That night, Amelia planned to go to Spinster’s Grove and see if Guy Mast might show up. The kids had finished their homework and were sitting together on the couch. Meg had a book in her lap, reading what was probably the latest story about dragons and wizards. Adam was watching his favorite recorded show about aliens that had taken over the planet.
“I’ve got to run to the store. Either of you guys need anything?”
“I’ll take a million dollars,” Meg replied.
“Can you bring me Rita Hayworth?” Adam followed.
“I’ll see what I can do,” Amelia said as she grabbed her purse, then she sniffled and headed out the door.
Spinster’s Grove was a forlorn piece of property in between Luther Township and Central Avenue. It wasn’t like many of the forest preserves around that were several hundred acres and easy to get lost in. It was rather small. There were only two known ways in and out of the Grove. Usually, the police or suspicious neighbors monitored who came and went off the grounds. Most people didn’t want the likes of Guy Mast and his ilk to be meandering so close to their homes, though there was at least an acre between the first house and the edge of the Grove.
Still, it didn’t change the fact that the rumors of insidious behavior and practices swirled around the small plot of land.
“You’re not even sure Guy Mast is going to be there,” she muttered.
A creepy gravel road peeked out from the surrounding overgrowth. Amelia was sure the police used it as a speed trap. It was a Tuesday night. There was a pretty good chance that the police were not going to occupy this spot this evening.
“It’s either this or park in the subdivision and walk.”
Amelia decided to take her chances. She carefully backed into the small space, easing her car as far back as she could. By the time she shut off the engine and headlights, the sedan was almost completely concealed by the shadows and surrounding foliage.
It was a clear night, and the moon provided an eerie light.
Amelia thought her nerves felt as if she were sitting next to a construction site and someone was using a jackhammer right next to her. With every beat of her heart, she felt her chest tremble. Her eyes were wide as she took in as much of the terrain as she could.
Her idea of entering the Grove without any light soon melted away as she tripped and tumbled over several roots that had arched up through the ground. There was no reason to waste any more time. She snapped on her flashlight and proceeded.
“You don’t even know where you are going. This is a stupid idea, Amelia,” she whispered. “Reggie said Guy also went to Rogers Park. That place is even bigger and scarier. He could be there tonight.”
Amelia stopped. She wrapped her hand around the trunk of a thin tree and contemplated turning back. What did she lose by trying to find Guy here? Nothing, really. No one knew she had come. No one was even expecting her to go investigating. She sniffled and wiped her nose on the back of her sleeve. Just as she was about to turn back, she heard it. Laughter.
“You’re such a jerk! Give it back!”
More laughter.
There were people up ahead. Amelia snapped off her light, held her breath, and listened again. She could hear a quiet murmuring then a sudden peal of laughter just ahead.
Carefully feeling for a tree to steady herself with each step, Amelia inched her way closer and closer to the sound of people. Finally, she saw a light through the trees in the distance. It wasn’t a fire. It was a camping light. The closer she got, the more clearly she could hear the voices.
“Do you have some?” a female voice asked.
“Honey, I always have some. Here. Simon. Roll a blunt.”
“I thought you were bringing some beer,” another person said.
“Naw. Maybe tomorrow. My dad was home.”
“Did anyone see Mr. Bliss’s pants today? He looked like he was expecting a flood or something,” a girl said.
“Pass that over here,” a boy said.
“Maybe he had a growth spurt.”
They all started laughing.
Finally, Amelia was close enough to count three boys and two girls. They were obviously passing around marijuana, but Amelia didn’t see anything stronger than that. One of the boys was Guy Mast. She took a deep breath and called out.
“Hello?”
Everyone froze and looked into the dark woods in Amelia’s direction.
“Hello?” she repeated. “Don’t be scared.”
Who are you kidding, girl? You’re the one who is scared.
When Amelia stepped into the light, she held her hands up as if she were surrendering. It couldn’t be a good look. The kids stared at her as if she were a talking tree. But there was no concern that maybe Amelia had seen them with drugs. These kids were past worrying about getting in trouble.
The girls had long hair hanging straight down to their shoulders. Their jeans were tighter than they should have been. Their makeup was the typical garish style of high school girls in too much of a hurry to grow up. The boys donned the uniform of either some old rock band T-shirt—did they know Pink Floyd was over fifty years old?—or flannel.
“My name is Amelia.”
“Are you lost, Amelia?” one of the girls hissed.
“No. I’m looking for him.” She pointed at Guy.
“Guy, you didn’t tell us you were dating Mrs. Robinson,” one of the other boys teased. He was a scrawny thing with dirty-blond hair and lips that disappeared when he smiled.
