Free We Know It Was You by Maggie Thrash Page B

up. It was Marty Robeson, dragging his giant stand-up bass.
    â€œYeah, do you know where he is?” Benny asked.
    â€œNo. He’s not here. I’ve been dragging this bass around for half an hour trying to find him.”
    â€œCouldn’t you just put the bass down?” Virginia asked. Next to her, Benny rolled his eyes again. Why did Virginia have to harp on everyone all the time?
    â€œNo,” Marty said. “It might get stolen. Right, Scooby?”
    Benny nodded weakly. The Case of the Disappearing Horn felt childish and ludicrous to him now. He wished people would stop reminding him of it.
    The parking lot, 4:00 p.m.
    Virginia dropped some change into the Coke machine and pulled out a Dr Pepper. “They’re replacing this with a juicemachine next semester,” she said. “Which is stupid, because juice has just as much sugar as soda. It’s like the biggest impostor of healthy beverages.”
    Benny was standing behind a tree, peeking his head out to scan the parking lot for Mr. Choi’s blue Honda.
    â€œDid you know that?” Virginia asked, crossing toward him. “About juice having just as much sugar as soda? It’s like, you may as well drink a soda. Are you even listening to me?”
    â€œHm? Yeah, I’m listening. . . .”
    â€œWell what did I just say, then?”
    Benny pointed suddenly. “Look, there it is!”
    â€œThere’s what?”
    â€œMr. Choi’s car. Way over there.”
    Virginia looked where Benny was pointing and saw Mr. Choi’s dented blue Honda parked at the end of the lot. Benny got out his phone and started dialing a number.
    â€œWho are you calling?” Virginia asked.
    â€œMy mom. I have to tell her I’ll be late for dinner.”
    â€œWhy, are we going somewhere?”
    â€œWe should stay here until Mr. Choi shows up.”
    â€œA stakeout!” Virginia cried excitedly.
    Benny sauntered off to argue with his mother on the phone. “Mom, it’s for Mystery Club.  . . . I can’t; I’m the president.  . . . I have barely any homework. . . . Mom, please ?”
    Virginia dug a pair of sunglasses out of her bag,prepared to wait a while. She’d grown used to overhearing this weird ritual between Benny and his mother. It wasn’t very suspenseful—Mrs. Flax always let Benny do what he wanted in the end. But she always made him fight for it first. Maybe that’s the difference between Benny and everyone else, Virginia thought. He’s been trained to have convictions.
    She looked up from her Dr Pepper and noticed a girl walking toward the parking lot. She immediately recognized the lithe frame and billowing blond hair: It was Angie Montague. Quickly Virginia ducked behind the tree and motioned frantically for Benny to hang up the phone.
    â€œHm? Mom, I have to go. I love you. Bye.” He snapped the phone shut. “Virginia, what?”
    â€œIt’s Angie!” she hissed, pointing across the parking lot. “I don’t think she saw me.” They watched Angie striding between the cars, heading toward her silver Lexus. Her gait was graceful and quick.
    â€œShe doesn’t seem very drugged out to me,” Benny said. “I thought you said she was, like, a wreck.”
    â€œWell maybe the drugs wore off . . . ,” Virginia answered. Angie seemed very crisp and put together for someone who had been on drugs and sobbing in the girls’ room an hour ago.
    â€œIs that how drugs work?” Benny asked. “One minute you’re a wreck; the next you’re fine?”
    â€œShe changed her shoes,” Virginia observed. “When Isaw her, she had on these ludicrous high heels. Wait, look.” She pointed to the Lexus. “There’s someone waiting for her in the passenger seat.”
    Benny squinted. A thick white cloud reflected on the windshield, making it hard to see. “I