Keaton School 01: Escape Theory (15 page)

The old man saluted with two fingers from the top of his hat to Raven and Bodhi as he passed, still singing. Bodhi and Raven saluted him back. He nodded at Devon. Reflexively, she saluted, as well. It seemed like the polite thing to do. She wanted him to know that she knew he wasn’t a scary homeless guy. Crazy, yes: clearly. Although what was crazier, taking a nap in her bed or arriving late—in full cowboy regalia, singing and on horseback, no less—to his grandson’s funeral? And why
was
he in her room? She still had no idea.

The hearse and limos continued down the dirt road. Grandpa Reed followed on his horse. Raven sobbed next to Devon and Bodhi put a comforting arm around her, letting her cry into his chest.

“That guy loved Hutch more than anyone,” Bodhi said to no one in particular. “Bill and Mitzi think Reed has gone off his rocker. They’ve practically disowned the guy. But if you ask me he is the only sane one in the bunch. Hutch thought so too.”

“They disowned him because he’s crazy?” Devon asked.

“Because they’re a bunch of money-grubbing a-holes,” Raven said between sobs.

“Hutch’s parents,” Bodhi said to Devon over Raven’s head. “They’re going up to Reed’s land right now. Athena is buried up there too. At least Hutch will be with his grandmother on the vineyard.” He hugged his sister tightly.

“Saw the coroner this morning,” he added, still looking across the hillside.

“And?” Devon asked.

“He confirmed it was Oxy in Hutch’s system. A lot of it. But he said the weird thing was, usually with overdoses you find a few pills
undigested in the stomach. Not with Hutch. The Oxy must have been crushed up before he took it. The only reason someone does that is if they plan on never waking up.”

Raven sniffed and stopped crying. She glanced up at her brother.

“Or, if they don’t know they were taking it,” Devon said.

Name: Matt Dolgens

Session Date: Sept. 17

Session #2

“You did a nice job with the eulogy,” Devon started. Matt sat across from her in the leather chair, studying his fingernails. Another morning session and Matt had wet hair, fresh off the surf van again. He shrugged.

“I guess. The whole thing is kind of a blur,” he said, eyes still on his fingers. He zeroed in on a particularly long cuticle and picked at it.

“A blur because it was Hutch’s funeral or because it wasn’t your speech?”

Matt looked up at her finally. “What’s your point?”

“No point, really. I just noticed that Eric had your speech prepared.”

“So what? The whole suicide thing looks really bad for the family. The least I could do is say a few words to help them out.”

“Of course, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with helping the
family out during a difficult time. I just want to know where you come into all of this. How do you feel about it? In your words, not Eric’s.”
^*

Matt turned his head at Devon, eyeing her up and down. “Look, I appreciate you helping me with my tie yesterday and all, but feelings? Really?” He drummed his fingers on his thigh, filling the silence in the room with his tapping.

Devon put her notebook down. Time to change tactics. “Fine, no feelings. We’re just here to talk. So, anything you want to talk about. Anything.”

“Nah, I’m good.” Matt bobbed his head to the beat of his finger drumming. He blinked at the walls, avoiding her eyes. He was revved up.

“You know, after Hutch, Robins really stressed that I report anyone abusing drugs, pharmaceuticals included.”

Matt stopped drumming his fingers. “There are so many things wrong with that sentence I don’t know where to begin. Let’s see, first, you’re a narc. Second, you’re a narc. And third—oh, right, I covered that. I’m not staying here to be lectured by you.” He stood up.

“Just tell me I’m wrong. Tell me you’ve got a prescription and you get it from Nurse Reilly every morning like you’re supposed to.” Devon pressed on. “Or, what if I wanted some Adderall? Just a few pills to get me through the Chem homework this week. All I need is a piece of green paper, right?”

Matt’s eyes darkened. “You’re an asshole, Dev.” He reached for the door.

“If I figured it out that easily, don’t you think someone else will too?” Devon called after him. Her words stopped him at the door. “Matt, I really don’t want you to get in trouble. I just want to help.”

Matt pushed his wet hair behind his ears. “Yeah? How are you going to help me?”

“Will you sit down?”

