Page 45 of Crazy House (Crazy House 1)

A girl named Stephanie Morrow came out next. She’d changed out of her soccer uniform and into her waitress uniform—Nate had seen her at Mrs. Kelly’s Kitchen, when he and his parents had gone to the diner after church.

“Stephanie?”

She looked surprised. “Yeah?”

“Um, you’re friends with Cassie, right?” he asked. “I’ve seen you hanging out.”

Just like Eddie, Stephanie’s face went from friendly to wary.

“Yeah?” she said. “So?”

“I’m looking for her.”

“Why?” Distinctly unfriendly.

“I’m worried about her,” Nate said. “She got kicked out of school. I want to make sure she’s okay.”

“Uh-huh,” Stephanie said. “So you can rat on her to your dad?”

Because of his carefully cultivated public face. “Cassie and I are friends, actually,” he said mildly.

“I don’t know where she is,” Stephanie said tightly. “She’s not at home, she’s not at the All-Ways.”

A cold feeling curled up in the pit of his stomach.

The sound of tires squealing caught his attention. Two police cars pulled into the school parking lot and jerked to a stop by the front doors. Nate stayed very still—maybe his dad had sent them to get him. Maybe he should quietly get on his moped and split.

“So no one knows where Cassie is?” he asked out of the corner of his mouth.

“No. It’s like she disappeared. Like Becca.” Stephanie gave him a withering look, then unlocked her bicycle from the rack. She didn’t glance at the cops.

“You!”

Nate turned at the cop’s voice, but he wasn’t speaking to him.

His friend Jake was heading toward him, his face intent, like he had to get to Nate before the cop did.

“You!” the cop shouted again. “Stop!”

Jake picked up the pace, keeping his eyes on Nate’s.

“Jake?” Nate said, heading over to meet him.

“You!” The cop shouted, and then two other cops ran up and seized Jake.

“Hey!” Nate yelled. “That’s m

y friend!” Usually the cops would give him a respectful nod—one time, someone had even called him sir.

Now, however, they ignored him. Jake was struggling in their grasp, and Nate grabbed one of the cops’ shoulders to pull him off. The cop elbowed him hard, and then there was a sharp buzzing sound and Jake went down like a sack of potatoes. They’d tased him.

“That’s my friend!” Nate shouted again as they started to haul him off. Jake’s eyes had rolled back into his head, and his mouth hung open. The cops ignored Nate, except to shove him out of the way as they stuffed Jake into the backseat of their cruiser.

Then the two cars peeled away, their tires spitting tiny rocks. Jake had slumped down in the car, and Nate couldn’t see him.

The cops had just arrested his friend. And a fellow Outsider.

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