I Know Lucy (The Fugitive Series) (18 page)

“She means a lot to you, doesn’t she?” Uncle Alex passed the photo back.

I couldn’t speak. I just gave him a simple nod.

His lips quirked to the side with a bemused smile. “Did you hear from Luke about Miles’ family?”

I nodded, pulling out my phone and bringing up the text conversation. “His name is James, he’s a sophomore and plays soccer. He sometimes plays down at Balboa Park. Luke thinks we should try there first.” I put the phone down, not bothering to go into his next text asking what this was all about.

Gulping down the last of his coffee, Uncle Alex slapped the table and stood. “Alright then, let’s get started. Bring your coffee. It looks like you need it.” He slapped me on the shoulder as he walked past, grabbing his wallet and cellphone.

We took my car and I followed his directions to Balboa Park. It took about fifteen minutes to get there, my fingers gripping the wheel tightly the whole way. Uncle Alex tried to keep the chatter going, but my terse, short answers eventually made him shut up. I felt a little bad for being rude, but I was stressed. My insides were thrumming. What would I find out? What would James reveal about Riley?

I knew our chances of actually finding him at the park were slim. Luke was only guessing. We’d probably end up having to call my cousin for more clues, something I didn’t really want to do.

“Pull over here.” Uncle Alex pointed. I steered up next to the curb and stopped the car.

There were some guys playing soccer. We had no idea which one was James. Although I had looked up his freshman yearbook photo, I wasn’t sure I could pick him out.

Slamming the door closed behind me, I shoved the keys in my pocket and reluctantly walked towards the group. It was a sunny day, making the green park look inviting. People were milling around, families played Frisbee and little kids chased each other. A group of guys was playing soccer with a few spectators gathered nearby. It was obviously a casual, friendly game. I scanned the puffing players for James, but didn’t recognize any of them.

We slowed to a stop and Uncle Alex was the first to introduce himself. He approached a line of girls watching the guys chase a white ball around. I wasn’t much of a soccer fan myself, so I could understand some of their bored expressions. My charming uncle sidled up to them and started chatting. I could tell from their coy smiles that they were into his rogue looks and easy grin. He was always persuasive, which is what made him such a good reporter.

“Well, I’m sure an intelligent woman like yourself will be able to give us a hand.” His blue-eyed gaze made the girl blush. Thankfully my eye roll was hidden behind my shades.

“Give us the picture, Zach.” Uncle Alex motioned me over and I dug the photo from my back pocket, caressing my thumb over Dani’s face before passing it to the girls.

They crowded around it. The two girls shook their heads, but one nodded.

“I think I do remember her actually.” The short Asian girl looked at me.

“Zach, this is Colette. She’s a senior at Lowell.”

“Hey.” My forced smile was met with a friendly grin.

She tucked a black lock of hair behind her ear and kept talking. “I can’t remember her name, but I do remember she dated a senior who was like super hot.” Her eyes danced. “Miles Filmore. He was rich and gorgeous and totally swoon worthy.”

“I heard he was a bit of an asshole.” Not to rain on her parade, but I was after honesty.

“Well, I guess he was a bit of a bad boy.” She blushed. “Totally under appreciated by that chick though.” She handed the photo back looking slightly disgusted. “She just up and disappeared. I mean who does that?”

“Do you know the story behind that?” Uncle Alex asked.

“Not really.” Colette shook her head. “But those guys might know.” She raised her hand and waved across the field. “Hey Stefan, come here for a sec!”

The guy frowned, looking reluctant to leave the game, but jogged over anyway. “What’s up?” He puffed.

“Do you remember that girl Miles was dating? The quiet one.”

He looked blank until my uncle popped the photo in front of his face. His eyes rounded. “Yeah, the one who freaked out at the mall.”

“Were you there?” I leaned closer, my heart rate accelerating. “Nah, but Miles told me the story. Apparently they were on this date, he was buying her a Christmas present or something and they ran into a friend of his Dad’s. Riley just went white, like a ghost, and took off. Miles tried to bring her back, but then out of nowhere this tall, blond, skinny guy jumped out and started attacking Miles.”

“Who was he?” Uncle Alex tipped his head.

Stefan shrugged. “Just some druggie. Miles said his eyes were all bugged out and kinda creepy. He thought the guy was seriously trying to kill him. The mall cops arrived and he was taken away, I think.”

“And you never saw…Riley again?” It was a struggle to say her name. Dani suited her so much better.

Colette shook her head. “She wasn’t at school on Monday…or any day after that.”

“Does anyone know what happened to her?”

They all shook their heads as a bunch of soccer guys came running towards them. “What’s the hold up?” One of them slapped Stefan on the back.

He lifted up the picture. “Do you remember her?” Several of them shook their heads, except one guy who frowned, reaching forward to grab the photo.

“Who is that?” he asked.

“She went to Lowell, you wouldn’t know her.” Stefan snatched the picture back.

“But I do know her. I think she went to Balboa High. She looks really different in this picture.”

“Wait, do you go to Balboa?” Uncle Alex pointed at the curly-haired guy. He looked younger than me. He stepped forward with a nod.

“How do you know her?”

With a huge grin the guy shook his head, his dark curls bouncing. “If you knew her, you wouldn’t ask that question.” Waving his hand, he called over his shoulder. “Hey, Brayden. Come check out this photo!”

Stefan nudged his opponent. “When did she go to Balboa, Justin?”

“I’m telling you man, I know this chick. She was at Balboa for like two months.”

“When?”

“A couple years back maybe. I wasn’t there then, she used to party with my brother’s crowd. I’ve definitely met her before.”

“Party?” I could barely get the word out.

The guy looked at me, his brown eyes dancing. “Absolutely, bro. She was wild.”

“She so was not. You’re talking about a different girl.” Colette shook her head.

