Thanks to everyone who is still reading and reviewing this! Especially jayne-190 (thank you for going back to review every chp from the start - and thanks for all the lovely things you said) and Cuddy Cabin (rock on! Teehee) and Kristen (I hope I keep it so as it still doesn't get dull)and (how many 'ands' is that now? I've gone and used to many haven't I? That last sentnace is sooo gramatically incorrect...eh, ah well...) to anyone else who keeps reviewing this! Thanks so, so, so much! xxx
I'm really despairing now. It's been over a half hour, we've talked to over fifteen students from James's class and each one said the same thing. That he was a quiet, reserved kid, who was both polite and gentle. I was getting sick of hearing the same thing over and over.
"How can anyone be this fucking perfect?" Bosco grumbles as he follows me down the corridor. I shrug.
"Maybe he's just a good kid," I suggest rather meekly. Bosco looks at me, his lips quirking into some sort of smile. Rolling my eyes, I let out a heavy sigh. "Ok, something's up."
"I mean not one kid has said anything remotely offensive about him Yokas. Not one," Bosco continues. I look between the youngsters in the hallway, each seem to stare back at me like I'm intruding on their personal space. I felt more at ease at Tariq's school and that's saying something.
"We've still got a few more to go," I say, my eyes scanning the faces. Bosco lets out a bitter chuckle.
"And I wonder what they're going to say? We're wasting our time here Faith," he sighs, exasperated. I swear, sometimes he gets on worse than a five year old being dragged out grocery shopping.
I stop abruptly, causing him to crash into my back. "For Gods sake Bosco! Could you please stop whining for just thirty more minutes?" I say, my voice shrill. He recoils, standing back from me. And it's worse than telling a five year old off. His eyes widen and he looks like someone's just ripped out his heart and torn in into pieces. I regret being so harsh almost immediately. "I know it seems we're going in circles but this kid has to have at least one enemy," I say, my tone softening.
He gazes back at me, and gulps, forcing a nod. "Yeah…"
"Come on," I urge pulling him by the arm up the hall. We come to the Biology lab, as a few students are packing up to leave. Most rush past but one girl in particular catches my eye. She stands at the back, collecting her things slowly, while alternately glancing up at us. I wait patiently for the rest to leave and finally break breath.
"Hi," I say smiling down at her, "I'm Detective Yokas, this is…."
"I know who you are," she cuts me off mid sentence.
"Well I don't know who you are," I reply making my way down the class.
"I'm Kaci Bosworth. One of James's classmates. My name's probably on your sheet there," she tells me pointing at the piece of paper in my hand. Instinctively I scan through the list and find her name somewhere in the middle.
"Yeah…" I say looking back at Bosco. He shrugs. "Do you mind if we talk with you?"
She continues to zip up her black backpack, hoisting it up over her slim shoulder. She's rather small and petite, with short blonde hair, layered so as it falls over her eyes and face, and huge brown eyes. "Shoot," she says, straightening her skirt.
"Do you know James?"
She laughs. Cynically.
"Everyone knows James," she replies.
"And? What do you think of him?"
"He's an egotistical, self-centred, violent shit head who's so narcissistic that it would take about five classrooms just to make room for his big fucking head."
Bosco lets out a laugh, genuinely amused by her assessment of James Brent. I throw him a withering glance and he clasps his hand over his mouth to hide the smile on his face.
She just stares at me, her confession leaving her fighting for breath.
"Well now that's in quite a contrast to what the other's have said," I reply, a little shocked by her honestly. She rolls her eyes, swiping a folder off the table.
"Let me guess? He's quiet? Polite? Sweet? Well he's not. They're only saying those things because his daddy owns the biggest fucking company in the area meaning most of their daddy's are his employees. You don't say anything bad about the bosses son," Kaci says, her eyebrows arched.
