Poisonous

by Allison Brennan

  If she only knew that Jason was the biggest drug dealer under the age of sixteen, she’d flip. Or maybe not. Because she wouldn’t want to offend potentially fancy friends or anything.

  Lucky for him, his mom had forgotten all about how Austin was already supposedly grounded for letting “that unscrupulous reporter” put words in his mouth.

  Truth was, Max had toned down everything Austin had said. He’d wanted to go on camera, and she said it would be best just to show him and Tommy in the background. Austin watched the show, thought it was pretty good, though he thought it would have been better if Max put his interview up. He didn’t realize until later that his mom had gone off the deep end.

  The anger in Austin had been growing all day, and especially after he’d talked to Tommy during PE. Tommy was so sad, and it hurt. It wasn’t fair. His mom had said if Tommy came within one hundred feet of Austin, Tommy was going to jail. Austin told her she was a stuck-up bitch and he hated her. She sent him to his room. He kicked his door closed and cracked the wood frame.

  When his stepdad came home late that afternoon, it was like his mom was a whole different person. Over dinner, Bill was trying to calm her down about Tommy, so she turned on the waterworks. Claimed she was scared, didn’t feel safe. Then Bella saw her crying and she started crying. That’s when Austin took his little sister from the dinner table and they played with her Barbie house until she calmed down. Bella was like Tommy that way—easy to distract.

  But his anger had not gone anywhere. Austin would not let his mom tell him what to do and who he could talk to and hang out with. He hoped Bill would grow a pair and tell his mom that she was wrong, but instead he just did this weird, there-there, pat-pat thing and didn’t say anything more. And when Austin’s mom was going to say no about the sleepover, Bill told her it would be good for him to be with friends.

  “And it’ll give us a chance to talk this through, Paula, sweetheart. I’ll take Bella to my mom’s house, and it’ll just be you and me tonight.”

  She got all sappy and agreed.

  Austin packed a change of clothes in his backpack and sent Jason a text message. Jason responded almost immediately.

  I’ll cover for you, but you owe me one, Lake.

  That was fucked, but Austin would deal with Jason when he had to.

  Tonight, he had to make sure Tommy was okay.

  He rode his bike up to Tommy’s house, but parked it on the opposite side of the house behind the bushes so no one could see it. He went around through the back and up into Tommy’s tree house, then sent Tommy a message.

  I’m in your tree house. We need to talk. It’s okay. Your dad is talking to my mom and trying to stop her from being a bitch.

  Tommy didn’t respond, and Austin thought he might not have his phone with him. Tommy would sometimes leave it charging in his bedroom after school. Jenny had made him paranoid about always having a charged phone, so much so that he plugged it in whenever he was home and carried an extra charger to use at school.

  Austin waited. Fifteen minutes later, Tommy climbed into the tree house.

  “My mom didn’t want me coming out here.”

  “Did you tell her I was here?”

  Tommy shook his head. “No, but it’s like lying.”

  “You just didn’t say anything.”

  “You can’t stay.”

  “Why not? My mom thinks I’m at Jason’s house.”

  “Jason Dunlap? I don’t like him. He’s mean to me. He’s mean to you, too.”

  “He’s a prick, but he’ll cover for me. We have an understanding.”

  “Max Revere came over this afternoon and said something that made Mom cry.”

  “What?”

  “I don’t know why she was crying, but Max said Mrs. Baker told her that I walked in my sleep. And now Mom is talking to my aunt Ginger about moving to Colorado Springs. I don’t wanna move to Colorado Springs.”

  Austin fumed. That old bat. Why didn’t she mind her own business? “You don’t sleepwalk anymore.” Not exactly true.

  “That’s what Mom said, but maybe Mrs. Baker is right.”

  “And?”

  “And Mom got really mad. She told Max to leave and never come back. She told her never to talk to me again.” Tommy frowned. “I like Max. She’s nice and real smart and doesn’t talk to me like I don’t understand. And when I don’t understand, she explains things to me and doesn’t sigh like I’m stupid. I don’t like Emma’s dad. He’s scary.”

  “He’s not scary.”

