He follows her.
I’m stuck with Robin, which might actually be better than watching Mom tear apart Dad’s bedroom and bathroom. Maybe I can sneak back to the car.
“All right, let’s see what we’ve got,” Robin says. She picks up the baggie and studies the pill inside. She takes it to where her handbag sits on the end table and gets out her phone.
“Are you calling the police?” My voice squeaks, revealing I’m freaking out. She’s probably going to have me arrested, or maybe Dad.
“Not yet.” She fiddles with her phone.
Now might be the time to make a run for it, but Mom comes storming out of the bedroom with Dad trailing behind.
“Let’s check the kitchen,” she says, which means she didn’t find anything in the bedroom or bathroom. She wouldn’t, when the pill didn’t come from here. I’m praying for some kind of miracle, like a big stash of white pills turning up in my dad’s refrigerator, but I know it won’t happen.
Meanwhile, Robin stares at her phone, then at the pill, then back at her phone. She scrunches her mouth like she tasted something nasty and looks right at me.
Uh-oh. Crashing and shouting comes from the kitchen.
“Amber, you need to tell me where you got this medication,” Robin says.
“I don’t have to.” She’s not my boss.
Before she answers, all hell breaks loose. Mom rushes out of the kitchen holding her phone. Dad’s right behind her.
“You’re not getting away with this, Ben,” Mom says. “I’m calling the cops and child protective services. You’ll never see your children without supervision again.” She’s practically foaming at the mouth.
“Vanessa...” Dad’s trying to reason with her, but I can tell he’s getting mad. His face is red.
“I think you’ll both want to see this.” Robin holds up her phone.
Well, I don’t. Whatever it is, I’m screwed.
THIRTY-EIGHT
ROBIN
LIKE A MAGNET, ROBIN’S cell phone drew Ben and Vanessa to the image it displayed. Their bickering ceased. Amber alone stayed put, an expression of dread on her face.
Vanessa grabbed Robin’s phone. “That’s it. That’s the pill.”
“What is it?” Ben asked.
“Oxycodone,” Robin said.
“Oh my God!” Vanessa glared at Ben. “You gave her oxy? Are you crazy?”
“Of course not!” Ben turned to Amber. “Tell us where you got this.”
Robin watched Amber, who refused to meet either parent’s eyes. The girl shifted from one foot to the other, clearly intimidated, all traces of her usual cockiness gone.
“What’s—oxy?” Amber’s voice sounded small and high.
Robin approached her, holding out her phone with the image she’d downloaded from the pill identifier site. “It’s a dangerous narcotic, Amber. If you took this, it could make you very ill. Your dad is right. You need to tell us where you got the pill.” She suspected Gloria, but the truth needed to come from Amber.
Vanessa already chomped at the bit to blame Ben, if not Robin herself.
Amber opened her mouth then shut it.
“Amber, you tell me right this minute—” Vanessa stopped at the sound of the front door opening.
“Mom!” Amber’s little brother called out.
“Jaden, I told you to wait in the car,” Vanessa said as he entered the living room.
Along with him came a woman Robin didn’t recognize. She sported piles of colored beads on her neck and wrists. Her hair was a mass of frizzy red curls.
“Calista,” Vanessa shrilled, drawing out all three syllables, “couldn’t you have—”
“I have to go to the bathroom,” Jaden whined.
Calista shrugged. “He has to go.”
Vanessa threw up her hands. “Whatever.”
As Jaden scampered to the bathroom, Calista eyed the three adults and nervous girl. “What’s going on?”
Vanessa pointed at Ben. “He gave her oxy!”
Calista raised a hand to her chest, as if she were having palpitations. “Oh my God! That’s child abuse, Vanessa. Call Protective Services this instant.”
“Now just a damned minute,” Ben protested.
Amber’s eyes darted toward the entryway, as if she were poised to make a run for it. Robin drew closer to the girl. “Amber, do you understand what I mean about oxycodone being a dangerous drug?”
Wide-eyed, Amber shook her head.
