Sublime Karma

by Peyton Garver

  “I promise,” she whispered, leaning into his hand. “Jake, I didn’t mean to be alone with Ryan. He just showed up. He waited with me in my car. I’m sorry.”

  “Shhh.” He touched her lips. “I know.” His heart pounding, he glanced at her bed. “I’m trying to be responsible here, and believe me, it’s not easy in your bedroom. Let’s talk at breakfast—”

  His text alert sounded again. “Just a second, it’s Troy again. I told him I’d meet him this morning, but that was before the art show—happened,” he said, texting back: Hey sorry can’t make it I’m fixing things w Brie

  “Okay, you ready?”

  “Just a sec.” She grabbed her phone and dropped it in her sweater pocket. It clacked against the flash drive. “Jake, wait.” Fishing for the flash drive, she took her phone back out and put it on her dresser. She held the flash drive out to Jake. “This was in Leif’s pocket, with the phone. I dunno, but I think it might have something to do with Rick. If Leif’s in trouble, this could help him.”

  Jake paused. “Or, maybe make things worse. Why do you think it has something to do with Rick?”

  “When I got home from school yesterday, Leif was on his work phone, and I saw him pull this flash drive out of Rick’s laptop. I think we should look to see what’s on it.”

  “Rick’s laptop? Brie, that might not be a good idea. If Leif wanted you to see it, he would have shown it to you.”

  “Jake—”

  “No.” Jake shook his head. “Brie, let’s hold off to see what happens with Leif, then decide what to do with it after we hear something. Okay? Brie?”

  “All right,” she agreed and dropped the flash drive back into her pocket.

  “Come on, let’s do breakfast,” he said, walking backward, dangling his Jeep keys while giving her a sideways grin.

  Brie followed Jake into the trendy Patrick Street Coffee House. The tall tables at the window were occupied, so Jake took her hand and led her to a dark corner booth in the back. “Sit over here,” he coaxed, with his arm extended along the back of the bench.

  With a coy smile, she slid in. “Have you ever brought a girl here before?”

  “For brunch?” He laughed.

  She blushed. “What’s so funny? You brought me here.”

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have laughed,” he said, still smiling. “No, I’ve never brought a date here before, for brunch or anything else.”

  She perused the menu. “Are you really hungry?”

  “Why? You’re not?”

  “I was just wondering if you wanted to split something.”

  Same plate? He gave her his lopsided smile. “Like?”

  “Hmm. How about this omelet, New York strip and manchego. Uh, what’s manchego?”

  “Dunno. You wanna ask, or take our chances?”

  “Take our chances,” she answered.

  “I like your style.”

  He placed the order, and then his serious gaze locked on her. “Brie, about Ari, last night, when you saw us together. She covered my eyes from behind. I thought it was you. When I saw it was her, I was caught off guard. Just like you were, when you saw us.”

  He stopped, but she was silent, waiting. “Ari’s my next-door neighbor. Remember when I told you about my mother? I told you our closest neighbors knew my mother deserted us. That would be Ari’s family. She knows. But, I didn’t even talk to her for years after my mother left, not until her dad died.”

  He sighed, threading his hands through his hair. “He died when we were in eighth grade. He was in the army. He was stationed at Fort Dietrich, and then he was deployed to the Middle East.” Jake turned in the booth to look directly at Brie. “Her dad, he killed himself. It’s complicated, but he was a marine. Did two tours in Iraq. When he came back, he wasn’t the same. Anyway, that’s when I started talking to her again. We kind of started hanging out.” He looked deep into her eyes and sighed. “Do you want to know more?”

  Brie sat still.

  “Brie, we were . . . we just . . . Brie, four years ago—”

  “No.” She rested her hand on his arm and shook her head. “Jake, stop. I believe you, and I don’t want to know anything more.”

  Jake covered her hand with his, wondering what she was thinking. If she had wanted to know more, he’d been prepared to tell her. Everything. Now he didn’t have to.

