The Hanging Girl

by Eileen Cook

  “Why are you calling?”

  “Nice to hear your voice too,” I said. “Listen—”

  “Remember, don’t use my name.”

  My hands squeezed the phone harder. “I got it.”

  “It’s not a joke. One mistake, and we’re both in deep shit.”

  “Fine, listen Pluto, the situation is bad.”

  An annoyed sigh came through the phone. “I thought we settled this last night.”

  “We need to end this now.”

  “Not yet. He’ll pay. I’ve got a plan to turn up the heat.”

  My intestines knit themselves into a knotted snarl. “No, we don’t need to turn up the heat, we need to end it. It’s not working.” I pulled my thumb from my mouth. I was bleeding. “The press is involved.”

  “So? We knew they would be.”

  “No, I mean involved with me.” I thumped my chest. “I was trying to explain this last night. My mom sort of outed my role in everything.”

  “Jesus, what an idiot.” Even Paige’s breathing sounded irritated.

  I flushed. My mom had done something stupid, but everyone knew the unwritten rule was that you could call your own parents every name in the book, but everyone else should shut their mouths. Or maybe it was that Paige hated the idea of me getting any of the attention she’d worked so hard to get. She wasn’t the kind of person who liked sharing.

  “It’s not like my mom knows anything,” I stressed. “She thought she was doing a good thing. She’s . . . I guess you would call it proud.”

  She snorted. “Well, it’s not a good thing. It’s a distraction, and it’s not a part of the plan.”

  “I remember the plan,” I said. “I don’t need you to remind me. Look, your dad isn’t going to pay, so just come home.” If she came back, we wouldn’t get a ransom, but I might still be able to carve out a win. I would have helped bring her home. People would find that fascinating.

  They would find me fascinating.

  “I’m not ready for this to be over,” Paige said.

  “Too bad. This isn’t your decision. Half of the ransom was supposed to be mine, and I need the cash a whole shit pile worse than you do. If anyone should be whining, it’s me. You threatened me last night, but you need to remember that anything you can do to me, I can do to you.”

  “I never threatened you,” Paige said. “Don’t turn into a drama queen. You always knew this wasn’t a guarantee.”

  Bullshit. All I’d heard about was how this scheme couldn’t miss. The term “money in the bank” had been tossed around. Now all of sudden there was no guarantee. “Every day this goes on, the bigger the chance it blows up in our faces.” I couldn’t believe she didn’t get it. “I tried to explain this to you last night, but you wouldn’t listen. I’m going in tomorrow and telling them about the cabin.”

  “No.”

  I snorted. “It’s not up to you. I’m ending it. I called to give you a heads-up so you’ve got a day to prepare. The cops will be there tomorrow, and you need to be ready.”

  “Give me a couple more days. I’m telling you—he’ll pay. He isn’t going to want it to come out that he wouldn’t pay to get his daughter home safe. That’s an election killer.”

  “Worrying about your dad’s electability isn’t my problem. Getting my ass arrested for this is. If all of this comes out, I’m looking at serious problems.”

  A bitter laugh came through the phone. “You have no idea of real problems. If you think you are in ass deep, then I am in waaaaaaay over my head.”

  I softened my voice. “Your boyfriend talked to me. He knows something is up.”

  “Ryan?! How did he—” She stopped talking for a beat. “Ryan’s my ex. What did he say?” Her voice was clipped and all business.

  “He was at the movie theater. He followed me there. He heard about me on the news.”

  “Shit. I told you to pay attention. How did you miss him trailing after you?”

  I felt a flush of annoyance. “I did pay attention. I didn’t know I was supposed to be looking out for some guy you used to date. Ryan knows something is up.”

  “I have to think,” Paige said.

  There was silence on the phone.

  “Are you still there?” I asked.

  “Where else would I go? Don’t you do a thing until we talk again.” Then she hung up.

  Twenty-One

  “Hey, Skye!”

  I turned, and a bunch of junior girls waved at me. They were at least the fifth group of people to call out to me as we came into school. I raised a hand back, and they giggled and scurried down the hall. I watched them round the corner in a tight cluster.

