A little ball of anger begins to build inside me. “Can you imagine howShailafelt?”
Graham’s mouth forms a hard straight line. “No,” he says, firm. “You know I loved her, right? With everything I had. We were only fifteen. But I would have doneanythingfor her. She was my entire world.”
His face is puffy and red.
“She was mine, too,” I say, fighting back the tears.
“I know.” Graham’s voice is soft now. “Can I keep going?”
I relent and nod.
Graham inhales deeply. “I just remember commotion, everyone saying something happened to Shaila. Jake and Adam were running down the beach, calling for help. Derek Garry, too. I saw them coming toward me and I waved them down. Then there were cops. Those stupid Gold Coast traffic cops pulling up on their little sand buggies, whipping out handcuffs. They didn’t even know how to use them.”
I was back at the house at this point, recovering, feeling sorry for myself, worried I had been ruined by something I had no control over. I had no idea what was coming.
“They slapped them on me and drove me right to the station. And then that same night, they brought me here. I haven’t left in three years.”
“What exactly is this place?” I whisper.
Graham sighs and leans back in his chair. “A facility,” he says. “Like juvie, but fancy. We can get our GEDs and do activities like pottery and stuff.”
I must look confused because he keeps trying to explain.
“The criminal justice system is totally unfair. If you’re rich, it’s just easier.”
Rachel snorts into her palms.
“It’s the truth and it sucks,” Graham continues. “Most of us are loaded. The ones who aren’t are sponsored by some benefactor or nonprofit or something.”
“What...”
“I know,” he says. “But they’re going to transfer me to fed when I turn eighteen in June.”
“That’s why...” I start. “This is your last shot.”
Graham nods and his face flushes, like he’s embarrassed, almost.
Rachel lifts her head out of her hands. “That’s why we went looking for more evidence,” she says. “The blood. The shirt. It was our last chance to test everything before they put him away for good.” Her teeth look fluorescent as she bites her bright red lip.
“The police questioned me for hours,” Graham says. “It was such a long time. Mom and Dad were away in the Cayman Islands, and they wouldn’t let Rach in the room with me. Right?”
Rachel nods and bites her lip. “I kept trying to call Dan Smothers. He’s our dad’s lawyer. But no one answered. Our parents got the first flight out, but by then it was too late.”
“I just broke down being in that stupid police room so long without anyone. They fed me the story and I just nodded along after a while. Told them what they wanted to hear. I just wanted to make it all stop. I just wanted to go home. I thought I’d just go home.”
“They didn’t even test anything,” Rachel says softly.
“But your parents didn’t fight it?” I ask. I can’t imagine Mom and Dad letting me get shipped off to this place. They’d never believe that I did something like this. They’d do anything to protect me. That I’m sure of.
“Dad just wanted to make it all go away,” Graham says. “He was getting ready for some big investor call. Smothers said it was easier that way. Thought a trial would make it worse. Too much publicity. Muffy didn’t want to deal with it. Too much drama.”
“They did some deal with the Arnolds,” Rachel says. “Money was exchanged.”
A fleeting look passes between them.
“A lot of money,” Graham says. “Our families have history. This is just how they deal with things, I guess.”
“Such fucking bullshit,” Rachel says. “No one has the balls to even confront this. Of course the Sullivans stayed far away from everything.”
