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Zephyr scratched the side of his jaw. “I’ve done nothing but think about that since your first visit. I do remember seeing Tazzie arguing with one girl I didn’t recognize. But I didn’t think anything of it because she was always arguing with somebody, picking a fight, trying to get them riled up, shoving them, pushing them around, or verbally abusing them. If she wasn’t doing it in person, she left nasty stuff written on sidewalks, the boardwalk, trees, the side of the bank building—”
“The water tower,” Lucien finished.
“Yeah. Everyone knew who did it. But no one seemed to want to stop them.”
“It sounds like you’re describing a bully,” Lucien noted.
Zephyr nodded. “That’s what she was. I remember this one time she threw fertilizer in a much younger girl’s eyes because she thought the girl had dissed her. Another time, she tossed a firecracker into a tent on the beach where a family of four was trying to sleep. I remember Tazzie hid behind a tree, watching and waiting for it to go off. When it did, the kids started crying, and the parents got mad. There was Tazzie, sneaking around the beach, acting like it was the funniest thing she’d seen. And she once cornered a young boy and made him run into the ocean knowing he couldn’t swim. I had to pull him out and haul him onto shore before he drowned.”
“Why didn’t you mention any of this before when I was here?”
Without raising his voice, Zephyr met Lucien’s eyes. “You were here to question me about my alibi. You were two steps away from accusing me of killing that girl. At the time, I was doing my best to save myself from getting arrested.”
Lucien ran a hand through his hair. “I must be lousy at this. To think you had this kind of information and were afraid to tell me straight. It doesn’t bode well for my interviewing skills.”
“Nah, it’s not you,” Zephyr said. “I kind of panicked. I’ve had some time to think back to that summer. Little memories keep popping into my head, flashes from that August. I would have eventually called you to talk.”
“But if I’d handled the situation right from the beginning, I could’ve had this information a lot sooner, had a clearer picture of these teenagers. All I wanted was to try and understand how Gidget could’ve ended up dead while, at the same time, no one wanted to discuss it or help find her killer.”
“Now you’re making me feel bad.”
Lucien narrowed his eyes. “I get the fear of being accused of something you didn’t do. You clammed up. But when Brogan and I talked to Tazzie and Richie, it was a different sort of vibe, a much different reaction. They were unconcerned about the dead girl to the point of indifference. We got the same response from Dennis. None of them were willing to try and think back to that timeframe to help us out. Not one told us anything from that summer, except Richie made it clear he wasn’t around much because of work. Now I know why.”
“Richie might’ve spent his days working. But he spent his evenings hanging around Tazzie and Cruz,” Zephyr stated.
“Are you sure about that?”
“Positive.”
Birk shifted in his chair. “It sounds like they were holding back to protect themselves. And if that’s the vibe, there’s got to be a good reason.”
“Committing murder when you’re that young is enough to keep it a secret for the rest of your lives. Maybe they made a pact of never talking about it.”
“And you come along to open up the can of worms,” Zephyr muttered. “They wouldn’t have been happy about that.”
“A secret like that could keep a gang from talking,” Lucien pressed. “Someone might be blackmailing the others. Maybe we should look into a money trail.”
“It’s been twodays since the podcast,” Brogan began once she’d tossed her bag onto the kitchen counter, “two days since our public service announcement, asking for information. Did we get any response from anyone who might’ve known Gidget?”
Jade dug out her phone. “I haven’t checked my emails this morning. Birk and I rushed out the door so fast to get to the arraignment on time that I didn’t have a chance.”
“How about coffee?”
“You read my mind. But I’ll fix it. You sit down.”
“I’m okay to make cappuccinos. The machine does most of the work.”
“Very funny. I’m trying to be a good friend and repay you for letting me stay here during a difficult time with Birk.”
“You don’t have to pay me back. I didn’t want you heading to Santa Cruz. It was a purely selfish motivation. Have things smoothed out in that department?”
“Things are great between us. It’s like he finally sees the real me and accepts me as I am. I only wish we could’ve resolved our issues privately before the big blow-up in your backyard.”
“Couples argue. It’s called a relationship. But I get your point. The thing is, you’ve been around plenty of times when Lucien and I have disagreed. When it happens, I feel the embarrassment, but it isn’t like I think our friends will think less of us for it.”
Jade smiled. “That’s why I love having you as a friend. You and Kelly. I don’t know what I’d do without you two.”
The coffee machine gurgled as it completed the cycle on the second cappuccino.
