“Chas?” I whispered back. “Are you serious?”
She winced. “I know. I don’t like it, either. I’m just trying to be logical. Was he at The Woods on Friday?”
He was. I’d given him a lift. I nodded.
“Did he ask to borrow your car?”
No. But he wouldn’t have had to ask. I’d given the keys to Heath who had left them in my car. Heath needing to get condoms out of my car, a totally random event that happened on the one night my car was stolen to run Wick off the road. What were the odds?
“Chas wouldn’t do it. He wouldn’t go after Wick. He wouldn’t be part of some gross list. Fuck, Beth he dates your sister!”
Anothershooshfrom above.
“We don’t know what kind of trouble he might be in. We have to ask him. Go get him and tell him you need his help with something. I’ll wait for you both in the lobby.”
Annoyed, but knowing I had no choice, I got out of my seat and went up the few aisles to tap Chas on the shoulder. I didn’t have to say anything to him just nodded my chin the universal sign forfollow me.
“We’ll be right back,” I whispered to Star.
Chas followed me out to the lobby, where I’d spotted Beth who found a quiet space far enough away from the concessions. All the movies in the multiplex were in progress, so the lobby itself was pretty quiet.
“What’s up?” he asked.
I hated to even ask, but Beth was right. In the short amount of time I’d had to consider her theory, Chas was someone in the school who had enough clout people would lie for him. Someone Wick wouldn’t rat out.
“Did you sell your car?” I asked.
He blinked a few times because he knew the question came out of left field.
“Yes. It was giving me too much grief. Why?”
“You said it was in the shop,” I pointed out.
Again, Chas looked at me and Beth like he had no clue what we were doing talking about this in the lobby. Or at least that’s how he wanted to look. But I knew Chas and he was a shit liar. Had been since we were kids.
“It was in the shop…and then I sold it.”
“Your parents let you do that?” Beth asked.
“The car was a gift. The title was in my name. I can do whatever I want with it, and so I sold it.”
“But you haven’t bothered to buy a new one,” I pointed out. “With the, what? Forty to fifty thousand dollars you would have made from selling it.”
“Not quite that much, but no, I haven’t bought anything. I’m not sure what I want next. What is this all about?”
“You tell me, Chas,” I said, looking at the person who’d been my friend since elementary school. My teammate. The guy who was cheering me on from the sidelines even though I was taking his spot on the team.
“Chas, the person running the Freshman Bait List is making money off all the bets,” Beth explained calmly. “We’re considering the idea it’s someone who needs the money. Someone who might be in trouble financially.”
“You think because I sold my car, that’s me,” he said grimly. “Are you also accusing me of taking Fitz’s car and running Wick off the road?”
His question was harsh, but neither Beth nor I said anything.
“Wick knows it wasn’t Fitz. He is covering for the person behind the list,” Beth said. “We think, whoever it was, was trying to send him a message. A threat to keep his mouth shut.”
Chas ran his hands through his hair. “This is unbelievable! You know me. You know I would never be part of a list like that.”
“I do,” I said. “Not unless you were in extreme trouble. That’s all I want to know, Chas. Are you in trouble?”
