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When I went to school the next day, nothing happened. No one called me to the principal’s office. Hoss had come through.
As crazy as it sounded, I released a sigh of relief when Jerry sauntered into my Chemistry class. Eddie and Frankie hadn't gotten to him yet.
"Hey, Finkleman." Jerry’s loud, big mouth resonated throughout the room. "I heard you were busted for dealing drugs." The room fell silent, eyes on me.
"Yeah, it's why I'm here right now." Maybe I'd encourage Eddie and Frankie to eat Jerry after all. Heck, I’d give them seasoning salt!
Jerry snickered. "All it means is you were able to blame it on someone else."
"The drugs were found in front of your friend’s locker, Jerry. You don't know who he might have gotten them from, do you?"
Jerry jumped to his feet, his hands fisted at his side. "You don’t know what you’re talking about! What are you accusing me of?"
"Man, Jerry. Getting mighty defensive, aren't you?" My knees turned to jelly, despite my bravado.
Jerry's face heated red. His hot breath beat on my head.
"Mr. Hadler," Mr. Otto said. "Sit down!"
Jerry glared at me and jabbed his finger in my face. "You wait, Finkleman. You'll get yours." He flounced into his desk chair with dramatic flair. He should have gone into acting, instead of football.
Jerry's reaction told me one thing: he dealt and took the drug. But did Kyle and Chad? Or were they just dealing? They didn't act differently. Course I didn't exactly spend time with them either, but I did know someone who did. Ben Muller.
And Ben spent time in the Commons after school. When Chemistry ended, I packed my books, wanting a quick escape from Jerry.
"Finkleman."
Crap. What did Otto want now? I strolled to his desk. "Yes?"
"Have you seen my green notepad?"
I blinked. I hadn't anticipated this question. "No. Why?"
"Because it's still missing. The last time I had it was in the boy’s locker room, and you were in there the same time it went missing."
"Sorry, I don't know anything."
Otto studied me. "If you see it or know anyone who might have seen it, I'd appreciate it if I got it back. It’s crucial I find it."
I gave him a sharp nod and strode out the exit door. Otto sounded desperate. Could Otto have been the chupacabra I faced in the house? Funny, I always pictured him more like a bulldog chupacabra.
Most of the kids had arrived at the lunch area, so I took my seat at our table next to Sam. He always made room for me. I brought my lunch today. My mom made it, so it contained a sandwich, apple, chips, and cookies. As I ate, I had one thing on my mind. "What did Sabrina say?"
"She’s gonna go with me if her dad gets better."
My gut tightened. I forced a smile. "Great." I lacked enthusiasm.
"I'm hoping you're going to go so we can hang out together at the dance." Sam bit into a sub sandwich.
I remained quiet, thinking. Who the heck could I ask to Homecoming? Maybe the better question was who would say, “Yes,” if I asked? But again, why go? Sometimes I wished only juniors and seniors were allowed to go to this dance, but not at our school. Freshman and sophomores went to Homecoming, but not to Prom.
"Is your brother going?" Sam asked.
"Probably."
"My mom said she'd drive me. I bet she’d take you and your date too." Sam chugged his milk.
"If Henry goes, I’ll have to ride with him." Disappointment tied my stomach in a knot. I had met Sabrina first but had become last on her list. The rejection hurt, yet I knew much of it was my fault.
I remained quiet through lunch. We stayed at the table talking to our friends. The conversation at the table buzzed around who had which date to the dance. I had nothing to offer.
Depressed, I wanted the school day to be over and get back to the case. As the minutes ticked by another kid might get sent to the hospital or worse, die. It was more important than any stupid dance. The time plodded. When the last bell of the day rang, I shuffled through the crowded halls, passed the music rooms and lockers, and into the Commons. I slowed my pace, seeing Ben sitting alone at one of the tables.
Should I try to get information out of him? Probably. Would Hoss want me to talk to him? Definitely. I figured since I was now getting paid for investigating I should probably investigate.
I veered to the opposite side of the table from Ben and plopped in a chair.
He lifted his chin. "What do you want?"
"Information."
"I don't know anything."
"Interesting you said that, when you don't know what I'm asking for."
Ben folded his arms across his chest, leaned back in his chair, and sneered at me.
