Something had been taped to the bottom of the car. Cyn has had that car across the border a half dozen times. You hear about people shopping across the line having stuff taped to their cars. They drive the stuff through the border, and the drug dealer follows them home. Or their car gets flagged for a border inspection and the stuff is found, and the fool gets charged with possession.
On the phone, Maxwell is unconcerned. I can hear the sound of a keyboard clicking—he’s playing a game while he talks to me. He says, “You’re the one who tells me not to overthink things, Daniel. I don’t know anything about cars, but it’s possible the tape was holding a broken tailpipe or something.”
“Megan says Dove used to sell drugs. She says the cops were at his restaurant. Maybe he still deals.”
More clicking. “And you really think Cyn is involved?”
“It’s possible, Maxwell. Don’t make it sound like I’m an idiot for thinking it.”
He sighs. “You should just ask her.”
“Ask her if she’s running drugs across the border? For her drug-dealing boss and/or ex?” I sift through a pile of papers on my desk until I find the card Constable Nagle gave me. I turn the card over and throw it face down on the pile.
Maxwell says, “You’ve covered more with Cyn than you have in your entire life. It’s quite possible you’ll never get this far again.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“Cyn is gorgeous. And she’s smart. I got an A on the Bio lab—I want her to be our lab partner forever. And she likes you. So what is your problem? Anyway,” Maxwell continues, “it’s not like you’ve done anything wrong.”
“Right.” I hang up. I’m not so sure about that.
I text Cyn. We have to talk.
An hour later she picks me up. She puts her finger over my lips. “We’ll go for a walk, okay?” So we go to Meridian Park. At the bench, she puts her arms around me. “This is our spot now.” She brushes my lips with hers. “Where we first kissed.”
“The first time we kissed we were at the gas bar.”
“Details, details.” Her tongue flicks my upper lip. “Kiss me now.”
I want to kiss her. Every single part of me wants her. I have to make myself push her away. “Cyn, I’m probably crazy, but are you doing anything for Dove?”
Her eyes widen ever so slightly. “What do you mean, doing anything? He’s my boss, Daniel. I work for him.”
“I know. But are you just working? Like, just in the restaurant?”
She drops her arms. “What exactly are you asking?”
The night air feels suddenly cold without her arms around me. I say, “I know it sounds nuts. I’m sorry. It’s just that Mila said you and Dove went out, and I just wonder if you’re, you know, done with him.”
“Oh, that.” She laughs. “He thought I was older. I thought he was nicer.” She loops her arm in mine. “You had me scared, Daniel. I thought you were going to break up with me.”
I wipe my hands on my pants. “Was he the boyfriend who bought you the car?”
She drops her arms to her sides and huffs. “You said I could tell you what’s going on with me, and then you just throw it back at me.”
“Don’t do this, Cyn.”
“Do what?”
“Don’t make this about something else. I’m here with you because I want to be.”
She puts her head against my shoulder. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“I just have to know.” I turn so we’re facing each other. “Cyn, there was some tape on the bottom of your car.”
She tilts her head. “Tape?”
I say, “Earlier, when you drove me home, I dropped my keys when I got out of the car. I had to reach under your car to get them, and a piece of tape stuck to me. And I was thinking about the guy at the Discount gas bar, how his shirt is always dirty, like he’s been lying on the ground where a tree has been dropping its leaves. Like where you always park. Like where I parked when I went there for you.”
She doesn’t look at me when she speaks. “Don’t think too hard, Daniel.”
I shake my head. “No. Tell me. What are you doing, Cyn? What am I doing?”
Now she turns. Her eyes seem icy. “If I tell you, then you’ll never be able to say that you didn’t know.”
It’s cold, but sweat runs down my back. “That’s the thing. I know something is happening. I know you’re involved, and probably so am I, and it is not good.”
“So you know. Great. Can we leave it at that?”
I take a big breath. “Cyn, are you running drugs?”
I wait for her to laugh, or to say I really am crazy, but she just shrugs.
“You are?” My stomach drops. “Jesus, Cyn.”
She avoids my eyes. “I know what I’m doing.”
I cannot believe she is saying this! “You could end up in jail!”
“Apparently, I’m a cute girl. Apparently, I like to shop. Border guards don’t bother with cute girls who like to shop. I go to the mall, make a purchase. If I ever get inspected at the border, I will just say someone made me their fool and planted it on my car when I was in the store. It happens.”
I shake my head. “It sounds like you are a drug dealer’s fool.”
She grabs both of my hands. “I didn’t tell you because I thought you’d leave me. I’m not a bad person, Daniel.”
“You have to stop.” I give her hands a tug. “I mean it. No more.” When she doesn’t reply, I say, “There is nothing that is so bad you can’t walk away from it.”
She sighs. “I’m not so sure.” She takes out her car keys and hands them to me. “Here. You drive. We’re going to my house.”