The Tell-Tale Con

by Aimee Gilchrist

  Something dark approaches, something in the form of someone. Darn, it's probably an old lady in need of a cart, and I'm blocking them all.

  "Sorry, one sec," I shout.

  But as I attempt to slow down, and attempt means to do it very slow so I don't wipeout and land on my face, I realize it isn't an old person with the patience of…well, an old person. It looks like a young guy.

  "Take your time." And his voice sounds cute.

  Surprised and totally mortified that I look like a dweeb, I stop too abruptly and end up jerking forward. I reach my hands out to prevent permanent damage to my face and go down on my knee pads, right at his feet.

  I look up and hope something witty will surface from my brain so I can kinda redeem myself.

  He's totally my age, maybe a bit older, sportin' a wild afro that looks super soft, and a single dimple in his left cheek, beside a shy smile. Dark brown eyes to go with dark brown skin, and I'm suddenly counting down the days until I'm sixteen and I can date.

  And that's when I realize my hands have landed, not on the ground, but on him.

  On his faded, soft-from-too-many-washings jeans.

  On both sides of his privates.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Ohmigod. I'm cupping his junk.

  I jump up only to stagger and trip, sliding into a cart. It jabs into my boob and I cry out. But I don't care. I'm just glad I'm no longer moving or touching him.

  "Are you okay?" he asks.

  "Are you? I mean, I hope I didn't…you know, hurt you. I mean, I know it's sensitive and…" Heat bursts into my cheeks as if I just doused them in gasoline and struck a match. Hey, there's a way to end my humiliation.

  "I'm fine." His smirk tells me he's enjoying this way too much.

  Where's a knife wielding maniac when you need one?

  "I'm Troy." He holds out his hand.

  Whoa. I've never met another person my age that shakes hands. Dad will love him. I'm caught between wanting to feel his skin, still feeling uber mortified, and not wanting to be rude. Dad hates when I'm rude.

  His grip is warm and slightly rough, and my breath catches a little.

  "Piper," I say.

  "Troy, what's taking so long?" A woman in beige pants and jacket and a white top walks over. She's a female version of Troy, but with a chin length bob rather than 'fro.

  She looks at our hands, still connected. "Oh, I see."

  "Piper?" Dad calls. His sneakers slap on the asphalt like he's wearing clown shoes, such a heavy walker.

  Troy and I let go and turn to our parents.

  "This is Troy."

  "This is Piper."

  We talk at the same time and share an awkward chuckle.

  After introductions are complete, we learn that Troy and his mother, Olivia, have lived in Hollow Ridge all their lives and were expecting us.

  Dad rubs the stubble on his chin. "How?"

  "You arranged renting your house with a local realtor, Bridget Lansing. She informed us that Vincent Grimaldi was visiting. It is temporary and not permanent, right?" Her smile is friendly, but there seems to be a slight edge to her tone.

  "Yes. The school year. So you're friends with the realtor?"

  She frowns, confused, and looks to Troy, who shrugs, before back to Dad. Her eyes widen. "Oh, no. Not 'informed us' as in 'Troy and me.' 'Us' as in HRPD. I'm the Chief of Detectives."

  * * *

  After Dad makes an excuse about rotting eggs, we hightail it home, put away the food, and he goes into his office to begin work. He won't admit this, but he doesn't care for the cops any more than they care for his theories and involvement with closed cases. Dad doesn't disprove every murder. Some towns have great police forces and are meticulous. But some…

  I walk from room to room looking for something to do. The Internet and cable won't be turned on until morning, and I'm sick of unpacking. I can access Tumblr and Facebook via my phone, but nothing interesting is going on, so I sit on the front steps staring at the street.

  I'd knock on Kinley's door, but all the lights on the first floor are off. Her mom looks fuddy-duddy enough to go to bed at nine o'clock.

  "Hey," a faint voice calls.

  I lean forward and stare in the direction of her house.

  The street lamp in between our homes illuminates Kinley in the upstairs window waving. She must have the front room like me. She holds up her index finger then runs off. A long minute later, she peeks her head out her door and slowly steps out, shutting it behind her. She runs over and bounces up my stairs.