I narrowed my stare at him. "Who's behind the drugs?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Ben snapped.
A loud siren, pulling into the student parking lot, drawing our gazes to the door. An ambulance whizzed through the parking lot. It shut its siren off but kept the lights flashing as it made its way out to the road.
Returning my attention to Ben, I studied him. "Come on, Ben. Kids are getting sick and going to the hospital from this drug. You want your friends to be next?"
Ben slit his eyes. "My friend’s aren't taking this drug."
I forced a laugh. "Right. And I'm going to be the star quarterback on the football team next year." I leaned forward, placing my palms on the table. "People could be dying. Who started this drug? Who was the first one to take it? To sell it?" When Ben hesitated, I smacked my hand on the tabletop.
He jumped. "I swear I don't know. It's some teacher at the school."
"Are Chad and Kyle into it?"
"They taking and selling it."
"Where are they now?"
Ben swallowed. "I don't know. I swear. They've vanished off the face of the earth. Their parents haven't seen them."
"They're lying low somewhere?"
Ben shook his head. "I think. I don’t know."
I frowned. "Do you think something happened to them?" Eddie and Frankie flashed through my mind. Could they have had a tasty snack before bedtime last night?
Fear settled in Ben’s eyes.
"Jerry and Shelby are taking the drug, aren't they?"
He nodded.
"Ben, you've got to get them to stop. Even if it doesn't kill them, it can have horrible side effects that stay with them the rest of their lives." I refrained from telling him his friends could turn into canine monsters permanently.
"How do you know so much?"
"Just what I've heard from kids."
Ben didn't believe me, but I didn't care. I spotted Officer Maguire approach us. Ben saw him and shoved his books in his backpack.
"Before you go, Ben." Officer Maguire placed his hand on Ben's shoulder. "Have you heard from Kyle or Chad. They weren't at school today and apparently their parents said they never came home yesterday after school."
Ben shook his head.
"Well if you do, tell them they aren't in trouble. I know they didn't hit me in the boy’s locker room. I'm concerned for them." A few seconds later, he lifted his hand.
Ben vaulted out of his seat, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and headed out the exit doors.
My gaze remained on Ben until the doors clanged shut. I turned back and found Office Maguire studying me. "What?"
"I have to say I was quite surprised to learn you're working undercover for the FBI," he murmured.
I browse to see if anyone was within earshot. No one was nearby. “Family connections.”
He bobbed his head. “He didn’t ask your brother? He’s older and knows more people. Plus, he's also a football player, closer to the kids involved.”
I couldn’t exactly tell Officer Maguire Henry was a poor choice because he didn’t possess strong magical powers. “I want to serve my country.” I grinned. “Henry doesn’t have time. His focus is getting into the University of Washington.”
Officer Maguire nodded in understanding. "I've worked undercover before, David. If you need help, I'd be glad to give you guidance."
"Thanks." There was more to our talk than he let on. I pushed out of my seat.
"And—”
Here it came.
"I'm hoping we can share information on this case."
I licked my lips. “My boss will keep in touch.”
Office Maguire chuckled. Did he find the situation humorous or annoying? "I think you know more than you'll admit. Why would the FBI bring you in on this?"
I sighed. "Who told you I was working for the FBI?"
Officer Maguire studied me. "They did. I had a pleasant conversation with your boss, Bernard Hoss. Nice guy."
I almost laughed outright. Hoss, nice? "What else did he say?"
"You were green but useful."
Useful? I saved the man's bacon, and that's how he described me. Pissed at Hoss, I made my decision to share. "I think Hadler and Baxter are taking the drug, and Boschman and Miller are taking and dealing. But I don't have any proof."
The wrinkles at the corners of Officer Maguire's eyes softened, and shoulders relaxed, pleased I had shared. "I've suspected the same. And Ben?"
I shook my head. "I don't think he has anything to do with the drug or his friends. He's been staying away from them."
The door to the locker room flew opened and out stomped the entire football team, dressed in their gear and cleats, their uniforms stained with grass and mud. When I made a move to leave, Officer Maguire held up his hand. "I want you to stay for this."
I sunk back into the same chair with Officer Maguire across the table from me. Not many of the football players acknowledged the officer and me, except my brother, who gave me a worried frown. I shook my head and raised my hand to indicate nothing was wrong. Henry took a seat at the front of the group.
