Free We Know It Was You by Maggie Thrash

It was about ten seconds of footage, taken on a jerky camera phone: a grayish expanse of skin—the naked backof Brittany’s corpse—bobbing into view before disappearing around the river bend. Just remembering it made Benny shudder.
    The local news had been dominated all weekend by outraged community members demanding to know how the police force could possibly be so incompetent. The river was basically a one-way street. All they had to do was stake out a position downriver and wait for the body to float past. But so far no one had been able to catch it. Maybe Virginia was right, Benny thought. Maybe this really is some horrible, morbid prank.
    â€œCan you believe they’re keeping the mascot costume?” Benny turned and saw Virginia clomping down the bleachers toward him.
    â€œThey’re keeping it?” Benny repeated incredulously as Virginia plopped down next to him.
    â€œApparently the wildcat head was like three thousand dollars, and there isn’t any money to get a new one. I just saw Coach Graffe scrubbing it down in the locker room. Some poor girl’s going to have to wear it at the game next week. After Brittany, like, decomposed in it for two days.”
    At this Gerard Cole suddenly snapped out of his stupor. He glared at Virginia and shouted, “Don’t talk about Brittany like that!”
    Virginia scoffed. “What? I barely said anything.”
    â€œBrittany will never decompose in our hearts!” Gerard shouted, thumping his chest with his curled fist.
    Virginia snorted, trying not to laugh, but obviously not trying very hard.
    â€œLeave him alone,” Benny said. He wished Virginia would just ignore Gerard and explain what they were doing here.
    â€œYou should give that video to the police,” Gerard said, standing up and pointing at them. “You think this is a game, you and your silly club!”
    â€œWhat is he talking about?” Benny whispered.
    â€œOh, the bridge footage,” Virginia said. “I showed him.”
    â€œYou WHAT?” Benny hissed.
    â€œYou’re both jerks,” Gerard went on. “You don’t care about Brittany at all.”
    â€œShut up, Gerard,” Virginia snapped at him. “Leave us alone. Go cry on Corny’s boobs.”
    â€œYou’re jerks!” Gerard repeated, and with that he turned and stumbled over to the far end of the bleachers.
    â€œWow, that guy needs to get a grip,” Virginia said. She glanced at Benny, expecting him to agree. But he was just gawking at her. She realized Benny probably didn’t think it was cool to make fun of dweebs, because he was one.
    â€œOh my God, Benny, you’re not even close to that bad,” Virginia assured him quickly. “He’s pathetic .”
    But Benny just looked confused. Finally he said, “What on earth possessed you to show the video to him? Gerard , Virginia! Gerard!”
    â€œOh, that? I don’t know. He had some revolting theoryabout Brittany being raped in her mascot suit by Trevor Cheek. I felt sorry for him.”
    â€œWell for all we know, that was him on the bridge, and now he knows somebody saw.”
    â€œOh . . . I didn’t think of that.”
    You never think, Benny thought. It was Virginia’s main liability. He’d known something like this would happen eventually. He should never have let her join Mystery Club in the first place, but Benny believed in justice and inclusivity, and that everyone deserved the chance to improve themselves through the act of mystery solving.
    â€œI’m sorry,” Virginia was saying. “I’m really sorry.”
    Benny looked at her. She looked sorry. She looked more than sorry—she looked scared, like she was afraid Benny was about to kick her out of the club or something.
    â€œIt’s okay,” Benny said, trying to swallow his irritation. “I mean, it probably wasn’t Gerard on the bridge anyway, or else he