  I turned to Drew. “What the hell is going on?”

  “Everyone knows you’re the psychic the media is talking about.” She nudged me with her elbow. “Welcome to being famous.”

  “Great,” I mumbled under my breath.

  “Maybe you can parlay this newfound fame into getting a killer date for prom.” Drew took a careful sip of the coffee we’d stopped to get on the way. Not that she was drinking real coffee: it was some kind of dessert in a cup. If you don’t like coffee, fine, but don’t pretend to like it by making it into a sugar smoothie.

  “The last thing I need to worry about is a date,” I said.

  “You could go out with that guy from your apartment building. He was hot.”

  I stopped. “What guy?”

  Drew looked over her shoulder at me. “The one with the dark hair.”

  The spit in my mouth turned sour. “I don’t know who you’re talking about.” I’d lived there since second grade. I would know if there was a hot guy living within a ten-mile radius of the building.

  “He was in the parking lot when I picked you up.” She laughed at my expression. “Don’t freak out. He was just some guy. I’m not setting you up or anything.”

  “Have you ever seen him before?” I grabbed her arm to make her slow down.

  Drew arched her eyebrow. “No.”

  “Was he watching me?” It had to be Ryan. He was following me, hoping I’d lead him to Paige. Was there any way he could tap my phone calls?

  Drew motioned for me to keep walking. I was going to be late. “I’m sorry I said anything. I was joking. He was just some boy. Probably waiting for a friend. It was no big deal. I only noticed him because he seemed like your type.”

  “I think he might be following me,” I said.

  Her eyes widened. “Do you think he’s a journalist?”

  My mind raced back to yesterday. “I think someone might have been in my room too.” People streamed past us in the hall. The first bell was going to ring any minute.

  Drew held her hands out motioning for me to slow down so she could make sense of what I was saying. “Okay, are you listening to yourself?”

  “I know it sounds weird, but I’m serious.”

  “Was anything stolen?”

  I shifted from foot to foot. “No. But I’m sure stuff had been moved around.”

  The corners of her mouth turned down. “Skye.” Her voice was slow and measured, like she was trying to talk me off a ledge. “Why would someone slip into your room to move stuff around?”

  “He’s not some guy. He’s Paige Bonnet’s ex-boyfriend,” I said, louder than I meant to. I glanced over my shoulder to make sure no one was paying attention.

  Drew’s mouth made a tiny O. She grabbed my arm and pulled me into the bathroom. She checked under the stalls to make sure we were alone. “You need to talk to the cops if you think he’s following you. I’ve heard he’s trouble.”

  I dragged my foot on the tile floor, making it squeak. “I don’t know.”

  Drew leaned against the sink. “I know for a fact he’s got a criminal record.” Her eyes grew wider. “For breaking and entering.”

  I let that fact sink in. It shouldn’t have made a difference. It’s not like it would have taken a skilled professional to get into our apartment, but it still made me uneasy.

  �
��Do you want me to drive you to the police station?” Drew offered. “Or we could go to Lester’s office—he could call them. They can take fingerprints or something.”

  I tried to slow my thoughts down. If the cops talked to Ryan, he might tell them about the movies. They would want to know what I was doing wandering out behind the theater in the dark. And if they found the cabin—

  “Skye?” I jolted. I’d half forgotten that Drew was there. “We should go to the police. If Ryan did, you know, something to Paige and he thinks you might see him in a vision or whatever, he could be after you.”

  “He didn’t do anything to Paige,” I said. “He’s probably harmless.”

  “You can’t be sure,” she said.

  The sink behind us had a steady drip. The plinking sound was drilling through my brain. “I’m sure. Ryan wasn’t involved.”

  “What are you talking about? A second ago you thought he might have been in your room. I heard they broke up because he was cheating on her.”