The coaches lined in front of the tables, their feet spread with a wide stance and hands behind their backs. As I scanned their faces, I came to Otto, his eyes squinted in my direction and darted between me and Officer Maguire.
The head coach, Mr. Brighton, took one step forward. He made a formidable figure, six foot five inches, broad-shouldered, and legs the size of tree trunks. When he barked out orders to the players, they obeyed. He was nice in P.E. class, but when he meant business, no one crossed him, especially on the football field.
"We had a player collapse on the field and was hauled away in an ambulance." Mr. Brighton frowned. "And I know what happened. A drug is being sold and used in this school, and some of the athletes of the school believe it makes them a better player, so they are taking it. But with most illegal drugs, it hurts and sometimes kills the user." He folded his arms across his chest, his bulging biceps flexing at the movement.
He expelled a long sigh. "If I find out anyone on this team is taking this drug, I will immediately turn you over to the police, and you'll be kicked off the team. You'll be lucky if the school doesn't expel you. You won’t get into college. Any college." His gaze cast over his players. "I want to win games, but when we win games, we win them honestly." His voice rose. "Olympic High School does not cheat. We play our games to the best of our ability, win or lose. We take the field and leave the field as champions, win or lose. Nothing is worth your life, no football game, no scholarship, no scout, no drug high, and no nothing!"
A hush fell over the group. Mr. Brighton had taken his time before he spoke again. "I've asked Officer Maguire to join us and say a few words regarding what happened in the boy's locker room."
Officer Maguire stood and moved through the tables to the front. "Thank you, Coach Brighton." He faced his crowd. "Yesterday in the boy’s locker room I was hit from behind while questioning a couple of students concerning drugs I had found on the ground in front of one of their lockers. If anyone of you has any information, please come forward and tell me, your teacher or your coach. And if anyone knows where these two students are, tell them to come forward. They are not in trouble. I know they aren't the ones who hit me. But I need to question them because they probably saw who did it."
"I heard David Finkleman's the one who hit you," Jerry said.
"And you'd be wrong." Officer Maguire gestured to me. "I've asked David to sit in on this meeting. I want to thank him publically for helping me. He came in after I had been attacked and immediately got help. Thank you, David."
"Yeah. Finkleman's a freakin' hero." Jerry glared at me.
Henry turned to face Jerry, who sat at the table next to him. "Just shut up, Jerry. I'm sick of you picking on my brother. And I've had enough of your attitude. You bring this whole team down."
Jerry was caught off guard by Henry's anger, but he quickly recovered. "How?"
"As football players of this school, we should be setting the example. It means getting good grades and helping underclassmen, not shoving them in lockers, pushing them in the halls, or beating them up."
"Who says I do?" Jerry demanded.
Henry calmed. "I do. I've seen you and your friends do it a million times. And your actions reflect on this entire team. Get your act together or get off our team."
"Oh, and you're gonna make me?" Jerry snorted. "You and the Hobbit over there."
"You have no idea who you're taking on." Henry fisted his hands at his sides.
I gasped, and jumped to my feet. "Henry. It's okay. Stop."
"You better listen to the midget." Jerry curled his upper lip into a snarl.
"That's enough, Mr. Hadler." Coach Brighton jabbed his finger at him. "Henry's right. All of you should be setting the example for the school. You don't play if you don't get the grades. It's a State law. But I'm establishing my law here and now. If I hear of any of you picking on underclassmen, you'll be immediately kicked off the team, permanently. There will be no second chances on this. You either represent my team showing respect to teachers and classmates, or you find another team to be on." He pointed at Jerry. Shelby squirmed in his seat next to Jerry.
I sunk back into my seat, grinning.
When the coach turned the subject, Jerry glowered at me.
I smiled and waved.
Jerry practically frothed at the mouth, and steam shot from his ears.
I thought this day had started out bad but darn it anyway, it had turned in to one excellent day.
Officer Maguire returned to his seat and winked before sitting.
Two more coaches voiced their opinion, Otto not being one of them, and the head coach dismissed the meeting. The team herded back into the locker room to wash up. I kept my eye on Otto, as he gazed over the group, occasionally landing on me. He didn’t act nervous or agitated as one might if he was behind Canis. Was he hiding it well?