“I don’t know you,” Guy said. His voice was cool. But Amelia could see his nervousness behind his eyes like the flicker of shadows against a wall cast from a fireplace. Behind his eyes, he was afraid of something.
“No. You don’t. But I need to talk to you. It’s about Brian Richtman.”
No one said anything. They all looked at Guy as if they expected him to say something they already knew.
“Look, I don’t care what you guys are doing out here. But Guy, you might be in a lot of trouble, and I might be able to help you.”
If Guy had anything to do with Brian’s death, Amelia knew Dan would help. He’d make sure the interview, the booking, everything was done on the up-and-up and that Guy would be treated fairly.
“I didn’t touch that scumbag. But I’d like to shake the hand of the person who did him in.” Guy talked tough. “He owed me money.”
“For what?” Amelia asked, not realizing how naïve she appeared.
Everyone started to chuckle.
“He bought weed from me every week. Up until the last three weeks. He thought that because he was on the varsity football team and had some colleges scouting him, that that somehow meant his dope was free.”
“Did anyone else know he smoked?”
“Everyone. But see, he wore a letterman’s jacket. He had a house in Millbrook. His daddy went to work at a law firm every day. Brian Richtman couldn’t possibly be a pothead. He couldn’t possibly be in the hole to a person like me for over two hundred dollars.”
Amelia swallowed.
“Brian didn’t deserve to die,” one of the girls said. She had strawberry-blond hair and wore blue eyeliner.
“You are just saying that because you had a crush on him,” Guy spat. “You know what he thought of you? He thought you were an easy piece. That’s all.”
“You’re just jealous because he actually had a future,” Strawberry Blonde replied.
“Ha! He’s the last guy I’d ever be jealous of.”
But Amelia could hear it in Guy’s voice. There was a hint of jealousy there. If only Guy would listen to her. She’d tell him life got so much better after high school.
“When was the last time you talked to him?”
“You sure are asking a lot of questions for a lady who doesn’t have a badge or gun,” the blond boy said. He looked at the other boy, who had a crew cut and squinty eyes, as if the light of their lantern was too much. He blinked a lot.
All eyes were on Amelia as the teens waited for her to reply.
“You’re right. I’m not a cop. I’m just a mother. I have a son and daughter in your school.” Amelia wasn’t sure that was a smart thing to reveal, but she had to earn a little of their trust. “That gives me a reason to be worried about what happened there.”
“You were talking with Reggie,” Guy said coolly. “I can’t believe he’d be such a coward as to have a woman do his snooping around for him.”
“No. I know him from the neighborhood. He didn’t ask me to do anything.”
“What did he tell you about me?”
Amelia looked at the other kids. They were so young. But the mistrust on their face was unmistakable.
“He said you were a bad kid,” Amelia admitted. “He said you had potential and that you were wasting it and that made you a loser.”
It was a bald-faced lie. Reggie hadn’t said anything even close to that. But Guy didn’t have to know it. He didn’t have to know that the vice principal really hated him and wanted him expelled. What good would that do an eighteen-year-old boy who, from the looks of things, had very little to begin with?
“You’re lying. Reggie would never say that,” Guy grumbled. He looked as if he wanted to believe those words but had heard the contrary so many times he didn’t want to get his hopes up.
“I don’t care if you believe me or not, Guy.” Amelia was feeling braver. “All I want to know is what you know about Brian Richtman.”
“All I know is that he died before he could pay me what he owes me.”
Guy folded his arms across his chest. He wasn’t going to say another word.
“Well, Amelia, I don’t think you are welcome here anymore,” the squinty-eyed boy said.
“Just tell me this. If you didn’t have anything to do with Brian’s death, do you have an opinion on who did?” She looked at all the kids. “Any of you?”
“You know, instead of judging us and pointing fingers because we’re different, maybe you should, like, check out Brian’s friends,” the other girl piped up. It was obvious that everyone else had spoken. She decided it was her turn.
“Yeah, you’re, like, only here because Reggie suspects Guy. The only reason he suspects Guy is because he doesn’t fit into the mold of what he thinks a high school student should be,” the dirty-blond-haired boy said.
Amelia wanted to laugh. These kids sounded like every kid in every John Hughes film. They were so stereotypical it was embarrassing. But she didn’t laugh.
“You’re right,” Amelia replied, looking at each of them. “But I had to start somewhere. I appreciate your time. I’ll let you get back to whatever it was you were doing. Don’t stay out too late. Your parents will worry.”
“Our parents will worry? Right. My mom is working. My dad, well, who knows where the hell he is. Could be dead, too, for all I know,” Guy hissed.
