Get Even (Don’t Get Mad)

THE LAWN IN FRONT OF BISHOP DUMAINE WAS TEEMING WITH people by the time Kitty and Mika arrived. Hundreds of candles flickered in the twilight, as they joined the mass of students and parents gathered to commemorate the death of Ronny DeStefano.

Kitty felt like a hypocrite as she selected a candle from a box on the front steps and carefully lit it from Mika’s. Wasn’t she responsible for Ronny’s death? Even if she hadn’t stood over his sleeping body with a baseball bat, even though it looked more and more likely that his murder had nothing to do with DGM, the opportunity to frame DGM for his murder might have tipped the killer’s hand toward homicide. And for that, Kitty was responsible.

“Lot of people here,” Mika said hesitantly. “You know, considering he was kind of a douche.”

That’s an understatement.

More people flooded the front lawn, pressing in around them like it was church on Easter Sunday. Kitty searched the crowd fleetingly, hoping to catch a glimpse of Olivia, Bree, or Margot, but the sun’s rays were rapidly fading, and in the flickering light of several hundred candles, every face looked like a jack-o’-lantern leering at her from the darkness.

“He’s over there,” Mika said. She pointed to the far side of the lawn. “With the drama class.”

Donté towered above the theater crowd, his candle held waist-high, and Kitty couldn’t help but notice that Olivia stood at his side.

“Hey, Mika!” Theo pushed his way through the crowd. His eyes sparkled with excitement, his hands conspicuously candle-free. “I’ve got twenty people showing up at the park tonight to help make signs for next week’s rally. Is it still happening?”

“Shh!” Mika hissed. “Not so loud, Theo.”

“Sorry,” he mouthed silently.

“Acorn Street park,” Mika whispered. “Right after the vigil.”

Theo nodded and gave Mika an exaggerated A-OK, then backed slowly into the crowd.

“Someone’s excited,” Kitty said, watching Theo disappear across the lawn.

Mika let out a slow breath. “I think I’ve created a monster.”

“Theo?”

“Kid’s gone ballistic. Organizing people, supplies. Who knew he had . . .” Mika paused as she caught sight of something over Kitty’s shoulder. Her eyes grew wide. “Barbara Ann!” she cried.

Kitty froze.

“Hey, Mika.”

Mika grabbed Kitty by the arm and spun her around. “You remember Kitty, right?”

“Hey!” Kitty said, turning around to face Barbara Ann with the biggest smile she could muster.

“Long time, no see.” Barbara Ann’s face was implacable in the gathering darkness, illuminated by the fluctuating candle flame. But unlike at their meeting at the Coffee Clash, Barbara Ann’s voice sounded sharp, each word tinged with attitude.

“I haven’t seen you in forever,” Mika said. “How have you been? What are you up to? Are you still playing club ball?”

“I’m good,” Barbara Ann said. “I’m at Gunn now, but I don’t play anymore.”

“What?” Mika exclaimed. “What the hell? Girl, you’re too good to not be playing.”

Barbara Ann shrugged. “Don’t want to. Not after what happened.”

Barbara Ann stared right at Kitty, her eyes teeming with hostility. Something had changed since their last meeting. Barbara Ann had been reserved that day but not hostile. Now she looked as if she wanted to tear Kitty limb from limb.

“I’m sorry,” Mika said. “Father Uberti is a dickwad for kicking you out of school.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about.” Barbara Ann’s gaze never faltered. “It’s amazing the things you find out about people you thought you could trust, you know?”

“Don’t worry,” Mika barreled on. “F.U.’s going to get what’s coming to him. Call it payback.”

Mika might have missed the pointedness of Barbara Ann’s comment, but Kitty did not. Barbara Ann’s face was tense, her nostrils flared. “Payback,” she said slowly. “I like that.”

If Kitty had ever had any doubt that Barbara Ann blamed her for getting kicked out of school, it vanished in that instant.

Kitty thought of the anonymous envelopes, full of someone else’s secrets. Could it be that someone knew hers? Could the same person who pointed her toward Bree and Christopher Beeman have spilled her dirty secret to Barbara Ann?

Olivia stood silently by Donté’s side. She tried not to smile. That would be totally inappropriate at a somber occasion like a candlelight vigil, but standing there with him, she could almost pretend that they were still a couple.

That sensation was short-lived. The crowd swelled and shifted, Donté was shuffled away, and suddenly Olivia felt someone press up behind her.

“Liv,” Rex whispered in her ear. His voice was thick and she could smell the alcohol on his breath. “You’re looking fine.”

“Uh, thanks?”

Was he really hitting on her at a memorial service?

“You wanna explain to me why we’ve never hooked up?”

Because you’re my best friend’s boyfriend? Olivia opened her mouth to tell Rex to piss off, when she paused. Rex had definitely been drinking. And one thing Olivia had learned about a drunk Rex was that he wouldn’t remember anything the next day. It was the perfect opportunity to troll for information on his connection to Ronny. Swallowing her comeback, Olivia turned to Rex and smiled sweetly. “This vigil is so sad, don’t you think?”