Henry ambled over to me, hesitating with Officer Maguire sitting there.
"Thanks for defending me."
Henry didn’t answer me. "I've got to go shower, but I want you to wait for me here." A lopsided grin formed on his face.
"What's going on?" I tilted my head and drew my brows together.
"You'll see." He hurried into the locker room.
He sauntered away, and I turned to Officer Maguire. "You don't know what he was talking about, do you?"
He shook his head and stood. "I'd better get going. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."
"I need a date to Homecoming?"
He laughed. "Sorry. I can't help you there." He strolled off.
A few minutes later, Mandy bounced out of the gym chatting with her fellow cheerleaders. She paused by my table, waved to her friends, and turned. "Hi, David."
"Hi." I didn't think she knew my name since she hadn’t said hello to me before now.
"Has Henry come out?"
"No. He's showering."
The corners of her lips curved up. "I guess I'll wait with you." She selected a chair adjacent me and floated into it, delicate and graceful. She pulled on her short skirt, not much of it covering her thighs.
I spied them from the corner of my eye and moved to the clock on the wall.
A heavy silence filled the space between us. She kept glancing at her cell phone, the clock on the wall, and the nearly empty Commons. A few players trudged out of the locker room, crossed to the doors and exited out. Her brows rose with each one that came out, hoping it was Henry.
I leaned back in the hard, plastic chair and stretched my feet in front of me, crossing them at the ankles. Despite my relaxed pose, I squeezed my muscles in my calves, gut, and arms. Girls rarely paid attention to me, especially one as popular as Mandy. I broke the awkwardness by asking, "Is Henry giving you a ride home?"
"Nope." Dead silence once again.
I cleared my throat. "So you're waiting to talk to him?"
"No."
Okay. My attempt at twenty questions failed at question number two, so I gave up.
Ten minutes later, Henry burst through the doors and swaggered over to us. My brother screamed muscular coordination even when he strolled. He leaned over and kissed Mandy on the lips. "Is she here?"
"Who?" I asked. Oh no. What were they doing?
As if on cue, the door to the Commons opened and in walked a girl, similar hair and facial features to Mandy, but younger. She had dark brown hair without the highlights, that fell past her shoulders, brown eyes were lighter than Mandy’s, pink lips, and straight nose. Petite and shorter than me, she strolled over to us. I stood.
Henry wore a satisfied smile. "David. This is Kayla, Mandy’s sister. Kayla. This is David, my brother."
"We thought you two should go to Homecoming together." Mandy spoke as if she was at a pep rally.
Kayla acted uncomfortable, which matched nausea in my gut. "We don't know each other."
"You guys have a lot in common." Henry smiled.
"Like what?"
"She's Wiccan."
I turned my attention from Henry to Kayla. "You're a witch?"
She squeezed her lips together. Her nostrils flared. “I’m a Wiccan.”
A wizard was asking a witch to Homecoming. How perfect? I chuckled, laughed, and howled.
Henry joined in.
Mandy and Kayla pursed their lips and drew their brows together. Kayla folded her arms over her chest. "Did you invite me here so they could make fun of me?" She glared at Mandy, Kayla's face red.
I held out my hands. "No. No. No. We're not laughing at you. We're laughing because my brother calls me a wizard. It's a nickname." She pulled the sides of her mouth back and shifted to her other foot, so I stumbled on. "We thought it was funny, a wizard asking a witch to Homecoming. That's all."
Mandy giggled. "I get it."
Kayla didn't as her lips squeezed; her glare narrowed on me.
I quickly learned she might look like her sister, but her solemn personality contrasted to Mandy's bubbly character. I didn't mind getting the serious one, though, although she might not appreciate my sarcasm and quick wit.
Henry cleared his throat. "Are you girls interested in going over to Teriyaki Wok to get something to eat?"
Kayla looked at her sister; the sides of her mouth pulled back.
Mandy beamed. "Come on Kayla. It’ll be fun. You can ride in the back with David. Wait until you see Henry's car."
Henry glowed with pride as if his vehicle was his child. Maybe I'd react the same if I had a cool car. He drove us to the teriyaki restaurant in five minutes, the place not far from the school. We parked close to the restaurant, and I climbed out on Henry's side.