  His message alert broke the heavy silence between them. He didn’t recognize the number. He read the text: Jake, this is Leif. Where’s Brie?

  “Leif must be done at the sheriff’s office. I told you they wouldn’t keep him.” Jake scowled. “Wonder how he got my number?” He texted back: She’s with me we went out for breakfast to talk about last night Everything ok?

  Call me.

  He looked at Brie, confused. “He wants me to call him. He’s not into texting?”

  Brie sighed. “He’s weird about technology. I mean, he’s really good with computers, genius actually. He’ll text, but he prefers not to. He doesn’t like any kind of social media. He says too many people put their personal stuff out there. He says it’ll always come back and bite ’em in the ass.” She shrugged. “He’s a firm believer in keeping the smallest tech footprint possible.

  “Anyway, that’s probably why I don’t use all that stuff, either. You know, social media. I mean, I text, but not the other stuff.” She giggled. “I think I know how he got your number. He had to have gotten it off my phone yesterday.”

  “And, why’s that so funny?” he asked, navigating back in his phone to enter Leif’s number from the text.

  “It’s not.” Her teasing grin brightened her face. “Dream Guy.”

  “What!” Jake looked up with his finger on the phone ready to call, he stopped “Brie. Really? You showed him that? He probably thinks I’m some kind of idiot now.”

  “No, I didn’t show him. He pried, and he doesn’t think you’re an idiot. If he did, he wouldn’t have encouraged me to talk to you about last night. He said he was sure that neither of us wanted to let go.”

  “He said that?” Jake asked with a hint of a smile.

  “Yes.” She nodded, her eyes smiling back. “But, hurry up and call him back. Find out what happened.” Impatient, she patted his arm.

  He pressed call.

  The waitress placed the omelet on the table. “Everything okay here?”

  “Fabulous,” Brie answered sweetly.

  “Here’s an extra set of silverware. Can I get you anything else?”

  Brie raised her eyebrows at Jake, who held his hand up and shook his head, concentrating on the call. “No, we’re good. Thanks,” she said.

  “Here, he wants to talk to you.” Jake handed her the phone, whispering, “He seems kind of pissed.”

  “Why?” she mouthed, silently.

  He shrugged, then whispered. “No clue.”

  “Leif? Are you okay? What hap— . . . No, you didn’t . . . Just a second, let me check. Maybe I silenced it.” She rummaged around in her handbag. “Uh, I must have forgotten my phone. I think I left it on my dresser . . . It’s not a big deal. You got a hold of me. Jake had his phone. . . . Your flash drive?” In a panic, she looked at Jake.

  “What’s wrong?” Jake whispered.

  “Leif, I took it. I thought . . . No! I didn’t do anything with it. I still have it. Yes, Leif, I swear I didn’t . . . we don’t even have a laptop here. What? Why?”

  “Just do it!” Jake heard Leif’s voice yell.

  Brie paled, but pulled the flash drive out of her handbag and smacked it down onto the table in front of Jake. “Here take it!”

  Chapter 28

  “He’s never yelled at me before. Ever,” Brie said, staring out the passenger window of Jake’s jeep.

  “He’s stressing. He wen
t through a lot of shit today. And, you’re probably right. There is probably something about Rick on that flash drive. But, I really think Leif’s protecting you. Or, maybe he’s covering his ass. But, either way, you need to trust him.”

  She nodded. “Did he say why the police wanted to talk to him? Did they really find Rick?”

  Jake nodded. “Yeah.” He hesitated. “Rick was hurt pretty bad. A hit and run.”

  “Do you think . . . Leif?”

  Jake shook his head. “No. Leif was here last night, remember?”

  Brie shook her head. “No. You’re right. He couldn’t have done it.”

  Jake pulled the Jeep into her driveway. “Hey, I can’t stay. I’ve got practice this afternoon. Coach called a Saturday practice, and I’ve got to go home first and get my gear.” He followed her eyes. “C’mon, I’ll walk you in.”

  She nodded, looking toward her house.

