Page 55 of Keep Quiet

Jake scrolled down.

kill urself on pike rd

die & join me

you know who i am

“Bastard!” Jake exploded. “I’m going to kill this guy!”

“What guy? How do you know it’s a guy, and do you understand what this means?” Ryan grabbed his arm. “Whoever sent this knows what happened. They know it’sme. What are we going to do? Theyknow. Look at the next one, it’s a picture.”

“Okay, try and stay calm.” Jake looked at the screen, which showed a thumbnail photo of a young girl. He tapped it to enlarge it, though he could guess who it was. A school photo of a beautiful young girl popped onto the screen, and she had long, dark hair with large, dark brown eyes, and a wide, sweet smile. The caption read,I’m Kathleen Lindstrom.

“That’s the last one.” Ryan twisted around in his seat, frantic. “Dad, whoever sent this, theyknow. Thisis nota lucky guess. This isnota troll. SomebodyknowsI did it. Somebody isstalkingme. He could be watching usright now.”

“No, not really.” Jake had to cool him down. He patted Ryan on the knee, which was drawn up to fit his long legs into the cramped Toyota. “He’s just trying to scare you. Don’t give him the satisfaction.”

“Who? Why? Why’s he trying to scare me?”

“You have to let me handle this.” Jake looked over, and Ryan’s eyes went wide with disbelief and fear.

“What are youtalkingabout? Do you know who this is? What’s going on?”

“Please, let me handle this.” Jake would have to come up with the money for Deaner. There was no other way. “You have to go back to school. What time is lunch over?”

“Dad, I can’t go back to school. What if it’s somebody at school? Is it somebody at school?” Ryan went wild-eyed with bewilderment. “How do they know I play basketball?What’s going on?”

“Trust me, it’s better if you don’t know.”

“You have to tell me.” Ryan shouted, jabbing the air with his index finger. “It’smethey’re after. It’smethey want. I’m the one who did it! I have a right to know. It’smylife!”

“We’re not going to discuss this now. You have to get back to school.” Jake checked the dashboard clock, which read 11:50. His phone rang again, but he’d have to get it later. “Tell me what time lunch is over.”

“12:10. I’m supposed to be in Western Civ at 12:15, but Dad, I’m not going. I’m done for the day! Tell me what’s happening!”

“Listen to me. You have to let me handle this.” Jake disengaged the emergency brake. “The only way to deal with this is if you do what you’re supposed to do. Go to class, then practice, then come home. I’ll explain everything.”

“Dad,get real!” Ryan exploded, distraught. “I can’t go to class! What do you think, I can sit there and listen? Take notes like nothing’s wrong? You don’t know what it’s like at school today! All the girls are crying, all the teachers are upset. They’re going to do a memorial for her tonight. They’re planting a tree out front. The girls track team went around the homerooms to collect money for a scholarship fund.” Ryan gestured, his arms flailing wildly. “Janine Maewas tight with her, she waspopular! You saw, she was supercute, Dad. She had tons of dates. I killed her, and thisguyknows it.Who is he?”

“Ryan, work with me. We can talk about this at home tonight. Nothing’s going to change between now and then. You give me your phone and I’ll get you a new number.” Jake put the car in gear and was about to give it some gas when Ryan’s phone signaled an incoming text. They both looked down at the screen.

“Oh my God! It’s another picture!” Ryan tapped the thumbnail on the touch screen, and it opened to the photograph that Deaner had shown Jake this morning, of Ryan and him arguing in the headlights, next to Kathleen Lindstrom’s fallen form. “Oh no! No!”

“Ryan, don’t panic. I have this under control—”

“Oh my God!” Ryan dropped the phone. His hands flew to his head. “He has a picture! There’s a picture! Oh my God, what are we going to do? He hasproof! That’sproof! Dad, I don’t want you to go to jail!”

“Ryan, you have to keep your wits about you. I have this in control. I saw that photo already. I know what to do about it.” Jake started to put a hand on Ryan’s arm, but he batted it away, angry.

“What are youtalkingabout? Youknewabout this? Why didn’t youtell me?”

“Take it easy, I just found out this morning.” Jake kept his tone reassuring and put the car back in park. “But you don’t have to think about it anymore. It’s going to go away.”

“What do you mean? How did you see that picture? It can send you to jail! Tell me everything!”

“Okay, relax. I’ll tell you but you have to be calm. I’m handling it.” Jake had no choice but to level with him. “Bottom line, a man came to my office today and he’s blackmailing us.”

“What?” Ryan’s hands flew to his face and stayed there, cupping his own cheeks. “Are youkiddingme? Are youkiddingme right now, Dad?”

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