Page 99 of Brick

“Why do you think you’re standing before me right now?”

She would never admit to knowing Jonathan. Never. “I don’t know,” she whimpered.

“Really?” He cocked his head, then glanced over her shoulder. “This lady look familiar to any of you?”

“I’ve seen her.” An unfamiliar voice rang out from the small crowd surrounding them. “She was with Devon at Burger King the other night.”

The information clearly took him off guard. He sat up tall in his seat. “Aren’t you full of surprises? Tell me, Miss Turner, what do you have to do with my Devon? And how do you know of his association with me?”

She lowered her eyes. “Devon is—was—one of my students. My best student. I had encouraged him to t-try for a scholarship. When he didn’t do it, I pushed him, and he said he had obligations in his neighborhood, and he worked for someone important.” She fudged the details a little, but it paid off when Sucre puffed up. “I didn’t know it was you.”

Sneaking a glance at the small crowd around her, she continued. “When he stopped coming to class, I dug up his address and tried to talk to his brother about why he wasn’t in school anymore.”

Sucre chuckled. “Ah, things are making much more sense now. You’re very smart, telling me the truth of things. What did you think of Devon’s brother?”

“He scared me.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “Not at first. But at the end. It was like I was a mouse, and he was a cat, toying with me, waiting to pounce.”

“I guess you’re smarter than you look.”

The voice behind her was terrifying and familiar. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she felt Tre move in behind her.

“You sensed exactly what was happening, but what I want to know is—how did you get away from me?”

Sucre nodded, waiting for her answer.

“I hid. There was a burned b-building. It was so dark.” She shivered at the memory. “There were rats.”

Tre stomped his foot. “I knew I should have checked in there. I didn’t think a sweet little thing like you would have the stones to go inside.” He ran his finger up the line of her jaw. “I won’t underestimate you again.”

She prayed he would. “I-I’m sorry, Mr. De La Cruz, for intruding in your business. Really. I didn’t realize you were the important man Devon was talking about. I only wanted to look out for my student. I swear, I won’t ever step foot in this neighborhood again.”

“My dear.” Sucre tutted. “If only it were so simple. I understand now how you’ve taken Tre’s interest, but it solves only half the mystery. What I really want to know is how you’re involved with Brick Barlow.”

She frowned. “I don’t know who that is.”

Sucre shook his head sadly. “Dear Miss Turner, I hope you’re lying. Because if you’re Brick’s girl, no one here will touch you. It would be in my best interest to keep you safe.” He shrugged. “If not, I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop my young tomcat from playing with his new mouse.”

He pulled a phone out of his suit pocket and made a call, putting it on speaker. Tears threatened when she heard the answering voice.

“Sir?”

“Devon. Have you seen any sign of Brick?”

“No, sir, but the lady who Quinton grabbed? She’s one of my teachers. She’s really nice. I can’t imagine her anywhere around a guy like Brick.”

Sucre cocked his head. “If you recognized her, why didn’t you say anything to Quinton?”

“I report to you, sir. Besides, I wouldn’t try to talk Quinton out of his orders. It wouldn’t be my place.”

Sucre seemed to accept the words as his due. “Fair enough. Why don’t you come on back? You can keep your teacher company while we sort all this out.” As soon he hung up, Sucre shot out a text, then stuck the phone back into his pocket. “I’ve invited Brick to join our little party. Maybe we can get to the bottom of this once the gang’s all here.”

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