Todd Strasser - Blood on my hands

“I hate you!” Dakota cried, picking up the shuttlecock.

“No, you don’t,” Katherine said.

“Oh, I so hate you!” Dakota insisted, and served. Once again they started batting the little ball back and forth. And almost immediately Katherine hit it just out of Dakota’s reach.

“Grrrrr.” Her face glistening, Dakota gritted her teeth and kept playing.

“Did Dakota say something?” I whispered to Jodie.

“No. She never talks about Katherine. Ever. Even that’s a sign. It’s like she knows she can’t trust herself to say the right thing. I mean, think about the family she comes from. They’re all politicians. It’s all about saying and doing the right thing.”

That might have been true, but it also meant that Jodie had no real evidence of animosity between the two girls. Meanwhile, Dakota and Katherine were once again absorbed in thrashing at the shuttlecock. Still whispering, I asked, “I know what you said about the Chinese general, but seriously, if Dakota hates Katherine so much, why does she want to be her friend?”

“Because they both want the same thing.”

Before I could ask what that thing was, Katherine balled her hand into a fist and cried, “Yes!”

On the other side of the net, Dakota took several determined steps toward a large potted plant nearby and swung the racket down as hard as she could. Crack! I jumped at the sound of the frame shattering against the edge of the clay pot. Dakota tossed the broken racket away and purposefully stood with her back toward us, as if she didn’t want us to see how furious she was.

Katherine smiled, as if she enjoyed causing so much anguish. “I’m getting something to drink,” she announced, dropping her racket in the grass, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand, and heading toward the house.

Dakota stood by the badminton net-her face red and glistening, her eyes narrowed, her jaw clenched-glowering as if she were ready to kill. I felt an elbow touch my arm and turned to find Jodie with one eyebrow raised as if to say, See?

Sunday 5:08 P.M.

THE FRONT DOOR of the apartment is across the room. I’ll have to get past Tallon to reach it.

Once again Jasmine says insistently, “Tallon?”

“Can it wait?” Tallon answers, clearly uncomfortable about taking her eyes off me.

I decide to take a step, to see how she reacts.

“I’d appreciate it next time if you’d ask before you use our living room for tutoring,” Jasmine says in a huff, and closes her door.

Tallon turns and stares at me, clearly bewildered.

“For God’s sake, Tallon,” I whisper, “do you really think I could kill anyone?”

“But the pictures…”

I start to whisper fast, desperate to make her understand before she screams for help. “She was dead when I found her, and someone took a picture that made it look like I did it.” I just hope Jasmine doesn’t have her ear pressed to the door. “Can’t we talk someplace more private?”

Tallon stiffens. Does she think that maybe this is my way of getting her alone so that I can stab her, too? Callie Carson, serial maniac killer. Tallon has definitely been watching too much CSI . I pat my pockets and turn my palms out, showing her that I’m not carrying any weapons. “Tallon, please. This is serious . I’m desperate. You have to listen.”

She gestures to the couch and takes a seat on the other side of the small coffee table. “If you didn’t do it, why not just go to the police and tell them what happened?”

“You saw the pictures. Everyone thinks I did it. I mean, come on, you think I did it, too.”

Tallon averts her eyes, more or less confirming what I’ve just said. “There was something on the news this morning about how it might have been sexual,” she says in a low voice. “If that’s the case, why would they be looking for you?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “There are a lot of things about this that don’t make sense.”

Tallon studies me. “Why did you come here?”

“Last spring, a few weeks before the PACE show, something happened between Dakota and Katherine. Like, for a couple of weeks they were completely icy to each other. Didn’t speak, wouldn’t even look at each other. Dakota wouldn’t even come into the cafeteria at lunch. I know they fought a lot, but this time it was different. It went on for much longer and seemed more serious. And then it went back to normal. I came here to see if you know what happened.”

Tallon’s eyebrows rise. I was worried that she wouldn’t even know what I was talking about, but her reaction tells me she knows exactly . “Why do you want to know about that?”

I have to answer carefully. I don’t want her to think that I may be trying to pin Katherine’s murder on Dakota. “I… heard something.”

The faint lines around Tallon’s eyes deepen and she slowly nods her head. “It was really personal, Callie. I can’t imagine how it could have had anything to do with Katherine getting killed. It would be pretty far-fetched, don’t you think?”

I have no idea what she’s talking about, but I have to pretend. “It may be far-fetched, but put yourself in my place. Right now it’s all I’ve got to go on. It may be a dead end, or maybe it will lead to something else.”

Tallon purses her lips, as if she’s not sure what to do. I wonder why she doesn’t just tell me to go ask Dakota about it, but clearly something is making her hesitate. “Listen, Callie, I understand that this is incredibly serious for you, but the reason people confide in me is because they trust me. I can’t go revealing the intimate details of someone’s life just because you think there’s a slim chance it might pertain to your situation. I’m really sorry, but frankly, I can’t see how these two things could be connected. I mean, we both know what you’re implying. Do you really think Dakota is capable of doing something like that?”

It’s hard for me not to jump up and gasp, Yes! But I can’t, because I have no idea what Tallon’s talking about. What intimate details?

“I know,” I reply, trying to sound like I’m commiserating about the situation she’s in. “You don’t want to betray anyone’s trust. It’s just… they ran so hot and cold.”

“What do you expect? They’re rivals. If it wasn’t for Katherine, Dakota would be the queen.”

If I can just keep her talking… “But what happened before the PACE show felt different. More serious.”

Tallon lets out a sigh, as if she’s torn about what to do. “Well, I guess the only other person you could speak to would be Griffen himself.”

Griffen ?

The bedroom door opens and Jasmine comes out. She looks at us and frowns. If Tallon’s tutoring me, why aren’t there books open on the coffee table? I’ve raised her suspicions and put Tallon in an awkward situation. And who is this Griffen person?

Jasmine goes into the kitchen and I hear water running. Tallon leans close to me and whispers, “You have to go. You know the police want anyone who sees you to report it. I could get into really big trouble for this.”

I slowly start to rise and whisper, “I would have gone to Griffen in the first place, but I didn’t know how to find him.”

“I’m sure he’s on Facebook,” Tallon whispers back.

We start to cross the living room. I can feel Jasmine’s eyes on me. We get to the door, but instead of going through it, I hesitate and say, “I would have tried Facebook, but I forgot his last name.”

“Clemment,” Tallon whispers urgently, as if she wants me to leave, now!

“Right. Thanks.” I go out the door and down the steps as fast as I can without appearing to run.