Pretty Girls Dancing(80)

“Gloves might have helped.”

He grinned at her. “Your text didn’t give me much time to get ready. What’s up?”

In answer, she dug into her purse beside her and handed him an envelope. “It took two trips to the ATM to get enough cash. I want to pay you back for the listening devices.”

He made no move to take the money. “No, no, I told you we’re cool. I’m going to return the whole box; the purchase will be credited back to my mom’s account. All I need is for you to give me back the . . . oh.”

“Yeah.” She didn’t know him well. Still had the tightness in her chest whenever she talked to him. But she could talk to him. Janie didn’t know exactly what that meant. Maybe it was easier because they’d texted a few times over the weekend about what had gone down in the cabin. But more likely, it was because he’d barged into her house a few days back and made it impossible to avoid him.

“So . . . you gave the recorder to the cops?” Slowly he reached out a hand for the envelope.

“I don’t know when we’ll get it back.”

He thought for a minute. “I’ve got to get the charge taken care of. But if you do get the recorder back within thirty days, I can still return it, and you’d get this money back.”

“Yeah, I don’t know if that will happen.” Janie had no idea how long it would be before the sheriff’s office would return it. If they did at all.

“Me, either. Sorry you got stuck paying for it.” Cole folded the envelope and shoved it into his coat pocket.

“It was worth it.” Getting hauled into the sheriff’s office hadn’t exactly been in her plans, but the end result had turned out better than she’d anticipated. Newman had been caught up along with them, and she was guessing he’d had drugs on him. At least, she assumed that was what he’d meant by offering Alyvia something to loosen her up. If so, the cops would have even more reason to investigate him.

And when they did, maybe there’d be a breakthrough in Kelsey’s case. She was allowed to feel good about that, right? The anxiety had hit pretty hard once she’d gotten to the sheriff’s office, but she’d gotten through it on her own. She was going to count the whole day as a success, even if it had led to her first—and hopefully last—arrest.

“You want to go inside for a coffee?”

Surprised, she looked at the building she was parked next to. It was a popular hangout for high schoolers. Janie had never been there. Judging by the number of cars in the parking lot, it was busy. “I don’t think so.”

“Mind if I do? I gotta get warmed up. Wait here.” Without another word, he had the door open and was dashing to the entrance of the structure.

She turned down the heat that was blasting through the vents and checked the dash clock. Forty-five minutes before she needed to be at work. She had nothing else to do to pass the time, but she hadn’t considered spending it all with Cole Bogart.

She didn’t know him. Janie kept reminding herself of that. And not too long ago, she hadn’t had a great impression of him.

But that was before, when all she’d had to go on was hearing about him hacking the school server. Before he’d told her about his brother. She stared at the door he’d disappeared through. His brother’s death wasn’t like Kelsey’s disappearance. Nothing was. But it was a tenuous bond that she didn’t share with anyone else, not even Alyvia. Like she and Cole belonged to the same group in the Shitty Circumstances Club. Membership for life, decided by fate.

It’s not like she didn’t know of other kids in school who’d lost a parent or something. But she’d never talked to them about it. Janie wouldn’t have spoken to Cole about his brother, either, if he hadn’t come to her house and spilled it all. The scene had been uncomfortable. But it was the first time she’d ever heard anyone else speak about what the loss of a sibling had done to him. The support groups her mom and dad had tried for a while were never an option for Janie. So listening to Cole had been weird. But sort of helpful in a way to hear from someone else going through something kind of similar.

He reappeared, using his shoulder to push out the door, his hands full with two coffees. He saw her watching and held one up, grinning. Reaching over, she unlatched the passenger door, pushed it open. “I got you a caramel whipped-cream espresso.” He handed her a cup. “Or we can switch if you want. I’ve got a vanilla cappuccino.”

Janie sipped at her drink cautiously. Then her brows rose. “I may as well be drinking hot ice cream.”

“Yeah, it’s pretty good.” Making himself at home, Cole reached for the lever to move the seat back. “But if it’s ice cream you want, we can finish these and then head over to the Dairy Whip for dessert.”

“I’ll be there soon enough.” She drank again. It was good. The place had a drive-through window. She wouldn’t even have to go inside to order here again.

“Sorry you guys didn’t get out of the lake house in time.” It wasn’t the first time he’d apologized. “A plain car pulled up beside mine, and the cop inside started hassling me about why I was pulled over. It took me a minute to realize a cruiser had pulled in to the drive. Some lookout I was.”

“It actually turned out okay.”

“How much trouble did you get in with your parents?”