  "Sneaking out?" I ask.

  "Yeah. My folks head to bed around eight. They're awake until ten, but they don't like me out after they settle down."

  Knew it. I really should become a detective, but my options aren't great. A private investigator doesn't handle murder, and a police detective must be a patrol officer first, which totally stinks. Those uniforms are hideous, and who wants to direct traffic or break up bar brawls?

  "How's your dad's car?"

  "He needs a new one. They're hunting for one tomorrow. Dad's really picky and really cheap. So what's your dad doing?"

  "Working. You'll meet him tomorrow. He doesn't like being interrupted. Do you know Troy? His mom is the Chief of Detectives." I don't remember if they mentioned a last name.

  "Williams? Yeah, he goes to our school, but he's two years ahead of me. Why?"

  A senior. How exciting. Not that Troy and I will date or that he even noticed me, except for the whole junk landing. He probably has a girlfriend anyway. Or even a bunch of them.

  "You like him?" She uses that singsong voice which means she's teasing, and I hate teasing. It makes me feel stupid and inferior, and I want to smack people who do that. But I think smacking Kinley would hurt our budding friendship, so I ignore it. This time.

  "Maybe. Is there anyone in school you like?" If I get the four-one-one on her love life then this convo won't feel so one-sided.

  "There's one. Eli. He's a junior. He once held the cafeteria door open for me, and our eyes met. It was love at first sight, but I'm pretty sure it's one-sided. Besides there's no way Mom and Dad would let me date unsupervised. And do you know what dating with a chaperone would be like? Mucho humiliating."

  I chuckle, and now we're even. "Yeah, that would suck. So, tell me about Troy?" I try to get the scoop on everyone. It's the detective in me. But there's something extra special about this boy.

  She thinks for a minute. "He broke up with Shayla at the end of last year. I only know because I was in the bathroom stall and overheard her telling her friends she dumped him for an older and much more sophisticated guy."

  "Who's Shayla?"

  Kinley rolls her eyes. "Only a witch with a capital B. She's Linzy's mean, older sister."

  Crap. Willowy and blonde? Of course. There's no way he'll be interested in short and round.

  A red sports car pulls onto the street and slows down at the house across from me. It's one of those sleek two-seaters. It turns into the driveway and parks inside the garage. As the door descends, I make out a balding man with a pot belly.

  "Who's that?"

  She places her hands behind her and leans back. "Mr. Friedman. He and his wife live there. They have a son and a daughter, both away at college. Mr. Friedman just got that car. Mom says it's a mid-life crisis toy. Mrs. Friedman gardens, and Mom says the gardener is her toy."

  I squeal then cover my mouth with my hand. "Ohmigod."

  Kinley giggles and nods rapidly. "I know. Mom is usually so proper, but she got a bit tipsy at the New Year's Eve party last year and let it all spill. I guess she and her friends compare notes every week when they get together for their book club."

  "What about over there?" I point to the house next to the Friedman's, directly across from Kinley's.

  "The Rodriquez family. A mom, dad, and the cutest little girl."

  "And what about on the other side of them?"

  "Bridget Lansing."

  "The realtor?" The woman men
tioned earlier.

  "Yeah, she's a part of Mom's book club, and Dad calls her a cougar. An older woman who likes much younger guys."

  Duh. "Yeah, I know what it is. How about next to me?"

  "Mrs. Jackson. She's super old and walks super slow. I don't know much about her."

  Before I get to ask about the remaining houses on the corners of our street, loud voices sound, and we look over to the Quinn house. Mrs. Quinn and Linzy stand in the brightly lit living room, shouting at one another. Mrs. Quinn has one hand on her hip, and the other points toward the doorway.

  Linzy stomps her feet and screams, "No, I'm not doing that, and you can't make me."

  "Wow," Kinley whispers.

  I know. If I spoke that way to Dad, his head would do a three-hundred-sixty degree turn a la Linda Blair in the Exorcist, and I wouldn't see the outside of my room until we move to our next house.