“Fine.” He plopped back down in the leather cushion. His lips twisted into an uncomfortable smirk. “You haven’t told anyone?”

“No, and I’m not going to tell anyone. Not even Robins. Okay?”

“Okay.” Matt chewed on his cuticle again.

“I know you give the orders to Bodhi in Monte Vista,” Devon continued. Matt stopped chewing. She had is full attention now. “Can you tell me how the whole thing started?”
^†

“I.…” His fingers started drumming again.

“Matt? Please. I think it’s an important piece of what happened to Hutch.”

Matt sighed and folded his arms. He wouldn’t look at Devon, but at least he started talking. “Bodhi used to have a friend that worked at the Monte Vista Pharmacy, like years ago. I don’t even know his name. At the time, Eric was at Keaton taking all sorts of stuff for depression, anxiety, ADD, so he had all the prescriptions anyone at school could have wanted. The guy at the pharmacy would slip Eric a few extra pills here and there and Eric hooked up other students from time to time. That’s kind of why he was so good at chemistry. It wasn’t a class; it was like a way of life for him. But then Eric graduated, went all pre-med, and went off the pharmaceuticals.”

“So when Bodhi got the job at the pharmacy, he and Hutch started it up again?”

Matt shrugged. “Bodhi’s guy left the pharmacy, and Bodhi and Eric went to college. But Bodhi dropped out of MIT and came back to live in Monte Vista because of his dad. Since he was back, he got the gig at the pharmacy, so he called Eric. Eric introduced him to Hutch sophomore year, and the whole thing started up again. PharmClub Version 2.0.”

“But why would they sell the pills? Hutch and Eric didn’t need the money. You don’t either, right?”

“It’s not about the money. I don’t know why Bodhi and Eric
started in the first place, probably just to see if they could get away with it. That’s kind of Eric’s thing, pushing against the rules to see how far he can bend them before they snap. Bodhi, I don’t get. He’s pretty chill. I guess when he started up again with Hutch he wanted to stick it to the Keaton powers that be, make a little extra cash, something like that.”

“Okay, but what about you? Hutch is gone, why not just end it?”

“It’s not that easy. Do you know how many people depend on me?” Matt finally stopped twitching and looked at Devon.

The thought hadn’t even occurred to her. It was amazing to think how different their worlds were, even though they lived in the same community with the same 300 people. Matt was talking like most of the school bought from him. Did they? Was she really that much out of the loop? Keaton didn’t have easy-to-define cliques, of course; the whole vibe was more free-flowing; computer nerds could be jocks; cheerleaders could be drama geeks; they were often the same people, just flexing different talents. But a few kids did rule, just like at every school. Hutch had been one of them. And Matt still was. And The PharmClub, if that’s what it was called, seemed to cover everyone. The only requirement was people that were willing to do or take anything to be better than the rest. Or maybe it was another example of Keaton students in the habit of bending rules in their favor. Either way, Devon still felt the sting of being left out—yet again.

“Don’t you think this is bigger than your social standing at Keaton?” She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I’m not judging—”

“Yes, you are.”

“Okay, sorry. I’m judging a little. But, do you know what would happen if you got caught doing this?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’d get kicked out, easy. Whatever. I’m sure Boulder will still take me next year.”

“Kicked out is the least of it. You could end up in jail.”

Matt laughed shortly. “Doubtful. I just want to enjoy the
moment. People need me right now, and that’s kind of cool. Like you, you must get off on this therapy stuff a little bit.”

“I don’t know that ‘get off’ is how I’d describe it. But, yeah, okay, I get it. It does feel good to be needed.”

“See? We’re speaking the same language.” Matt smiled at her and smoothed back his hair. Devon flipped the page in her notebook to buy herself a moment to think.
Did I somehow just condone the fact that he’s selling drugs?
^‡
Mr. Robins would make her do push-ups until she graduated if he found out. Or worse.

“Before you got involved, Hutch was doing this with Bodhi on his own?”

“Yeah, this summer he called and wanted me to take over this year. He wanted out.”

“You don’t think anyone would have wanted to hurt Hutch because of this? Maybe they were mad he stopped, or he was going to rat someone out?”

“Rat someone out? Did you watch
The Sopranos
over the summer? Seriously.”

