Creeping with the Enemy by Kimberly Reid Page B

case. Before I shift gears to Bethanie and Cole, I check the caller ID on the phone in my room without even really thinking about it. I guess I’m turning into Lana if my natural instincts tell me: (1) whoever just called is probably not a telemarketer or a bill collector, and (2) check the story. But I only confirm my first theory because the number is gone. In the time it took me to walk to my room, Lana has deleted it from the caller ID memory. So it was definitely not someone trying to sell her something or collect her money because she wouldn’t have bothered to erase the number. Probably some crazy perp she put in jail is calling and making threats, which is too scary to think about, especially since they were able to find our unlisted phone number because that means they also know where we live.
    So I think about my case instead, writing down clues on my mental whiteboard. I can’t keep real notes lying around just like I can’t keep a diary lying around—my mom snoops for a living. I’d like to think she doesn’t snoop on me, but I’d rather not tempt her. Besides, I’m pretty sure I have a photographic memory, though I’ve never been tested for that. If I see it or hear it, I’m gonna remember it. Unless it’s Lana telling me to do the laundry or Headmistress Smythe telling me to stay away from Marco. I choose to forget those things.
    Notes on the Larsen Family
    1. They keep lying about how they made their money in oil instead of the lottery.
    2. The whole bunch, including the maid and driver, seems to be using an alias and pretending they’re high society when they’re so clearly not. Maybe they don’t want long-lost family hitting them up for loans. But why let the world know they’re rich at all? If you’re hiding something, why not keep that on the down low, as well?
    3. Bethanie’s father seemed relieved Cole may have been only after money. What else do fathers worry about boys taking from their daughters? Okay, there’s that . But if I were a dad, I wouldn’t want some boy taking either That or money from my daughter.
    4. What is up with that driver, anyway? Probably a family member who needed a job, and he helps them act out their high society charade, except he’s really scary and would make any socialite run for a can of mace.
    Notes on Cole
    1. I’m convinced that robbery wasn’t legit. He had to have been tailing Bethanie to know she’d be there on Freebie Friday, which means he’d been tailing her for a while. A guy in love enough to do that is crazy. I know crazy and he isn’t it.
    2. He dresses all GQ , picks fancy restaurants, but doesn’t have a job or come from money. That spells gold digger to me.
    3. He shows up just in time to rescue Bethanie from some thug waiting in her parking space, and with just a look, can scare this guy off. Cole is charming and cute, but not the least bit intimidating. So how does he stare down a thug and run off hungry people waiting for BOGO tamales?
    4. And can I get a last name, please?
    I figure that last one shouldn’t be so hard to get if I can convince Bethanie to talk to me.
    Â 
    The next morning, I’m up early even though I got close to zero sleep thinking about my list of clues. The plan is to at least get a full name for Cole before the weekend is over. What kind of guy won’t give his girl a last name? I’m also dying to know what they do all day when Bethanie is supposed to be in school and working for some charity afterward. I imagine it’s a whole lot of shopping with her money, but even for Bethanie that has to get old after a while. Since Bethanie won’t talk to me at school, I figure I’ll go to her house. She could blow me off there, too, but I’d have her parents’ backup because they want me to talk to her.
    I do a repeat of last Sunday and get there when I know the Larsens are still in bed. Luckily Lana