“So this is where—what the fuck are you two doing in here?”
I stop moving to take in the entire situation. One chair, door closed, blinds down, Billy in the chair, and me on my knees.Oh.
“I feel like I’ve been saying this too much lately, but it’s really not what it looks like.”
Billy snorts in response.He snorts. He really doesn’t give a shit if someone makes assumptions. Good for him, honestly. I realize I’m still on my knees when Trevor starts laughing, so I hop up.
“We need to make some more phone calls?” He asks, still grinning.
“Uh, yeah, the print out is over there.” I gesture vaguely towards the desk. “We need to call all of her student’s parents from the last three years, including finishing up those she has this year. We already have the majority of them covered. Just get the ones that aren’t highlighted.” I give him instructions now that I’m back up and pacing again.
He looks at the single seat in the room and heads back out to the garage to getthechair and bring it in. I don’t say a word. Neither does Billy.
Once Trevor is situated, we let him know about the video, and he opts out of seeing it, thankfully.
“You know that your brother could get into a bit of trouble if we go forward with this.” Trevor is cautious as he says it. He’s doing that mediator’s voice he does so well.
“I know,” is Billy’s simple response. “Start making your phone calls.” He grumps at me, then heads into the garage.
Yes, we are still working on cars, but the last few days, we’ve beencontacting the parents of Becky’s students and current and prior coworkers in a little side-project of mine. I started the day after my conversation with Vicky last week, and Billy picked up my slack in the shop. Today, I’ve already contacted manysurprisedandhappy to helppeople, and Trevor did some sleuthing and found Taylor’s Dad’s company. He apparently runs a law firm, seems to make bank, and her mom is not in the picture. He also found Taylor’s socials are public, so he’s been checking those for anything helpful. Our goal has been to build up a case protecting Becky’s job and reputation at the school. Unfortunately, this little shit and shitbird beat us to the first punch.
Trevor pipes up from his spot lounging back onthe seatswiping through his phone. “Looking through these thirst traps of a barely legal adult is making me feel a little—” He stops midsentence and stares up at the open door. His eyes are wide and…I can’t read the emotion there. I whip my head around to see Paige in the doorway, looking absolutely murderous. The timing couldn’t have been worse if he’d planned it. “Sick.” He finishes lamely, keeping eye contact with his furious wife.
Fire blazing in her dark brown eyes, she turns the heat on me. “Becky is down at Joe’s. She’s waiting for Vicky and Sonya to get off work so they can all work together to figure out a solution for her job, and I know y'all are doing the same thing. Unless, of course, you got sidetracked.” She says this last part to me, but side eyes daggers at Trevor.
The guy cannot get a break.
“Paige, sweetheart, I?—”
“Save it, Trevor.”
Billy, who followed Paige to the office, and I give each other a look, but then her spittin’ mad eyes hit mine again and I freeze out of self-preservation. This is aterrifyingversion of the soft, gentle woman I know.
“We are working at it. Trevor is—” I start.
“I heard plenty about what Trevor has been doing. This is about Becky. Do y’all wanna go to Joe’s and all work together or what?”
I check the clock. School’s out soon enough, if it isn’t already, and Ineed to get eyes on Becky. “Yeah, I’ll be there. Billy or the other guys can cover the shop. Have you been able to get a hold of her?”
“Yes.”Okay.
“I’ll just leave Patrick in charge and join you. Business is slow today anyway.” Billy, the workaholic recluse says.
Once we all agree to a plan to meet up, we lock up the shop and head down to Joe’s. Billy rides with me, and Paige and Trevor both drive separately.
21
THE PLAN
BECKY
Itrace a scratch in the hardwood table with my finger, waiting for the cavalry to arrive. School is out in about thirty-five, forty minutes, and Joe’s is dead. I take my phone out and spin it on the little pop-it nob, screen locked with notifications popping up. I turned my phone back on a while ago, only to ignore Carter’s bajillion messages. Frankly, he’s the reason any of this is happening to me in the first place, and I’m pissed enough as is. A message fromThe Girlspops up when Paige shows up at the door to the bar.
As usual, my seat sits facing the door, so I catch her expression the moment she walks into the building. Poor thing looks just as shitty, if not more so, than she did the other day. She’s looking around for something particular when she spots me. Her blond brows furrow and my lips curl at the edges with reluctant humor when she checks her phone.Yup, school is in session, sis.
Looking back up at me, she keeps her confused frown and heads my way. “Hey! What’s going on? Do I need to panic about my kid not having a ride home on an early release, or is something more sinister happening here?” She says it like a joke.Joke’s on me.
“Definitely something rotten in the state of Denmark.” My joke istold flat, and it falls flatter. I sigh, regrouping. Paige didn’t do anything wrong. “The Central Office sent me home. They’re investigating faculty and a student’s family claims against me. They said they would contact me at a later time when they have more information.” I just monotone the words out. No emotion, just information. “I have a pretty good idea who started this.”
