Every Trick in the Book

by Lucy Arlington

  I whispered in Sean’s ear, “We should talk to this guy. If Justyn’s name appears in the paper, people who know him might come forth with information.”

  The journalist’s eyes widened and he wrote something in his notepad. “Justyn? Who’s Justyn?”

  Sean sighed and turned to me. “You go on home, Lila. I’ll deal with this guy.” He moved as if to kiss me but then seemed to think better of it and squeezed my hand instead. “I’ll call you when my shift is over.”

  I MANAGED TO make it back home before the rain began. Since I couldn’t walk outside, I donned gray sweatpants and a T-shirt and headed for my treadmill. The opening bars of “I Will Survive” blared out of the CD player as I started to build up my stride. After two minutes of warm-up, I ran faster and faster. Breathing hard, I let myself be hypnotized by the rhythm.

  But the cadence of my pounding feet could not completely still my mind. Throughout the monotony of my jogging, I couldn’t shake the recollection of how frightened I had been in mistakenly thinking that Justyn—in my mind, Kirk Mason—was coming to my office to kill me. Whatever might have happened at the agency this afternoon, I’d been certain that I’d finally see an end to the horrors of the past week. I had believed our questions would be answered and the mystery solved.

  But it was far from over.

  And no matter what Sean said, my blunder in believing that Kirk Mason was Justyn had misdirected the police. I had to rectify that somehow, to figure out who and where Justyn was. I needed to redeem myself, not just in Sean’s eyes but also in my own.

  Out of breath and sweaty, I felt better now that I’d resolved to take action. Slowing my pace, I stopped the machine, wiped my brow, and gulped some water. The relentless thudding of the bass on my exercise CD was aggravating now that I was no longer running, and I turned off the stereo. But the thumping continued. Puzzled, I stared at the speakers.

  “Mom! Are you home?” Trey’s muffled voice came down the hallway and I realized that he’d been banging on the front door. I hurried to open it, finding my son standing on the porch with Jeff. Both boys were flushed and bright-eyed.

  “We have a report,” Jeff said importantly.

  “Come on in.” I stood aside to let them in the house. “Sorry, I’m a bit sweaty. I was just working out.”

  “So that’s why you didn’t hear us ringing the bell. Were you getting your disco on again?” Trey followed Jeff inside, then led the way to the kitchen. “We went to your office, but the secretary said you’d gone home.” He opened the fridge and peered in. “Don’t you have any sodas?”

  I shook my head. “Just orange juice and milk.”

  As Trey poured juice into two glasses, Jeff shook off his jacket. “We found out what they’re up to at the co-op,” he said with a broad grin.

  “‘Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end,’” I said, quoting Lewis Carroll.

  “Huh?” Jeff looked perplexed.

  “Don’t mind her.” Trey rolled his eyes. “She’s always quoting books. I happen to know that’s from Alice in Wonderland, because she used to say it to me when I was a kid and she wanted to know everything about my day.” He handed Jeff his drink.

  I smiled at my son. “Good memory, Trey. Now, tell me what you found out about Red Fox. What are those meditation sessions exactly?”

  Jeff chugged his juice and pulled a small plastic bag out of his pocket. It was filled with dark brown, shriveled nuggets attached to black stemlike threads. They looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t quite identify them.

  “What’s in the bag?” I asked. “And what does it have to do with the co-op?”

  “These are ’shrooms, ma’am.” Jeff held them up.

  “’Shrooms?” I repeated, mystified at first, and then horrified. “You mean hallucinogenic mushrooms?”

  “Yup. For two hundred bucks, you get this little bag and a session on how to use them safely.” He tossed the bag on the table. “I didn’t try them ’cause I know that’s not what you wanted me to do. I didn’t want to break the law, either. These things scare me. But I pretended to chew on some so Jasper wouldn’t catch on.”

  Understanding that I’d sent Jeff into a truly compromising situation, I was overcome with a wave of guilt. Weakened, I sat down.

  “Can you believe it, Mom?” Trey touched the plastic packet of mushrooms. “I’m helping them cultivate edible mushrooms for the grocery store, and all this time they’ve been growing these! ’Shrooms aren’t innocent like weed. They’re dangerous.”