  "Go to your room," Mrs. Quinn shouts then turns her back on her.

  Linzy runs out. The upstairs hall light goes on then off. And with it, our entertainment.

  But a moment later it resumes as their back wooden gate opens, and Linzy tiptoes along the grass. She scurries past the house and down the street.

  I stand. "Let's follow her."

  Kinley gasps. "Have you gone mental?"

  "Not since the hospital released me. Come on. Let's see where she's going."

  I don't wait for Kinley's approval and run to the sidewalk. I stay in the shadows, several steps behind Linzy. If she thinks she has stealthy skills, she hasn't seen mine. I grew up on old reruns of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. That girl knew how to sneak.

  "I can't leave the street," Kinley whispers, bumping into me.

  "Sshh." I grab her arm and throw both of us onto Mrs. Jackson's lawn.

  I peek out from around the bush that separates this yard from the next. Linzy stops and turns, but I don't think she sees us. She continues her trek.

  I look to Kinley and hold a finger over my lips before getting up and following. Clearly my new friend needs pointers on spying.

  When Linzy reaches the corner, she makes a right turn.

  I step off the curb, and Kinley grabs my arm, her short fingernails digging into my flesh.

  "I can't leave the block."

  I nod, remembering, but, dude, this isn't the time to be so obedient. I bite my lip, wondering how far Linzy will go. I don't want to get in trouble, but I also don't want to lose her.

  "I'll just go a little bit and be right back."

  Kinley nods, her eyes wide. "Okay, I'll wait here."

  I run across the street and peer around the corner. Luckily I don't have to go much farther. Linzy's at the next corner, just standing there, staring at her phone. At least I think it's her. She's far enough away that I only make out a silhouette.

  I turn back to Kinley, give a quick thumbs up, then run forward and crouch behind a giant oak tree. As I'm waiting, I realize I have to pee. Of course. I don't remember this ever happening to Buffy while she waited in the graveyard for vampires to arrive.

  After a few minutes, a car slows down farther along the road, several yards from the nearest streetlamp, its headlights off. The driver gets out as Linzy rushes over.

  The driver stays shielded by the car, so I can't tell if it's a man or woman, young or old. And the car…well, it's dark, four-doors, I think. It's too far to make out even with my glasses on. Is Linzy meeting a secret boyfriend? Maybe she wanted to go out, and her mom said she couldn't. Maybe it's some hot actor from her show, which I totally need to start watching.

  I can't hear a peep from either of them, but Linzy has both hands on her hips, her shoulders back. It doesn't look like a secret rendezvous. The driver starts to open the car door, and petite, little Linzy grabs for him. The driver pulls back then pushes Linzy. She staggers and shouts, "Hey."

  Whoa. Not cool, especially if it's a secret boyfriend. I pull my phone from my pocket, ready to dial nine-one-one and the local teen abuse hotline, when the driver jumps back into the car, whips around the corner, and speeds off, out of sight. I would've loved to snap a picture, but it's way too dark to capture anything, and a flash would give me away.

  I get ready to run back to Kinley, expecting Linzy to head toward us, but she turns and runs after the car. Is she serious? Is she crazy?

  Without thinking, I take off and head toward them, stopping when I reach the spot they just occupied. I look up and down the block for either of them. I don't see the car, and if Linzy is on the sidewalk, I can't tell. I seriously need to get my glasses checked.

  Well this was a total bust. I take a step, ready to admit defeat, as much as it pains me, and hear something flit across the pavement. I must've kicked something. I look but don't see anything. With my phone pointed down, I check out the area, inch by inch.

  Up ahead I spot something tiny that reflects off the light. I pick it up and examine it in my palm. It's a silver star charm. The kind worn on a bracelet. Is it Linzy's, or was it dropped by someone at another time? Yesterday? Last week?

  Suddenly the sound of a motor creeps closer, and I hold my breath. Panic settles in. It's crazy. It's probably some random car going home, but after spying on my neighbor, I worry I'll get caught, and I race back to my street.

  When I reach the corner, someone jumps out from behind the oak tree.

  I scream.

  I SPY DEAD PEOPLE

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