  “I’ve had some weird dreams, Austin. Maybe I’m sleepwalking and don’t know it.”

  Austin was more than a little familiar with Tommy’s sleepwalking. When Tommy used to stay over at his house, Austin put a bell over his door so he’d hear if Tommy got up. Before that, the first time it happened, his mom had freaked out because she’d found Tommy asleep in Bella’s rocking chair when Bella was still in a crib. Tommy told her that he heard Bella crying and thought she wouldn’t be scared if her big brother was sleeping in the same room. No one else had heard Bella cry, but Austin believed Tommy. He also knew Tommy had vivid dreams.

  After that, Paula wouldn’t let Tommy sleep over for months but once she calmed down about it Austin made sure that he woke up if Tommy got up. Austin read everything he could on sleepwalking. Most of the time, he just followed Tommy and usually Tommy went back to bed after doing something—once he made everyone’s school lunches. Another night he walked out of the house, stood at the corner for ten minutes, then went back to the house. Once he left the house and it was raining—Tommy woke up in a panic and if Austin hadn’t been there, he didn’t know what would have happened. Tommy might have been locked up, even though he was just scared because he didn’t know where he was.

  But Jenny had told Austin that Tommy had grown out of the habit. Jenny was weird, really smart in some ways and stupid in others. She let Tommy go to and from school by himself, but wouldn’t let him get his driver’s license, even though Austin had been studying with him and knew he’d be able to pass the test. Tommy sometimes got confused about events—especially in the past. The more time that passed, the more confused he got. But he remembered what he read. Not like a photographic memory, but when he wanted to remember, he studied. Sometimes it was annoying—like when he refused to go biking unless Austin wore a helmet because that was the law. Or when the signal was broken but the sign said DON’T WALK so Tommy walked six blocks out of his way just to cross the street at a crosswalk.

  “Have you been sleepwalking lately?” Austin asked.

  “I don’t know. A few months ago—it was right before my birthday, I remember that because we were planning our trip to the Exploratorium, remember that?”

  “Yeah.” They went, and Austin was grounded for two weeks because he wasn’t supposed to be with Tommy unsupervised. Austin didn’t care because it was one of the best days ever.

  “That was the most fun I had all summer,” Tommy said, grinning. “I love going on the ferry. Maybe we can do it again. Oh, and also Dad said he’d take us to a baseball game again. That was my second best day ever, remember? And the Giants won and Dad bought us hats and I ate three hot dogs. Do you still have your hat? I have mine.”

  Austin wanted to hit something. Bill Wallace had no intention of taking them to a baseball game. Bill used to be pretty cool, but Austin’s mom had rubbed off on him. Shouldn’t Bill know better than to make promises to Tommy that he had no intention of keeping?

  The day he and Tommy had gone to the Exploratorium, Tommy’s birthday, Paula had made a huge scene when they got back on the ferry. She’d actually called the police and was waiting for them at the dock in Larkspur. Tommy cried when Paula yelled at him. That was the day Austin knew he had to prove Tommy hadn’t killed Ivy. Apparently just because the police said Tommy didn’t do it didn’t mean anything to his mom.

  But Paula didn’t know about the sleepwalking. Jenny had told Bill that Tommy wasn’t doing it anymore. Austin didn’t kno
w why she lied, but that was fine by Austin, he wasn’t going to say anything.

  “Tommy, are you saying the last time you walked in your sleep was in June?”

  “I opened the back door and the alarm went off. It scared me.” He bit his lip. “And Mom was talking about it to Max and then to Aunt Ginger. I didn’t want to listen.”

  “Are you sure you didn’t eavesdrop?”

  Tommy always eavesdropped. He didn’t really mean to most of the time, but he heard everything. It’s why he knew Paula thought he’d killed Ivy—not that she was trying to keep it a secret.

  “Mom was really mad. And crying. A crying mad. It was different. She looked scared. Why would she be scared? I haven’t seen her so mad in a long time. I came here, to my tree house, because I don’t like seeing my mom like that. She looked like that when Dad left to marry your mom. And when she told Max to leave and never come back. And I thought maybe I have been sleepwalking and no one told me. My feet were wet last month.”

