With Malice by Eileen Cook Read Free Book Online

(Laughs, then stops suddenly.) I don’t mean that in a bad way—that came out wrong. Simone just loved to party. You aren’t going to tell her folks I said that, are you? They’d be really PO’d.
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    DETECTIVE REID: (Tape is unintelligible.)
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    TARA INGELLS: No, not Jill. It was sorta like she wasn’t that interested in guys. She was kinda a bookworm. I think if she hadn’t been Simone’s friend, then she would have been, like, nerdy. She was really into school. Jill could be shy sometimes, but she was super funny.
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    DETECTIVE REID: How did you come to know Jill and Simone?
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    TARA INGELLS: Simone and I were in cheer together. I was friends with her first and then the more time I spent with her, the more I got to know Jill. We hung out all together, like the Three Musketeers. Simone was in charge of good times, Jill was the one you went to when you needed to talk something out, and I was . . . I don’t know, I guess you’d have to ask them why they liked me. We had a good time together. We were all in drama. We were just in the school play together a few months ago. (Sniffles.)
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    DETECTIVE WINSTON: Would you say you were best friends?
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    TARA INGELLS: Totally. I probably spent more time with Simone because of cheer and stuff, but Jill’s awesome. If it weren’t for her, I totally would have failed chem. Seriously, Gagnon, who teaches that class, like, lives for failing people. Simone and Jill were extra close—the two of them had been friends since something like second grade, like, forever. I was their friend, but they were, like, a whole different level of friends. I can’t believe Jill would ever do anything to Simone. They were like sisters. Seriously, the whole thing has to be a huge mistake.
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    DETECTIVE REID: Did Jill ever tell you how she felt about Simone going with her to Italy?
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    TARA INGELLS: Jill was psyched. Jill loved all that stuff—art, history, that kinda thing. I remember her talking at lunch one day about how she and Simone would be walking in the steps of Galileo and Roman emperors. She was always saying that kind of smart sh—stuff. Simone and I were totally rolling our eyes because, um, hello, Italy? Shopping, hot guys. You have to know Jill. That’s just her. Jill was beyond excited to go; she planned on it for over a year. The trip was all they talked about for the weeks before they went. What they were going to bring, clothes, stuff like that. Jill was really worried about what to pack. They were only allowed to bring one small suitcase. It was weird, because normally Simone is the one who is totally fashion obsessed, but this time it was Jill. I think Jill wanted to have a whole new wardrobe for the trip, so she could sort of reinvent herself. (Pauses.)
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    DETECTIVE WINSTON: Is there something else you want to add? Maybe a comment one of them made to you?
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    TARA INGELLS: Um . . . well, it’s probably nothing. Jill was worried that Simone used the money her grandparents gave her for college to pay for the trip. Simone was always saying that she was a terrible student, but she wasn’t, really. She just preferred to spend her time on doing stuff that was fun, you know. Simone was always joking about how she was going to end up going to hairdresser school or something, but as it got closer to graduation, you could tell it bugged her. Of course Jill wanted Simone to go—but she thought Simone should use the cash to take some classes at the community college. (Sniffles.) Jill’s going to Yale, you know. She got early acceptance and everything. It’s a pretty big deal. She wanted Simone to be smart. Think all long-term and stuff. Simone’s family isn’t exactly rolling in cash. She was looking out for Simone. It was like her brain was already a grownup.
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    It’s really sad, because they were both so excited to go. They were both so sweet. Honestly,