“People take it when they’re in very bad pain.” Robin held her gaze. “Often they get hooked on it and can’t quit, even when they want to.” No ten-year-old belonged around someone on narcotics. Robin knew that person couldn’t be Ben. Then again, she’d just learned he wasn’t the man she believed him to be.
Amber remained mute.
Jaden reentered the room. He took in the serious adult faces then his sister, the focus of their attention. “What’s going on?”
“Amber.” Robin pushed her questions about Ben to the back of her mind. “Tell us where you got the pill.”
The girl pressed her lips together more tightly.
Robin turned to Jaden. “Do you know where she got it?”
“I bet she found it at Gloria’s!” Jaden beamed. He solved the riddle that had stumped the grown-ups. Eagerly, he asked his sister, “Right?”
Amber’s face reddened. “Rat,” she muttered to Jaden, who winced at her rebuke. She looked at the adults staring at her. “I thought it was some kind of aspirin.”
Robin sighed, relieved that the truth had come out. Her relief evaporated. She knelt, coming down to Amber’s eye level. “Please tell me,” she urged. “Is Gloria giving Alex these pills?” If the lab report was right, what other reason would Gloria give a narcotic to a child who didn’t have cancer?
THIRTY-NINE
AMBER
I’M SURROUNDED. MISS KNOW-IT-ALL is in my face. Mom and Dad give me dirty looks. Crazy Calista frowns and shakes her head. Jaden snivels because I called him a rat.
Pushy Robin gets close to me and repeats, “Is Gloria giving Alex these pills?”
I have to stick up for my friends and stand up to Robin, even if no one else will. I yell right into her face. “She has to! He needs them!” Even louder, I scream, “He’s very sick!”
She backs off. Hope I busted her stupid eardrums.
She opens her mouth, but I won’t let her talk. “It’s all your fault, anyway. You won’t give Alex the medicine he needs, so Gloria has to share her pills with him.”
Robin sits back on her heels so she’s shorter than me. She’s quiet for a bit then leans close. “Amber, listen to me.”
I turn away. I want to put my hands over my ears.
“Alex can’t have medicine,” she says. “He doesn’t have cancer.” She puts her hands on my shoulders and turns me to face her. “He’s not sick.”
I feel like she punched me in the stomach. “Liar!” I yell. “He does have cancer. He’s really sick. I’ve seen how he gets.”
“Amber...” Robin says.
“Now hold on a minute,” says my mom.
I won’t let anyone get in another word. “Alex gets these terrible headaches. He has to have the lights off in his room and the blinds closed because it hurts his eyes.” My words come out really fast. Robin’s a big, fat liar, and I don’t want to hear anything she has to say. And Mom doesn’t care about Alex. She hates being around sick people. “His eyes get funny. His lips turn all blue, and he throws up a lot. I’ve seen it.” I glance around.
The adults eye each other like they’re uncomfortable, but Robin nods, like she agrees with me.
Liar. “He is too sick!” I yell. “He is.” I start crying.
Robin lets me go and sits in front of me. She takes ahold of both my hands. I want to yank them away. I can’t stop crying. Something very bad is happening, and it’s getting worse.
“Amber,” Robin says softly. “I’ve seen test results that prove Alex doesn’t have cancer.”
/>
“Then why—”
“What test?” Mom asks. “What are you talking about?”
“Please.” Robin holds up a hand to quiet my mom. She keeps her eyes on my face. “The oxycodone he’s taking is making him sick. If Gloria doesn’t stop giving him the pills, Alex may die.”
“Ben, are you going to stand by and let that woman frighten our daughter?”
Mom’s probably sore because of what Robin’s saying about our friend.
“Just a minute, Vanessa,” Dad says. “Give her a chance.”
I shake my head. Gloria would never hurt Alex. She loves him. My dad comes up beside me and puts his hand on my shoulder. Maybe he’s not mad at me after all.
“Amber,” Robin says, “you like Alex, don’t you?”
I nod and pull my hand away to wipe my eyes.
“Then help us save his life,” she says. “Tell us what’s going on.”
