She Speaks to Angels (9 page)

Nathaniel’s skin looked delicious, like basted turkey on Thanksgiving Day. He radiated bronze hues. Krysta always glowed like a light bulb with infinite effervescence, and even more so standing next to Nathaniel. Like sun and moon.

“
No,” Kian spoke with a well scripted smirk. “Did you three really think you were the only ones intrigued by Tommy’s death?”

My brows arched and skin pricked. “Intrigued? What makes you think we’re up here for Tommy?”

“
Why else?” Kian raked his fingers through his copper-blond hair, and for a minute, he competed for the space in my mind I reserved for Dameon.

“
We think his death is suspicious, too.” Kian persisted, stepping closer to me with each word until he was standing only inches away. His breath rushed over my neck and down my chest. I felt him on me even though we didn’t touch. Jennifer stepped aside with a jarring stare over Kian, protective like a sister.

“
No, we don’t,” Krysta interrupted, drawing a strange look from Kian. “We don’t think anything about Tommy. We didn’t even know him
that
well.”

“
We didn’t know him that well either.” Jennifer commented as I felt the power struggle between Kian and Krysta for the first time. At first, in the cafe, I thought she pined for Kian, but now the interactions seemed more hostile, like when Molly and Jennifer compete for the title of who’s smarter.

Nathaniel watched me closely, eyes soft, but full of story. “Quiet, Kian,” he whispered. I’d never heard him say so much.

“
She already knows.” Kian responded.

“
Knows what?” I trembled from being so close to Kian. His statuesque form hovered over me, engulfed me. I could feel him from all sides, although he only stood in front.

“
Knows that Tommy’s death wasn’t a suicide.” Kian stepped an inch closer, and our lips almost touched. Eve had been tempted by the apple in the Garden of Eden. I now understood her plight.

“
You don’t think so, either,” I said under my breath. Maybe no one but Kian heard me.

“
No. We know it wasn’t.”

“
Then who did it?”

“
Or what.” His whisper fell only on my ears...or so I thought.

Batting her hands in the air Krysta threw her head back. “Great, now you’re going to drag
her
into all of this. Endanger her life.” Molly and Jennifer hadn’t heard the discourse between Kian and me, simply saw the mix of seriousness and desire on my face, but when they heard Krysta’s rant, they turned to me.

Worry lines met around Molly’s mouth, and wrinkles furrowed Jennifer’s brows.

“
Endanger?” I squinted, confused.

“
She knows too much already,” Krysta grumbled. I couldn’t be sure what she meant. If I knew too much about the murder of Tommy? Clark? Or the angels? Did they see them too?

“
She is already involved. Haven’t you felt the power shift?” Kian defended his decision as he grunted into Krysta’s ear. Nathaniel seemed to stand between my friends and his like a shield.

“
What are you guys talking about? Do you know
who
killed Tommy?” Molly’s face turned hot. But Kian went silent. Whatever he had to say, he seemed to only want to say to me.

“
Well?” She stomped her foot.

Dagger looks from Krysta met Molly’s angry gaze. “Tommy never would have jumped. You have all the information you need to figure out who and why. All you have to do is take it to the cops.”

Kian gritted his teeth and shot an angular glare at his friend.

“
What?” Krysta reacted to his look. “Someone has to put an end to this child’s investigation before more mayhem comes of it.”

“
Child’s investigation?” Jennifer hated implications of stupidity. “We’ve practically solved the crime. We should be given an award or something.”

“
Right,” Krysta couldn’t resist. “You’ve connected the well-plotted dots. Good for you. Let’s all go home now.”

Molly’s glare veered from Krysta to Nathaniel and finally to Kian. These three hooligans knew about Tommy’s death before she did. Krysta surely seemed to know more than she let on, and they implicated that I, her best friend, might be in danger. What the heck was going on? “Maybe Krysta’s right. It’s time we all get out of here before someone gets hurt.”

