Griffin
Quinn is working dutifully over the phones. She’s jotted down at least four numbers and scrolled through a mountain’s worth of text. Damn these kids and the stupid pictures they send each other all day. Words are rarely even exchanged other than the text on the pictures.
I haven’t found anything of use as of yet. “Which phone belongs to the boy who spoke up?”
“Caleb?” Quinn asks.
“Yes, he told us he contacted the dealer. This is all drivel.” I hold up a picture of an angry woman and a cat that somehow manages to look smug.
Evan sorts through the pile and pulls up one of the devices. “I think it was this one. I remember his password started with a nine.” He hands it over to me but doesn’t resume looking at the phone in his hand.
I adhere the Post-it note to the back of the phone after entering the passcode and scan the screen quickly for the text app. Thumbing through the thread, I don’t see anything recent that looks like a time or meeting location. The more messages I scroll through, the more aggravated I get. “There’s nothing on here about meeting up. No times, no places. It’s just a bunch of useless garbage.”
“Maybe they used an app instead,” Quinn suggests. “I’m not having much luck either. You’re probably better off just going through the phones with the kids and having them show you. Caleb is at least willing.”
“If this is what these children do all day, we need to ban them anyway.” I toss Caleb’s phone back into the pile none too gently.
“When the hell do they find the time?” Evan agrees.
“You guys sound old.” Quinn scrunches up her nose. It makes me want to kiss her, but what doesn’t?
“I was hoping it would be simple enough to get the number, and then run a reverse trace or at least call it and see who answers.” Evan looks about as pissed off as I feel.
“You probably still can. It would just be much faster to go to the source. I’m not finding anything.” Quinn rubs her thumb over the screen of the phone in her hand to keep it from returning to sleep mode.
Evan lets out a weary sigh. “These kids are really getting on my nerves. Before we head back down, what did you think about Letty?”
I lean back and drape my arm along the back of the couch. “I don’t know if she would risk losing your affection to do something like this.” Quinn whips her head around to look at me, then turns her focus to Evan.
“Your affection?” she snarls, which causes Evan to grin like an idiot. I bet she’s not even aware how territorial she sounds.
“She’s never had my affection other than as a coworker and maybe a friend.” Quinn’s shoulders relax a little at Evan’s reassurance. He makes it look easy to appease her.
“I thought she wanted you when I saw her at your door that night baring her goodies.” Quinn is again focused on me, and her eyes are slightly narrowed, as if she’s expecting me to respond in a way she won’t like.
“She was getting desperate for the bear’s attention and thought using me might be a good way to get it. Dumb. I wouldn’t have even answered the door if your scent wasn’t present.” I toy with the ends of Quinn’s hair, fueling my obsession with touching her.
“So you don’t think she’s involved?” Quinn settles into the cradle of my arm, proving she’s content with my response too.
“It would really seem out of character for her, but if you asked me last week, I would have told you nobody here is that stupid.” Evan stares out into empty space. “Nothing about this makes sense to me.”
“What do you mean?” Quinn queries.
“It’s risky, too risky without much of a payoff. Very few of these kids have much money. With the exception of Michelle and a couple others, most of them have been cut off from their families. No financial support, no employment. So where are they getting the money for drugs? Or are they supplying them for free, and if they are, why? There’s got to be something we’re missing here.”
“I never thought about that,” Quinn mutters softly.
“It could be to ruin the school’s reputation, my reputation. It wouldn’t be the first time someone has tried.”
Evan tilts his head to the side. I’ve known him long enough to recognize he’s going over the probability in his head. “Got anyone in mind?”
“The list of people who don’t like me is rather long,” I admit without shame.
Evan snorts. “That’s an understatement.”
“Who doesn’t like you? People here at the school?” Quinn sets her palm on my thigh as she stares up at me with her big blue guileless eyes.
“I’m sure.” I nod, unbothered by the thought. I’ve never been one to lose sleep over my lack of personal relationships.
