Page 71 of Don't Say a Word

“Logical.”

“It’s a guess, based on no actual evidence. They haven’t found it, and if someone did, no one connected it to Elijah? I don’t buy it. I think they dismissed possible evidence of foul play because it doesn’t fit in with the accidental overdose assumption.

“Now, my triangle theory—Lena Clark has been at Sun Valley for more than five years. She was there when Bradford was dealing drugs, a crime he got away with for apparently years. Hitchner’s report is very detailed, and they shut down the operation, but the only two people who went to prison were Bradford and his wife and one student to juvie. I couldn’t find any documents abouthow it started, when it started. Maybe the info will be in the court records Tess is going through. Did he use other kids, kids who graduated before the sting? Plus, no one knows who his supplier was. Neither he nor his wife would talk.”

“You think someone picked up where Bradford left off.”

“It’s an idea that’s rattling around in my head. The other point of the triangle is that Lena and Bradford worked at the school at the same time. I could be way off, but Hitchner might have more info there. Was Lena involved in the arrest at all? Did she give a statement? Were there any grudges? Other players who weren’t caught up in the sting?”

“Triangles have three points.”

“I haven’t connected Elijah to Bradford, but Elijah was a freshman when Bradford was arrested—yes, a small insignificant connection. He could have known someone who was involved. If I’m wrong, I can close it off and focus on something else, like Elijah’s workplace or his friends. I’ve talked to one, reached out to the others, but so far I’m ending up dry. No one knows where Elijah was after he left work until he ended up dead in the park. Five hours unaccounted for.”

Jack didn’t say anything, and I worried that I was way off base. I didn’t know how to put all these pieces together. Some were solid, but some depended on me fully believing Elijah’s shiny reputation, a kid I had never met.

And there were far too many things I didn’t know.

“I’ll reach out to Hitchner tomorrow morning, but no promises,” Jack finally said. “I didn’t know him well when I was on the job, don’t have any favors I can call in.”

“That’s all I can ask. Thanks.”

When I left Laura’s house thirty minutes later, my rearview mirror framed Jack and Laura standing on the wide porch, his arm around her waist. I had an overwhelming sense of longing that I couldn’t explain.

Rick only lived a few minutes away, two exits up the freeway. But he worked swing shift and was probably still at work; even ifhe wasn’t, could I just stop by his house and pick up where we left off?

He’d given me no sign that he wanted to rekindle our relationship. Inviting me to Sam’s game? Maybe it was an olive branch. Yet, he didn’t think he’d done anything wrong when he lectured me about how to handle Sam. And evenifI thought he was right—and he was, to a point, since Sam was his daughter—it hurt.

Because I wanted Sam to bemydaughter too. And Rick didn’t trust me.

I headed home. Still torn, still unsure where I stood in Rick’s life. And that was a feeling I didn’t want.

Chapter Twenty-One

Margo Angelhart

Wednesday morning I woke up before dawn and found two text messages on my phone.

Danielle Duran texted at 11:03 p.m.:My mom told me to call you about Elijah. I don’t really have anything to say, but tomorrow’s late start and I have first free, so you can call before 9:45.

I wanted to assess her in person. It was much easier to lie over the phone, and impossible for me to read body language.

The second text came from Elijah’s friend Andy:We have late start Wednesday. 8 okay?

I assumed byweAndy meant him and Peter. I had left both of them messages yesterday.

How was I going to fit in all of these interviews and get to Eyman Prison before noon? I didn’t want to put them off as they might have information. I was mostly fishing with Bradford as I had nothing solid to connect him to anything that had recently happened on campus, but since I put myself on the list to visit my dad, I didn’t want to disappoint him and not show up.

To Andy, I responded that I would meet them at Black Rock Coffee on Seventh Avenue at 7:30 a.m. Black Rock was far enoughfrom the school that we shouldn’t see anyone they might know, but close enough that I wouldn’t feel guilty making them walk if they didn’t have a car. To Danielle I said I could meet her anywhere near the school or her house around 8:30 a.m. That should leave me plenty of time to get down to Eyman.

After showering, eating a piece of toast, and a slightly overripe banana, I jumped into my Jeep. Luisa called before I had backed down the driveway.

“I’m on my way to class,” she said, “but I got into Elijah’s computer last night, removed his password protections, and left it on your desk. Sorry it took so long.”

“Long? You had it for a day.”

“It actually only took me thirty minutes,” Luisa said. “I just couldn’t get to it until last night.”

Damn, how did the bulk of the Angelhart brains end up in the youngest kid? “Thanks. Did you see anything wonky?”