Six Little Secrets(10)

Mr. Curtis narrowed his eyes, then glanced at the rest of the group. ‘Get back to your seat.’

‘Did you hear that announcement?’ Jackie asked Mr. Curtis.

‘What announcement?’ Mr. Curtis asked, eyeing the group.

‘It’s nothing,’ Teddy said, dropping back into his chair.

His heart pounded, and his armpits dampened. The hope that Mr. Curtis had caught the person in charge of the ‘game’ disappeared in that instant. Explaining what happened to Mr. Curtis wouldn’t get his book or money back.

Maybe whoever played this game with him knew the alert tone and was messing with him even more. He was the only one with the numeric pin to get into the account.

He glanced at the book and let out a shuddering breath. He was wrong. He wasn’t the only one who knew the pin. He’d written it down inside the book. The one that someone had stolen from him and cut up.

He tried to hold onto his composure, but dread pooled in his stomach.

His money was safe. It had to be.

He repeated those words in his head, not believing the alternative.

‘You didn’t hear anything?’ Zoe asked Mr. Curtis.

‘I don’t know what’s going on here,’ Mr. Curtis said. ‘But I’m trying to be as fair as I can. I have to work on the computer now to file some paperwork to the state for my teaching license, so I need to concentrate. Help me out, and I’ll try as hard as I can to get you out of here. All right?’

Everyone muttered their consent.

Mr. Curtis entered the office, and Teddy reached down into his bag for the novel. He opened it under the desk and lifted the stack of cash, counting it quickly.

He had sifted through nine one-hundred-dollar bills before he stopped at the last one.

This one was unlike the rest. It was a fake, printed on red paper. And someone else’s face replaced Benjamin Franklin’s.

Teddy lifted the paper and held it up.

The rest of the group leaned closer, each of them taking in the face.

Their eyes fell on the next victim.

It was Cece.





CHAPTER FIVE




ZOE



Saturday


The picture of Cece on the red slip of paper stared back at Zoe. It looked like her school photo, but with the red tint to her face it made her look creepy as hell. Zoe’s skin prickled, and the sensation crawled up her arms.

Teddy’s fingers gripped the money, crinkling the hundred-dollar bills in his hand.

Where did Teddy get all of that? His mom worked two jobs to pay all the bills, Zoe doubted they had cash lying around. The note for Teddy said that he cherished money which made no sense to her.

‘Why did you try to get into the office?’ Jackie asked Teddy.

Zoe was torn. She wanted to know more about Teddy, but the game was continuing no matter how much they talked about it.

‘Take it, Cece,’ Teddy murmured, ignoring Jackie’s question.

Cece shook her head, her hands clasped in her lap.

Teddy tossed it at her.

It floated in the air for a moment, suspended, before it fluttered down, landing on the white strips of paper scattered over the table.

‘If you’re not going to look at it,’ Q said, reaching for it.

Zoe lunged forward, plucking the paper from the stack.

Q cocked his head to the side, taking in Zoe’s defiance.

Holly and Jackie looked at her too. Zoe’s cheeks flushed. She wasn’t sure why she did it. She normally kept to herself, but for some reason, she didn’t want Q to get the paper. Was he doing this to them? He always tripped people in the hallway or played tricks on unsuspecting kids. This seemed like something he would do.

Zoe placed the paper in front of Cece and lifted her gaze to Q, daring him to say something. ‘It’s obviously for her.’

Q blinked slowly then his attention was back on Teddy. ‘I wouldn’t have destroyed the money either. Though by the way you ran, you looked spooked. What happened?’

Teddy licked his lips but said nothing.

‘Come on, Teddy,’ Holly said. ‘If this person is messing with us, we need to know what we’re up against.’

Everyone held their breath while watching the war taking place on Teddy’s face.

‘It’s not a big deal,’ Teddy said. ‘I work at night. I have a personal bank account for my money with mobile banking. When the time was up, I heard the app alert coming from my phone.’

‘Do you think this person got into your account?’ Jackie asked, leaning forward in her chair.

Teddy shrugged. ‘Or maybe it was a coincidence.’

‘It would be a bizarre coincidence,’ Zoe said.

‘Why do you have a personal bank account anyway?’ Q asked.

‘I have a bank account,’ Cece said matter-of-factly.

‘I’m not talking about a trust account,’ Q snapped.

‘I’m saving up for college,’ Teddy said.

‘Aren’t your parents going to pay for that?’ Jackie asked.

Zoe glared at Jackie. This girl was clueless about anyone outside of her little bubble of friends. Other than Holly, everyone in that room had gone to school together since kindergarten. Everyone—or at least Zoe thought everyone—knew Teddy only had one parent.