Friends Like These(44)

“Truth or dare, Maeve?” Finch asked.

Stephanie laughed, but in a way that sounded like she was being strangled. “God, we’re not seriously doing this, are we?”

Jonathan turned. “You were the one who said we should, remember?”

“I know. I know I did. In a universe of fucked-up options . . .”

“Um,” Maeve answered finally. “Truth?”

“Great— so what’s this secret you all have from college?” Finch motioned to me and Derrick, like one of us had told him. No, not me. I hadn’t told him anything.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Maeve said.

“Come on, the secret,” Finch said. “I know something happened. It’s got a hold on all of you.”

“Our friend Alice killed herself,” Jonathan said.

“No, not that,” Finch said. “That’s not a secret. This is something only all of you know about. Or that you hope only all of you know about.”

He pointed at each one of us in turn. The vise around my head clicked tighter, sending sparks of pain shooting across my scalp. I looked around at everyone. I didn’t tell him about the roof. They needed to know that. Because Finch was making it seem like I had. And I was afraid people would start adding on, thinking he already knew.

“Oh my God, what is the secret?” Crystal asked like it was a fucking Christmas gift.

“We don’t know what you’re talking about, Finch. There’s no secret,” Derrick said. “Move on.”

Finch stared at Derrick. “You all know exactly what I’m talking about. But, okay, I’ll move on to you, Derrick. Truth or dare?”

“Wait, you can’t go twice in a row!” Crystal cried, flapping a hand in Finch’s direction. “That’s against the rules.”

But everybody ignored her. Because this was Finch’s game. Everyone else was only playing along because they were trying to save me from myself.

Derrick sighed. “Dare.”

“Perfect,” Finch said with a sly grin. “I’ve got just the thing.”

Finch moved his hand behind him, for something tucked in his waistband. Then there it was, held high in the air. Something silver. I thought it was his phone at first. But no, too big and the wrong shape.

“You have a gun?” Crystal laughed nervously.

And sure enough, it was an actual fucking gun in Finch’s hand. Held above his head.

“What the— ” Stephanie scrambled to her feet. “Finch, where did you get that?”

“It’s mine.” He waved it around. “I brought it from home. Colt single-action revolver. I’ve had it forever, don’t usually carry it on me. But these days you can’t be too careful. You never know who’s going to turn on you.” He looked dead at me. “Right, Keith?”

Fuck. He already knew about the Serpentine, didn’t he? I’d known word might get out. But was this— was Finch this angry?

“Put the gun away, Finch,” I said. My words sounded garbled.

“You’re freaked out now. But I want to be clear, this gun has been with me this whole fucking time. Safe and sound. I bet you’ll be glad I have it if those contractors come back. Big-city liberals, y’all are a bunch of hypocrites. You hate country folks with guns until there’s somebody you want to shoot with one.” Finch laughed. “So, here’s the dare, Derrick. Take this, go outside and shoot it into the air. Just one time. That’s it.”

Derrick’s jaw clenched.

“Knock it off, Finch,” I said. This was too much, too far. All of this. Somebody was going to get hurt. What the fuck had I done, bringing Finch up here, angry and with a gun?

Derrick stepped forward confidently and held out his hand. “Give it to me.”

Finch made a face. “You sure? Because, honestly, I’m starting to doubt your dedication to the task at hand.” Finch glanced Stephanie’s way, then turned back to Derrick. “If you gather my drift.”

Derrick motioned again. “I’ll do it, Finch.”

“We’ll see.” Finch spun the gun expertly and delivered it butt-end to Derrick.

“Derrick,” Maeve called after him. “Don’t— just don’t.”

If something happened to Derrick, it would also be my fault. Like the guy on the roof. Like Alice. So many bodies laid out like spokes on a wheel. And there I was, spinning round at the center. I pressed my fingertips against the wall to stay upright.

“Don’t worry, everybody,” Finch said. “Only real risk here is that you won’t look at Derrick quite the same once you see how comfortable he is holding a gun.”

Derrick headed for the door, indeed gripping the polished silver like he was born with a gun in his hand. “I’ll be right back,” he said, before the door slammed shut behind him.

The door was barely closed when there were four loud pops in a row.

“What the fuck?” Stephanie gasped. “It was supposed to be once.”

She was right. We all stared at the door, waiting for Derrick to come back in. But there was nothing. Not another sound. Holy. Fucking. Shit.

“Where is he?” Jonathan asked.

“I think we should check on him,” Crystal whispered.