Amelia turned, snapped on her flashlight, and headed back in the direction she had come.
“Wait!” Guy shouted.
She turned around, half expecting to get the finger or some rude comment. Guy uncrossed his arms and took a step forward.
“You might want to ask some of the guys on the football team. They aren’t all for one and one for all. No matter how much they pretend to be.”
“Any names I should look for?”
“Joe Smarman,” the strawberry blonde replied. Her friend nodded, and the other boys both gave each other looks that could only be described as shock. It was as if they thought the girls had just released the kraken by mentioning that name.
“Thanks. I will.” Amelia nodded and then quickly hurried back to her car. She heard the kids talking, their voices getting quieter and quieter as she neared the street. Even though she was out of Spinster’s Grove, she still felt an eerie something tickling up the back of her neck.
“So much for the devil-worshipping, animal-sacrificing, black-robe-wearing lunatics out here. If that is all there is, that’s… pretty lame,” Amelia said once she was back in her car with the doors locked.
She was happy to be back on the main road, where there were other cars and bright streetlamps. Guy Mast was hardly the intimidating force that she had originally thought he was. It was obvious that he was lost. But he wasn’t hopeless.
“His parents are probably divorced,” she said. The thought was like a slap across the face. Here was a boy who was in the same predicament as Adam. But where Guy turned to drugs and a rougher crowd, Adam threw himself into his schoolwork, his skateboarding, and his computer stuff.
Adam and Guy were like night and day. But they had more in common than Amelia cared to admit. It was because of her and John that Adam was a kindred spirit to that boy. If John tried to take Adam away from her, he wouldn’t be able to watch him as she did. Jennifer would be too wrapped up in her new baby to pay any attention to two growing, developing teenagers. The edge was so thin that Adam and Meg could slip and fall into the pit that Guy and those other kids were obviously in.
The thought of Meg hanging out in the cold, dank woods with a couple of boys, smoking pot, broke her heart. She couldn’t bear the thought of it.
“It’s not going to happen.” She gripped the steering wheel tightly until her knuckles throbbed. When she got home, the house was quiet except for Meg talking on the phone upstairs.
Thankful the kids didn’t see her come home with no groceries or bag of cilantro, she locked the front door, dropped her purse in the kitchen, and went to the basement door.
“Hey, Adam?”
“Yeah, Mom.”
Amelia carefully descended the stairs.
“How’s it going down here?”
“Fine.” He was becoming a real man of few words.
“About your dad and Jennifer.”
Adam spun around in his computer chair and looked at his mother.
“Your dad doesn’t know you know?”
Adam shook his head.
“Okay, well, I need to talk to him about this, and it can’t wait until he decides to spring this news on you officially. Can I tell him you overheard Jennifer talking?”
“I guess,” Adam replied.
“How do you feel about that? Being a big brother again?” Amelia tried to put a little excitement in her voice.
“I’ve got Meg. She’s really almost too much.” He snickered.
“Maybe this will be a little boy,” Amelia urged. “You could teach him how to pee outside and use cuss words like a good big brother would.”
“If Jennifer has a boy, that’s it for me. Dad will forget my name in a week.” Adam chuckled bitterly.
“Of course he won’t. You are his first born.”
“I know that means something to you, Mom. But it doesn’t mean all that much to Dad.” He folded his arms, reminding Amelia of Guy standing there acting tough in the woods when, in reality, he was only a senior in high school and not that intimidating.
“Why would you say that?”
“You know how when you like a girl and you just know in your gut that she doesn’t really like you but is just trying to be nice?”
Amelia shrugged but nodded.
“That’s how it is with Dad.”
“I think you are wrong, Adam. I think your father might be lost. He might be unsure or even scared. But he loves you. You are the spitting image of him. How could he not?”
“Mom, do Meg and I have to go to Jennifer’s baby shower?”
“Does Meg know about all this?”
“No. I haven’t told her.”
Amelia let out a sigh of relief. “Why? Don’t you want to go?” she asked playfully. “Play all those baby-name games and guess the sex and see all the outfits and diapers she’ll get as gifts.”
“No. I don’t. I don’t think Meg will want to go, either.”
“Well, if you guys get invited, maybe there will be some event at Lila’s that we can say was planned months ago that we can’t get out of. Will that work?”
Adam smiled and nodded as his computer started to ping and blink.
Amelia kissed him on top of his head and headed back upstairs. The smile she gave her son quickly morphed into a grimace as she debated whether or not to call John then or wait until morning.
“Sleep on it, Amelia,” she said to soothe herself.