“
I’m with you on that,” Jennifer agreed. “I’m looking forward to that warm sofa and cup of tea. Come on, Ali.”

As my two best friends in the whole world turned their backs on me and headed to the door, I felt a tickle at my ankle. Leaning down, I curled my fingers around a stark black feather. I fanned it out and found it to be the size of my palm. I’d never seen a feather quite like this one. I felt another on my ankle and turned to see one more blow out from under the rain gutter. I must have knocked them loose.

While I held one feather in my hands, the other two swirled into the air. Carried by the gusts of wind, they danced into the sky where they belonged. I watched them fly away like listless birds into the chalky clouds and disappear.

Turning back around, Molly and Jennifer waited at the door which stood ajar as Kian whispered to me, his words like velvet on my skin. “Your life is in serious danger. I’m not taking my eyes off of you.”

Whatever Krysta heard peeved her. She strutted away from Kian and me with a chip on her shoulder and an extra kick in her rhythm. I couldn’t be sure why. Did I represent competition, or did she just not want me in on their secrets? Curiosity engulfed me. Kian had secrets. He knew about Tommy, his death. He knew I was in danger. From what? Why? How did Kian know all this? And was Clark really to blame?

I didn’t have long to ask him, because when we arrived at the ground floor the cops showed up in the administration parking lot, and we all scrambled in different directions. Molly grabbed my wrist and threw me into the backseat with her, and as soon as Jennifer plopped into the driver’s seat, the sedan revved. I looked back to find Kian and his friends, but like Dameon at the memorial, they had vanished.

Revelations

Molly
and Jennifer decided to stay in the comforts of their homes on the last day before school. Their parents had begun missing them, as much time they had been spending over at my house. Besides, going back to school meant they needed to be in bed early.

I stepped near the kitchen and saw Samuel eating one of Mom’s amazing chicken sandwiches for lunch. The thought occurred to me that now would be the perfect time to talk to him about Tommy and Clark. I had seen and heard enough to draw suspicion in Clark’s direction. But then I remembered how Krysta reacted to Jennifer when she said, “You’ve connected the well plotted lines.” There was just something about the way Kian glared at Krysta when she told us to take our information to the cops.

Maybe Clark
was
innocent? What did Kian mean when he said “or what?” After everything with Clark in the back alley, the scratches on my window, the reflection on the Kindle and the recording on the iPhone, I began to wonder if the
what
could have been...an angel. I know; the idea sounded ludicrous even in my own mind. I mean, angels. Really? Forget the impossibility of them existing, but what would they have to do with Tommy’s death? Why?

I decided I shouldn’t say anything to Samuel until I knew more. The disloyalty would crush Molly; I blood promised her. But I rationalized she would come to understand as I understood what the heck was going on at Millennium High. Besides, Kian said I was in danger. I had felt someone watching me and heard someone following me when I picked up the iPhone. I didn’t want to draw any more stalkers my way.

I sneaked carefully around the kitchen corner, wanting to head back to my bedroom. I had a lot to sort out alone.

“
Hey, Ali! Come here.” Samuel waved me down as I passed. “Come, have a seat.” I plopped down next to him, and he handed me half his sandwich. “Have you eaten?” I shook my head and took the food graciously. “Feels like we never see each other anymore, what with my new hours and all.”

“
We didn’t see much of each other when you were in the academy, either,” I told him. He’d always been sure of what he wanted since ten years old.

“
Well, I miss you. How you doin’? Holding up?” Felt like prodding, like the way he elicited information out of suspects.

“
I’m...good.” I shrugged. “Fine.”

“
Well, Mom wanted me to make sure you
really
are fine.”

“
Oh. I am.” Then I thought that maybe instead of giving him information, I could pull some out of him. “So, how is your investigation on Tommy going? Any new leads?”

“
Same old, same old. I got to tell you I think the poor kid just couldn’t handle all the pressure and jumped.”

