Blackout by Caroline Crane Read Free Book Online Page A

keep them that way. How to break it to them?
    “Well,” I began, “as your son just said,
Kelsey got smashed.”
    She turned to her son. “How did that happen?”
At least she knew you had to get smashed on something. It
was becoming clear the parents hadn’t been home.
    Carl denied supplying any liquor. Cindy
backed him up. If it was there, other kids had brought it. But the
twins must have known it was coming. They’d bought other supplies.
The mixers and things.
    My parents would have been home, even though
they trusted Ben and me. Famous last words. The truth is, you never
know what your kids’ friends are going to pull.
    I gave them the story in brief, making sure I
named names.
    Cindy’s eyes got wider and wider. Carl stared
down at his sneakers. Whatever church they went to must have been
casual. Both twins had on jeans.
    “Oh my Lord of Lords!” Mrs. Brandon clutched
at her chest. Mr. Brandon caught her before she could fall.
    I felt no remorse, and went on, “That’s not
the worst of it. Those creeps took pictures and put them on the
Internet. I don’t know if Kelsey knew that part of it. Maybe being
gang raped was enough. Anyway, this morning it looked as if she
tried to kill herself. We went to see how she was doing and she was
on top of that turret thing they have.”
    “She was going to jump?” Cindy gasped.
    “No, I think she took poison. She must have
thought it would be a while before anyone looked up there. Nobody
else was home, so we called the police and they came with a ladder
truck. They got her down. They said she was still breathing and
they took her to the hospital.”
    “Oh, that poor girl,” cried Mrs. Brandon.
    Cindy turned away, sickened. “Guys can be
such shit.”
    Another charter member.
    “Anyway,” I said, getting down to the point
of our visit, “the police had to know everything, including where
all this took place. I’m afraid they might have some questions
about alcohol being served to minors. We thought we’d better let
you know.”
    “Thanks for the warning,” Mr. Brandon said
dully.
    “Anyway, regardless . . .” I got my car door
open, “whatever else, most of the blame has to be on Evan
Steffers.”
    “And company,” added Glyn. It was the first
time she’d spoken.
    “He really will be prosecuted,” I assured
them all, and got into my shabby Chevy. “If they can find him.”
    I backed out of the driveway, leaving a
stunned family of four. I wouldn’t have wanted to be any of them.
And certainly not Kelsey.
     

 
    Chapter
Five
     
    We passed Velda Sheehan’s house with its red
tile roof. Cree and I both turned to look at it. We had been there
together a couple of times. It was where we found out about
Kelsey’s childhood trauma. That was before we confronted Kelsey
herself.
    I said, “I wish we had Velda’s phone
number.”
    “I’m glad we don’t.”
    That was Glyn talking. I could see her in my
rear view mirror, all hunched over. She added, “I couldn’t face any
of that family.”
    “Don’t you want to know how she’s doing?” I
asked.
    She hunched still further. I tried to keep my
eyes ahead and not on the mirror. “Glyn, will you stop it? Even if
there was something you could have done differently, you didn’t
know it at the time and you can’t go back and change it. Try moving
forward. There must be something you can do.”
    Maybe she had to blame herself. Sometimes you
have to, but I was getting tired of it. Possibly my constant
reassurance was part of what she needed. Still, it would be nice if
we could change the tune a little.
    When we got to my house, Ben’s truck was
still there. He hadn’t gone out, probably because I had Cree with
me. Ben had always been pretty much a loner, but these days he
scarcely went anywhere without Cree.
    “Come in and have some soda, coffee, iced
tea,” I invited my buddies. “That’s all we’re serving. Oh, and
fresh water.”
    “No gin and mixer?” Glyn tried for a bit