hard to exact revenge on a person when you have no idea who he is.’
‘ Have you done an Internet check?’ Kip asked.
I caught them up on what I’ d tried so far: scanning the yearbooks, searching on the Internet, talking to Troy, who had called me back to say that the people he’ d talked to had come up empty, too.
‘ Tell you what,’ Sebastian said. ‘ I’ ve got a couple PIs helping me do investigation work for my new book. I’ ll have them do some digging into this Buddy Fitch character.’
‘ Oh, I don’ t want to ask you to do all that.’
‘ No problem. I owe you one.’
That was true; he did. Besides, I didn’ t know where else to turn. It was vital that I find Buddy Fitch. After all, it would be awful to go through all the trouble of racing to finish the list, only to fall one short.
Chapter 8
T he next few weeks passed quickly. To punish me for being assigned the gas giveaway, Lizbeth refused to ease up on any of my usual deadlines-and, in fact, I suspected she was making up extra work to give me. I stayed late at the office most nights trying to juggle everything. I hadn’ t noticed how busy I was until my mom called to talk about a finalist being voted off American Idol and I realized I’ d forgotten to watch. Not the entire season-just a few episodes-but still. (I liken it to those people who get to the end of the day, find they’ re peckish, and remark, ‘ Gee, I forgot to eat!’ That never happens to me, either.)
Even with work heating up, I made time to get together with Deedee every Saturday afternoon-although things with her weren’ t progressing as quickly as I might have hoped.
I’ d been allowing her to choose the activity, and every week she said she wanted to see a movie. Making up for lost time, I’ d guess. The only problem, I began to realize, was that it didn’ t exactly create the sort of bonding experience that would allow me influence over her life. I’ d pick her up at her house, we’ d drive the ten minutes to the theater, talking mostly about what we happened to observe outside the windows of my car-things like billboards, that lady with the shopping cart, which pizza places offered the thickest layer of cheese. Once at the theater, we’ d get snacks, watch the movie, and then head back home. So far, the only life lesson I’ d taught her was my trick when buying popcorn: insisting that they fill the bucket half-full of popcorn, squirt on the butter, then fill it the rest of the way up before adding the final buttering. ‘ That way, every bite is greasy,’ I’ d told her wisely. And while she’ d seemed genuinely impressed-ordering popcorn like a pro on subsequent visits-I doubted that’ s the sort of thing Marissa had in mind when she’ d written, Change someone’ s life.
In the interest of moving forward on the list, I tried to suggest another activity when I picked Deedee up for our fourth outing. The science center had a special show of actual preserved dead bodies. I thought for sure that’ d be a draw-what teenager doesn’ t enjoy gore?
‘ But the new Chris Rock movie just came out! I’ m dying to see it.’
I buckled my seat belt and started the engine. ‘ Wouldn’ t it be nice to do something new?’
‘ Pleeeeeeease,’ she pleaded. ‘ I hear it’ s really funny. Everybody’ s seen it. If I don’ t, I’ ll be the only person in my entire school who doesn’ t know what’ s going on.’ In her earnestness, she wiggled like an upended Jell-O mold.
How could I say no to that? ‘ Okay. Chris Rock it is.’
Everything went as usual until we were at the concession. I heard Deedee whisper to herself, ‘ Shit!’ followed by a mumbling in Spanish.
‘ What?’ I asked, but having learned to put a deaf ear to her swearing, I turned my attention back to the guy behind the counter. ‘ No, don’ t fill it up all the way. Halfway. Then add the butter& .’ I leaned over to give Deedee a nudge, but she was
‘ Have you done an Internet check?’ Kip asked.
I caught them up on what I’ d tried so far: scanning the yearbooks, searching on the Internet, talking to Troy, who had called me back to say that the people he’ d talked to had come up empty, too.
‘ Tell you what,’ Sebastian said. ‘ I’ ve got a couple PIs helping me do investigation work for my new book. I’ ll have them do some digging into this Buddy Fitch character.’
‘ Oh, I don’ t want to ask you to do all that.’
‘ No problem. I owe you one.’
That was true; he did. Besides, I didn’ t know where else to turn. It was vital that I find Buddy Fitch. After all, it would be awful to go through all the trouble of racing to finish the list, only to fall one short.
Chapter 8
T he next few weeks passed quickly. To punish me for being assigned the gas giveaway, Lizbeth refused to ease up on any of my usual deadlines-and, in fact, I suspected she was making up extra work to give me. I stayed late at the office most nights trying to juggle everything. I hadn’ t noticed how busy I was until my mom called to talk about a finalist being voted off American Idol and I realized I’ d forgotten to watch. Not the entire season-just a few episodes-but still. (I liken it to those people who get to the end of the day, find they’ re peckish, and remark, ‘ Gee, I forgot to eat!’ That never happens to me, either.)
Even with work heating up, I made time to get together with Deedee every Saturday afternoon-although things with her weren’ t progressing as quickly as I might have hoped.
I’ d been allowing her to choose the activity, and every week she said she wanted to see a movie. Making up for lost time, I’ d guess. The only problem, I began to realize, was that it didn’ t exactly create the sort of bonding experience that would allow me influence over her life. I’ d pick her up at her house, we’ d drive the ten minutes to the theater, talking mostly about what we happened to observe outside the windows of my car-things like billboards, that lady with the shopping cart, which pizza places offered the thickest layer of cheese. Once at the theater, we’ d get snacks, watch the movie, and then head back home. So far, the only life lesson I’ d taught her was my trick when buying popcorn: insisting that they fill the bucket half-full of popcorn, squirt on the butter, then fill it the rest of the way up before adding the final buttering. ‘ That way, every bite is greasy,’ I’ d told her wisely. And while she’ d seemed genuinely impressed-ordering popcorn like a pro on subsequent visits-I doubted that’ s the sort of thing Marissa had in mind when she’ d written, Change someone’ s life.
In the interest of moving forward on the list, I tried to suggest another activity when I picked Deedee up for our fourth outing. The science center had a special show of actual preserved dead bodies. I thought for sure that’ d be a draw-what teenager doesn’ t enjoy gore?
‘ But the new Chris Rock movie just came out! I’ m dying to see it.’
I buckled my seat belt and started the engine. ‘ Wouldn’ t it be nice to do something new?’
‘ Pleeeeeeease,’ she pleaded. ‘ I hear it’ s really funny. Everybody’ s seen it. If I don’ t, I’ ll be the only person in my entire school who doesn’ t know what’ s going on.’ In her earnestness, she wiggled like an upended Jell-O mold.
How could I say no to that? ‘ Okay. Chris Rock it is.’
Everything went as usual until we were at the concession. I heard Deedee whisper to herself, ‘ Shit!’ followed by a mumbling in Spanish.
‘ What?’ I asked, but having learned to put a deaf ear to her swearing, I turned my attention back to the guy behind the counter. ‘ No, don’ t fill it up all the way. Halfway. Then add the butter& .’ I leaned over to give Deedee a nudge, but she was
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