Page 24 of The Fall of Iris Henley
My head snaps up before I can stop it. I’d expected him to ask more about the Sekrit posts—to ask if I’d been in the middle of any drama, if I’d done anything to deserve harassment. Not this.
“I… yeah,” I say. “Yes, we were very close.”
“What exactly happened between you girls?” he asks.
I hesitate. I don’t remember exactly what I told him in the early days after the murder, but I’m guessing he knows what everyone knows: that she was kicked off the team for using drugs, that almost everyone had cut her off afterward. That she spent her last few months of life alone and lonely.
“She got kicked off the cheer team in October, and we stopped talking after that,” I finally say.
“You stopped talking toher, or she stopped talking toyou?” he asks.
“I… guess it was mutual,” I say carefully.
Ramos nods slowly. He leans forward on his elbows across the desk. “I heard you had a big fight with her at school. Some of your classmates seem to think it almost got physical.”
“That’s ridiculous,” I say automatically. “It wasn’t afight. It was just an argument.” Right away, though, I can hear how that sounds: that I’m protesting too much.
And maybe I am. It hadn’t been physical, but it had felt like a much bigger deal than I’m making it out to be now. It was a week after she was kicked off cheerleading, and she hadn’t replied to any of my texts or calls or notes. So I confronted her in the hall. Blocked her path and wouldn’t let her pass until she talked to me.
“Lynette, come on, I’m on your side here,” I said.
I remember her sour breath as she stepped close to me, her face just a few inches from mine. I remember her skin was too pale under her makeup, and it was strangely rough. Her eyes were wild. I’d seen her get in a few fights over the years, but that was the first time it occurred to me to wonder if she’d hitme. “On my side?” she said with a sharp, hot laugh. “Is that what you’ve been telling yourself?”
My stomach went acid and I forced myself not to look away. She couldn’t possibly know about the letter I’d sent to Gloria. Even if she did, I hadn’t signed it. She couldn’t know it was from me.
“I just want you to get help,” I said. I suddenly became aware of the people all around us, watching. Filming. I heard the word “fight” from the crowd. I hadn’t intended this to be so public; I just hadn’t been able to corner her anywhere else. Add it to the list of regrets, I suppose.
“Sure,” Lynette said. “Enjoy your new spot as top girl, Iris. Just remember, the higher you are, the farther the fall.”
And that was it. She’d pushed by me and left me standing there in the hall, smarting from what felt like an unfair accusation.
It was the last time we’d talked.
“Does this have something to do with the Sekrit posts?” I ask abruptly.
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out,” he says with a mild smile. “It seems strange that someone would start a rumor like this for no good reason. How about this one comment…” He holds up a piece of paper from an enormous stack, and I realize suddenly what he’s looking at. He’s printed out all the comments from Sekrit. Every single one. “From, uh, puma208375890? He says you left your party on the night of the murder.”
My throat feels dry. “Yeah, I saw that post. But it’s not true.”
“Then why’s this kid saying it?” Ramos presses.
I stifle the flare of irritation. How should I know? But I need to stay a sweet dumb cheerleader in this man’s eyes. “I don’t know, Sheriff. Some people like to stir up drama online, just to harass people.”
Now he looks genuinely confused. “But why would someone do that?”
Before Rocky’s violent turn, there hadn’t been a murder in Varda in fourteen years. The department mostly busts up parties that get too rowdy or sets up sobriety checkpoints at the holidays. And they definitely don’t have anything to do with cybercrime. How am I supposed to explain the concept of atrollor ashitposterto someone who has a Lone Ranger picture on his wall? I shrug again.
Finally, Ramos shakes his head.
“Okay, Iris,” he says slowly, carefully. “I just wanted to check in with you. I knowcyberbullyingcan be a real problem for you kids.” From the way he says it I know he looked up thedefinition of cyberbullying about five minutes before he had me brought in. My desire to laugh, though, dies in my throat at his next words. “Next time maybe I’ll check in with your classmates instead. Some of them never did seem to believe that Rocky would do something so awful. Maybe I’ll check with them, see if there’s something they think we missed.”
I’m naive, but I’m not stupid. I can hear the threat loud and clear. But I fight to keep my expression blank.Don’t give him anything. Don’t say shit about shit.
“Thank you for your help, Sheriff,” I say.
I stand up and sling my backpack over my shoulder. I wait a beat to give him a chance to stop me. When he doesn’t, I push my way out the door.
CHAPTER 16
