From the Desk of Zoe Washington(48)

“I called your mom,” Grandma said. “She’s coming home early to talk to you. I thought she should be the one to decide what happens next.”

My body stiffened. This wasn’t good. Mom never left work early unless I was sick and needed to be picked up from school, and even that didn’t happen very much.

I followed Grandma into our house, and she motioned for me to take a seat on the living room couch. As I sat, I wedged my cell phone in the cushion behind me. If they couldn’t find my phone, they couldn’t take it away. Maybe I could tell them I lost it on the T . . . But, no. That was a lie, and honestly, I was tired of all the lying.

Butternut ran to the kitchen, probably for some water, and Grandma sat on the armchair across from me. “All right, Zoe, talk to me. Why did you lie about going to the movies? Where were you going in a cab?”

Before I could answer, though, Grandma kept talking. “What were you thinking? If you wanted to go somewhere, you could’ve asked me to take you. Instead you lied and got into a cab by yourself. You’re smarter than that. You know how dangerous that was, getting into a car with a stranger. What if something had happened?”

I thought of the email from Professor Thomas, and how Grandma also thought Marcus was innocent. If I told her about it, she’d have to understand, and then she could help me explain it to my parents.

“I went to go see Susan Thomas,” I said, but hearing the name only made Grandma wrinkle her eyebrows in confusion. “Marcus’s alibi witness. She’s a professor at Harvard.”

Grandma’s eyes widened. “Marcus’s . . . We talked about this. You said you wouldn’t go looking for this person. You went all the way to Harvard?”

“I know I said I wouldn’t, but—”

“No, Zoe,” Grandma said sternly. “I can’t believe you lied to me. I’m very disappointed.”

I frowned. “But I had to go . . .”

“You know what, save it for your mother. She’ll be here in a few minutes.” Grandma looked exhausted as she stared out of the front window. “I have to tell her about helping you write to Marcus.” She shook her head. “I shouldn’t even be surprised about your lying when I’ve been doing the same thing and setting a poor example. I never should’ve gone behind your parents’ backs. This is my fault, too.”

Guilt weighed down on me. It wasn’t Grandma’s fault that I went behind her back to find Professor Thomas. And I was glad she let me keep writing to Marcus, since my life was better with him in it. But now Grandma felt bad. A huge lump formed in the back of my throat.

“I’m sorry that I lied to you, but I had no choice. I had to go see Professor Thomas, and I’m glad I did, because she remembers him. She remembers meeting Marcus!”

“She does?” Grandma asked, and I could see on her face that I’d caught her attention. “On the day Lucy was killed?”

“I think so. She didn’t remember him at first, but she emailed me after I left her office. I need to call her back right now.” I reached behind me and removed my phone from between the couch cushions.

Grandma sighed. “I can’t let you do that. You can ask your mom when she gets here.” She put her hand out. “Give me your phone.”

I gripped it harder. “But she won’t let me, I know it. Please, you have to help me.”

“I’ve helped you enough.” Grandma got up and stood in front of me. “The phone, Zoe.”

“This is so unfair!” I yelled. I could feel my voice breaking. “If you really cared about me, you’d help me!”

Grandma pursed her lips and shook her head slightly.

“Ugh! I hate you!” I shouted. Right away, I wished I hadn’t said it, but I was too angry to take it back.

She looked at me in disbelief, and then said, her voice quieter, “The phone.”

I handed it to her and crossed my arms.

Grandma sat back down and I fumed silently. Then I heard Mom’s car pull into our driveway. My stomach dropped.

Mom’s heels clip-clopped against the porch steps and she opened the front door. Her mouth was set in a straight line as she focused her glare at me. I held my breath. I’d never seen her so angry.

I wiped my eyes and braced myself for her to start yelling at me, but before she could get a word out, Grandma started talking.

“Natalie, before you talk to Zoe, I have to confess something,” she told Mom as she stood up from her seat, dropping my phone on the chair. I thought about jumping up to grab it but stopped myself, knowing it would only make things worse.

Mom glanced at her, shaking her head in confusion. “Can’t it wait?”

“It has to do with why Zoe got in a cab this afternoon, so I think you should know.” Grandma still didn’t know about the T ride we’d taken, but I wasn’t about to mention it.

Mom huffed in frustration. “Okay, what is it?”

Grandma took a deep breath. “For the past couple of months, I’ve helped Zoe send letters to Marcus. Now, before you—”

“You what?” Mom yelled, looking back and forth between Grandma and me. I kept my mouth shut.

“You had no right!” Mom said to Grandma.

Grandma crossed her arms. “A daughter should be able to know her father, even if he is in prison.”