  My mouth went dry as the implication of their discovery sank in. I moved to the sink and poured a glass of water. “All drugs are dangerous, Trey.” I took a sip.

  “Whatever.” Trey clearly wasn’t looking for a lecture. “Tell her what happened, Jeff.”

  Jeff took out a sheet of paper. “Well, Jasper recited a bunch of rules before we could unzip our bags.” He read from the page.

  Start with a small amount. Only take them if you don’t have anything important coming up for twenty-four hours. Trip in a relaxed environment with people you know and trust.

  He snorted. “Like I trust Jasper! Anyway, you can read the rest yourself.” He handed me the list.

  I scanned over the warnings about side effects, bad trips, and advice on only trusting mushrooms from a reliable source to ensure they are not poisonous. I noticed that there was absolutely no reference to the Red Fox Co-op anywhere on the sheet. Worriedly, I glanced at Jeff. “You really didn’t try them?”

  “Honest, Ms. W. I pocketed the bag to bring to you and just started acting weird like everybody else there. They were bouncing around the room, laughing at everything. Jasper was the only one who stayed straight, but I did a pretty good job of fooling him, I think.” He shook his head. “Still, it was scary seeing what the ’shrooms were doing to the other kids. Turned them into total idiots.”

  I reached over and briefly touched his hand. “I’m sorry to have put you through that. It was irresponsible of me to send you into a situation that could have caused you harm.” The culpability I felt over giving money to a young man to buy drugs was overwhelming. “I’m just glad you’re all right.”

  He ran his fingers through his hair and shrugged. “Yeah, I’m good.” His cheeks flushed. “I’m kinda glad I saw what it was all about. Definitely turned me off ’shrooms.”

  “Well, I suppose that’s one good thing to come out of this experience,” I said, picking up my purse from the counter. “And I owe you fifty dollars.” I handed him the money.

  Jeff stuck the bills in his pocket. “Thanks.” He stood and reached for the bag of dried mushrooms, then pulled his hand back. “I guess you want to keep those, huh?”

  I looked from him to Trey. “What do you boys think we should do with them?”

  “I’m going to bring them to the police,” Trey said emphatically. “Jasper’s gone completely against the co-op’s philosophy with these, and he should be stopped.”

  Panic lit Jeff’s eyes. “You won’t tell them that I bought them, will you?”

  “Totally not. I’ll just say they were grown at Red Fox.” Trey glanced my way. “Okay, Mom?”

  “I think that’s the best way to handle this, Trey. You can keep everyone else out of it.” I wondered what Sean would say if he knew I’d paid Jeff to investigate the meditation center. “You boys want to stay for supper?”

  Jeff picked up his jacket. “Thanks, but no. My girlfriend is cooking me a meatloaf tonight. I gotta go.”

  When Trey shut the door behind his friend, he eyed me worriedly. “Jasper really screwed up. I wonder how it’ll affect the co-op. And Iris.”

  “Jasper’s trouble is of his own making. Unfortunately, a person’s actions have repercussions on those around them.” I touched his arm. “I’m proud of you for making the decision to take this to the police. It might mean the closing of the co-op, and if that happens, your life will change, too.”

  As he nodded his agreement, I was struck by how much h
e’d matured during his months at Red Fox. It was gratifying to know that my son had such a strong moral code. Trey was so unlike Justyn, whose upbringing had been devoid of stability and good values. I couldn’t help but wonder what that young man’s life would have been like had his childhood been different. His circumstances didn’t give him the right to commit heinous acts of violence, but I pitied him for the hollowness that existed within his twisted soul.

  “I think I’ll go to the police right now, Mom,” Trey announced, calling me from my morose thoughts. “There’s a meditation session scheduled for eight tonight, and if the cops know, they could raid it or something. And since I walked down to Nana’s and borrowed her truck, they’ll expect to see me coming back on foot. Alone. But that’s not gonna happen.” He shook his head in disgust. “The sooner Jasper gets thrown in jail, the better. He’s a liar and a hypocrite and yet, I looked up to him. Well, that’s all over now. I’m not under his spell anymore.”

  I reached out and touched his shoulder.

  Trey looked at me, his mouth curving into a grin. “And I’ve got to admit, I really miss hot showers.”

