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“Hey man, what’s up?”
The line crackles and I can hardly make out what he’s saying, so I put it on loudspeaker as I move over into the clearing just beyond the rose bushes. Stars are beginning to emerge in the deepening night sky overhead.
“Quinn, can you hear me?”
“Yeah, that’s better,” he says. “Nick wants us at the studio in a few days. He reckons everything’s died down enough from the media storm to get on with the tour and back into rehearsals.” The line crackles again, breaking up. “Where the fuck are you? In the subway?”
“Nah, I’m in Ohio,” I reply quickly.
“Ohio?” he shrieks, almost laughing. “What are you talking about?”
“Okay, so listen to this. You’re not going to believe what’s happened.”
“Why the hell are you in Ohio?”
“Quinn, shut up, and listen to me,” I say firmly. “So I’m at Brinley’s parents’ property, and we’re going through this old box she’s got, right and –”
“Wait, wait,” he interrupts. “You’re where?”
I sigh with annoyance. “I’m in Ohio. I just told you that!”
“At whose parents’ property?”
“Jesus, man… keep up. I’m with Brinley. Anyway, totally not important. What’s important is what we found in this old box. You’re not going to believe this, but it turns out the song she wrote is eerily similar to mine, because it’s about the same damn thing.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“She was there, man. She was there when Mom got shot. Maggie was her mother, and she must have taken her to work with her that day, or something, because she was hiding under the counter and she saw the whole fucking thing.”
“Maggie was… who, what do you–shit, that’s insane!”
“I know, right?”
“It doesn’t make any sense.”
“It will. I promise,” I tell him. “I’ll explain more when we get back home.”
He’s quiet for a few seconds and then he lets out a frustrated groan. “Did you just saywe?”
“So?”
“As in you and Brinley? What the hell? Please don’t tell me you’re screwing around with this girl. Have you lost your mind? She’s trouble and you’re getting caught up in it.”
My muscles tense to the point of cramping. “Mind your own business, Quinn. This is happening whether you like it or not.”
“What’s happening?” he shouts. He sounds genuinely shocked, and very confused. “You’re in over your head, Reed. Be careful.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I warned you not to get in too deep with this chick.”
“Too late.”
“Fuck,”he grumbles, and I can hear him drag on a cigarette. Apparently, he’s smoking again. “I thought the plan with this girl was to lure her into a false sense of security so she’d drop the allegations against you. She did that, didn’t she? Weeks ago if I’m not mistaken.”
“Quinn, don’t –”
“And what, now you’re sleeping with her?”
