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Authors: Anna Jarzab
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belt. “It’s about Carly.”
I didn’t say anything. I had expected this, of course—giving the bracelet had not been a meaningless gesture, as I had rightly assumed—but all I could think was, Please, can we just not talk about this?
She sighed. “Can I safely deduce from your silence that you’re not going to do a tuck-and-roll right out of the car?”
“Deduce away,” I said sullenly.
“I did steal your cell phone.”
“Obviously.”
“But I had my reasons.”
“Crazy people always do. Did your neighbor’s dog tell you to do it?”
“Look, after the trial, when the police department released all of Carly’s personal effects, her father gave them to me. He said he couldn’t stand to look at them. That’s how I got the bracelet I gave you yesterday, and that’s how I got Carly’s cell phone.”
“Illuminating. So?” I’d put the bracelet in my pocket again this morning. I didn’t really know what to do with it—I certainly didn’t want to just put it away somewhere and forget about it.
“Her last outgoing call was to you.”
“I know that, and so does the rest of the world. Did you miss that day of the trial, or are you just playing dumb?”
“I remember. She left you a message. But they didn’t play the tape in court. I never heard the message itself, just your interpretation of it.”
“Well, believe me, if I was lying the DA would have called me on it. Why do you need to hear it, anyway? Do you get kicks chasing ambulances, too, or do you just fill all your empty hours nowadays playing Cold Case with a murder that’s already been solved?”
“I wanted to see if you’d kept the message. Saved it, in your mailbox.”
“Why would I do that?”
“I don’t know. Because you were unhealthily fixated on her?”
“That is not true!” I slammed my fist against the door.
“You seem awfully worked up,” Audrey said. “What’s that quote from Macbeth? Something about protesting too much?”
“Shut up, Audrey. So, what, you got me into this car so that you could hassle me about Carly?”
“I don’t recall holding a gun to your head.”
“Look, just give me my cell phone, take me home, and we can each go back to pretending the other doesn’t exist. The last thing anybody needs is a rewind of last year.”
“Why are you being so defensive?” I didn’t answer. She glanced at me and her jaw dropped. “You did save the message, didn’t you? What, did you download it onto your computer or something? Forward it to another digital mailbox? What? Neily, I have to hear that message.”
“I did not save it. As soon as the detective had a copy, I deleted it. If you want to hear it, you’ll have to break into the evidence room in the Empire Valley Police Department.” I couldn’t even look at her.
She pressed her lips together and let out a deep breath through her nose. “Fine.” She reached into her pocket and tossed the cell phone at me. “Don’t help.”
“Help with what?” I turned toward the window and watched the woods go past. “Forget it. I don’t care.”
“I don’t think my dad killed Carly. And I would really like to prove it.”
I considered my words carefully. Audrey was a bitch, buther life hadn’t been easy since Carly died. There was quippy, and there was cruel.
“Look, Audrey, I know you don’t want to believe it—”
“Wanting has nothing to do with it. I don’t believe it.” She looked at me earnestly. “And I don’t think you do, either.”
“What makes you think that?”
“Because you don’t really act like someone who’s got all the answers,” she said. “I’ve been watching you, Neily.”
“That’s creepy.”
“And I can tell that behind that weak Holden Caulfield affectation is a spongy, leaking heart desperate for some sort of closure.”
I looked out the window, at the houses whipping past, willing her to stop talking. I had never felt completely comfortable around Audrey, even when we were supposedly
I didn’t say anything. I had expected this, of course—giving the bracelet had not been a meaningless gesture, as I had rightly assumed—but all I could think was, Please, can we just not talk about this?
She sighed. “Can I safely deduce from your silence that you’re not going to do a tuck-and-roll right out of the car?”
“Deduce away,” I said sullenly.
“I did steal your cell phone.”
“Obviously.”
“But I had my reasons.”
“Crazy people always do. Did your neighbor’s dog tell you to do it?”
“Look, after the trial, when the police department released all of Carly’s personal effects, her father gave them to me. He said he couldn’t stand to look at them. That’s how I got the bracelet I gave you yesterday, and that’s how I got Carly’s cell phone.”
“Illuminating. So?” I’d put the bracelet in my pocket again this morning. I didn’t really know what to do with it—I certainly didn’t want to just put it away somewhere and forget about it.
“Her last outgoing call was to you.”
“I know that, and so does the rest of the world. Did you miss that day of the trial, or are you just playing dumb?”
“I remember. She left you a message. But they didn’t play the tape in court. I never heard the message itself, just your interpretation of it.”
“Well, believe me, if I was lying the DA would have called me on it. Why do you need to hear it, anyway? Do you get kicks chasing ambulances, too, or do you just fill all your empty hours nowadays playing Cold Case with a murder that’s already been solved?”
“I wanted to see if you’d kept the message. Saved it, in your mailbox.”
“Why would I do that?”
“I don’t know. Because you were unhealthily fixated on her?”
“That is not true!” I slammed my fist against the door.
“You seem awfully worked up,” Audrey said. “What’s that quote from Macbeth? Something about protesting too much?”
“Shut up, Audrey. So, what, you got me into this car so that you could hassle me about Carly?”
“I don’t recall holding a gun to your head.”
“Look, just give me my cell phone, take me home, and we can each go back to pretending the other doesn’t exist. The last thing anybody needs is a rewind of last year.”
“Why are you being so defensive?” I didn’t answer. She glanced at me and her jaw dropped. “You did save the message, didn’t you? What, did you download it onto your computer or something? Forward it to another digital mailbox? What? Neily, I have to hear that message.”
“I did not save it. As soon as the detective had a copy, I deleted it. If you want to hear it, you’ll have to break into the evidence room in the Empire Valley Police Department.” I couldn’t even look at her.
She pressed her lips together and let out a deep breath through her nose. “Fine.” She reached into her pocket and tossed the cell phone at me. “Don’t help.”
“Help with what?” I turned toward the window and watched the woods go past. “Forget it. I don’t care.”
“I don’t think my dad killed Carly. And I would really like to prove it.”
I considered my words carefully. Audrey was a bitch, buther life hadn’t been easy since Carly died. There was quippy, and there was cruel.
“Look, Audrey, I know you don’t want to believe it—”
“Wanting has nothing to do with it. I don’t believe it.” She looked at me earnestly. “And I don’t think you do, either.”
“What makes you think that?”
“Because you don’t really act like someone who’s got all the answers,” she said. “I’ve been watching you, Neily.”
“That’s creepy.”
“And I can tell that behind that weak Holden Caulfield affectation is a spongy, leaking heart desperate for some sort of closure.”
I looked out the window, at the houses whipping past, willing her to stop talking. I had never felt completely comfortable around Audrey, even when we were supposedly
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