Chapter 46
My eyes flickered to Elliott, and I silently wondered if this was because he had not done a very good job of helping me “deal” with my “grief.” He smiled at me, a small reassuring gesture, and I quickly put my attention elsewhere, back to Hannah. “Thanks,” was about all I could manage.
“How are the rest of your friends?” my dad asked. He looked at me, and for a moment I thought he might send me out of the room, like all of this was also top-secret, but he didn’t.
Cadence replied, “Okay. They spoke to Elliott and Hannah, and I think that helped.”
My parents nodded, and I pretended like I had no idea what that meant, like I was supposed to think Elliott and Hannah were just good at talking to people instead of knowing what Cadence really meant was that her new friend had brainwashed her gang from high school, and Hannah had used her emotional manipulation, the same good juju I was feeling right now.
I knew I was likely on my way upstairs, so I thought I might as well see if I could get something out of it first. “Do they have any idea what it was that… killed Jack?” I asked, turning my head slightly so that I could look at Cadence. I tried my best not to catch anyone else’s eyes as I was pretty sure they’d interfere with her answer. I took a chance that she might slip up, that she might forget the “don’t tell Cassidy stuff” rule.
“The CDC is looking into it,” Cadence replied. “Once they found his body and had it cremated, I think that they have it under control, but I’m not sure what the autopsy showed.”
I almost smiled. She had said way too much. I could tell by the wide-eyed expression I saw over her shoulder on Elliott’s face. He stammered, “Uh, it’s nothing to worry about, Cassidy. Everything is fine.”
She had messed up. I could tell. I analyzed her answer and saw the fault in it. Since I knew Jack was in the hospital sick for several days before he died, there was no way what she said about “finding” his body made any sense at all, unless they had temporarily lost Jack’s body. How odd. And… why would the CDC cremate a body? Was there even an autopsy?
But I had to play all dumb and innocent, like I didn’t have any idea that what my sister said was unexpected or led me to believe she was lying to me about anything at all. “That’s good,” I said, smiling at Cadence. She wasn’t looking at me, though. Her eyes were darting around, and for a second, I thought it seemed like she was talking to someone, the same way Elliott had the other day when he was supposed to be talking to me, but it looked like he was having an internal conversation. I glanced at him, and he was doing the same thing right now. Was it possible they were talking to each other? Using telepathy?
Eventually, Cadence pulled a sort-of creepy smile onto her face. “You know, Cass, everything is just fine. There’s nothing to worry about. I mean, it’s unfortunate that Jack has passed away, don’t get me wrong, but we don’t have to worry about the disease that claimed him.”
I nodded in agreement. “It is too bad that Jack died.” I looked at Elliott whose eyes were narrowed at me, as if he was doing his best to keep my mouth shut. I couldn’t help but let a haunt of a smile slip across my lips, though I was sure he was the only one who would notice. “But… these things happen. We should all be sad that Jack died, but then we need to let it go and get on with our lives. People die.” I shrugged, like it was no skin off my nose that the boy I used to think of as a brother was now tiny bits of ash in a container sitting somewhere on his parents’ mantel awaiting his final send off.
Elliott cleared his voice, obviously perturbed by me. I assumed the rest of the people present would just think he had managed to slip that brainwashing into my vocabulary, but he and I both knew better. “Cassidy, don’t you have… homework or something?”
As a teenage girl, I have perfected the, “I-will-murder-you stare.” I used it on the good doctor now.
“You know, Cassidy, I do think it might be better if you went upstairs for a little while. We need to talk to Cadence, and I am sure you don’t want to hear any of the details about Jack’s death.” I knew Elliott’s power of suggestion would work on my mother.
“No, of course I don’t want to,” I lied, turning to look at my parental units. “I think I’ll go upstairs.” Cadence let go of me, and I stood. I gave her a sympathetic look and then turned to Hannah. “It was nice to meet you.” She gave me a small smile, and then, looking directly at Elliott, I said, “I don’t have any homework, but I do have a few phone calls to make.”
The look on his face was one of almost amusement, as if he couldn’t believe I had the guts to look him squarely in the eyes and tell him I was about to do exactly what he’d told me not to and let my friends know what was going on, but he said nothing.
Upstairs, my phone was chiming before I even sat down on my bed. I knew who the text was from, and once I’d pulled my phone out of my pocket and looked at it, I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Cassidy Elizabeth, I think we talked about this. You’re supposed to let this go and not tell your friends jack about Jack.”
I replied, “Dr. Sanderson, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Why would I tell my friends anything when I know nothing?”
“You know more than you should.”
Feeling bold, I sent a text back, “Come up here and make me stop then, why don’t you?”
It took him a few moments to answer, and I wondered if someone had asked him who he was texting. Finally, I got my reply. “You know I can.”
