Free Dial Em for Murder by Marni Bates

came as much of a surprise to her. “Did you know that they have an Olympic-sized swimming pool?”
    No, but it didn’t come as a shock.
    “Uh, that’s great.”
    Thanks for the update, Mom, but I’m going to be a little preoccupied searching for my long-lost father to swim laps
probably wouldn’t have gone over well. Not exactly the response she wanted to hear from me.
    “They also have a rock climbing wall, a fencing instructor, and an observation deck for anyone interested in astrology!” Her toffee-colored eyes widened as she pointed to the heavily smudged screen of our ancient computer. “This place is incredible! It’s like a summer camp.”
    The door to my mom’s bedroom jerked open, smacking against the wall with a disconcerting slam, and revealing an irritated Viktor. “Why so noisy out here?” he demanded in his thick Russian accent.
    My mom visibly withdrew into herself. “Sorry, sweetie.”
    I gritted my teeth to stop from pointing out that for a guy who didn’t pay rent he sure liked playing king of the castle.
    “I’m leaving, Vik,” I refused to flinch as his eyes narrowed in distaste at the nickname.
    His bushy eyebrows furrowed as he took in the golden-haired boy holding my suitcase and Audrey’s small feminine palm resting reassuringly on my arm.
    “You are moving in with him,” Viktor jerked his head at Ben, unconcerned with his own inability to remember my best friend’s name. “This is good. You stay there. Keep out of trouble.”
    His utter lack of concern for my well-being didn’t bother me in the slightest. It meant I didn’t have to fake more than passing civility myself.
    “Well, thanks, Vik. That’s real sweet of you.”
    My mom winced. “It really is for the best, honey. You’re going to love it there.”
    No more tears, Emmy,
I ordered myself.
Lock it down. There’s no point in wishing that she cared less about him and more about me. She can’t help the way she’s wired. Smile, nod, and walk out the door with your dignity intact.
    I almost crumbled when she pulled me into another hug.
    “I’ll see you later, Mom,” I managed to say around the lump in my throat before I followed Ben and Audrey out the door. It was easier to breathe with a wall separating me from Viktor, easier to pretend that he didn’t exist at all.
    Easier to keep my frayed emotions tightly knitted together.
    “Are you okay?” Audrey asked gently.
    “Fine. Great. Let’s go.”
    The longer we stood by the door the more likely it was that Mrs. Sampson would peek her head out into the hall and feel obliged to give her two cents. She’d probably see the suitcase and make some snide comment about the homeless youth population and how I’d fit right in.
    Ben’s face was remote and impassive, the way his expression always became when I showed up at his door needing a place to crash for the night. He’d gotten an extra mattress that he stored under his bed for me years ago. I kept waiting for his parents to protest, to point out that it wasn’t right for me to spend so much unsupervised time in their son’s bedroom now that we’d reached the age where hormones supposedly ruled our every decision, but they’d never objected.
    I had no intention of ever darkening the door to Ben’s apartment until this mess was cleared up. Just the thought of any of this craziness seeping further into my friends’ lives was enough to have me marching briskly toward the elevators. Toward Empty Academy.
    “It’s going to be fine, guys.” The lie slid smoothly off my tongue. “I’ll text you when I get there.”
    “And you’re sure you’ll be safe at Emptor?” Audrey sounded so skeptical I had to laugh.
    “Of course I’ll be fine, Aud. What’s the worst those snobs could do to me? Blind me with all their argyle? Crush me with the weight of their egos? I think I can handle it.”
    Ben didn’t release his hold on my suitcase until we reached the front of the building. “If the argyle becomes too