“Totally.” Rex leaned closer. “Totally sad.”

“I heard you and Ronny went way back,” she said, her voice low and soothing.

Rex swayed. “Nah. Only met him twice.”

How could Rex have had a history with Ronny if they’d only met twice? Olivia racked her brain, trying to think what other connection they might have had. “Didn’t you know him in junior high or something?”

“Junior high . . .” Rex abruptly stopped swaying. His eyes flitted over the crowd. “Goddamn homo. Is he here?”

Who was he talking about? Olivia took a stab in the dark. “Do you mean Christopher?”

Rex’s head snapped back to her. “You know about him?” He grabbed her arm, digging his fingers into her flesh. “What do you know? Tell me what you—”

“Rex!” Amber hissed. Rex released Olivia’s arm as his girlfriend wedged herself between them. “What are you doing?”

Rex glared at Olivia. “Nothing.”

“Uh-huh,” Amber said. “Sure.” She dragged him away, shooting Olivia a look that would have flayed the skin off a lion.

So, something happened between Christopher Beeman and Rex in junior high. Ronny must have known about it somehow. Kitty said that Ronny had tried to bully information out of Theo; had it been about Rex? And if so, would it be enough to kill for?

The key seemed to lie with Christopher Beeman. Who was he?

Bree leaned against the side of the school, hands shoved deep into the pockets of her hoodie, and gazed out over the assembled crowd. She wondered how many of them had actually known Ronny. A handful, she guessed. So why had so many people gathered to mourn his loss? Curiosity? A sense of duty? Community support? Or was it just the sort of thing you did when one of your classmates was murdered? Bree had no idea. Hell, she had no idea why she was there, other than that something had drawn her to the vigil.

The front door of the school opened, and Father Uberti walked out onto the steps, followed by a bull-chested man and a bleached-blond woman, both dressed in black. They held hands and stood at Father Uberti’s shoulder as he addressed the crowd.

“Thank you all for coming tonight,” Father Uberti began. “In the face of a senseless tragedy, it is comforting to find such tremendous support in the community.” He gestured to the couple behind him. “Mr. and Mrs. DeStefano have asked me to convey their gratitude for all the sympathy you’ve given over the last few days.” He turned and shook Mr. DeStefano’s hand.

Bree felt her throat catch. However much of a jerk Ronny might have been, his parents looked absolutely devastated, and Bree couldn’t help but wonder if her own parents would feel such overwhelming sadness at the loss of their only daughter, or if that degree of sorrow would be reserved only for the death of Henry Jr.

Father Uberti turned back to the crowd. “And now I’ll lead us in a prayer of remembrance.” He bowed his head. “Let us pray.”

As Father Uberti began his prayer, Bree caught sight of Shane hanging out near the back of the crowd. He was standing by himself, checking his cell phone. Bree hastily wiped a stray tear from her cheek with the back of her hand and slowly made her way toward him.

“Hi!” Bree whispered.

“Bree!” His eyes strayed to her hands. “You don’t have a candle.”

“Oh.” Right, it was a candlelight vigil and she was the only person there without a candle. Good job, Bree.

“It’s okay. I don’t think Ronny will mind.” He elbowed her in the arm as if he’d just made a tremendous joke.

Bree started. Making a joke about a dead kid at his vigil was borderline tasteless, and it made Bree vaguely uncomfortable.

“Amen,” Father Uberti said.

The entire crowd replied in unison. “Amen.”

“I know many of you are concerned about the safety of your children,” Father Uberti began. “But I want to assure you that both the Archdiocese and the Menlo Park Police Department are doing everything they can to protect the students of Bishop DuMaine. In addition to the continued police presence on campus, in the coming days, we’ll be implementing a new peer monitoring system.”

“Peer monitoring?” Shane asked. “Does he mean like TV cameras?”

“I think he’s talking about the ’Maine Men,” Bree said. The idea that those cavemen would be given even more power made Bree nervous.

“Hey!” Something caught Shane’s eye across the lawn. “There’s Bagsie,” he said. “Damn, Bree. Cordy’s trying to muscle in on your territory.”

“Huh?” Bree followed Shane’s line of sight and saw John standing with his mom, Cordy hanging off his arm.

“She’s such a groupie,” Shane said with a sigh. “Not a bad kisser, though.”

As Bree stared at John and Cordy, she couldn’t decide which image was more disturbing: Cordy making out with Shane or Cordy making out with John.

“And on Monday,” Father Uberti continued, “there will be an announcement of a new school-wide safety policy. Details will be emailed to parents via the contact network, so please be sure to read the email carefully. I know you will find the information”—he paused—“interesting.”

Bree was skeptical. The last time F.U. had implemented a new school-wide policy he’d given birth to the ’Maine Men.

This couldn’t be good.