Page 42 of Deadly Forever

James pursed his lips as he regarded the girl. She was cute and full of herself, but he had no intention of leading along a teenager for information. When he entered the school, he didn’t know what to expect. The girl approached them two minutes later – the hallways almost completely empty of other students – so it wasn’t exactly as if James had a lot of options.

“I already have a prom date,” James said after a beat.

The girl looked disappointed. “You could dump her for me.”

“I wouldn’t dump my prom date for anything,” James countered. “Besides, it’s summer. Prom is almost a year away. I’m sure you’ll find someone better when the time comes.”

“I didn’t get to go to prom this year,” the girl explained. “I was supposed to graduate – so it would’ve been my senior prom – but I failed chemistry. If you fail, you can’t go to prom. That’s why I’m here. They’re holding a special prom for those in summer school at the end of the term.”

“Oh,” James intoned, things clicking into place. “I never considered that. I guess it makes sense to do things that way.”

“So do you want to be my prom date?” The girl was unbelievably cute and bubbly. The more James looked at her, though, the more he was reminded that Mandy had been neither when he knew her as a teenager.

“I can’t,” James answered. “My wife wouldn’t like it.” He held up his ring finger for emphasis. “If you’re really looking for a date, though, I happen to know a computer genius who is going to be rich one day.”

The girl looked intrigued. “Is he hot?”

James shrugged. “He’s going to be rich and he has that hipster vibe everyone seems to love these days.”

“I’ll pass,” the girl said dryly. “I’m Serafina, by the way. If you’re not here to take me to prom, why are you here?”

“My name is James Hardy. This is my associate Jake Harrison.”

Serafina shifted her eyes to Jake. “Do you want to take me to prom?”

“I’m getting married this weekend,” Jake supplied. He didn’t have a ring to prove his point, but he didn’t need one. He had his heart, after all, and that was filled with Ally’s smile and laughter. “I suggest you take up James on his offer of the computer genius. The kid needs a lot of work, but he’s going to own the entire area before it’s all said and done.”

“I would rather have you guys,” Serafina said, jutting out her lower lip and crossing her arms over her chest. “So what are you doing here, James Hardy?”

“I’m here to ask questions about several of your classmates.”

“Which ones?”

“Dakota Landers, Matthew Moore, Nate Graham, and Chad Barlow.”

Serafina made a face. “They’re all dead. They got shot in the mall the other day.”

“I know that,” James said, feigning patience. “We were at the mall when it happened.”

It was as if a light bulb went off over Serafina’s head. “I knew your name sounded familiar. You’re the one who shot Nate, aren’t you?”

James’ shoulders stiffened. “He had a gun on my wife.”

“I’m not blaming you,” Serafina soothed. “I’m honestly surprised no one shot him sooner. He was a total tool.”

James raised his eyebrows. Like most other teenagers, Serafina had absolutely no filter. That was bound to work in their favor. “How was he a tool?”

“Well, if you believe the rumors, he was selling drugs and raping people.” Serafina’s tone was blasé.

“Do you believe the rumors?”

Serafina shrugged. “I don’t know what to believe,” she said. “When the rumors about the drugs started, no one thought much of it. Everyone has pot these days because of medical marijuana.”

“I thought you had to be eighteen for that,” Jake interjected.

“You do if you’re buying it yourself,” Serafina replied. “If your mother or father has a prescription, though, that changes things.”

“Ah.”