my uniform jacket. “I was wondering, how’d you damage the car?”
Even though I’m ready with an explanation, I don’t like the way he’s taking in my uniform. Professor Rook’s death has been all over the news, so there’s no question Mo has heard about it. What if he puts two and two together?
“I hit a deer. It jumped right in front of my car. Can you believe that?” I am scary good at lying, and I don’t know whether I should be proud of the story that I just spat out without any prep time, or ashamed.
“Deer, huh? Wow. Didn’t know we had them around here.” His disbelief is palpable in his voice.
“Oh, yeah. Lots.”
Ricardo covers his mouth to hide his smile. If he doesn’t cut it out, he’s going to give me away. Some partner in crime he’s turning out to be.
We thank Mo and hurry out to the car before he can ask any more questions.
I only have fifteen minutes before class starts, and I’m starting to freak out just the tiniest bit about getting Cal’s car back into its assigned space before anyone notices it’s missing. I navigate the roads carefully, but a little fast. Ricardo acts like I’m trying to kill him and holds onto the oh crap bar the entire time. Not gonna lie. I take the next corner a little fast just to see if I can make him tense.
It works.
I am evil.
As if killing a man and lying about it didn’t make that painfully obvious.
The music on the radio fades out, and the talk show host comes on. “We’ve got some breaking news for you this morning, folks. By now, everyone has probably heard about the hit-and-run that occurred just outside the Embassy Academy Monday night. I got the impression the police thought it was an accident, but new evidence has surfaced that proves it wasn’t.”
My heart leaps into my throat and I grip the steering wheel. What new evidence? It’s a hard line to swallow, since it was an accident.
The co-host adds, “Yeah, this morning, our local news outlet released the 911 call that alerted authorities to the accident, and it sounds like it was deliberate.”
“It certainly does,” the first guy says. “To me, it sounds like someone mowed the guy down, then kept on going.”
I don’t realize I’ve stopped the car in the middle of the street until the driver of the car behind me honks long and loud.
Ripped out of my shock, I maneuver the vehicle forward. We’re almost at school. But honestly? If there was a witness to the accident, I’m already caught.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the police were waiting in the parking lot, handcuffs at the ready.
Knowing it’s inevitable doesn’t prepare me for the sight of the pair of police cars parked in the lot as I pull in. My skin is crawling as I pull even with the black and white vehicles. One of the officers steps forward as I draw closer, motioning for me to roll down my window.
My pulse skitters. This is it—the end of the road. The 911 caller probably described Cal’s car to the emergency operator, and here I am driving it. Taking a breath, I prepare to surrender with dignity. My future may be over, but I won’t let them see me crying. That won’t come until later, when Daddy gets me alone and conveys the depth of his disappointment at discovering that his stepdaughter has killed a man, effectively ending his political career just as it’s beginning to ascend.
Putting on my politician’s smile, I roll down the window. “Good morning, officers. Would you like a donut?” I hold up the pink box Ricardo’s been holding in his lap.
The officer smiles. “Don’t mind if I do.” He takes a chocolate bar. “Thank you, Miss.”
“You’re welcome.”
The officer checks the license plate on our car and looks at his phone screen. He’s probably checking to see if it matches the one given in the call transcript, which it will. At least he’ll have the donut to remember me by.
My pulse pounds in my fingers as I cling to the wheel. I can’t peel my eyes off the officer as he scans his device one more time before looking up at me. “Have a good day.” He steps back and allows me to pass.
Wait, what?
He’s motioning for me to move along.
I manage to keep my composure long enough to pull into Cal’s designated parking spot and kill the engine.