The Anatomical Shape of a Heart by Jenn Bennett Read Free Book Online Page B

filter. “Uuuuuh, yeeees, siiiir.”
    I barely heard Mom, who was politely introducing herself and sounding disturbingly calm as she questioned the officer: What photo? And what was this all about? And how did they get her daughter’s address?
    Officer Dixon matched her on the supercalm attitude. “We traced the account to an art website and found her Facebook link. Lincoln High was on that profile. Your address is in the school system database.”
    Holy crap. All of that was set to private. Wasn’t this a violation of my rights?
    â€œMiss Adams,” he said to me in a firm tone, “can you please tell me what your relationship is with the person who vandalized the Legion of Honor this afternoon?”
    â€œNone!” Why was my voice so high? “I just posted it as a joke. It’s my birthday. I saw it and took a picture. It’s my birthday,” I repeated dumbly. Could I sound any guiltier?
    The officer was a brick wall. Completely unreadable. “Did you witness the vandalizing?”
    â€œNo.” I told him what happened, which was fairly easy because I was actually telling the truth. Mostly. And I thought he believed me, but then he got serious.
    â€œAre you aware of an anarchist art group called Discord?”
    â€œI’ve read about them.”
    â€œThen you know that someone in the group defaced a Rothko painting in the Museum of Modern Art two years ago.”
    â€œThat was them?”
    â€œCost the museum thousands of dollars in restoration damage. That’s a very serious crime. So if you even suspect you might know someone in your art class at school who might do some graffiti now and then, you need to tell me. Legion of Honor isn’t taking this lightly. And if this perp”—Jesus! Jack is now being considered a freaking perpetrator?—“defaces something else, the charges are just going to keep getting worse. Right now, they’re looking at one to three years in state prison.”
    Years?
    â€œAnd trust me, if this person is connected to Discord, he or she won’t be getting mercy from the court, because members of that group are facing felony arson charges, assault on a police officer, rioting—you name it.”
    â€œI only read about Discord last week!” I turned around when Mom made a noise. “I swear, Mom. This is craziness. I just posted a photo.”
    â€œI believe you, baby.”
    â€œMa’am, did you know that parents can be held responsible, too? You can face fines, jail-time, and up to twenty-five thousand dollars in damages if your daughter is found to be connected to Discord.”
    My future fantasy life in the Mediterranean flashed before my eyes. Jack swore he wasn’t affiliated with them. Did I believe him?
    â€œThe graffiti isn’t connected to her birthday,” Mom said. “It was a coincidence.” Now she was getting mad, and I would appreciate her anger heck of a lot more if I deserved her defense. “My daughter is a talented artist, not a troubled teen.” Oh, Lordy. “She takes AP classes. She works a steady job twenty hours a week.”
    â€œShe won an attendance award for not missing a day of school last year,” my brother said from the hallway. “She’s a total nerd.”
    Thanks, Heath.
    â€œYou’re barking up the wrong tree,” Mom added.
    The officer handed me a business card. It said he was in the SFPD Graffiti Abatement Program. “If you think of anything or remember something about one of your classmates, give me a call. Sometimes I’ve been able to mediate a solution between the property owners and the perpetrator. Believe me, I’m a good friend to have.”
    I gripped the card as he walked to the door with my mother, but I could hardly feel the paper. My hands and feet had gone numb. The door closed, and after my mom bolted the lock, she turned around and stared at me with her eagle eyes. The silence was