“Well, she wasn’t attacked here.” She turned to Quince and added, “If our Jane Doe is even her.”
“I’m wondering, too. With Whitney seemingly so proud of her blond hair, it’s hard to believe she’d dye it.”
“People do strange things when finals are over, though,” Quincy pointed out. “It’s like being released from prison. They go crazy.”
“True. I hate to say this, but it’s time. We need to talk to Whitney’s parents even if we’re wrong.”
“I hate to agree with you, but I do.”
* * *
Cold metal encircled her wrists as every kid in class watched Auri’s downfall. Some watched with glee. Others with unabated shock. She would never live this down. She could only imagine what a kick Lynelle would get out of this.
“You have the right to remain silent,” Poetry said softly. “I suggest you exercise it.”
Auri looked at Sybil, who only gaped up at her, her mouth opening and closing like a goldfish struggling to breathe. Her reaction only amplified Auri’s desire for the earth to open up and swallow her whole as the deputy read her the Miranda rights. He needn’t have bothered. She’d been so fascinated with her mother’s job, she’d memorized them when she was four. Other than the fact that she thought they were called banana rights, she’d nailed it and repeated them every night in her prayers for good measure.
When he finished, he turned her to face him and put his fingers underneath her chin to reestablish eye contact. Then he winked at her and said softly, “If you want to get out of this relatively unscathed, play along.”
She blinked in confusion. “What?”
He cracked up as though he couldn’t keep his composure and looked around at all the astonished students. “Good one, Ms. Vicram,” he said, before turning her back around and unlocking her new fashion accessory. Once the cuffs were off, he gestured toward her and clapped. “Auri Vicram, ladies and gentlemen. She’ll be here all week.” Then, in a hushed voice meant only for her ears, he added, “If she knows what’s good for her.” And with that, he threw an arm over her shoulders and hugged her playfully.
Auri laughed, hesitantly at first, but she caught on quickly and joined the game. Soon the entire class was laughing with them.
“You got me,” a kid named Chance said, clapping and pointing at her. “And no one gets me.”
A couple more classmates came up and shook her hand, saying things like, “Way to go, Vicram,” and “That was awesome.”
After Coach Love got the class to settle down, he walked up to them. “I thought for sure you were a goner, Ms. Vicram, because your mother would kill you if you were really arrested.”
“You’re not kidding,” she said, forcing a breathy chuckle.
Poetry gestured toward the door and she followed, her head hung low. He turned to her before leaving the classroom. “I want you to remember the feeling of me putting cuffs on you in front of all your friends next time you decide to hack a government website.”
“I doubt I could forget that if I tried.” She put a hand to her face, the heat still radiating off it, and she could only imagine how red she’d gotten. Mortification was not her best color.
After a quick glance at the coach to get his approval, they stepped outside the classroom and into the hall. “How did you know I’d hacked into the database?”
“Because you used your mother’s log-in info while she was standing right in front of me. You know, not logging in.”
“So you just assumed it was me without giving me the benefit of the doubt?”
His snort of laughter was answer enough.
“I’m sorry,” she said with head bowed. “I was just trying to help with the investigation.”
“You’re just sorry you got caught, gingersnap. What were you looking for?”
“We heard about another girl who was found hurt on the highway going up to Copper Canyon.”
“We?”
“Me and Sybil, but that can’t be a coincidence, right? Two girls hurt on the same road? It has to mean something.”
Poetry bent his head in thought. “What’d you find?”
“There’s an initial report that doesn’t mention her name because they didn’t know it yet, but there’s a picture and I recognized her from when I was a kid. She’s a student here.”
“Go on.”
“That’s just it. After that, there’s nothing. There’s no follow-up. Don’t you find that strange?”
“Not necessarily. Another agency could’ve taken over the case.”
“I wondered about that, too.” She chewed her lower lip before asking, “Are you going to tell my mom?”
He scoffed. “And give up my only leverage? Never. Blackmail is a beautiful thing.”
The relief that flooded her body must’ve shown on her face because he laughed again, albeit softly and almost sympathetically.
“How about you come to me next time? Just don’t get me in trouble with your mom.”
“Okay, thanks, Poetry. Deputy Rojas.”
“Poetry is fine. Get back to class.”
She nodded and watched as he took out his phone and strolled down the hall, then she turned tail and ran to the bathroom. The feeling of nausea she got when she was being cuffed had yet to wane.
Standing over the sink, she checked her reflection to make sure she wasn’t glowing a bright red. Nope, just her usual orange. She splashed cold water on her face just as the bell rang, then groaned.
Hurrying to dry her face as kids came into her sanctuary, she went to throw away the paper towel only to come face-to-face with a miffed Lynelle. Then again, when wasn’t she miffed?
“Why did you come to my house yesterday?”
“I told you. To check on your cousin.”
“I texted her. She’s fine. And she doesn’t know you, so I’ll ask again. Why did you come to my house?”
“Look, I heard she never showed up and the cops found a girl in Copper Canyon yesterday. I was worried it might be her.”
“Why would you even think that?” Lynelle asked, eyeing her like she had two heads.
Auri looked from Lynelle to her two friends, then back again. “I have to get my things from Coach Love’s. Can we talk about this later?”
“I want an answer, freak. You’re as bad as your mom, nosing around everyone’s business.”
“Yeah, that’s kinda her job.”
“Whatever, just stay away from me.”
“That’s exactly what I’m trying to do.”
The sea parted and the girls who were pretending not to pay attention to the conversation dispersed.
Auri slid past them and hurried to Coach Love’s just in time to see Sybil rushing toward her, Auri’s backpack in tow. “I just saw her,” she said, breathless with anticipation. “Also, you almost got arrested.”
“Don’t remind me.” She took her backpack and hooked it over her shoulder. “You just saw who.”
“Chloe Farr. Look.” She pointed down the hall to a girl going into the same bathroom Auri had just come out of. A tall girl with long dark hair pushed her way inside.