I don’t know what to do. Gloria’s my best friend, but I remember how Alex hates taking those pills. I don’t know who’s telling the truth or who I can trust.
Robin gets her purse from the table and reaches into it then comes back to me, holding out her hand.
It’s that little bird statue, the blue one I took from her living room.
“This is for you.” She picks up my hand and presses the bird into it.
I don’t understand why she’s giving it back after I stole it.
“I’m here for you, Amber,” she says. “Anytime you need me. I promise.”
My fingers close around the little bird.
FORTY
ROBIN
ROBIN HELD AMBER’S GAZE, as if the two of them and the little bird figurine in Amber’s hand were the only ones in the room. It was a moment of trust—but a fragile one that might not endure.
Amber’s lips parted. Robin held her breath, waiting.
Vanessa’s voice shattered the fraught silence. “I’ve had enough of this. We’re out of here.” She took Amber’s arm. “You hear me? Let’s go.”
“Not so fast.” Ben stepped up and put his hand on Amber’s other shoulder. “I don’t want Amber going to that woman’s house anymore. I forbid it.”
Vanessa’s shout drowned out Amber’s whimper. “I’ve got news for you, Ben. I’m the custodial parent, and that’s for me to decide.” Vanessa glared then turned her wrath on Robin. “And you! I’m sick and tired of you stirring up trouble for my family.”
Robin glanced at Amber, whose face hardened, like a door closing, slipping away.
“Please,” Robin implored Vanessa. “Listen to me. You don’t understand what’s going on...”
Vanessa shoved her shoulder, throwing Robin off balance.
Calista’s eyes blazed. “You keep out of this. It’s between Nessie and Ben.”
As if on cue, the two parents laced into each other.
Nose to nose with his ex, Ben shouted, “She’s not going back there, period!”
“Oh yeah?” Vanessa flushed beet red. “You’re not giving the orders here.”
“Please stop,” Robin begged, but they ignored her. She focused her attention back on Amber, who watched her parents battle with wide, frightened eyes.
Vanessa grabbed Amber’s hand and yanked her away. “Keep out of this,” she warned Robin. She sneered at Ben. “Quite a convenient bullshit story your girlfriend cooked up, but it won’t get you off the hook. You gave your daughter a dangerous drug, and I promise you’ll be hearing from Protective Services.” She dragged Amber over to Jaden, who stood saucer-eyed, and snatched his hand as well. “Count on it, Ben.”
“Ma!” Jaden stumbled as Vanessa pulled him.
“C’mon,” she muttered. She towed the two children toward the door.
Calista followed on their heels, turning to flash one more glare at Robin. Amber still clutched the blue statuette in her free hand.
“Keep her away from that woman!” Ben yelled as they walked out. “Or you’ll be hearing from my lawyer. I’m warning you, Vanessa.”
The front door slammed. Robin and Ben were alone. His hands shook. She’d never seen him in such a state. In that instant, Robin knew her suspicions were true.
His face pale and drawn, Ben asked, “Alex doesn’t have cancer?”
Robin shook her head. “No.”
“Bird, are you sure? How do you know?”
Robin looked at the familiar face that belonged to a stranger. “I’ll answer your question, but first I have one for you.” She watched Ben’s eyes. “Tell me the truth. Is Alex Reyes your son?”
Robin tried to hold his gaze, but he blanched and lowered his eyes.
“Why on earth would you say that?” A nervous laugh caught in his throat.
He’s choking on the truth. “Answer me.”
Ben held out his hands. “Where’s this coming from, Robin?”
Not Bird this time. She already knew the answer to her question. His evasions made her want to claw the phony innocence off his face. What a coward. “Where’s it coming from?” She mockingly echoed his question. “From your DNA, Ben. Because unlike you, your genetic sequence doesn’t lie.”
“What?”
Robin shook her head in disgust. “Since one picture is worth a thousand words, shall we boot up your computer and have a peek?” Without waiting for his response, she led the way to his office.
Ben trailed her.
“Turn on your laptop and open your ancestry link.”
Ben’s neck flushed.
“Do you want me to do it?” She no longer cared to hide that she’d already logged in.