  He helped her down out of the Jeep. “It’s gonna be all right. He’s not gonna stay mad at you.” He took her hand and walked her to the door.

  “Yeah, I know.”

  They stopped on the portico. Jake smoothed her hair back from her face. “Brie, I’ll call you as soon as practice is over, okay?”

  “You better.”

  He graced her with his smile. “I promise,” he turned to kiss her just as the door swung open.

  “You got my flash drive?”

  Jake straightened. “Uh, yeah.” He reached into his pocket.

  Brie’s hand was still on Jake’s arm. “Leif? Are you—”

  “Brie, I need to talk to Jake—privately.”

  “O—kaaay.” She looked from Leif to Jake.

  “Everything’s cool, Brie. I won’t sabotage anything,” Leif said, guiding her into the house and shutting the door behind her. He adjusted the backpack on his shoulder.

  “Give it here.” Leif held his hand out.

  Jake handed him the drive.

  Leading the way, he motioned to Jake. “C’mon, let’s go sit in your Jeep.”

  Inside the Jeep, Leif pulled the laptop out of his backpack. “I know she didn’t look on it.” He expelled his breath and leaned back in his seat. “That perv is lucky I didn’t kill him.”

  “Whoa. Back up. You did do it?”

  “Huh? Oh.” A snide grin crept onto Leif’s face. “I once told him if he ever touched her again, he was gonna wish he was dead.”

  “But, how? Wait a minute. Did you let the air out of Brie’s tires last night? So you’d have an alibi?”

  “Now, there’s a thought. I didn’t. I already had my alibi: Humane Society, Carlos, Maria, the art show, Brie, Mia, Ryan, you.” Leif looked at Jake. “Rick let the air out of her tires.”

  While Lief paused, Jake processed. “Wait a minute. He was there? At school? In the parking lot?” Jake ran his fingers through his hair.

  Leif nodded. “Yeah. He was there, waiting for her. If that guy, Ryan, didn’t follow her out? She’d have been gone.

  “You said he was near dead. How’d you do it?”

  “Thing is, I didn’t do it. I was out and about here all night long. You all saw me.”

  “So, you had an accomplice?”

  “Wow, you’re quick. The cops didn’t even put that together. They’re calling it a hit and run. My partner nailed him in the parking lot, got out and delivered my message. You know, the message about wishing he was dead. Then, he left Rick there in the lot. If it had been me, Rick would have had more than a few bruises, a concussion, and a cracked rib.”

  “Hit and run? You mean with a car? Your partner? I’m not following. Why do you have a partner?”

  Leif looked toward the house then back at Jake. “I took a job working for an international protection and security company. I started in cyber, but then they transferred me to the field. We’re partnered up, and my partner has, kind of, unofficially got my back on this. By unofficially, I mean we could get in a shitload of trouble if we end up with a record.”

  “Unofficially? On this? You mean what’s going on with Brie?”

  “Like I said, you’re a quick one.”

  “So, where is this partner of yours? What’s his name?”

  “That, doesn’t matter to you, and keep your mouth shut about it. No one else knows about him, not even Brie. I shouldn’t even have told you.”

  “What? You think I’m gonna blab? I wanted to rip Rick a new one myself! That asshole had it coming. I’m glad he’s out of commission. And, now maybe he can go to jail for assault.”

  “Uh-uh,” Leif shook his head. “Not for what he did to Brie.”

  “No? Are you kidding me? He’s still stalking her!”

  “No, he’s done. He’s bruised pretty bad, and he has a broken rib. I’m not putting Brie through a public trial. She doesn’t need that all over school. I don’t want that piece of shit anywhere near her.”

  Jake nodded. “I didn’t think of that. But, what if he does come back after her?”

  “He won’t. He got the message.” Leif grinned. “The cops can’t prove anything, but that dirt bag knows who it came from.” He looked back at the house. He knew Brie was watching, wondering what they were talking about. He looked back at Jake with narrowed eyes. “What he heard after he was hit was, ‘I told you if you ever touched her again you would wish you were dead.’ Then some do-gooder called the police.” Leif sneered. “Do you know what’s on this?” Leif held up the flash drive. When Jake shook his head, Leif plugged the drive into the laptop.

