Gone Too Far (Devlin & Falco #2) - Debra Webb Page 0,97
of her. She said we’d be the most popular girls in school if we stuck with her. She told us this over and over. Kept reminding us of how amazing we’d be.”
“Was she attempting some sort of brainwashing?” This was sounding more and more like exactly that sort of pressure tactic.
Tori shook her head. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
Kerri reached out and squeezed her hand. “Whatever she was attempting to do, I don’t believe you or Sarah did anything bad. We are going to get to the bottom of what did happen.”
Tori nodded.
Kerri’s chest tightened as she thought of what she needed to ask her daughter next. But she couldn’t pretend it hadn’t happened. As soon as Kerri had arrived at her sister’s house, Diana had pulled her aside and told her what the boys had found on the computer in their room.
“Tori, have you been feeling like maybe you want to die too? I mean, as in take your own life?”
Tori’s gaze shot to her mother’s and just as quickly shifted away. “Why would you ask such a lame question? I already told you I didn’t mean what I said after I found out Brendal had died. I was just upset.”
“Diana noticed someone had been searching suicide on the upstairs computer. If it wasn’t you, it was one of the boys. She needs to know if one of them is having trouble.”
Kerri held her breath.
“It was me.”
Kerri’s heart sank. “I hope you would never feel as if that were the only answer. You have people who love you and who would do anything for you. Suicide is not an option.”
“I know. I was just feeling sorry for myself and I . . .” She fell silent for a moment. “No, that’s not right. Yes, I was feeling bad, but it was Alice who told me I should probably take myself out of the narrative. It made me wonder how people—people like Sarah—could feel bad enough to actually do it.”
Outrage roared through Kerri. “Has she ever suggested such a thing to you or Sarah before?” Kerri thought of the two girls at Walker Academy, and more of that white-hot fury flamed inside her.
“A few times lately.” Tori shrugged. “I think she mostly does it to see how we’ll react. You know, the whole shock-value thing.”
“I’m certain you understand by now that Alice is not and never has been your or Sarah’s friend.”
“For sure.” Tori stared at her cuticles for a moment. “There’s something else I need to tell you. Something Alice found out and has been bugging me about.”
Kerri held her breath and waited for her daughter to go on.
“I think I might be gay. I mean, I’m not sure, but . . . I think so.” Tori squeezed her eyes shut and seemed to hold her breath as well.
Surprised at not having recognized her daughter was wrestling with her sexuality, Kerri reached out and pulled her into a hug. “Sweetie, you don’t have to be afraid to talk about that or anything else with me. You’re my daughter. I love you no matter what. Do you understand that? I love whatever makes you you.”
Tori held on to her mother for a long while; when she finally drew back, she said, “Can we not talk about this for a little bit? I’m not ready to tell other people right now. I have to get used to these feelings before I feel comfortable sharing them. Maybe we can order pizza or something.”
“Absolutely.” Kerri leaned over and kissed her daughter on the head. “Relax. I’ll place an order now.”
After ensuring Tori had found something on television, Kerri went into the kitchen. She placed the order for pizza and put through a call to Sykes. She struggled to calm herself before he answered. She wasn’t entirely successful.
“Tell me you have something concrete in this investigation,” she demanded. Her daughter was suffering. Being a teenager was damned hard enough without all this insanity.
The rough exhale that sounded in her ear was not the answer she wanted to hear.
“The LT told you to back off, Devlin,” Sykes warned. “We cannot discuss this case with you.”
“I don’t want to hear the dirty details, Sykes. I want to know if you’re making any headway. A yes or no will be sufficient.”
His silence was answer enough. No.
“Let me tell you what I know.” Kerri told him about the masks and the bizarre drawings. “Did you miss all that when you visited the Cortez home?”