, shouldn’t the police be doing that?”
“You would think so, wouldn’t you?” I give a bitter laugh. “But the police don’t really seem to care, as far as I can make out. So. What do you say? Do you think you can score me an introduction?”
“Sure,” Gavin says. “I can do that. I mean, if you want me to. I can take you with me tonight to the party.”
“Really?” I lean forward on Sarah’s desk. “You would really do that?”
“Uh,” Gavin says, looking as if he doubts my sanity, “yeah. I mean, it’s no big deal.”
“Wow.” I stare at him. I can’t tell if he’s trying to get into my good graces to pull some kind of scam, or if he sincerely wants to help. “That’d be… great. I’ve never been to a frat party before. What time will it start? What should I wear?” I try not to think about the FAT CHICKS GO HOME sign. Will it still be there? What if they won’t let me in because they think I’m too fat? God, how embarrassing.
I mean, for them.
“You’ve never been to a frat party before?” Now Gavin looks shocked. “Jesus, even when you were in college?”
I decide to let that one slide. “Slutty, right? I should dress slutty?”
Gavin isn’t making eye contact anymore. “Yeah, slutty usually works out good. Things don’t usually start going until eleven. Should I pick you up then?”
