Read Online Framed in Cherry Hills (Cozy Cat Caper Mystery Book 2) by Paige Sleuth - Free Book Online
Authors: Paige Sleuth
Ads: Link
car?”
Hannah’s eyes widened. “What?”
“You know Willow was arrested for drug possession on Saturday, right?”
“No, I didn’t know that.” Indignation flashed in Hannah’s eyes. “But I had nothing to do with it.”
“You don’t like her, do you?” Kat pressed.
Hannah bit her lip, not saying anything.
Kat sighed. “Hannah, I’ve never met Willow, but no matter what your feelings are toward her, framing her for something this serious isn’t right.”
Hannah shoved the shredded baggie into her backpack. “I didn’t do anything!”
Kat searched her for tells, but instead of looking guilty she merely looked outraged at being accused.
“I believe you,” Kat said.
Hannah’s lips parted slightly. “You do?”
“Yes.” Kat paused. “But I’m correct that you don’t like Willow, aren’t I?”
“Nobody likes her,” Hannah declared.
“Nobody?”
“Well, nobody who’s had her in class, anyway.”
Kat absorbed that. “Why, is she a tough teacher?”
Hannah snorted. “Yeah, that’s one way to put it. She wants to fail everybody.”
Kat frowned. “She does?”
“She’s, like, a really harsh grader,” Hannah said, sticking out her tongue. “She makes us write these super hard papers and refuses to give multiple-choice tests. She says essay questions make us think.”
Kat felt a pinch of sympathy. She hadn’t been fond of essay questions in her youth either. “How did you do in her class?”
“I got a C.”
“And you weren’t happy with that?”
“Oh, I was just glad I passed,” Hannah said. “But, I mean, I worked my butt off for it.”
“So her class was challenging,” Kat mused aloud.
“More like impossible. I told Dad that a C in Ms. Wu’s class was like an A in a normal class, but he still got all on my case about it. He grounded me for the first two weeks of summer. It sucked.”
“Hmm.” Kat couldn’t help but think that would instill some resentment in the young woman. Still, she didn’t believe Hannah had framed Willow.
But had someone else in her class?
Kat’s heart beat a little faster. “Hannah, you don’t happen to know of anybody else who perhaps didn’t fare as well in Willow’s class, do you?”
Hannah snorted. “Nobody fared well in Ms. Wu’s class.”
Kat’s eyes drifted to the green flecks dotting her carpet, her senses on high alert. Whoever had sold that marijuana to Hannah quite likely could have access to other drugs. Could they have sold cocaine to one of Hannah’s other classmates, someone who had vowed vengeance against their demanding English teacher?
Kat looked at Hannah again. “Who sold you the marijuana?”
Hannah hugged her backpack closer, as if it were a shield. “Nobody.”
“Who?” Kat pressed. Even if Hannah’s supplier couldn’t lead her to the person who had put that cocaine in Willow’s car, she still wanted to know their identity. A burning anger spread throughout her chest when she thought about someone selling drugs to a fifteen-year-old.
Hannah sighed, her shoulders dropping two inches when she evidently realized that Kat wouldn’t let the issue drop. “Josh gave it to me.”
“Josh?” Kat racked her brain, straightening when the name registered. “You mean Josh Easton?”
Hannah’s face had paled considerably. “You’re not going to get him in trouble, are you? I mean, it’s only pot.”
Kat locked gazes with the teenager. “Is Josh dealing this stuff?”
Hannah adjusted the backpack in her arms. “I don’t think he sells that much. He just needs a little extra income since he wants to buy his own car when he turns sixteen. I mean, he’s working all summer down at Cherry Hills Auto too, but they don’t pay much and he’ll have to quit when school starts.”
Kat’s breath caught. “Josh works as a car mechanic?”
Hannah nodded. “He doesn’t really like it, but, you know, it’s hard to find a job when you’re our age so you just take what you can get.”
“What
Hannah’s eyes widened. “What?”
“You know Willow was arrested for drug possession on Saturday, right?”
“No, I didn’t know that.” Indignation flashed in Hannah’s eyes. “But I had nothing to do with it.”
“You don’t like her, do you?” Kat pressed.
Hannah bit her lip, not saying anything.
Kat sighed. “Hannah, I’ve never met Willow, but no matter what your feelings are toward her, framing her for something this serious isn’t right.”
Hannah shoved the shredded baggie into her backpack. “I didn’t do anything!”
Kat searched her for tells, but instead of looking guilty she merely looked outraged at being accused.
“I believe you,” Kat said.
Hannah’s lips parted slightly. “You do?”
“Yes.” Kat paused. “But I’m correct that you don’t like Willow, aren’t I?”
“Nobody likes her,” Hannah declared.
“Nobody?”
“Well, nobody who’s had her in class, anyway.”
Kat absorbed that. “Why, is she a tough teacher?”
Hannah snorted. “Yeah, that’s one way to put it. She wants to fail everybody.”
Kat frowned. “She does?”
“She’s, like, a really harsh grader,” Hannah said, sticking out her tongue. “She makes us write these super hard papers and refuses to give multiple-choice tests. She says essay questions make us think.”
Kat felt a pinch of sympathy. She hadn’t been fond of essay questions in her youth either. “How did you do in her class?”
“I got a C.”
“And you weren’t happy with that?”
“Oh, I was just glad I passed,” Hannah said. “But, I mean, I worked my butt off for it.”
“So her class was challenging,” Kat mused aloud.
“More like impossible. I told Dad that a C in Ms. Wu’s class was like an A in a normal class, but he still got all on my case about it. He grounded me for the first two weeks of summer. It sucked.”
“Hmm.” Kat couldn’t help but think that would instill some resentment in the young woman. Still, she didn’t believe Hannah had framed Willow.
But had someone else in her class?
Kat’s heart beat a little faster. “Hannah, you don’t happen to know of anybody else who perhaps didn’t fare as well in Willow’s class, do you?”
Hannah snorted. “Nobody fared well in Ms. Wu’s class.”
Kat’s eyes drifted to the green flecks dotting her carpet, her senses on high alert. Whoever had sold that marijuana to Hannah quite likely could have access to other drugs. Could they have sold cocaine to one of Hannah’s other classmates, someone who had vowed vengeance against their demanding English teacher?
Kat looked at Hannah again. “Who sold you the marijuana?”
Hannah hugged her backpack closer, as if it were a shield. “Nobody.”
“Who?” Kat pressed. Even if Hannah’s supplier couldn’t lead her to the person who had put that cocaine in Willow’s car, she still wanted to know their identity. A burning anger spread throughout her chest when she thought about someone selling drugs to a fifteen-year-old.
Hannah sighed, her shoulders dropping two inches when she evidently realized that Kat wouldn’t let the issue drop. “Josh gave it to me.”
“Josh?” Kat racked her brain, straightening when the name registered. “You mean Josh Easton?”
Hannah’s face had paled considerably. “You’re not going to get him in trouble, are you? I mean, it’s only pot.”
Kat locked gazes with the teenager. “Is Josh dealing this stuff?”
Hannah adjusted the backpack in her arms. “I don’t think he sells that much. He just needs a little extra income since he wants to buy his own car when he turns sixteen. I mean, he’s working all summer down at Cherry Hills Auto too, but they don’t pay much and he’ll have to quit when school starts.”
Kat’s breath caught. “Josh works as a car mechanic?”
Hannah nodded. “He doesn’t really like it, but, you know, it’s hard to find a job when you’re our age so you just take what you can get.”
“What
Similar Books
