How badly did a person’s circuitry have to be wired to make them capable of that?

She was thinking about Markus, about the lockbox and the key. She was thinking about ending this.

Zora yawned, sprawling out on her back. Lauren tickled her belly and let her head fall, closing her eyes.

38

GARY

Gary walked down the school’s hallways, paranoia touching him. He’d searched the surrounding area of the school as Scott had suggested. He’d felt like a jackass, making the circuit, looking in as many cars as possible. But Scott had asked him to do it, and so he did.

He nodded to one of the teachers as he passed. He’d visited Scott at school a few times, as well as attending a couple of their parties. Gary adjusted his visitor’s badge.

Approaching Scott’s classroom, he took a moment to ready himself for what he might find. Scott had sounded so different on the phone, not at all like the man Gary had known for more than a decade. It had been over a week since they’d seen each other. How much could Scott realistically change in that time?

Gary wasn’t sure, but the thought made his hips ache, as if leaching onto the old memory.

He rounded the corner and walked through the door. Scott wasn’t there. Instead, a woman sat at the desk.

“You must be Lauren.”

She rose, covering her mouth as she swallowed her lunch. “I’m afraid you have me at a loss.”

“I’m Gary.” He crossed the room and offered his hand. “Is Scott about?”

She shook his hand, saying, “No, he called in sick… again.”

“Fuck.” He flinched, shaking his head. “Sorry. I just… did he say why?”

Gary’s mind flooded with a million nasty visions, all of them worse than the last. Casey could’ve badly hurt him and… No, that wasn’t right. Scott must’ve called in sick himself. But what if Casey had done it for him, claiming he’d lost his voice?

“Just that he wasn’t feeling well,” Lauren said.

“Did you speak to him?”

“Yes.”

“I mean, him specifically.”

She nodded. “Yes.”

Lauren touched her bracelet, in what seemed like a familiar gesture. “I’m not sure if I should mention this. But, well… Has Scott spoken to you recently, about anything, uh, related to his personal life?”

Gary looked at her, reading the glint in her eyes. “Yeah. He told me you’d offered to go to the book club for him.”

Gary sat down and Lauren did the same. He thought he could see concern in her expression.

“I found something yesterday,” Lauren said. “Scott calls you his best friend, sort of gets an excited little-boy look when he says it. I’m guessing he won’t mind if I tell you?”

Gary found himself smiling; he liked it when people offered up light banter. It made everything easier. “So what was it?” he asked.

“I went to visit Casey’s ex-husband…”

She glanced at Gary, as if silently questioning why Scott didn’t ask Gary to go. And that was a good point, as far as he was concerned. He’d made it clear he would help him. But what had Scott said last night? He didn’t want Gary getting involved.