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Dr. Green glanced at me, smiled and winked to dispel the awkward moment. He took another bite of bread, effectively ending the conversation.
The table was quiet for a moment, until Mr. Blackbourne shifted, taking out his cell phone.
“No cell phones at the table,” Dr. Green recited.
Mr. Blackbourne shot him a look like he knew better, pushing the button on the phone.
Dr. Green leaned in to me to whisper while Mr. Blackbourne listened. “That’s a lie. Cell phones around here take precedence. Just giving him a hard time.”
“I could tell,” I said.
Mr. Blackbourne frowned and then pulled the phone away from his head. He placed it on the table and pushed the button to put the call on speaker.
“Say it again,” Mr. Blackbourne said, and his eyes focused on me, holding my attention.
“I was wondering if you could put in a call to my mom’s hospital,” Kota said. “She’s taking another shift covering for people the manager took off the schedule. I haven’t seen her in two days because she’s been working.”
“New manager?” Dr. Green asked.
“Yeah,” Kota said. “Sounds like a power play. Someone with a fresh MBA trying to cut funds and make a name for herself. There’s talk people are going to be fired, and they’re understaffed as it is.”
“We’ll get it taken care of.”
“I don’t have any favors left,” Kota said.
I glanced at Dr. Green. Favors?
Dr. Green shook his head quietly.
“We’re well aware,” Mr. Blackbourne said to the phone. “Anything else we need to know about?”
“Nathan is at Sang’s for the night. His father was released and seems to be sleeping right now.”
“Keep an eye from a distance,” Dr. Green said.
“Will do. I was able to get a good look at the driver of the black car. Another teacher, I’m pretty sure. I don’t know the name but will tomorrow. I’ll comb the school records for an ID.”
“Start with the list Miss Sorenson found,” Mr. Blackbourne said.
There was silence. “Gabriel may stay with Victor tonight.”
“It’s happening more lately,” Mr. Blackbourne said.
“Pam’s got a new boyfriend. She’s drinking a lot.”
Again I looked at Dr. Green. Pam, Gabriel’s stepmom? And drinking? It didn’t sound good. Was Gabriel going to be okay? How come I didn’t know about this? Is this why he wanted to move out?
Mr. Blackbourne put a fingertip to his eyebrow and slid it across. “We’ll send someone to her beauty shop when she’s there. Maybe we can pick up some information, and encourage her friends to try to sober her up more. If that doesn’t work, maybe a DUI will remind her.”
My jaw dropped. DUI? He could send the police after her to issue a ticket? And how? Why?
“Marie’s at home. Danielle’s at her house. Nothing new about the incident. They still aren’t talking about it. I think that’s it,” Kota said. There was a pause. “Sang’s there?”
“She’s right here,” Mr. Blackbourne said.
Another long pause. “Listening?”
“You’re fine,” Mr. Blackbourne said.
“Anything I need to know?” Kota asked.
“Gathering details, but you know the important items. I’ll fill you in later tonight. I still have a few more phone calls to make.”
Kota said goodbye and hung up. Mr. Blackbourne retrieved his phone, tucking it into his pocket.
So Kota did check-ins with Mr. Blackbourne on what the others were up to, including his mother and the others’ parents. Mr. Blackbourne was in charge, but Kota kept tabs on everyone. It was interesting to see how they worked together.
I had so many questions, I didn’t know where to start, but Dr. Green spoke before I got the chance. “So which country club did he take you to, anyway?”
“The... Rivertowne?” I checked with Mr. Blackbourne to make sure I was correct and he nodded in approval.
“Aw,” said Dr. Green. “I wanted to take her to that one.”
My heart soared as he mentioned this, but my gaze was locked on Mr. Blackbourne, looking for his reaction to Dr. Green admitting that he wanted to take me somewhere, like on a date.
“You can still take her,” said Mr. Blackbourne, focusing on his food. “We weren’t there to play and she didn’t see much.”
He approved? The way he said it, it almost sounded encouraging.
“Wait, is that the one on the island?” Dr. Green asked.
“Mount Pleasant.”
“Oh, never mind,” he said. “I don’t like that one. Too snooty.”
“I believe that’s the point of country clubs,”
Mr. Blackbourne said. “Their purpose is to sell exclusivity.”
“Well, that one’s the worst. I tried to just walk into the front foyer years ago and they wouldn’t let me get a foot in the door.”
Mr. Blackbourne’s mouth dipped slightly. “You were sixteen, wearing ripped jeans and you had a cigarette behind your ear.”
Dr. Green rolled his eyes. “Still, it’s stupid to have a dress code in a place where you’re supposed to relax.”
“I can’t believe you’d complain about a place having a standard.”
“Yeah, well, the other ones don’t have dress codes. Not like that. They’d at least let you change and offer you a sports coat.”
“The hospital has a dress code.”
“The only dress code there is I have to wear a white coat. And I can understand that one. If I don’t wear it, no one knows I’m a doctor.”
“And you like the white coat.”
Dr. Green’s grin broadened. “I do like the white coat.”
It was easy to imagine the two of them spending nights at dinner having discussions about the Academy, the school, perhaps the boys and this kind of thing. They talked like they’ve known each other for a long time. Did Kota often call during this time and fill them in? Was this normal for them? This felt different now, like I was being included. I liked that.
Mr. Blackbourne’s attention moved to my face and he took on a strange expression like he was trying to read what I was thinking. I swallowed, trying to look complacent.
“This reminds me,” Mr. Blackbourne said. “I believe we’ve found a new vitamin for you.”
“Have you?” I asked, although I wasn’t too thrilled with the idea.
“It seems a small percentage of the population has similar issues with different types of vitamins. I haven’t come across any official studies, but reports from individuals suggest they’ve tried different things. Switching brands works sometimes.”
He continued talking about what he discovered about vitamins. I was listening, because when Mr. Blackbourne spoke, he was enchanting. I felt compelled to absorb every word.