“
And nothing makes you think differently?” I bit my lip.

“
Not really.” He paused in recollection. “Why? Should it?”

“
No reason; I just wasn’t sure what happened is all.”

“
Well, looks cut and dry as far as the New York City Police are concerned.”

“
Oh.” I didn’t want to push my luck and bit into the sandwich.

“
You’ve been going out a lot with Jen and Mol.”

“
Yeah.”

“
Did you make it to the memorial service?”

“
We all went.”

“
Didn’t see you.” He scratched his head.

“
We stayed in the crowd. Probably hard to pinpoint where we were.”

“
So, you’re heading back to school tomorrow.”

“
My glory days are over,” I smirked.

“
So, are you fine with that? I mean, going back to your English class?”

I froze in an emotional swirl. I couldn’t be sure. I hadn’t really thought about that all week, but I would be walking back into the class where I saw it happen. My God! Nerves bunched up in bundles and I began to feel hot.

“
You alright? You look a little sweaty.” Samuel touched my forehead. “You coming down with a fever?”

All I could see was Tommy’s limp body and the blood pouring out from underneath him at all ends. “No, no. I’m just...I just didn’t put much thought into it before, that I am going back to the same classroom where Tommy fell outside the window.”

“
Sorry sis. Maybe I shouldn’t have brought it up at all. I suck at this.”

“
Don’t worry about it. I’m fine. I just need some water.” I grabbed a glass from the cabinet and used the water from the spout on the fridge. “Tell Mom I’m fine. If anything comes up, I’ll let you guys know.” I rested my hand on my big brother’s shoulder. “Promise.”

“
OK, sis. See you later.” With the nod of his head I knew I’d been freed. A released suspect. Didn't take long for me to become captive again. Mom leapt from her favorite rocking chair and locked her gaze on me.

“
Ali, let’s go to the mall. We never spend any time together anymore.”

I wanted desperately to say no, that I’ve got murder, angels, and stalkers to figure out, but she was right; we hadn’t been spending much time together, and she wouldn’t have believed me anyway. Besides, with Dad gone she wanted to make sure she made up for his loss. I didn’t want to make her feel any worse than she already did.

“
Alright, Mom. Just let me get my phone,” I shouted as I raced to my bedroom. Shoving the cell into my back pant pocket, I threw on my galoshes and a light winter coat. The air felt warmer today. March waited just around the corner.

***

At the mall Mom and I window shopped. I tried on a few pairs of jeans and a couple of dressy gowns. Mom wanted me to be prepared for prom, but I didn’t even know if I’d be going. Heck, I hadn’t even been asked yet.

“
Why don’t you let me pay for a limo for you three girls? It’s your Junior Prom in a month and a half!” Mom suggested as I pulled up a pink satiny dress.

“
Really?” I sensed that Mom felt worried about me after Dad’s death, and then more worried since Tommy died at my school. She regularly tried to cheer me up with purchases. More than that, I enjoyed spending time with her...for the most part.

“
Of course. I want you to be happy. It’s really not too expensive. I’ll help with the limo and dress and then the rest is up to you.”

“
Thanks, Mom.” Her hugs always felt warming, like hot cocoa on a cold winter day.

“
You know, I don’t know if I even have anyone to go with yet.”

“
You? You’re kidding. You’ll find someone. Beautiful girls don’t stay on the market long.”

I didn’t have the heart to tell Mom that boys at my school liked girls with a little more feminine suave to them. With a few more pronounced curves and much more attitude. I wore baggy clothes and little make-up. I had a natural beauty, sure, but nothing compared to what I competed against at Millennium High.

“
I like this one.” Mom patted down the dress and stretched the fabric evenly across my body.

“
Kinda shiny, don’t you think?” I commented.

Giggling she responded. “You’re right.” She waved her hand at the dressing stall as if to tell me to take it off. Back to the drawing board. At last I knew what didn’t work.