  Austin didn’t hear the last part. He could barely breathe.

  “Is Max leaving? She’s not leaving, is she? She promised she’d help. What did she say?”

  Tommy’s bottom lip trembled. “I-I don’t know. Mom told her never to come back and she and Mr. Kane left. Maybe we’ll never find out who killed Ivy.”

  “She’s not leaving,” said Austin. “She can’t leave. I’m going to talk to her.”

  “It’s dark. It’s almost nine o’clock.”

  “The bike trail has lights. This is important.”

  “I don’t think you should.”

  It was all Austin could do not to snap back at Tommy. Didn’t he know he was doing this all for him? Didn’t he know that everything he’d done, he’d done for them?

  “I have to talk to her,” he said through clenched teeth.

  “Text me when you get back so I know you’re okay.”

  “I’m sleeping in your tree house tonight.”

  Tommy shook his head. “I don’t want to go to jail.”

  “You won’t. I’ll be okay, I promise. It’s only a thirty-minute bike ride,” Austin said.

  Before Tommy could argue with him—not that Austin would listen—Austin climbed out of the tree house and left.

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Austin sped down the bike trail and it only took him twenty-nine minutes to get to Sausalito, and another five to arrive at Max Revere’s hotel.

  He locked up his bike. His heart pounded in his chest from the ride, and he breathed heavily from his mouth. He was hot from the exertion, but his hands and face were like ice. The hotel was spread out into multiple buildings, more like oversized houses, and he headed for the building where he knew she was staying. Austin didn’t want to call her first—what if she didn’t want to talk to him? Or if she was mad at him for not telling her about the sleepwalking? As if that matters! Austin had learned, especially in the last year, that adults looked for any excuse to tell you that you were shit out of luck.

  After Paula banned Tommy from the house, Austin had gone to see Bill at his office in the city. He’d waited two hours for Bill to finish a meeting and talk to him. Bill listened—Austin gave him credit for that—but then his stepdad said, “Austin, I’m glad Tommy has a friend like you. I’ve talked to Paula about this, and I think deep down she knows that Tommy would never hurt anyone, but she’s still grieving for Ivy. We need to give her some space to let her sort through this on her own. I’ll find time to take you and Tommy to a ball game or maybe a fishing trip like we talked about last summer before … before Ivy died.”

  Nothing happened. Austin’s mother hadn’t budged, Bill was never home. His mom devoted herself to Bella. That kid had more activities and playdates than anyone Austin knew. She had even modeled for some kids’ clothing magazine.

  Austin didn’t care about all that. His own dad was a jerk, too. Even more of a workaholic than Bill. More often than not, he canceled their scheduled visitations. Austin hadn’t seen him since last Christmas. Before that, he’d come for Ivy’s funeral. Flew in that morning, out that night.

  Austin tried the door into Max’s building. Damn! He needed a keycard to get in. He waited fifteen minutes before someone walked out, then he slipped inside. The couple noticed, but didn’t say anything. He didn’t care, let them call security. He’d be gone before they got here.

  He ran up the stairs to her room and knocked on her door. Louder. Why wasn’t she coming? He pounded again. “Max! Ms. Revere! It’s Austin Lake. Please! I have to talk to you!”

  Had she already left? Why? Did she think Tommy killed Ivy, too? It wasn’t fair!

  “Damn you, Maxine Revere!” he screamed.

  * * *

  David Kane jumped up from the couch in his hotel suite. He’d been reading an e-mail from Dr. Arthur Ullman, one of Max’s contacts, answering his questions about sleepwalking. David grabbed his gun and opened the door.

  Austin. He was standing in front of Max’s door, raising his fist to pound again.

  “Austin!” David said sharply.

  The kid jumped around, surprised and scared. And angry. Anger and fear was etched in Austin’s face so clearly, it was as though David was looking into a mirror of his own past.

  “I need to talk to her right now!” The kid stepped toward him, anger dominating his fear. “She’s leaving, isn’t she? She doesn’t care. Joke’s on me, huh? Who cares what I think? Who cares about Ivy? I don’t. I don’t care she’s dead. I don’t care!” Through the rage, he was crying, a thirteen-year-old kid trying to deal with a situation that was completely out of his control.