“I know it sounds a little weird, but you were kind of saying the same thing the other day. Hutch overdosed on Oxy, yet he apparently never took the stuff. Maybe someone wanted him out of the picture. Like, Bodhi? They
were
partners. Maybe Bodhi felt betrayed.”

“As cute as this little detective act you’ve got going on is, I’ve already played it from every angle. Trust me. Hutch had no enemies; he was a good guy to a sickening degree. I think he just had more demons than any of us knew.”

“Is that how you really feel? You think Hutch chose to end his life?”

“Devon, seriously. Don’t become that obsessed chick. He’s gone. None of this changes anything.”

She swallowed. First Presley, now Matt, telling her to back off
for the same reason. Was she obsessing? “But it does change everything. If someone … someone.…”

“Murder? You’re going to say that someone murdered Hutch? Come on, Devon. Stick to your counseling and straight As. You’re not Nancy Drew. Just.…” His voice softened again. “Just keep all this between us, will you?”

“Of course.” Devon slumped deeper into her chair.

“Our time’s up,” Matt said, standing. “See ya next week, Doc.” He walked out the door, leaving Devon staring at his empty chair.

Murder
. It sounded much more dramatic when Matt said it. But Matt was right. As long as Devon and Raven refused to believe that Hutch took those pills on purpose, or that he accidentally took too much of a drug he apparently never touched, they were looking for a murderer. With all the drugs circulating around campus, there was one obvious place to start.

T
HE LIGHTS WERE STILL
on in the Health Center when Devon stopped in. A knitted strand of bells hanging from the door announced her arrival.

“In here,” Nurse Reilly called from her cramped office. Devon moved toward the voice. Nurse Reilly was just putting her Sudoku book down on her desk next to a steaming cup of tea. Mint, like always. With tight white curls in her hair, her round face with rosy, wrinkled cheeks and her small half-moon glasses, the Keaton joke was that Nurse Reilly missed her calling as the mascot for a cookie company. Devon remembered when she had strep throat last year and Nurse Reilly had taught her how to knit to pass the time. Even though Devon had more than enough homework to keep her busy, knitting with Nurse Reilly was probably the closest she’d ever come to hanging out with a grandmother. A grandmother who always wore brightly-colored scrubs and matching Crocs, but a grandmother nonetheless.

And here was Devon, working up a lie to tell her. It was wrong. It actually
did
make her feel sick.

“Devon? Are you alright, sweetheart? What can I help you with?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just that … um … cramps. They’ve been really bad this month and I’m out of Aleve. Do you have anything I could take?” It sounded pitiful, but what else was she going to say?
Hi, Nurse Reilly. I really need to see the medical files of my subjects, and while we’re invading people’s privacy, could I see a list of the entire school’s prescriptions?

“Sure, I can help you with that. Give me a sec.”

Nurse Reilly pushed herself out of her chair with an
oomph!
and walked past Devon to the exam room. Her orange Crocs squeaked on the checkered linoleum floor. Devon’s eyes flitted over the “When Mama Ain’t Happy, Ain’t Nobody Happy” needlepoint framed on the wall behind her desk. Next to it, a thin curtain covered the one window in the room. Other than this window and the front door, these were Devon’s only ways into the Health Center later. Devon quickly darted across the small office and unlatched the lock on the window. Breaking in was her only option, wasn’t it? Nurse Reilly would never let her look at the files or prescriptions. Devon would have to come back tonight when Nurse Reilly was tucked away in her apartment. Hopefully that mint tea would lull her into a deep sleep.

“Here you go,” Nurse Reilly chimed as she returned. A small paper cup held two blue pills.

“Thanks so much. I’m sure these will help.”

“You okay otherwise? I haven’t seen you since you were in here with Isla a few weeks ago. I heard you’ve been an exemplary Peer Counselor.”

“You heard that? Thanks. I’m trying. It’s more work than I thought.” Devon smiled weakly. (
Like unexpected late night break-ins.)
“But I like it. Feels good to help.”

“Well, that’s the most important thing. Now, you should be getting back to your dorm. It’s almost curfew. Nurse Reilly clicked off her desk lamp and grabbed her mug of tea, walking Devon toward the door. “I’m headed off to bed myself.”