  Chapter 15

  AFTER TREY LEFT, I WALKED INTO THE KITCHEN AND opened the refrigerator, searching for inspiration. It had been a long day, and with no one to cook for, I decided to fix myself a quick and comforting meal. I dumped a can of tomato soup in a saucepan, put it on the stove, and laid out bread, sliced cheese, and butter on the counter.

  Ten minutes later, I was dining on a perfectly grilled cheddar and provolone sandwich along with a steaming bowl of tomato soup. Not one to eat anything out of a can without doctoring it first, I’d added fresh basil, garlic, and a generous sprinkle of black pepper to the soup.

  I tried to focus on the pleasant aromas in my kitchen and the taste of my delicious supper, but it was difficult, so I reached for an advanced reader’s copy of a young adult fantasy Flora had given me. The author was one of Flora’s clients, and she’d loaned me the ARC because I’d read the first four books in the series and was dying to know if the shape-shifting hero would end up falling for the mermaid or the forest nymph.

  However, I just couldn’t seem to concentrate on the novel. In between reading the same sentence over and over, I wondered if Trey had already spoken to the police. And had he asked for Sean or decided not to get his mother’s love interest involved? It was incredibly difficult to let Trey bear this burden on his own, but I knew he needed to do this without me.

  Only an hour remained before Jasper would begin his next meditation session, and it was quickly becoming an unpleasant night for a crowd of college students to be traipsing up the mountain. The cold, starless sky was striped with dark clouds, and the moon was a pale sliver above the treetops. A nasty wind had sprung up, whipping the last of the leaves off the branches outside my kitchen window and pulling the petals from the chrysanthemums on my front porch.

  I gazed outside for several minutes, trying to imagine how a drug raid went down. I’d seen them on television shows, those crime dramas featuring teams of heavily armed men and women kicking in doors and storming into squalid tenements or warehouses, but this was not TV. And how would my son fit into the scenario? Would he wait at the station or lead the police to the meditation center in my mother’s turquoise pickup truck? Would he accuse Jasper of being a criminal to his face or would the cops insist Trey stay in the background while they confronted the co-op’s leader?

  My conjectures only served to increase my anxiety, so I got a fire going in the living room and poured myself some wine. After taking a single sip, I set it down again. It was doing nothing to relax me and I doubted anything could until Sean or Trey called with news. But my phone remained stubbornly silent.

  Looking for a way to pass the time, I switched on the television, turned to a mindless reality dancing show, and flipped through a small press publisher’s winter catalogue. I loved reading about the upcoming releases. The tantalizing blurbs, alluring cover art, and promises of hours spent absorbed in a captivating story helped distract me from the day’s events.

  Shortly before nine o’clock, the ringing of my phone startled me into dropping the catalogue and nearly knocking over my wine in my eagerness to talk to my son. However, it wasn’t Trey on the other end of the line. It was my mother.

  “I know you’ve been pacin’ the floorboards all evenin’. Probably nursin’ a glass of wine instead of tossin’ back a shot of whiskey. When are you gonna learn how to cure a bad case of the nerves?”

  “Mama!” I barked. “What’s going on?”

  “Trey’s here with me. That girl, Iris, too. They’re right as rain.” She lowered her voice. “Trey’s a bit shaky, but he’s puttin’ on a good show in front of the young lady. She’s a pretty thing, but she’s had a hard time of it and looks like she’ll keel over any second. I fixed them some sandwiches and left them in the living room. Trey wanted to call you right away, but I knew you’d want me to settle him down some first.”

  I thanked her, grateful that my mother lived close to the co-op and would take excellent care of Trey. “So did the cops find the ’shrooms?”

  “They sure did. Your good-lookin’ policeman wasn’t with them, though. Guess he’s got his hands full lookin’ for another bad man. Anyhow, a handful of kids are gonna have to call up their mommies and daddies and confess to bein’ real stupid, but the adults of Red Fox are in much bigger trouble.”

  I sighed in relief. “Then Jasper’s been arrested?”

  “No, hon. Jasper slipped away in the dark. The police went after him, but he knows those mountain trails better than anybody.”

  This was not what I wanted to hear. “Does he have any idea that Trey was responsible for the raid?”

