Leave Her Hanging: A Noir Thriller

Chapter Twenty-Three

It was nearly three by the time I got back to school. I didn’t want to get caught creeping around school grounds when I should be in class, so I picked a spot by a big leafy tree near Megan’s parked car.

While I waited, I scoffed the pie I’d picked up and chased it down with a can of Coke. I felt better after that. I’d picked up some gum as well, so I chewed a stick and checked my phone. No more contact from Alex. I’d texted her to see if she knew a Taylor, but I hadn’t got a response. I considered asking her if she knew the code for Malcolm’s encrypted file, but decided against it. I still didn’t know how much I could trust her.

I touched the business card in my pocket. Maybe if I handed my USB drive over to Detective Reihana, he’d have some special cop computer program to decrypt it. That’s how it always worked on TV. I chewed my lip, trying to work out the right way forward.

The school bell rang. A few seconds later the quiet street was filled with the noise and movement of dozens of students walking and talking. I tried to look inconspicuous in my funeral clothes.

After a couple of minutes I spotted Megan walking alone down the footpath, making for her little red Honda. I put my fingers in my mouth and whistled sharply. Megan’s eyes snapped towards me. I jerked my head, and she changed direction to cross the road to where I was. She didn’t look happy with me.

“Megan—” I said. That was as far as I got.

“You ditched the funeral.” Her face was like stone. I felt my gut sinking.

“I had to. I had to be somewhere.”

She folded her arms across her chest. “Doing what? More of your investigating? I thought you were going to talk to me about this.”

“Megan…” I tried again.

“No. You keep saying that you loved Ella. But this isn’t about her, is it? You don’t care about anyone. It’s all about you.”

I balled my hands into fists in my pockets. “Don’t talk to me like that. I just want justice for her.”

“No. Checking into what happened is one thing. You told me that’s what it was. But you want something to rage against. You know, when you came around the other night, I thought you might actually be starting to get how badly you’re hurting everyone. How badly you’re hurting yourself.”

“I don’t give a fuck about myself, and I don’t give a fuck about anyone else!” I was yelling now, yelling so hard my throat was aching. “I want answers. I’ll burn this whole fucking city down to get them if I have to.”

My breath came in huge, heaving gasps. Megan had taken a step back from me, her hands raised as if to ward me off. I blinked a few times to get the mist out of my eyes, the pounding blood out of my head.

We stood in silence for a couple of minutes. I put my back against the tree and let the feeling drain out of me. I could feel Megan’s eyes on me, but I didn’t meet her gaze.

“Do you know anyone called Taylor?” I said, quieter now.

She said nothing for a moment. “I don’t think so.”

“It might be a last name.”

“I have an uncle Taylor in Sydney. That’s about it. Why?”

I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. Just a lead.” I checked the time on my phone. 3:26. “Probably too late now anyway.”

Megan put her arms around me. I hesitated a moment. Then I hugged her back. She was warm, soft, alive. Everything I wasn’t. Everything I needed right now. I felt her lips on my cheek, at the corner of my mouth. Then she kissed me lightly on the lips.