  “That gives her a reason to want to hurt him, not the other way around.” The bell rang. “You’re right. I’m just letting my anxiety get the best of me. There’s no reason he’d break into my apartment. I’m not going to involve the cops because I’m a nervous wreck. You know how I get—imagining all sorts of things.” I forced myself to laugh like it was no big deal. I pulled my bag over my shoulder. “Thanks for picking me up.”

  She stopped me before I could leave. “You sure you know what you’re doing?”

  I gave her a thumbs-up. It seemed better than saying I did and adding another lie to the pile.

  Twenty-Two

  I checked the rearview mirror for the millionth time to see if anyone was following me. I’d told my anatomy teacher I was needed in Lester’s office, but cut instead. Skipping class wasn’t the end of the world, but I’d also snuck into Drew’s locker, grabbed her keys, and taken her Bug.

  Once you’ve done kidnapping and fraud, you might as well add auto theft.

  If I’d asked Drew, she would have lent me the car, but I didn’t want her to grill me about where I was going. I pulled into the Walmart parking lot and found a spot near the side of the building.

  Our town was split down the center, with the river acting as a dividing line. The west side, where Drew lived, had the two blocks of Main Street with the old-fashioned light poles and flower boxes in front of all the stores. The nicer restaurants were clustered nearby, and the whole thing was surrounded by tidy subdivisions. The east side had my apartment complex, strip malls, car repair shops, and our version of a cathedral—the Walmart.

  It was time I took some control of the situation. Ryan might have been following me, but I could find him just as easily. I jogged across the parking lot, crossed the street, and went into Cherry Fields, the trailer park.

  For a trailer park, it was nicer than I expected. Decades ago it had been a farm, and there were still fruit trees lining the driveway. It wasn’t like there were pit bulls chained to the bumpers of broken-down cars and people hanging Confederate flags in their windows the way I’d imagined it. The trailers were mostly in good shape, and lots of people had planted flowers or stuck garden gnomes around their tiny yards, but it still wasn’t a place I’d dream of moving to. I stopped near the entrance at the giant community mailbox. As I’d hoped, someone had busted out a label maker and put people’s names on the numbered boxes: DENTON #15.

  I walked down two rows before I figured out the numbering system, then spotted his trailer. It was painted a yellowing white with faded red trim. I held the palm of my hand over the tiny peephole and then pounded on the door.

  The door flew open, and there stood Ryan. He hadn’t shaved and his sweatpants rode low on his hips. He looked shocked to see me. Good.

  I crossed my arms and leaned against the doorjamb. “Not so nice when someone just shows up, is it?”

  He looked past me to see if I was alone. “How did you find me?”

  “I’m a psychic, remember?”

  His mouth twitched. “You wanna come in?”

  “I came to tell you that you need to leave me alone.”

  He turned and went inside. “You might as well yell at me in here. I got water and beer.” He looked over his shoulder with a smirk, watching me hesitate in the doorway. “Unless you’re afraid,” he added.

  I stepped inside after him. The trailer smelled like a mix of fresh-cut grass and stale cigarettes. It wouldn’t have taken magical powers to figure out Ryan was a hockey fan. There was a giant Red Wings poster on the far wall, and a hockey stick was mounted like a rifle above the doorway to the kitchen. He followed my gaze. “I used to play.”

  “Were you any good?”

  “Not good enough.” He went through into the kitchen, opened the fridge, and held out a can of Budweiser. I couldn’t tell if he really wanted to drink this early or if he was yanking my chain. I shook my head no. He pulled a couple glasses off the drain board. He poured us each a glass of water. I took a sip and then put it right back down on the counter.

  When he stood so close, I was reminded how solid he was. Not much taller than me, but broad across the shoulders. He was only a year or two older than the guys in my school, but he didn’t look like them. He looked more like a grown man. Ryan motioned to the sofa.

  I shook my head. “I’d rather stand.”

  “Suit yourself.” He stepped past me and plopped down.

  I’d wanted to stand because I wanted to come across as in control, but instead of feeling powerful, I felt awkward. My arms felt too long and floppy, and I suddenly didn’t know what to do with my hands.