  “Yes, indeed, he certainly does. Trey told him off good. He didn’t want to go into too many details with me, seein’ as Iris is Jasper’s sister and all, but I could tell that he’d needed to speak his piece and he spoke it.” She cleared her throat. “Unfortunately, Jasper skedaddled right after that.”

  I groaned in frustration.

  My mother was quick to assure me that Trey was perfectly safe. “There’ll be cops crawling all over these parts for ages. Nobody’s gonna come and go from Red Fox without their say-so.” She sighed. “There were good folks up at the co-op, too, Lila. They’re all gonna leave as soon as the cops let them. Head farther west with the goats and all their gear. When they do, I’ll lose some of my favorite clients.”

  “It’s sad,” I agreed. “But I can’t pretend that I’m not relieved. The thought of Trey spending the winter up there was giving me nightmares. Those portable heaters only do so much, and what would happen if he got sick? Or injured?”

  “Don’t say anythin’ like that to him, ya hear?” she cautioned. “This is a raw wound. No need to rub salt in it.”

  I spluttered. “Give me some credit. It’s not like I’m glad that Trey’s happiness was shattered by a charlatan. My poor boy. His own dad ran off when he was a baby and then this pseudo–father figure betrayed his trust. I hope he won’t be affected too adversely.”

  “The young are tougher than we think. They bounce back better from these sorts of things than older folks do. Why, Trey’s already mentioned college. He’s tryin’ to convince Iris to visit the campus with him and meet with some folks there about applyin’.” My mother made a sympathetic noise. “Guess her brother took off with all the cash, though. Don’t know how she can pay for school unless the cops run him down.”

  Could Jasper successfully evade the police? He was on foot, and it was cold, especially at night. He didn’t have clothes or shelter. Even if he found refuge in a cave, he’d eventually have to come down from the mountain in search of food.

  “Maybe you should all come stay with me after tonight,” I suggested.

  “No, no,” she quickly replied. “We’re fine here. Jasper’s long gone. But you should join us. The sooner the better.”

  I didn’t like the edge to her voice. “What makes yo
u say that?”

  My mother answered in a hushed tone. “The mirror. Remember when you broke that mirror on moving day?”

  My shoulders sagged. I really didn’t want to rehash my mother’s dramatic reaction upon seeing the glass scattered across the floor of my front hall. “Yes, I do. I also remember your ominous prediction that trouble was headed my way. And you were right—it’s hardly been a peaceful autumn—but why are you bringing that up now?”

  “When I picked up one of the pieces, I saw a shadow lurkin’ near your new house and knew it meant you harm. Today, when I was readin’ the cards, I saw that tall, dark figure again. It’s angry and full of blame. It’s gonna lash out. And soon. You shouldn’t be alone.”

  “I’ll be fine,” I assured her, even though I felt prickles of dread. Still, I’d already made a fool of myself once by hiding in Flora’s closet at the office. I wasn’t going to run and hide somewhere else now. I wished her a good night and then hung up, staring at the television screen without taking in the images. My mother’s mention of a tall, dark figure immediately made me think of Justyn, but Sean was out there, vigilantly searching for Justyn while most of the inhabitants of Dunston slept. I wanted to talk to him, to see if he’d heard anything about the co-op bust from one of his fellow officers, but I didn’t want to disturb him. Knowing he was on the hunt for a killer put my mind at ease. Suddenly exhausted, I turned off the TV and went to bed.

  That night, my dreams were fractured and unsettled. Once again, I was huddled inside Flora’s closet. I heard several voices bouncing around her office, but in the illogical way of dreams, they belonged to people who didn’t work at Novel Idea. They included the reporter from the Dunston Herald who’d wanted to interview me after the Kirk Mason mix-up, a girl I’d known in grade school, and Big Ed from the Catcher in the Rye sandwich shop. Feeling unthreatened by this group, I opened the wardrobe door to find the carpet littered with thousands of shards of broken glass. I was about to gingerly step down from the closet in my bare feet when I saw a reflection in one of the jagged pieces. It was Justyn’s face. His dark eyes were filled with hatred, and his mouth was curled into a murderous sneer. Suddenly, his face was everywhere, glaring out at me from every shard.