Jackson 05 - The Immortals by J.T. Ellison Page B

Norton, Mandy and Xander. Chelsea Mott and Rachel Welch were together too, and Brandon. I also heard a rumor that another girl was taken to the hospital.”
    â€œNews travels fast. It’s not a rumor. Do you know Brittany Carson?”
    â€œIs that her name? No, I don’t. Never heard of her.”
    â€œShe attends St. Cecilia’s. I was hoping she had some ties to your friends at Hillsboro.”
    â€œWell, you know how it is. The kids who live on either side of us go to private school, Montgomery Bell and Ensworth, but we don’t hang out. It’s the neighborhood dynamic, I guess.”
    â€œSo how did you hear about the murders?”
    He held up his cell. “Everyone’s been talking. I’ve gotten nearly two hundred texts this afternoon. I’m way over my limit—my parents are going to kill me.” He winced as soon as the words were out.
    â€œWould you be willing to let me see your texts?” she asked.
    He paused for the barest of moments. “They’ll look like gibberish to you. I know my father absolutely hates it when I abbreviate, the language we use. He thinks it represents the decline of modern society. But the smart keyboard makes it so much easier to talk quickly.”
    â€œI can’t say I disagree with your father there. My computer expert is pretty handy with all things technical. He should be able to translate for us. Tell me how you heard about Xander.”
    Theo squirmed in his seat. He’d paled when she mentioned Lincoln’s expertise, and she knew he was hiding something.
    â€œTheo?”
    His eyes filled with tears. “I think I talked to him right before he died.”
    â€œYou do? Why is that?”
    Theo went from a prepossessed young man to a child in an instant, face screwed up in an attempt not to start weeping. She gave him a few breaths to get back under control.
    â€œIt’s okay, Theo. We’re just talking. You’re not in trouble, not unless you had something to do with the murders.”
    â€œGod, no. Of course I didn’t. You can’t actually think that.”
    â€œThen relax. I just want to know what happened this afternoon.”
    â€œAre you going to tell my parents what I say?”
    â€œAre you eighteen?” He nodded. “Then so long as you haven’t broken any laws, I see no need to divulge the information. Just tell me the truth, okay? We’ll get along much better if you tell me the truth.”
    Theo looked miserable for a moment. “Ah, jeez. Okay, I’ll tell you. But you have to swear not to tell anyone I did. Promise?”
    â€œI’ll do my best,” she said.
    â€œOkay. Xander…he and Mandy were partying this afternoon. So were Jerry and the girls. Of course, Chelsea and Rachel weren’t exactly known for their restraint,” he spit out.
    â€œPartying?” Marcus asked.
    â€œDrugs. Getting geared up for tonight, for the party.”
    â€œWhat kind of drugs?”
    Theo stood and went to his father’s desk. He flicked back the leather blotter and drew out another key. Taylor watched him, tense. She didn’t like people going into locked drawers in her presence. But Marcus sidled behind Theo, and she relaxed a fraction.
    Theo slid open the top drawer, pulled out a Ziploc baggie. It was full of pastel-blue and yellow pills the size of aspirin. There had to be a hundred, maybe a hundred fifty pills in the bag. He handed it to her gingerly.
    â€œHoly mother…what is all this?” She saw the stamps, hearts, on some of the outward facing pills. Just like the ones they’d seen in Amanda Vanderwood’s room. “Ecstasy?”
    â€œYeah.” Theo sat on the sofa again, his head in his hands.
    â€œWere you dealing it? Is that why you have so much?”
    â€œNo. God, no. I’m no dealer. That’s everyone’s.”
    â€œWhat do you mean, everyone’s?”
    Taylor sank back into the chair