A Justified Murder Read online

  “Uh,” Jack said, looking at them. The magnetic poles of the earth didn’t have a stronger attraction than those kids did to one another. However, Britney did glance at Jack in question. She seemed to say, Three girls and just two boys?

  Jack turned and nearly ran out of the school.

  At home, the adults weren’t sure the girls would show up that evening. After all, they were still grounded from the last time they’d escaped. The parents had been bawled out by Jack, the sheriff, and the fire chief.

  But the boys had been so sure they’d come that they prepared for a party. Jack drove them to the grocery and loaded up on disgustingly unhealthy food and drinks. At home, the boys calmly sat down in front of the big TV to wait.

  The adults talked about what they were doing. Would the killer know? Guess? Put it all together? They had no answer.

  At 5:00 p.m., the girls showed up—and behind them came most of the senior class.

  “I didn’t expect this,” Sara said in horror.

  When Jack’s mother, Heather, arrived, Sara hugged her in gratitude.

  “I’ve been through three teenagers,” she said, “so I know what it’s like. Go. Do whatever. I’ll take care of them. Here! Yes, you, Jason Lombard. Do not stand on the furniture.”

  Sara practically ran into the sanctuary of her library. Minutes later, Jack and Kate arrived and in front of them were the three girls. Their smiles were now sulks.

  “We need to—” Madison said.

  Jack cut her off. “If you complain, it will take longer. But if you answer our questions quickly, then you can go. Your choice.”

  The girls sat down, mouths closed. Sara and Kate sat across from them.

  “We want to know more about your time with Janet Beeson,” Sara said.

  “She found me after I took my mother’s pills,” Britney said. The music was so loud they could hear it through the thick walls of the house.

  “Tell us more about what led up to your attempt at...?” Kate’s voice was full of caring.

  The girls had their heads turned toward the music. Martyrs had suffered less than them.

  Jack was standing and he leaned toward them. “If you don’t talk to us, I’ll take you out the back way and drive you home.” He narrowed his eyes. “And you’ll never see my cousins again.”

  The girls snapped their heads around to face him.

  “We had a fight,” Madison said.

  “Why? Over what?” Kate asked.

  The girls tightened their lips and said nothing.

  Jack got his truck keys out of his pocket.

  “We vowed to never speak of it again,” Ashley said.

  “Break that vow. Now,” Jack said.

  “They texted horrible things to me.” Britney’s eyes filled with tears. “I told you. They said I was fat and ugly and not up to their standards and my dad is poor and my mother smokes cigarettes. They said I should end my life.” She put her hands over her face.

  “We did not do that,” Ashley said. “We’ve told her and told her that we didn’t do it, but she won’t believe us.”

  “But it’s all true. I am fat. My mother does smoke. My dad—”

  “Then who sent them?” Sara asked.

  Britney said, “They were from their phones.”

  Kate looked at the other girls. “Did you ever lose your phones? Even for just a day?”

  The girls stared at her like she’d asked if they’d forgotten to attach their arms.

  “Then who did write those texts?” Jack asked. “Who dislikes you that much?”

  The girls looked at one another, then back at him. “Jessica Williams. She is our main enemy.”

  Jack ran his hand over his face. “As opposed to minor ones, I guess. Why did you declare her to be at the top?”

  “She used to be one of us,” Madison said.

  “But she stole Maddy’s boyfriend.”

  “And of course the boy had nothing to do with it,” Sara said.

  Their expressions showed that they didn’t understand what she meant.

  “How did you get back at her?” Kate asked.

  The girls said nothing.

  “I’m guessing you posted naked photos of her,” Sara said.

  “She deserved it!” Ashley said. “She—” The looks of the adults made her shut up.

  “How did you know it was us?” Madison demanded.

  “Somebody told us,” Kate said. “Okay, so Britney, you assumed they were going to do the same thing to you.”

  The girl nodded.

  “And you didn’t want to be thrown out and ripped apart,” Sara said.

  “No.”

  “And Janet Beeson saw you on Facebook taking the pills?”

  Again, Britney nodded.

  “After Janet found you, what happened?” Sara asked. “How did you get back together?”

  “Our parents met with us,” Ashley said.

  “Glad to hear that your parents are at least somewhat involved with you three,” Jack said.

  Ashley spoke. “My mom told us that she had three best friends in high school and they separated because of silly arguments. She said she still missed them so she wanted us to stay friends forever.”

  “Our moms made us swear to forget the past and move on,” Madison said. “We promised to never speak of it again, even when we were alone.”

  Britney said, “I still don’t know who else could have told me I should kill myself.” She cut her eyes at the other girls.

  “It was not me,” Madison said fiercely.

  “Or me,” Ashley said. “I told you that—”

  Britney cut her off. “I forgive you both.”

  “Forgive us? But we never—”

  “I think it was probably a fourth party that did it,” Sara said.

  The girls looked confused. “There are only three of us.”

  “And it was no party!” Britney said.

  Sara coughed to cover a laugh. “I think you can go back inside.”

  The girls stood up and started firing questions.

  “Are Mike and Max really going to move to Lachlan?”

  “They don’t have girlfriends, do they? We asked but they wouldn’t answer.”

  “The coach said he’d give his right—” Madison looked at Sara. “He’d really like for the boys to be on our school’s football team.”

  “No one knows the answer to any of that,” Jack said. “Go back in there and in forty-five minutes I’ll drive you home. And I’m going to talk to your parents. Again.”

  “That isn’t fair,” Ashley said. “We gave you information. We helped you.”

  “Yeah?” Jack asked. “What exactly did you tell us that we didn’t already know?”

  “That...” Madison was unable to give an answer to his question.

  “I think Jack is right,” Britney said.

  “You always think Jack is right,” Ashley said. “Did you tell him about the brides magazines you bought?”

  “And how you write Mrs. Jackson Wyatt everywhere?”

  “And—”

  “Out!” Jack shouted and the girls left the room. He firmly shut the door behind them. “I feel sick.”

  Eighteen

  HEATHER HELPED THEM get rid of the kids. “Did you find out what you wanted to?”

  Kate said, “We have no idea what you mean. If you’re referring to the Beeson murder, that case is closed.”

  “Yes, of course,” Heather said. “If I know nothing, I can’t tell anything.”

  “Mom!” Jack said.

  “Don’t worry, my dear son. I’m sure you’re just helping your cousins by shelling out two months’ salary. By the way, if you don’t keep those boys occupied, they’ll get into trouble.”

  “I think I can handle a couple of k