  “Come in my room,” David said.

  “She’s gone. She left. She’s not going to help, is she?”

  A hotel security officer came down the hall, his hand on his radio. “I’ve called the police, Mr. Kane,” he said. “I’ll take him to the office.”

  “It’s fine, Jay. I’ve got this.”

  Jay looked uncertain. “He slipped in behind two guests. They came immediately to the front desk. I know—”

  “I said all’s good. He won’t make any more trouble.”

  “If you’re sure.”

  “Thanks for coming so quickly,” David said. He opened the door wider and pulled Austin inside and closed the door behind him.

  “You need to calm down, Austin. Pull yourself together and then tell me exactly what happened.”

  Austin rubbed his face with the sleeve of his jacket and stood in the middle of David’s suite but didn’t budge.

  David grabbed a water bottle from the minifridge and handed it to Austin. The kid just held the bottle, as if not knowing what to do with it.

  “Sit,” David said.

  The kid glared at him. He was debating his options, and obeying seemed to win out. He sat on the edge of the chair, ready to bolt.

  David sat across from him. “Max is out working the case, but she’ll be back.”

  “Why should I believe you?”

  “Why shouldn’t you?”

  Austin jumped up. “Because you and Max are just like everyone else!”

  “Sit!” David ordered.

  Austin waited several seconds before he sat down. A power play. A way to show David that he would sit when he wanted to.

  “What happened?” David asked.

  “You talked to that old hag, Mrs. Baker. Why’d you have to do that? Mrs. Baker hates kids. She hates Tommy. She called him an idiot.” Austin took a deep breath, and David appreciated his effort to control himself. “Tommy doesn’t sleepwalk anymore, not much anyway. And it doesn’t matter if he does, that doesn’t have anything to do with Ivy. Now everything is all fucked.”

  “Max told you and Tommy that the truth is sometimes difficult to hear. She doesn’t investigate cases unless someone in the family wants her to because inevitably, some people aren’t happy with the truth.”

  “So she’s quitting?” Defiant and scared, and mad as hell.

  “No.” David sat down across from Aus
tin. “You’re an angry kid. I saw it at the school when the reporter Lorenzo came up to you.” David didn’t say anything for a minute. He suspected the anger had been simmering for years. Besides the divorce and all the family turmoil, there was also the fact that Austin didn’t understand his mother and didn’t like his sister. When you didn’t like someone who then ends up dead, that’s when guilt seeps in, and there was no stopping it.

  David had more than his fair share of guilt. Even now, when he knew he had no control over events in his past, guilt ate at him. He could have done more. Should have done more. Even when he knew in his gut that nothing he did would have made a difference, guilt that he was a lesser man always stayed with him.

  “If Tommy wants her to leave, will she?” Austin asked.

  “Did he say that?”

  “Not exactly.”

  “What do you think is going on here, Austin? Why do you think Jenny had such a negative reaction?”

  “I don’t know,” he said quickly, but he wasn’t looking at David.

  He knew. He might not be able to articulate his thoughts, but Austin was a smart kid and he had an idea of what Jenny Wallace was thinking.

  David let Austin sit for a minute. The kid squirmed, his brow furrowed, his hands clenched in his lap.

  “What if we never find out what happened to Ivy?” Austin said, his voice quiet.

  It wasn’t a question David could answer.

  “Have you eaten dinner?”

  “My mom cooked.”

  “Did you eat?”

  The kid shrugged.

  “I’ll call for room service. Cheeseburgers? Fries?”

  Austin shrugged and nodded at the same time.

  David made the call, then sat back down. Austin was calm, contemplative.

  Still angry.

  “Max doesn’t stop an investigation just because it becomes difficult,” David said. “She might not be able to solve Ivy’s murder, but it won’t be for lack of trying. And the more someone tells her not to do something or to stay away, the more determined she becomes. She doesn’t like anyone telling her what to do. Does that remind you of anybody? Regardless, before she leaves, Max will exhaust every lead.”