It's a Wonderful Death - Sarah J. Schmitt Page 0,65
into the hospital, I had this amazing group of people to support me.”
I can see that Sal is trying to phrase his next question carefully. “How good of a friend was RJ? Did she ever abandon your lunch crowd?”
My stomach tightens. I’d forgotten there was a very real reason I was nervous Madeline would attack me when we first met. Now I’m about to hear the story through her eyes.
“Not while I was there but one time when Daniel came to visit, he said RJ wasn’t hanging out with him as much as she used to. He was really broken up about it. When he told me she was having lunch with her old crowd, I couldn’t believe it. He said she looked miserable, but she still met them every day.”
“Did this come as a surprise to you?” Sal presses.
Madeline glances over at me. “Not really. I didn’t tell Daniel this, but every single night at seven-thirty, RJ would gown up and spend an hour visiting me. She never missed a night. But I knew she was hiding something.”
“Did you ever ask her about it?” Azbaugh asks.
His voice startles her and I see a shiver run through Madeline. Azbaugh’s eyes soften, but he waits for her to answer the question. “Yes. At first, she tried to avoid my questions. She made up some excuse about Daniel being too sensitive, but I knew she was lying. Finally, she confessed that Felicity was blackmailing her back into the group. Once the cat was out of the bag, she spilled the whole story.” She pauses and gives me an apologetic look. She has nothing to be sorry for, but I brace myself for what she’s going to say next. “RJ’s mom was having an affair and Felicity had threatened to tell the whole school about it if RJ didn’t start hanging out with her again.”
I glance over my shoulder at Grams. Did she already know about my mom? Was she mad? Her eyes are staring straight ahead and there’s no expression in them.
“Why would Felicity spend time with someone she didn’t like?” Sal asks. I turn forward and watch my friend share all my deepest secrets with the Afterlife. I know she can’t help it. She’s just answering the question, but it still feels like a betrayal.
“There’s a saying among the humans: you should keep your friends close but your enemies closer. RJ’s apparent immunity to Felicity’s attempts to ice her out made her a threat. Besides, Felicity needed her.”
“For what?” Shepard asks.
Madeline takes a deep breath. “She said Felicity was using her leverage to make RJ do all kinds of mean things to their friends. She hated doing it, but she needed to protect her mom. I felt so bad for her. I mean, that’s a lot for someone our age to deal with.”
“What else did she tell you about Felicity and her friends?”
“She told me she’d suggested Felicity and her group throw a benefit for my family, to help them pay for my treatments and catch up on bills. I told her she didn’t need to, but RJ insisted. She begged me to let her use her position for something good. I think she thought it might make up for all the mean things she was doing, or at least help balance the scale.”
Sal walks around the table and sits next to me. “Did you finally give her permission to go ahead with the plan?”
Madeline gulps. “Yes. Maybe I should have insisted she get out, but I was selfish. I knew my parents could use the money. Dad’s company was giving him as much time off as he needed but there was no money coming in. They were months behind on the mortgage. I thought this could be an answer to their prayers.”
“When did you find out about the plan to frame RJ for stealing money from the fund?” Sal asks.
“After she went to the principal. I had been out of the hospital for a few weeks but my immune system was still weak and my doctors were concerned that I might develop an infection. We were supposed to try an experimental treatment but our insurance wouldn’t cover it. She came to tell me that her group had raised enough for the procedure and that the school should have a check for my parents in a matter of days.”
“And how did that make you feel?” Sal asks.
Madeline’s eyes start welling up. “Relieved. I didn’t tell RJ this, but we were running