They were followed by Sergeant Mathews, who I didn’t even realize knew Martinez. But there he was. At six foot six, he looked more like an NBA center than a cop. Then, of course, Bill Brandon and his perfect hair and teeth came strolling in last with his entourage.
I watched it for as long as I could. When the commentators came back on and began smearing Liam, I switched the channel. I couldn’t watch anything anymore.
I paced up and down the staircase like a caged animal, trying to figure out how Silver had pulled this off. Even when I’d thought I was being clever with the license plate clue, he’d seen it coming and used it to lure me into another kill. He punished me for getting Detective Martinez involved with the cell phone tower signals by killing him and framing Liam for it. I wanted to run but had nowhere to go. And even if I had a destination in mind, two guards were stationed outside my house.
My heart was practically beating out of my chest—not only from climbing the stairs over and over again, but also from a growing sense of claustrophobia. I stopped at the top of the stairs and looked out the one window that wasn’t blinded by drapes, the half circle of glass above the entryway. All I could see were blue skies, palm trees swaying—and an angel, walking up the driveway. A brown-skinned angel dressed in Daisy Dukes with a bright yellow flower in her hair.
Alana.
I rushed down the stairs and opened the door before she even had a chance to reach the front steps. She stopped when she saw me and cocked her head sideways with a Don’t jump on me look.
Too bad.
I ran and threw my arms around her. I couldn’t care less that the guards were probably freaking out about my unauthorized exit.
“I’m so sorry, Ruby,” she said as she nuzzled into my neck. “I’ve been the worst friend ever. I just got your message. I totally sucketh—”
“Stop. You don’t suck,” I assured her. “You’re here.”
“I heard about Liam and that Detective. I just can’t believe it.”
“I know.” I pulled back to face her. “Don’t believe it, because it’s not true. Come on, let’s get in the house before those paparazzi leeches get any more ammunition. You never know if your butt will make the front page tomorrow.”
“You think so?” she asked, sounding flattered. “It could be the start of my butt-modeling career.”
“Miss Rose,” Buff Security Guy Number 1 said, blocking the entrance. “We don’t have clearance for anyone but you to enter the premises.”
“Yeah, well, she’s coming in whether you like it or not. She’s my best friend. So go ahead and try to stop us.”
Buff Guy Number 1 gave Buff Guy Number 2 a nervous glance.
“What are you going to do? Fight me?” I led Alana through the two of them and grabbed the front door. “Call Warden Jane if you want. We’ll be inside.”
Slam—that felt good.
As soon as we got to my room, Alana handed me a thick stack of papers.
“Your makeup work,” she said. “Well, most of it. I actually got this two days ago and was going to bring it over yesterday, but I wasn’t sure if you’d want to see me.”
“Oh my gosh, thanks.” I wasn’t allowed to go back to school until this was all “cleared up.” Not just my lungs, but the allegations piling up around me. But if there was a chance I could still graduate with perfect grades, I’d take it. I plopped it all down on my desk before joining Alana on my bed.
“So,” she said warily, her eyes roaming the room as if looking for body parts.
“Look, Alana, thanks for coming. I know how complicated all this is, and there’s probably nothing I can say to explain—”
“Then don’t,” she broke in. “You don’t have to explain anything to me. I only came to make sure you’re OK. I see your picture on the news. I hear your name in the halls. Everyone has a theory on your involvement with another murder. They’re saying the craziest things. Like you put Liam up to killing that cop, that maybe you had something to do with your own dad’s death.”
Ouch.
“That you’re going to go after me next,” Alana continued. “And I just couldn’t take it anymore. I almost punched Taylor in her big ol’—”
“Oh, I am so sure, Alana,” I said. “You and what army? I won’t be there to back you up, so don’t go getting yourself into any trouble because of me.” I couldn’t bear to think of putting Alana in any more danger. All I had ever wanted to do was protect her. Even from that first day on the playground when I found her crying in the corner.
“I’m really worried about you, Rue,” she said, looking me directly in the eyes. “Things just seem to go from bad to worse. When is it going to stop?”
“I don’t know.” My shoulders slumped. “Maybe never. Honestly, I don’t see me coming out of this one unscathed, Alana. There’s too much I can’t explain. And my mom…” I searched for the words to describe the great divide between us. “I don’t know if she’s going to be able to stop me from going to prison for a very long time. Even if she wanted to.”
“What are you talking about?” Alana tipped my chin up to face her. “Who is this person sitting here? And what have you done with Ruby Rose?”
“It’s not that simple. My mom promised me she’d help exonerate Liam, but then behind my back she seems intent on using him as a scapegoat for Detective Martinez’s murder. I’m getting desperate. I’m almost to the point of confessing myself even though I didn’t do it. I swear, Alana, the man responsible for this is the same guy who made me kill LeMarq and…” I stopped there. I didn’t need to bring up the laundry list of other bad dudes I’d killed.
“Shut up, I know you guys couldn’t have done it,” she said. “Not only do I believe you, Ruby, but I believe in you.”
“But it’s not over. He’s going to find a way to lure me out again. I can’t stop him, he’s too smart—”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa—have you forgotten how freakishly brilliant you are? You are smarter than this guy. You are totally capable of beating him. And you don’t have to rely on your flaky mom to do it.”
Alana didn’t get it. She didn’t have all the facts. She was too naive and ignorant of the truth to understand that even if my mom came through on Liam, I couldn’t let all those murders (that Alana didn’t even know about) get swept under the rug. No amount of her Rah-Rah-Ruby cheerleading would change the fact that I would eventually have to confess to having killed these men, and my story was too unbelievable for redemption.
“You don’t understand.”
“Stop it, Ruby.” She raised her voice and grabbed my hand. “Stop it with your glass-half-empty bull-crap. All is not lost. Your dad, Mr. Badass Jack Rose, didn’t train you for all those years so you could give up.”
“My dad?” I sat a little straighter at the mention of his name.
“That’s right. Don’t forget what he taught you. I used to think he was psycho—the way he made you his little Barbie Soldier. Turns out, he was psychic or something. He must’ve known this could happen.”
I stared out the window, digesting her totally un-naive, non-ignorant wisdom. I had underestimated my incredibly loyal best friend, just like I’d underestimated Liam.
“He wouldn’t let you give up, and neither will I. So tell me you’re going to fight,” Alana demanded.
The strength of my dad’s soul surged inside me. Memories of us sitting on our surfboards past the break came crashing back. Days at the shooting range and nights at the dojo. It was true: My dad wanted me to be ready. He prepared me for the time my shoreline would be tested. I’m sure he never imagined it would be quite like this. But he knew someone was a threat to his family. He’d made sure I was strong enough, smart enough, and prepared enough to endure it.