I didn’t even mention the part about Ollie’s camping knife.
“Wait, do you suspectZach?” Milo asked. “You’re making it sound like he planted the fake drugs. Why would he do that? Or go after Carmichael? Yeah, he’s been a shitty employee lately, but you’re talking about attempted murder.”
“I don’t know why. All I know is that something is going on with Zach, and that he had the opportunity to plant the fake drugsandtake that sweatshirt.” He could’ve hidden the shirt in Earl’s fabric and gotten it later.
Earl and Milo were both shaking their heads. They didn’t want to believe their friend could do any of this, and I understood. Didn’t change the facts.
I probably had to go to Chief Nichols about this. The police were supposed to be handling this investigation, and I’d refused to do their job for them. But it seemed like I was doing it after all.
I checked the time on my phone. I’d been here far longer than I’d planned. It was almost time for me to meet Piper and Ollie at Ashford’s martial arts class. I could tell Piper what I’d discovered then.
“I know you’re both tight with Zach,” I said. “Maybe I’m wrong about him. I hope I am.” I doubted it. “But if you could keep my theory to yourselves, I’d appreciate it.”
Milo and Earl just glanced at each other.
It was entirely possible they’d tell Zach my suspicions, and Zach would skip town. But there was nothing I could do about that.
My phone rang in my hand. It was Ollie.
“I need to take this. I’ll be right back.” I went through the reception door and then out to the lot, squinting at the bright afternoon sun. I felt the smile on my face as I answered. Ollie’d had my number programmed in his phone for less than a day, and here he was calling me.
It didn’t even occur to me that something could be wrong.
“Hey, Big Air. Finished with school for the day?”
“I’m outside at the pickup circle. My mom was supposed to get me, but she’s not here. She’s really late and didn’t answer her phone. Is she with you? I’m going to be late for Jiu-Jitsu!”
An icy sensation slid down my spine. “Hold on. Back up. Are you alone?”
“My teacher’s still here. She tried to call Mom too.”
I raced toward my truck. “I’ll be there soon, okay? We’ll figure out what’s going on.”
FIFTY-FOUR
Piper
“Where are we going?”I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. Playing along. For now.
I should’ve fought him harder. Shouldn’t have let him take me. But it had all happened so fast.
Zach didn’t look at me. The main commercial district was behind us, and he gunned his engine, taking us away from town. Toward the foothills.
“You want to know what this is really about. I’m going to show you.”
“But how long will this take? My son is waiting for me.”
Ollie was probably scared. And what about Grayden? Did he know I was gone?
What the heck was I going to do?
At Silver Linings, I had just wanted to get Zach out of there. He’d told me he would harm Rina. It would’ve been easy for him to walk into the kitchen, grab a knife, and hurt her. Just like he’d done to Danny.
My stomach roiled, dizziness hitting me as bile rose in my throat.
Zach had pushed me through the back door to the coffee shop, and I hadn’t fought him. His beat-up sedan had been rightthere in the alley. Like he’d been planning a quick getaway, which freaked me out even more.
Like he’d always planned to force me to go with him.
