"Then why washiscoat inyourcar?"
I lifted my chin. "What makes you think it washis?"
"Paystub. Left pocket."
Shit.
I made a sound of exasperation. "Okay, I had his coat because I forgot mine when I went for a walk. He happened to drive by and lent me his. That's all. End of story."
When Gordon said nothing in reply, I added, "It was actually pretty nice of him."
Gordon looked unimpressed. "And this was when? Last night?"
I shrugged. "Maybe."
"Uh-huh." His eyebrows lifted. "You think I don't know that you sneak out?"
My stomach clenched. Until now, I hadn't realized.How stupid was that?Still, I held my ground. "I wasn't 'sneaking' anywhere. I was just going for a walk."
Okay, as far as excuses went, yes, it was pretty lame. But it was technically true. After all, it's not like I'd ended up at anyone's houseorinside anyone's truck for that matter.
Gordon's lips thinned with obvious disapproval. "He's a loser. Surely you know that."
"You mean John?" My chin lifted. "He can't be that much of a loser. I mean, he takes calculus, so…" I shrugged and let the statement speak for itself.
When Gordon said nothing in reply, I tried to think. For the last couple of hours, something had been nagging at the back of my brain. Supposedly, John had given alcohol to a minor. Supposedly that minor was me.
Yes, this was all technically illegal.But was it really such a huge deal?Last year, Wayne LeSalle had been busted for selling pot in the school parking lot, and evenhehadn't been dragged off like some animal.
And this wasn't the only thing that didn't make sense. For all the drama surrounding today's events, no one at school had mentioned me at all.
What did that mean?If John were in trouble for giving alcohol to a minor, wouldn'tIbe in trouble as the under-aged buyer? Plus, he was a minor, too.Didn't that count for something?
I heard myself say, "What's he being charged with, anyway?"
Gordon replied, "That depends on you."
I wasn't following. "What?"
"Here's the deal," Gordon said. "Hecouldbe charged for giving alcohol to a minor. Or…" He smiled that oily smile of his and let the silence stretch out.
"Or what?" I demanded.
"Or, he could be looking at something significantly worse."
I swallowed. "Like what?"
Again, Gordon leaned back on the sofa. "I dunno… Kidnapping."
"What?" I sputtered.
"Or attempted rape."
My blood was boiling now, but I was working like crazy to keep my temper in check. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm just saying, throw in a few witnesses, and he could be facing something a lot more serious than the slap on the wrist he'd get for the booze thing."
A slap on the wrist?Thatsodidn't apply.