Page 103 of S.O.S. Perk

Sloane rolled her eyes. “I told you, Mel. He’s twenty-eight.”

Melissa dropped back into her chair and blew out a gust of air. “Damn. This is going to take some getting used to.” She squinched her eyes up at Perk. “One minute you’re a student in the forbidden zone, and the next I find out you’re an actual adult, doing the nasty with my best friend.” She shook her head. “My mind is blown.”

Sloane placated her. “I promise you’ll feel much better about all of this once we’ve gone out to dinner—you, me, and Perk—and had a few drinks.”

Now it was Sloane’s turn to squeal. “I’ve been dying to tell you about this for weeks. Do you know how hard it’s been to keep it all inside?”

Melissa clearly saw the humor in the situation. “Oh, yeah. I can tell it probably killed you, you’re such a loose cannon.”

Perk looked askance between the two women.

“She’s kidding,” Sloane assured him. “She’s always on me, that I’m like a vault. She’s just trying to get back at me for keeping you a secret. But Mel,” she turned to her buddy. “You understand, right? There was a lot riding on Perk staying in his roll.”

“Was?” Melissa caught that one word. “Does that mean everything has been solved, Sherlock?” she addressed Perk.

Perk nodded and counted down on his fingers. “Kaelyn is safe. The perps are in custody. And I’m no longer needed here.”

“There’s more.” Sloane elbowed Perk. “I actually got the approval from Baskins to give Mel a little more intel. I told him that she can keep her mouth shut, so I’m authorized to name a few names.”

“Not if it makes you uncomfortable,” Melissa allowed magnanimously.

“It doesn’t,” Sloane assured her.

“Good.” Melissa fake wiped the sweat from her brow. “I was trying to take the high-road, here, but it was kicking my ass. Spill, girl. I want it all.”

Sloane grinned, and so did Perk. He was really liking her friend.

Sloane began. “So, Perk came in undercover and quickly found out through the student-grapevine, that Jeremy Nelsin had something to do with the disappearance of Kaelyn. Kaelyn had found out he might be involved with the missing money problem going around, and was just about to spill to the authorities.”

“And did he? Have something to do with it?” Melissa asked.

“Yes. Hewasthe one stealing funds from fellow students and their parents.”

“Jeremy?” Melissa sat back, incredulous. “Nerd, Jeremy?” she repeated.

“The one and only. Come to find out it was his mother who put him up to all that stuff. Together, they developed a game that when downloaded onto people’s phones, sent its evil little tendrils out to spy on their victims’ financial information; bank account numbers, Venmo passwords, etc. And when Kaelyn found out, Jeremy’s mother had him ‘disappear’ the girl.”

“I’m calling his involvement conspiracy to murder,” Perk put in a little sourly. “When the kid thought I was taking the girl away to kill her, he never even blinked. But the charges against him are for your head honchos to decide,” Perk gave over. Still, he wouldn’t be happy if they let Jeremy off with a slap on the wrist.

“Yeah. Jeremyishoping for a plea deal,” Sloane confirmed. “He’s saying he never really meant to hurt Kaelyn. He was planning to stash her somewhere that wasn’t his basement once his mother told him to get rid of her. At least until Perk showed up, and took that burden off his shoulders.”

Perk snorted. Jeremy wasn’t innocent of anything. He deserved to serve time.

“Wait. Let me get this straight,” Melissa gasped. “Kaelyn was in Jeremy’s basement the whole time she was missing?”

“Yup. Until Perk took her away and got her and her parents into a safe house. But Mel. There’s more.”

Melissa held her hand over her heart. “I don’t know if I can take more. Students who aren’t students. Nerds doing evil things.” She blinked up at Sloane. “But go ahead.”

“We’ve taken Mr. Shultz into custody, as well,” Sloane told her.

“Mr. Shultz?” Now Melissa shook her head from side to side. “Geeky, mild-mannered Mr. Shultz?”

“Yeah. And you wanna know why?” Sloane asked, before switching her attention to Perk. “Even you haven’t heard this part,” she told him. “It came up in our questioning session today.”

Perk was all ears. “Tell us.”

“Well, it seems that onceMr.Nelsin let his disapproval of Mrs. Nelsin’s scheme be known, the woman soured on him. Hence, she needed a strong arm to help her get rid of what was standing in her way of success.”

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