  “That pervert wasn’t just some photographer for a modeling agency. He had something else on the side.” A menu with folders popped up on the screen. “I copied this off his computer.”

  Jake looked at the folders arranged in alphabetical order: Beth, Brie, Celia, Danica. Following the folders was a Word document.

  Jake’s mouth went dry. “What’s in the folders?”

  Leif clicked on the first folder titled, Beth.

  Jake stared at the images of a girl who may have been in her twenties. Jake’s eyes widened. With her long blond hair and tall svelte figure, her resemblance to Brie was striking.

  “That folder, the one of Brie?” Jake choked out and glanced at Leif.

  “No. That folder is empty. She wouldn’t have posed for him.” He gave an empty smirk. “Not even with her clothes on. Rick is obsessed with her. She wouldn’t have anything to do with him. That’s why he went after her, after the dance. The date on this folder was from that day.” He clicked on the folder titled Brie.

  Jake glanced at the computer screen and read: “This folder is empty.” He expelled his deep breath, letting his head fall back against the seat. “She hadn’t said anything about Rick to me, not until I found her at the hospital.”

  “Look, I’m not blaming you. But, I’m telling you now, I do not want Brie to know about any of this. She’s got enough issues.”

  Jake remained silent.

  “Now you know why I lost it with her on the phone.” Leif pulled out the flash drive and slid the laptop into his backpack.

  “She’s gonna want to know what we were talking about. What do I say?”

  “Just tell her the truth, minus what I showed you.” Leif opened the Jeep door and hopped out. “Tell her I wanted my flash drive back, and I filled you in on my interrogation—I’m in the clear, and I didn’t want this thing with Rick going to court.”

  “Wait.”

  Leif paused and looked back.

  “What about all those other girls?”

  “They knew what they were doing.”

  “Maybe, maybe not. That girl, in that first folder, Beth?” Jake shook his head. “You can’t let him get away with that.”

  “Don’t you tell me what I can and can’t do.” Leif slung the backpack o
ver his shoulder and walked away.

  Chewing his lower lip, Jake watched Leif head back. No, this is wrong. He’s wrong. Brie needs to know. The police need to know.

  Chapter 29

  Jake sat in his Jeep holding his phone, not sure of his next step. He slapped the palm of his hand a couple of times with it, then texted instead of calling, as he had promised: Hey practice is over

  Her response ricocheted back: Come over we can watch a movie or something

  He stared at the screen a few seconds then answered: Gotta go home first and shower then family time I’ll come over later tonight

  Alright is everything ok?

  Yeah why?

  You seem off

  Everythings fine I’ll be over later ok?

  Rereading his text, it came out harsher than he intended. He gnawed at the side of his thumbnail, waiting for her response. When it didn’t come, he started his Jeep. Leif is there. She’ll be all right. Then his message alert sounded.

  Sure

  He relaxed and, with a sigh, texted: Hey Brie <3

  :)

  He stared at his phone. I am off. He tossed the phone into his equipment bag and backed out of his parking spot.

  “So, what’s up for tonight?” Jake dropped his equipment bag in the foyer.

  “Dad and I ordered pizza and a movie.”

  Jake lifted the lid on the pizza box. “DiPietro’s? Mmm, pepperoni and sausage. What’re we watching?” he tore off a slice.

  “The Lego Movie.” Teagan’s eyes lit up. “You’re staying?”

  “Yeah, why wouldn’t I?” He dropped onto the sofa. “Lego Movie.” He nodded. “Sounds good to me.”

  “What about Brie?” Teagan asked.

  “I told her I’d go over later. Is that okay, Dad?”

  “Yeah sure,” his dad turned off the lights.

  A few minutes into the movie, the evil tyrant, Lord Business, had just kicked Vitruvius over the cliff edge, when a pealing shriek resounded through the house, and it wasn’t Vitruvius.