Holding the photo up to his face, he looked at it closely. “She definitely looks different, but I bet you a hundred bucks when I show this to Brayden he will tell you it was that chick he used to hang with.”

“What was her name?” Uncle Alex asked.

The guy shrugged.

“Riley.” Colette answered.

“Nah, it wasn’t Riley. Tyler or something?”

I swallowed, my throat burning as it tried to contain the bile.

Brayden took his sweet time sauntering across the green park. By the time he finally reached his younger brother, most of the Lowell High players had lost interest and gone off to restart their game. The Balboa High player still stuck around, gazing at the photo with this annoying grin. I snatched it back and turned towards Brayden as he approached with his girlfriend and another girl. They looked older than me. I felt small beside them and tried to push up to my full height.

“Hey.” I stuck out my hand to shake. He just kind of looked at it then over at Justin.

“So what am I looking at?”

I held my breath as I passed the photo over. The guy squinted at it, looking as though he didn’t recognize the picture. Relief started to ebb through my system. Hopefully that Justin kid was wrong. But then Brayden’s girlfriend leaned over his shoulder and gasped.

“Shit, is that Taylor?” She whipped the photo from his grasp.

“Taylor? No way.” Brayden held the other edge of the photo and peered at it. His chuckle was dry and a little surprised.

“Man, she looks different there.” Brayden’s girlfriend couldn’t take her eyes off the picture.

“Different how?”

“Well, her hair’s way longer and she dyed it. It used to be an auburn color.” Her fingers tinkled around her own blonde hair. “I can’t believe it.”

Auburn. I wrinkled my nose, trying to picture Dani with reddish brown hair. “Are you sure it’s her?”

“Well, pretty sure, I guess. I mean, maybe it’s not. She does look like Taylor, although she seems really subdued in this pic. Where did you get this?” She flapped the photo at me.

“I…” My tongue felt thick and flabby.

Uncle Alex stepped up, smiling at Brayden’s girlfriend as he gently took the photo back and handed it to my stupid self.

“This girl that you went to school with, what did you say her name was?”

“Taylor Jones. She was one cool chick.” The girl was grinning with some memory. I wanted to know what it was, unravel her brain so I could see what Dani was like as Taylor. “You know for a sophomore, she fit into the senior crowd straight away. People couldn’t get enough of her.”

“What made her so cool?”

The girl tipped her head. “I don’t know. She just had a way about her. She kind of swept into school like a whirlwind. She had everyone eating out of her hand.”

“Especially Howard.” The girl behind her sing-songed.

“Who’s Howard?”

Brayden snickered. “He was this total geek who Taylor played like a pro. She managed to convince him to pay her for ‘cool classes.’ I mean who can pull that off?”

“Cool classes?”

“Yeah, like she gave him a make over and kind of brought him into our crowd.” Brayden crossed his arms. “Howard was a senior like us, but such a loser.” The guy scoffed then cleared his throat as if he felt bad.

“The deal was that if he outfitted her for the prom, she’d be his date and you know, let him….” Brayden’s girlfriend wiggled her eyebrows. “On the night.”

I felt sick. She what?

“It was a pretty good deal if you ask me. She was a hottie. If Howard had lost it to her, he would have been a legend among men, you know?”

I wanted to punch Brayden in the face, but his girlfriend slapped his shoulder instead.

“What?” He grinned at her glare.

The girl behind them kept talking. “Howard was loaded, so he went all out. Bought her this lush dress, designer shoes, diamond earrings. He must have spent at least five grand on her. Not to mention all the other perks she collected off him while they were dating.” She said the last word in inverted commas, rolling her eyes.

“Sounds like
Can’t Buy Me Love
.” Uncle Alex raised his eyebrows.

“What?” The girl tipped her head.

“You know, the ‘80s movie with Patrick Dempsey.”

They shook their heads.

“The one where the geek pays the girl to make him popular and then…” Alex flicked his hand at their blank gazes. “Forget it.”

I cleared my throat, needing to ask, but hating it. “So, um, what happened prom night?”

“She didn’t show.”

My heart skipped a beat. I wanted to whoop with joy, not for poor Howard, but for the fact that she didn’t go through with it.

She didn’t go through with it.

Reality crashed through my relief, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.

“So she played him,” Uncle Alex muttered for me.

“As I said, like a freaking pro.” Brayden shook his head, almost in admiration. “Her and her brother just disappeared. Must have moved out of town or something.” He glanced at the photo again. “But maybe not.”

“Her brother?” I crossed my arms.

“Yeah, he was in college, but really protective. He used to pick her up from school.”

“What’d he look like?”

Brayden’s girlfriend pushed her lips to the side. “Kinda skinny with blond, straggly hair and these grey eyes that were way creepy. He didn’t talk to us, like ever. He just picked her up each day and drove off.”

“Did you ever go to her place?”

“Nah, she was pretty private about her home life. She liked to come out to party.”

“How long was she at the school?”

“No more than eight weeks. It wasn’t long at all.”

I glanced at Alex. Same time frame as Lowell High. He read my mind and turned back to the others. “Well, thanks so much for your time.”

“No worries. If you ever find her, say hi for me.” Brayden’s smile was leering and slap worthy.

“Brayden!” Her girlfriend yanked his sleeve. “You’re such a jerk sometimes.”

I let their voices turn to dust behind me as we walked back to the car. Colette called out a goodbye, but I didn’t turn to acknowledge her, just lifted my hand in a wave. Slamming into the car, I slumped back against the seat and kept my eyes ahead, ignoring my uncle’s probing gaze.

Eventually he sighed. “So where do you want to go next?”

“Luke thinks she might have transferred from George Washington High before attending Lowell. Do you think there’ll be any kids loitering around who we could talk to?”