Gone Too Far (Devlin & Falco #2) - Debra Webb Page 0,58

they wanted or needed to talk.

Tori couldn’t talk to them. She couldn’t talk to anyone. Not her mom. Not anyone. Not about her secret. She couldn’t do it.

But Alice had plenty to say—to Sarah.

And Alice knew. She’d sworn Sarah did too.

They glanced at Tori, not even attempting to hide the fact that they were doing just that—talking about her. How could they be so mean?

Tori stared at the food she couldn’t eat if her life depended upon it. She wished Amelia were still alive. Tori could talk to her. She could tell Amelia anything. She missed her so much.

Her whole life had fallen apart in the past year. First her dad left her for a new family. He hardly ever even called anymore. When Tori called him, he was always too busy to talk more than a minute or two. He had a new child now, a three-month-old baby boy. He had no time for Tori. She instantly felt bad. Her dad had called her last night and talked for a whole hour. He missed her. Was worried about her and wanted her to visit as soon as school was out. He was trying. That was what her mom said. But it hadn’t felt that way for a long time, especially last year.

Worse, Amelia had gotten murdered. Even after that her mom still worked all the time. Tori didn’t really like spending a lot of time at Aunt Diana’s. She loved her aunt, but she was always so sad.

On top of all that, this year Tori had started to get pimples instead of bigger boobs. No one took a second look at her. People were looking at her now because they were all suspicious of her about what happened to poor Brendal.

And now she was losing her best friend.

As if all that wasn’t bad enough, she’d failed her algebra test this morning. She had never failed a test in her whole life. She was an A student! Always on the honor roll. But not this time.

She’d failed that test.

Tori pushed her tray away. She couldn’t look at the food anymore. Couldn’t stand the smell.

She had never felt so alone.

Why did she even bother being nice to people? Working so hard to make good grades?

She was a loser. An ugly, too skinny, pimple-faced loser.

She’d asked Alice what she thought of her outfit the other day, and Alice hadn’t wanted to answer her. Finally, she’d admitted that the outfit didn’t look right on Tori because she was too thin. She needed to fix her hair and wear makeup.

Tori was sorry she’d asked.

She was sorry about a lot of things. Most of all for being nice to Alice.

She wished Alice had never come to her school.

Tori scanned the crowded lunchroom. At every table there was someone staring at her. Alice and Sarah were still whispering about her. She didn’t have to hear them. She could see the way they glanced at her, and they didn’t care that she could see.

She wanted to go home.

Anywhere but here.

Would anyone besides her mom even miss her if she disappeared? Or died like Brendal?

Probably not.

Life sucked.

Tori closed her eyes and reminded herself of her father’s phone call. Her mom loved her even if she wasn’t home as much as Tori would like. Falco liked her a lot too. Aunt Diana and Uncle Robby, even the twins loved her.

She had to stop feeling sorry for herself and just be strong.

Her mom would find the truth. Tori knew she would.

She just hoped it wouldn’t be too late.

18

12:45 p.m.

McGill Town House

Hampton Heights Drive

Birmingham

Sadie checked the street again before emerging from her car. She’d parked at the far end of the unit of town houses and on the opposite side of the street. There were no security cameras unless a resident had installed one, but Tara McGill had not. The neighborhood was quiet, just as it had been late last night and early this morning. Sadie watched for afternoon dog walkers as she strolled leisurely along the sidewalk. Walking too fast would draw attention. She made it a point not to look around. People also considered that behavior as suspicious.

McGill had still been asleep when Sadie left, but she’d mentioned having to go to work early today for preparing a supply order and another interview with Falco—one where they would have the place alone. The woman liked Falco. Sadie smirked as she unlocked the door to McGill’s town house with the key she’d had made. Falco better watch himself; McGill was