I grabbed my brother's arm. "Do you have money for us, cuz I'm broke?"
Henry grinned. "Dad gave me enough for all of us."
I snorted. "I bet Mom doesn't know."
"Course not." Henry slammed his door and hurried to shut Mandy's. He slid his arm around her shoulders. I followed behind Kayla and held the door for her.
Teriyaki Wok sat between businesses in a mini-mall. Tables lined the small room in three rows, and the counter stood in the recesses of the restaurant. Paintings of watercolors and acrylics hung on the wall for sale, created by local artists. A seashore watercolor had waves crashing against the rocks. I smelled the salty air and heard the seagulls cawing. An acrylic across the room had bright flowers painted in a meadow. The rays of sun shimmered as the breeze waved the green grass on a rolling hill, the orange flowers opening their blooms in the bright warmth of the light. Not every painting moved or was magical. Did anyone else in the room see the pictures come alive? I didn’t think they did, especially Henry, who kept his eyes glued to Mandy.
Most people ordered their food to go, but we selected a table for four in the middle of the room. I sat next to Kayla and across from Henry and Mandy. Soon a waitress dropped off menus and glasses of water.
"Do you like Teriyaki?" I asked Kayla.
She lifted a shoulder.
Great. I had to ask another twenty questions to have a conversation. What was with these Peyton women? They knew exactly how to make a guy feel inadequate. Henry was great with them. The waitress took our order and left.
"Tell us what it’s like being a Wiccan," Henry asked.
Why didn't I think of that question?
Kayla stiffened. "It's not a cult, and it's not evil. It's an earth-based religion, honoring Mother Earth. We celebrate the seasons and believe the Goddess is equal to the male counterpart."
"Do you know any good love spells?" Henry asked half teasing. He gave her his winning smile.
"How do you think I got you to ask me to Homecoming?" Mandy laughed.
Was Mandy telling the truth?
Henry placed his arm on the back of Mandy's chair. In a throaty voice, he asked, "What other love spells have you put on me?"
She leaned into him. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
I wanted to tell Henry to get control of his hormones, but right now it was pointless. I cleared my throat to break the moment. "There are a lot of herbs used in love spells. Apple, Brazil nut, vanilla, or peppermint."
"Sounds good enough to eat." Henry took a drink of ice water. He needed to pour it into his lap.
Ignoring Henry, Kayla said, "I've used apple before." She blushed. "It wasn't for me."
"You can use different flowers, like crocus, daisy, tulip, or geranium."
Kayla drew her dark brows together. "How do you know how to make love spells?"
Now it was my, my face heating. "I don't. I read a lot."
"David likes to study herbs and their uses."
"Just a hobby." I hoped Henry would change the subject before I put a spell on him to shut his mouth.
Mandy turned the conversation to girl gossip, who dated who and which girl dumped which guy.
I talked privately with Kayla. "So you're a freshman?"
"Yeah."
"How do you like Olympic High School?"
"It's okay. The classes are harder than I thought they’d be."
As our conversation continued, we both relaxed more, and the talk went better between us. I kept the topic to school, teachers, classes, and kids in our grades she might know. She turned out to be pretty nice.
Our meals came to the table, a plate of teriyaki chicken, steamed white rice, and salad with a sweet dressing on it. Henry handed us chopsticks, which I had no clue how to use. I reached for my fork.
Henry wagged his finger at me. "Sorry, you have to use the chopsticks."
"Why?" I frowned.
"It's the rule."
No. Henry wanted to show off his skills. I rolled my eyes. Glancing at Kayla and Mandy, they used their sticks easily. I wasn't sure how Henry knew how to use them, but he did. Fitting them in my fingers, I attempted to clamp and hold my sticky white rice. I succeeded until I reached my mouth, and the granules of rice fell to my plate. No one said anything. After a few more tries, I gave up. Frustrated, I took one stick in my fist and speared a chunk of chicken. With teriyaki sauce coating the meat, I pressed it into my rice and shoved it into my mouth. The salad would wait unless I skewered the lettuce with a flat tipped wooden stick.
Halfway through the meal, Otto and Mr. Valdez entered the restaurant.
Inwardly, I groaned. Keeping my eyes downcast, I hoped my Chemistry teacher didn’t see me.
He paused at our table.