  “So, you came to tell me something?” He leaned back, his legs spread.

  I stood straighter, hating how I felt prim and stuffy. “I know you broke into my apartment. I don’t know what you’re looking for—but I’m telling you now. Cut it out. I don’t want to get you in more trouble, but if you do it again, I’ll call the cops.” I was bluffing, but I was hoping he wouldn’t guess.

  He sat up, the smirk wiped off his face. “What are you talking about?”

  I blew the hair out of my eyes. “I know you’ve been in my room.”

  “I’ve been to your apartment complex, but I never went inside.” He held up a palm as if swearing an oath. “Promise. If someone’s been in your space, it wasn’t me.”

  I tried to read his body language to see if he was lying, but I couldn’t tell. He likely wouldn’t admit to it. I wasn’t even completely sure anyone had been in my room.

  “Have you thought it might be Paige?” He scratched his elbow, his eyes never leaving mine.

  I jumped, and my face grew hot. “What? No.”

  Ryan rubbed the condensation on the side of his glass off with the bottom of his T-shirt. “Okay. Just a thought.”

  I had to focus on what I knew for a fact. “You need to stop following me.”

  “You need to tell me what’s going on.”

  I wanted to scream. The conversation was devolving. “I don’t know what’s going on. Look, it’s simple. I had a vision. I had no way of knowing if it meant anything or not. I shared it with the cops because I felt like I should. That’s it.”

  Ryan propped his feet up on the coffee table, pushing aside a stack of library books and a pizza box. “If it was just a vision, then why is your mom on the news all the time?”

  I pulled my hair away from my neck, trying to cool down. “She’s not on the news all the time. She thinks she has these abilities, and she wants to help.”

  He cocked his head. “Thinks she has them—so she doesn’t.”

  “I didn’t say that.” I wanted to kick something or grab the glass out of his hand and smash it on the floor. He was doing a better job at reading me than I was at reading him.

  Ryan stared at me. “Look, I don’t know what you’re messed up in, but if Paige is involved, you better be careful.”

  “Of Paige?” I said skeptically.

  He nodded. “That girl—hell, her whole
family—they are seriously messed up.”

  “So you don’t believe she’s been abducted. That the whole thing is some big . . .” I waved my hands in the air as if trying to conjure up the right words. “Some big lie?”

  Ryan shrugged. “Maybe. I do know nothing with that girl is easy.”

  “So why did you go out with her?”

  He smiled. “I liked the idea of a challenge.”

  “Liked, but not like. You don’t like it anymore?” I wondered how he’d enjoy someone pulling apart each of his words for their secret meanings.

  “Maybe there are some things that are so challenging they aren’t worth the hassle.” He smirked up at me. “I’m betting you’re worth a fair bit of trouble.”

  I could feel myself blush. He was trying to throw me. He still wanted her. At least part of him did. I watched the dust move through a sunbeam coming through the window. It looked almost like glitter. “If she’s not worth it, why are you worried about her?”

  He shrugged. “Who said I was worried?”

  “You spend a lot of time on stuff that doesn’t worry you.”

  He rubbed his eyes. “I will tell you that nothing with her is the way it looks. Maybe you had a vision, maybe you didn’t, but you seem like a nice girl, and if I were you, I would watch your back.”

  “I will. But I better not see you behind me anymore.”

  Ryan stood and I retreated quickly, almost tripping on a bump in the carpet. He rolled his eyes, and I felt foolish for overreacting. He slid past me and through an accordion door at the rear of the trailer, then returned. He handed me a thick-linked gold ID bracelet.

  “What is this?”

  He smirked. “Aren’t you psychic?” He nodded toward the bracelet. “Paige gave it to me. Said it was like a promise ring, only for a guy. She wanted it back when we broke up, but I wouldn’t give it to her. I told her it belonged to me now. Take it.”

  I tried to return it to him, but he wouldn’t let me. “I don’t want this.”

  He moved past me and opened the door, letting me know the conversation was over. I walked out, the sun outside seeming hotter than it had just minutes ago when I went inside.