“But is there really a scenario,” Tom asked, “in which Rachel somehow tells her rapist ex that we’re coming for him?”
More silence. Jules cleared his throat. “That’s pretty messed up.”
“But if you asked me to pick one person in our school,” Hobbit said quietly, “with a penis, who’s a seething ball of hate, who was seen at every party, and is strong enough to yada yada...”
Rodney Burke.
They were all thinking it.
Or maybe not all of them.
“I don’t know,” Sadie spoke up. “I just don’t... He’s definitely damaged, you know? Rod. His father’ssoterrible and his mother’s awful, too and... You know I always thoughtRachel was to blame. For the messy breakup. Sheiskind of a psycho.”
“I know you were tight with him back in third and fourth grade.” Shelly looked at her friend. “But he’s not that boy anymore, Sade.”
“I know,” Sadie said, but she didn’t look as if she really meant it. “I just... Look, I know he’s been really nasty to Hobbit, and I’m mad at him about that but... God, I really hope it’s not him.”
“Welp, he’s our prime suspect,” Belle said. “I think we should go and talk to him. Question him. See what he says. See what hedoes.” She looked at Jules. “What doyouthink, Joe Hardy?”
He sighed. “I think we’re out of other options. Whoever Suspect X is, he knows we’re on to him. Or at least he knows thatIam, but he probably suspects all of us. Whoever he is, he’s not stupid. And I really don’t think we’ll be able to do the bait thing again, to catch him—not safely anyway. If he sees any of us lurking, he’s not gonna risk it. I mean, I guess we couldallhide in the bushes at the next party while Belle floats around the keg?—”
“No.” It was Belle who interrupted him, which was a surprise. Jules had been so sure it was gonna be Tom. But she was shaking her head. “I wouldn’t feel safe doing that.”
From over on the bed, Tom exhaled the breath he’d clearly been holding. It couldn’t have been easy, being in love with someone so mercurial and impetuous. And yet, being in love with someone who so unquestionably andloyallyloved him back...?Thathad to be incredibly great.
Fuck you, David.
“So...?” Belle was looking at Jules impatiently, waiting for him stop thinking about David again.
“So yeah. Let’s go talk to Rodney,” Jules concluded. “We need to figure out a way to get him alone, though. Idiot-free.”
“Well, that’s easy,” Sadie said almost crossly. “We just go to his house. Knock on his door. Rod doesn’t let any of his stupid friends come over—not ever. I’m telling you, his father’s a nightmare. We’ll knock, he’ll come out—no way will he let us in, then we’ll all walk over to the cul-de-sac that’s right up the street from his house where there’s a tree house—well, really more like a tree-platform—and you can... interrogate him to your hearts’ content.”
“Well, shit,” Belle said. “What are we waiting for?”
Rodney Burke came to the door looking like someone had kicked the crap out of him.
Maybe... because someone... had...?
His lip was doing that oozing-bleeding thing that lips did when they’d been forcefully split open. He had a scrape on his forehead, over his right eyebrow. And he was holding onto his ribs like whoever had de-crapified him had also kicked him—hard—while he was down.
He looked genuinely surprised to see Sadie—but that turned rapidly into a different, far more hostile emotion as he took in Jules standing beside her on the front landing, with Hobbit, Shelly, Belle, and Tom gazing up at him from the steps below.
Jules could hear the sound of some kind of sports event blasting from the television inside of the house as Sadie spoke up. “Hey, Rod, you got a minute?” she asked as if they were paying a casual social call.
But before he could respond, a gruff voice from inside called, “Who the fuck is it?”
“No one,” Rodney called back, presumably to his father as he opened the screen door and stepped outside.
“It’s pretty cold out,” Sadie said. “You should get your ja?—”
“No. Let’s get this over with.” He roughly pushed past Jules, and Hobbit and Shelly both quickly stepped back to grant him passage down the front steps.
Silently, they all followed him down the stone path, to the end of the driveway, and out into the street.
Where he stopped. And squared his shoulders as he turned to nearly spit at Sadie through tightly gritted teeth. “I can’t believe you think it’s me!”
Jules stepped forward, ready to throw himself between Rodney and Sadie because it sure as hell looked as if the XXL kid was going to blast her with more than his words and voice, but he bumped into Hobbit—and Tom and Belle and Shelly, all of whom were ready to do the same. And he realized with a jolt of shock that made him put out his arm to keep Hobbit-the-pit-bull from charging forward, that Rodney not only had tears in his eyes, but that he’d also started to cry.