Bosco is still grinning at her and I can't help but smile too. She's smarter than a lot of the kids we've talked to today. She seems to know her own mind, and isn't afraid to say exactly what she's thinking. She's also not afraid of us.
"So…doesn't your family work for Brent then?" I ask.
"My Mum worked her ass off to save for my tuition. She works down at the bank. And even if she did work for that bastards dad, I'd still have no problem telling you about him."
"Ok…but that doesn't explain why the teachers had such nice things to say."
"Ah, hello? Daddy Brent donates a lot of money to this school every year, and I don't mean the tuition fees he pays…"
I look back at Bosco, who merely shrugs. His arms are crossed with one hand up at his mouth. "So what makes you say all that stuff about him then?"
She frowns, bemused by my question. "The fact that he is all those things. Everyone knows it. It's just nobody's willing to say it."
"Except you," Bosco adds. Her gaze switches to him and she rolls her eyes again.
"You think I'm lying?"
"No…but you gotta see it from where we're standing Kaci. I mean all these kids say the same thing and you come along with a huge barrage of insults for the guy…" he says, his arms falling by his sides.
She holds up her hand, turning away from us. "Whatever. It's your bad if you don't listen to me."
"Well give us a reason to," I tell her, "Tell me something I don't know about James Brent."
"You want the truth?" she asks flinging her backpack onto the ground, "Fine. He's a big fucking bully. He hangs around with his pig-headed friends (Josh Ritter, Brendan Patterson and Mike Heaney) and they go around giving everyone hell. And I don't mean things like name-calling. I mean full on violent shit. He smokes, he drinks, he's rude, he's aggressive, he's volatile, but he's also very smart and very cunning. And even if he does get caught the teachers turn a blind eye 'cause of who he is."
I take her in, listening carefully to her rant. She only pauses to regain some composure, taking a long breath and slowly lets it out. "The other week he slammed David Lane into his locker so hard that he rendered him unconscious and he had to be taken to the hospital. Check with the nurse if you don't believe me. Although she won't tell you the real reason behind what happened. She'll probably tell you he fell or some shit like that."
"And you saw this happen?" Bosco asks her. I'm surprised to find him taking notes, his pen in hand pointing it at the notepad resting on one of the desks. He seems so…professional. I have the impulse to laugh but choke it back.
"Yeah. I was standing right beside him when he did it. He then continued to threaten me with the same thing and him and his friends stalked off down the hall."
"Must have been scary," I say. She shrugs, turning her head away.
"I'm not afraid of him," she informs me nonchalantly. I smile despite myself. We all fall into a silence as Bosco scribbles down some notes. She watches me; as if she has something else to say but just isn't sure how to say it.
"Everything ok?" I ask gently. She licks her lips, averting her gaze to the ceiling.
"I just…I heard why you're here…. is it true…is it true he killed that girl?" she asks.
"We just want to ask him a few questions about it," Bosco cuts in without looking up.
"So…why are you asking us about what we think of him?"
"We're just furthering our enquires. Following a few leads," he replies flashing her a quick smile, "There's nothing to be scared of."
"Like I said…I'm not afraid of him…." she repeats staring at Bosco.
"Well that's all we need for now Kaci," I say, nodding at her, "Thanks for your help."
We both turn to leave. "If you asked me if I thought he had killed that girl….I would probably said yeah. Without a doubt…"
I crane my neck around to look at her. She stands by the desk, for the first time since I first laid eyes on her, looking vulnerable. I force a smile.
"This conversation, as far as we're concerned, doesn't leave this room," I tell her, "Ok?"
She nods, smiling back. "Ok. Thank you."
We both leave, Bosco leaning down to my ear to talk to me. His breath laps against my neck and suddenly I feel a tiny bit flustered. "You think she's tellin' the truth? Or is she an ex-girlfriend scorned?"
"You met James Brent right?" I retort, "What do you think?"
He must stop to consider it for a moment because I hear him sprint up behind me to catch up.