Page 28 of Don't Say a Word

She shook her head.

“Why not? Jeez, Ange, he would totally have come up. It’s, like, a thirty-minute drive.”

She should have. Chris had also been friends with Elijah.

“I know, but he’s busy and I didn’t want to dump on him.”

Benny frowned and was about to say something when another guy, older by a few years, came out of the storage room and walked behind the counter, giving Benny a scowl.

“Sorry, Tony, Angie’s a friend.”

Benny hurried back around the counter. Angie paid for her items and Benny made change.

She glanced at Tony, who was staring at her. She’d seen him almost every day she came in to chat with Elijah.

“You’re friends with Elijah,” he said.

She nodded. Tony had always watched her, which sort of creeped her out, though he hadn’t made any weird moves on her. Did he know what happened to Elijah? She wanted to ask him what he knew, but deep down she was scared and realized she was way, way over her head. Maybe Elijah’s odd behavior these last few weeks had nothing to do with work. Maybe itwasthe pressure of school and college applications, like Mrs. Clark suggested. Maybe he had decided to pop pills. What did she know? People were rarely what they seemed to be.

But he wouldn’t do drugs, especially hard drugs, she told herself. No one changed that much over one summer. Did they?

She pocketed her change and mumbled thanks. She wanted to ask Tony questions, or maybe just talk about Elijah because she missed him so damn much, but she didn’t. She walked out, feeling as if Tony were watching her the whole time.

Creepy. Definitely creepy.

Benny ran out after her. “Angie, wait up.”

She stopped. “I don’t want to get you in trouble.”

He put a hand on her shoulder, turned her to face him. “You won’t. What’s wrong?”

She looked up into Benny’s warm brown eyes.

“I’m okay,” she said. “I miss Elijah, and I shouldn’t have come here.”

“You ever want to talk, call me, okay? Seriously. You’re practically my sister.”

He smiled, but that comment made her want to cry even more.

“Okay,” she said and gave him a hug, before turning and speed walking south, toward the school and her apartment beyond.

She was glad that Chris had a whole new life away from his abusive dad. She wanted the best for him, and for Benny. The Vallejo brothers didn’t need to be dragged down by her innate pessimism.

Her cell phone rang. She answered it without looking, regretting it immediately when she heard Bruce’s nasty voice. “Are you in trouble?”

“No. What do you want?”

“There’s a woman looking for you. Interrupted my game.”

Was it the PI? “What was her name?”

“How the hell am I supposed to remember? Did you skip school today? Maybe it was a truant officer.”

She didn’t answer. She heard sirens in the distance, not an unusual sound, but still she walked faster.

“Your ma is on her way home. She got a call from the school. I bet you cut. If you’re cutting school, just quit and get a fucking job and start contributing to the family.”

“You get a fucking job and start contributing!” she snapped and instantly regretted it.