“You were on my computer when I came in, weren’t you? I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing.” Grimacing, he switched on the laptop.
Robin watched him key in his password. He would probably change it the minute she left. While he clicked on his bookmarks, Robin spied the MATCH lab report she’d left on the desk. She picked it up and held it out to him.
“Exhibit A.” She pointed at the DNA sequence and chuckled humorlessly. “A as in Alex.”
Ben peered at the trail of genetic information.
“And for Exhibit B.” Robin elbowed him aside and scrolled down to the section with Ben’s genetic code. “Exhibit B, as in Ben. Notice anything interesting?”
Ben’s gaze traveled back and forth from the screen to the lab report. Finally, he looked up at Robin. “I don’t understand, Bird. What does this mean?”
“The two sequences are nearly identical. Did you know children inherit more of their DNA from their fathers?” She laughed bitterly. “Like father, like son. I read the research. Ironic, isn’t it? I even sent Alex’s sample under your name.” It felt like a hollow victory. Robin had won the case and lost all faith in the man she’d loved. Pain drove her to thrust the knife in deeper. “Get the picture, Ben, or do you need me to draw it for you?”
He shook his head. “No, Bird.” His brown eyes shimmered, and he sighed. “I guess it’s time I told you the truth.”
PART THREE
“Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not...”
– Luke 18:16-17
FORTY-ONE
AMBER
RIDING HOME FROM DAD’S, I press my forehead against the car window, doing my best to ignore everyone, even Jaden, after he ratted me out. In the front seat, Mom and Calista fight over whether I should visit Gloria and Alex anymore.
“Why not?” Mom insists. “I don’t believe Robin’s bullshit story.” She sniffs. “Besides, it’s easier to drop her at Gloria’s when I take Jaden to T-ball.” She glances at Calista, taking her eyes off the road. She shouldn’t do that. Mom’s not the greatest driver, even when she’s not upset about something, which she usually is. “Nobody cares about my needs,” Mom complains.
“Nessie, you’re not thinking this through,” Cali argues. “Once you report Ben to child protection, he’ll tell them the story his girlfriend came up with, that Gloria gave Amber the drugs. What else can he do?”
I wo
uld like to kick the back of Cali’s seat. Gloria never gave me drugs. It’s one crummy pill, and I’m the one who took it. I borrowed it, really. I would have put it back, but now Mom has it. I wish she’d never found it. I shouldn’t have said Dad gave it to me. I made a big mess out of everything.
Calista’s still yakking in the front seat. “If Ben claims Amber’s getting drugs from Gloria, how’s it going to appear if you let her go there? You have to come across as the responsible parent, Nessie.”
Mom frowns. She’ll cave. I wish Cali would keep her nose out of our business. I can’t stop going to Gloria’s. Alex might need my help. I have to figure out who’s lying and who’s telling the truth.
I look down at the little bird figurine Robin gave me. I don’t know why Gloria would say Alex has cancer if he doesn’t. I can’t believe she’s a liar, not after all she’s done for us. Besides, I don’t trust Robin. She stole our dog. But I keep thinking of what she said about those pills, that they could hurt Alex. He hates taking them.
I can’t remember if he got sick to his stomach before or after Gloria gave him the pills. Sometimes he was already sick when I got there, so I can’t tell. I have to go back and find out.
“Amber!” Mom snaps. “Did you hear what I said?”
“No,” I mumble.
“From now on, you’ll do your homework at the library while I take Jaden to T-ball. Do you understand?”
“Do I have to?”
“Stop whining. It’s settled.”
“It’s for the best,” Calista butts in.
I press my head back against the window. It’s not settled. One way or another, I’m going back to Gloria’s to make sure Alex is okay. They can’t stop me. I’ll find a way.
No one’s in the mood to go out for tie food by the time we get back from Dad’s. Mom orders a pizza, and Calista picks it up. That’s fine by me. I would rather have pizza any day. I don’t even mind when Mom tells me to walk Nina. I’m happy to get away from everyone. Except Jaden insists on coming, and Mom makes me take him.
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