“That was a glimpse at what could have happened if Riley Thorn hadn’t snagged her son’s heart,” Sesame said with a shoulder shimmy.
“She told me to have aniceday without even chokingorrolling her eyes,” Riley said. “That’s the nicest thing she’s ever said to me. You’re a diabolical genius.”
Sesame tossed her long ponytail over her shoulder. “I’m very gifted in knowing my audience. Anyway, I called Wilhelm to pick us up. The limo has amazing trunk space for shopping.”
Riley blinked. “Sounds…er…good.” She spotted her mother and Wander waving at her from outside the restroom door. “I just have to…uh, go to the bathroom with my entire family. We’re very close.”
“That must be nice,” Sesame said indulgently.
* * *
Riley slippedinto the restroom and found it occupied by nearly everyone in the class. It was a small room with one stall, a sink mounted to the wall, and a trash can. Blossom was perched on the sink while Roger straddled the trash can. Gabe was sitting on the toilet lid with Wander at his side. Fred, who didn’t like to be left out, was standing on the toilet tank.
“Well, this isn’t suspicious at all,” Jasmine observed from the diaper changing station as Riley flipped the lock.
“Okay, here’s the abridged version for Jas,” Riley began. “Sesame is Beth Weber, who went missing six years ago after witnessing a warehouse firebombing. The case went cold. She was presumed dead until she showed up yesterday claiming she’s had amnesia this whole time, but I’m not buying it.”
“Okaaaaaay,” Jasmine said. “So why don’t you just read her mind?”
“Every time she tries to, she gets all passy-outy,” Blossom volunteered. “We came along for moral psychic support.”
Riley hooked her thumb in her mother’s direction. “What she said. We just tried to sneak past her defenses while everyone was relaxed in corpse pose.”
“As one does,” Jasmine said.
Nothing threw her friend. Riley knew she could call Jasmine in the middle of the night and tell her she’d accidentally murdered someone, and Jasmine would show up with shovels, a tarp, and an alibi.
“I think I got a look at the man who abducted Sesame,” she told them.
The restroom erupted around her.
“This is why I always told you and your sister not to go anywhere near strangers with candy in vans,” Blossom said.
“I kept smelling beef jerky and potato chips,” Wander mused.
“It’s hot in here. Imma open a window,” Roger announced.
“Was he hot? What kind of car does he drive?”
“What are we doing in here?”
The last two were from Jasmine and Fred respectively.
Gabe remained silent, an uncharacteristic frown on his handsome face.
Riley raised her hands in the international symbol forcalm the hell down. “Guys, relax. The point is it worked. I was able to get in with your help without passing out or vomiting, and no one had to be thrown out any windows.”
“Huh?” Jasmine said.
Blossom elbowed Roger.
“Forget it,” Riley said. “I’m going shopping with Sesame and seeing if some normal girl talk can tell me anything.”
“Oh, I’m so in on this,” Jasmine decided. “I can smell a lie over text. Besides, I need a new pair of shoes. I threw my favorite stilettos at an idiot last night.”
“Your father and I are gonna get out of here. We have to go pick up some beet juice at the wellness center. If we don’t pick it up today, it’ll go rancid.”
“Like you could taste the difference,” Roger muttered.
