Finding Ford

chapter twenty three

"Be still my heart, I'm only a moment away. In the next room or at the break of day." -Alex Clare, Relax My Beloved

 

"EXPLAIN," I DEMAND, MY HEART QUICKLY beginning to beat rapidly against me chest. I could barely move, could barely breathe, with the feeling in my stomach Jas' words have created. "Right now."

Jas doesn't hesitate to launch into speech. "Think about it, Ava. When we found the jewellery box in the woods, who had happened to have gone to 'Carl's house' that night even though the two aren't even friends? Who had come with us to look at the tapes, but just happened to be there earlier? Who happened to be in Ford's teach class last year and was able to slip the paper in his textbook? Who else lives in Southside? Who accused you of hiding a secret?"

My throat went dry. I can't breathe, can't think, can't process.

But I manage to whisper, "James."

Jas' long nails dig into her palm as she curls her hand into a fist, her lips pursing as if holding in tears. In a fit of fury, she suddenly launches her fist into the steering wheel. Breathing heavily, she confirms, "James."

I feel like I've lost my voice. It's choked and broken when I whisper, "How did you find out?"

"Remember that night after Molly got in the crash I went over to James'?" When I nod, Jas continues, "He fell asleep, so I snuck onto his laptop to watch a movie or something. I saw it on his laptop- the brakes to a 2004 Chevrolet, the same one Molly drove. There were literal instructions on how to tamper with them. And then everything just clicked. " Jas shakes her head, her long fingers flying up to tangle within her hair. "I was so stupid. I told him I loved him, Ava, I literally gave him everything- " Her voice broke off.

I just sit there in disbelief. James Raser. There's no way. There's just no way.

"I... I can't believe it. But... it makes sense," I admit, and suddenly, I can't stop thinking about just how much sense it makes. "He was there before we came. The door to the security room was unlocked. He had obviously gone in before and erased the tapes. And he's in Ford's wood shop class, so he must have snuck in and grabbed the jewellery box. You're right; he was in Ford's tech class. They're always been fairly close, but that's because you're supposed to keep your enemies close. He kept asking me about secrets, and he even defended me when Lucas accused but..." I suck in a deep breath of air, noticing my hands are shaking. My voice drops to a whisper. "It was an act. It was a lie."

We're quiet for a second. My voice cracks when I say, "Wait, does that mean... he killed Mrs. Wilson? He murdered someone?"

Jas' mouth opens, but quickly closes again. She has a crazy tight grip on the leather of the steering wheel, her knuckles clearly white even in the darkness. "I-I... I guess."

I shake my head. I can't believe this. I can't. "He was fourteen! There's no way!"

"I don't know, okay, Ava?" Jas snaps so harshly any words in my throat die instantly. "All I know is my boyfriend has threatened to kill someone and their whole family, almost killed a girl by tampering with her brakes, and almost killed my best friend by sticking a fucking tissue box under her brakes. I don't know what to think, okay? I don't know if he killed Mrs. Wilson, or if someone else is involved in this, or just what this could all mean!" Jas breaks off her rant abruptly, lifting a hand to wipe a tear that threatens to fall down her cheek. Jas never cries. Ever.

I suck in a deep breath. Oddly enough, I don't feel like breaking down yet. It hasn't really hit me yet. Yet. I know some tears will be shed over this later on. Closing my eyes, I say, "Come on, let me drive. We're going to Ford."