“And she didn’t want to go home to Mom and Dad,” Ollie volunteers.
The conversation moves around the car with possibilities as Matt pulls back onto the highway, backtracking the way we’ve come, heading toward Blue Gil. In the story we’ve concocted, Julie and Marty wandered away from the party, too inebriated to drive. The possibilities become too numerous if they were given a ride.
“Do we assume they left alone—just the two of them?” Ollie asks.
Liv makes a noise.
“What?” I ask.
From where I’m seated, I can see her shrug her shoulder. In the rearview mirror, her line of vision is out the passenger window.
“Liv?”
“If you’re asking if they might be with guys…”
“Is it a possibility?” I ask.
Liv turns my way. “Are you asking if our sister is a virgin? If you are, I would ask about you at the same age.”
The small hairs on my neck and arms stand to attention. I ignore them. I’m nearly twenty-five years old and have been on my own since graduation. This isn’t about me.
Matt responds, “I’d say any of that harem?—”
Liv cuts him off. “No, she’s not a virgin.”
“I wasn’t asking that,” I clarify. “I grew up in Blue Gil, too.” When Liv doesn’t respond, I rephrase my question. “I’m not talking about sex.” It’s my turn to shrug. “Or maybe I am. She and Austin broke up when?”
“After Christmas,” Ollie says. “He was around for all the family stuff.”
There’s another twinge of guilt. I wasn’t around last Christmas or the one before that or...
“I think it was January or February,” Liv replies. “From what Mom and I could figure out, they were on the rocks after the holiday break.”
“So, she’s unattached?” I ask, trying to get everyone on the same page.
There are murmurs of consensus around the car.
“Did she attend prom?” I ask.
“Yes,” Liv answers. “Maybe if you showed any interest?—”
“Whoa,” Matt interjects, reaching his hand over to Liv’s knee. “We’re brainstorming.” He lifts his eyes to the rearview mirror. “Jillian, she went with Austin. They’re broken up but are still friends.”
That’s interesting.
“When I spoke to her yesterday afternoon,” I say, “Julie said there were supposed to be a lot of older people at the bonfire, people in town for the funeral.” I look at each person. “Becky said Austin’s statement was that he left the party early. I wasn’t at the funeral, but can you come up with a list of people who were there, who might still be here or return?”
Ollie shakes his head. “The gym was packed.”
“Mom said that football teams came from around the division.”
“On buses,” Matt says. “They also left on buses.”
“That doesn’t mean they didn’t return last night,” Ollie says. “I heard about the party too.”
“From Julie?”
“No, from guys on my high school team.”
