Free Glimpse by Kendra Leighton Page B

the inn with you. But on one condition.’ She paused for dramatic effect. ‘We research its ghosts.’
    I pulled a face. My life was creepy enough. ‘I don’t know.’
    ‘Oh, come on! It’ll be fun. We can research the proper historical stuff too, but let’s at least make part of our presentation entertaining. And you’d find out something about the people who used to live in your inn. What do you say?’
    ‘I say . . .’ I couldn’t say no, so I shrugged. ‘Sure.’
    The rest of the lesson, Miss Webb had us planning our research and drawing up presentation outlines. Susie’s enthusiasm for our project was contagious, and for most of the rest of the hour I almost forgot my concerns. But, as the hour went on, I found my thoughts slipping back to the vanishing boy last night, to Scott watching from his car, to Scott telling me he knew all about me.
    ‘Susie, can I ask you something?’
    ‘Yup.’ She looked up from her scribbled notes, and suddenly looked crestfallen. ‘You changed your mind about researching ghosts.’
    ‘No, the project’s fine. I wanted to ask you about those guys we saw in the corridor yesterday.’
    She frowned. ‘What about them?’
    ‘What do you think of Scott Crowley? His dad works at my inn and Scott spends a lot of time around my house—’
    ‘Scott goes round your house?’ she interrupted. ‘That’s not good, Liz. You really want to stay out of his way.’
    I raised my eyebrows. I hadn’t expected such a strong reaction. ‘Nobody likes him, do they? Is there something I should know?’
    She chewed her lip. A long moment passed. ‘Talk to me after class,’ she said.
    When the break bell rang, I followed after Susie in a bubble of silence. She looked through each of the classroom doors we passed, until she found an empty room. We both went inside.
    I turned to her with wide eyes. I didn’t know what reaction I’d expected to my questions about Scott, but it wasn’t anything as serious as this.
    ‘Hang on,’ she said. ‘I’m just going to text Matt not to wait for me.’
    I nodded and perched on one of the desks at the front of the room, nervous, as if I was the one who’d done something wrong.
    A moment later, Susie pulled herself onto the desk opposite mine. Her dark hair framed her face, her features set to serious.
    ‘You’re going to tell me something really bad, aren’t you?’
    ‘’Fraid so.’ She sighed. ‘Just so you know, I’m only telling you this ’cause I have to. None of us talk about it any more. But if he’s around your house . . . you need to know.’
    I nodded and braced myself.
    Susie hunched forwards and tucked her hands into the pockets of her black hoody. ‘It started in year five. When we were in primary school, Scott was a bully. Not the worst kind, he didn’t hit people or anything, but us girls and the nicer boys stayed out of his way.
    ‘But then, right at the end of year five, he started being really weird. He stopped being so nasty, but he wasn’t nice either. Most of us still stayed away from him, but this one girl, Lucy, didn’t. She let him sit by her, and before we knew it he was giving her these little presents, walking home from school with her, that sort of thing. We were only ten, we all thought he was in love with her.’
    I nodded again, unease creeping in my blood like an infection. I didn’t know where this was going, but I didn’t like the set-up.
    ‘So, one day, right at the beginning of the summer holidays, Scott rang Lucy and invited her to the river to play with him and his mates. Next thing we all hear . . .’ Susie dropped her voice to a whisper. ‘Lucy’s dead. Drowned.’
    ‘Oh my God.’ I clutched at my locket. ‘You don’t mean Scott . . .?’
    ‘Officially, he’s innocent.’ She shrugged. ‘But the police investigation went on all summer. Hulbourn was one big dramatic crime scene; it was all anyone talked about for months. They interviewed all the kids, all the parents . . . I mean,