Page 83 of For Your Own Good

Most of the names don’t mean anything to her. She barely knows the names of her own students, much less Teddy’s. The one student she recognizes is in Teddy’s class this year and was in Sonia’s class last year.

Zach Ward.

And she’s heard of him only because he was arrested today.

TEDDY IS AThome, showered, and sitting in front of his computer when he learns about Zach’s arrest. He’d gone online to see what students were saying, in case any of them were talking about his plaque, and instead he found out about Zach. Very few details have been released. The police have just said that a “Belmont student was arrested for bribery.”

Teddy laughs. He laughs so hard, he almost spills his water.

Of course that little bastard tried to bribe someone. The only surprise is that he has to pay the price. Kids like him rarely do.

HOURS GO BYbefore Zach is allowed to speak. Finally, he is alone with Ezekiel. Late at night, his parents leave them alone in his mom’s office. Ezekiel sits, which brings him down to a more reasonable size.

“I guess this has been quite a day for you,” he says.

“You could say that.”

“I’m going to ask you some questions, and it’s important you only answer what I ask. Do you understand?”

Zach nods.

“Good. Now, are there calls on your phone to a guard at the jail?”

“Yes.”

“How many?”

Zach thinks about it. “Five or six.”

“And the GPS in your car. Will it show you went to the jail?”

“Yes.”

“How many times?”

“Once.”

Ezekiel does not take notes. He pauses, clasps his hands together, and stares at Zach. “Do you have text messages to Courtney on your phone?”

“Not since she was arrested.”

“Is there anything about Courtney’s mother in the texts you did exchange with her?”

Zach sifts through them in his mind, trying to remember. That was a while ago. “Probably,” he says.

“Did she say anything bad about her mother?”

All the time. “Yes.”

“Did she say she wanted her mother dead?”

“Yes.” Many of the text messages that were made public had originally been sent to Zach. “But it was just—”

Ezekiel holds up his hand. “Are there any texts about her mother’s death?”

“From right after it happened,” Zach says. “I told her I was sorry her mom died.”

“Anything else?”