That was awfully generous of Julia. Was that typical?
He shrugged. Yeah, I guess. But she also wanted everyone to know when she did a good deed. Sorry, that sounds mean, under the circumstances.
Were you and Julia ever alone?
The kid looked panicked. You think I had something to do-
No, no, Ellie said, taking a step backward to give him more space. Nothing like that, Casey. I only asked to get a better sense of how well you knew Julia. It might help put your impressions in context.
Yeah, okay. Um, we never arranged anything with just the two of us or anything. But, yeah, a few times, wed all be hanging out and Julia and I would end up walking in the same direction afterwards. One time, everyone else had to bail early, so we walked over to see the new part of the High Line when it first opened. You know, that kind of thing. Mostly, though, Id say we knew each other through Ramona.
And I take it you know what happened to Julia last night?
That she died? Yeah, Ramona called me and I went up to her place. She said Julias mom doesnt believe its suicide. Is that why youre here?
There was no reason for this kid to know that Ellie and her partner had a split of opinion on that issue. You seem like a pretty straight shooter, Casey.
He squinted. I try to be.
So give it to me straight. What can you tell us about Julia that her best friend might not be willing to say?
Theres not a lot to tell. I mean, shes super rich. Pretty. Probably had some baggage with her parents-always fighting with her mom, talking about her dad, trying to get more time with him, feeling kind of ignored. You know. But otherwise pretty normal.
Did she have a boyfriend?
No, it was more like shed just hook up. She told me she was into some guy a few weeks ago, but I never asked what happened to that.
Who was the guy?
No clue. She only mentioned it once. Like I said, we were both friends with Ramona, but not as much with each other. This was during one of those few times we were actually alone. Wed gone to this place called Black and White. Ellie suppressed a smile. The bar was a little lounge in the East Village where her brother, Jess, and his band, Dog Park, sometimes played open-mic nights on Sundays. Shed always teased Jess that the place was overrun by kids with fake IDs, but Jess wanted to believe it was the next CBGB. Ramona hopped in a cab uptown, and I walked Julia home. She was pretty tipsy and was saying she was tempted to drunk-dial the guy. I was having a little fun with her, trying to get her to call him. Then she said she didnt even have his cell phone number-that she wasnt supposed to call or something. It was a little weird.
Does Ramona know?
Im not sure. Julia said Ramona wouldnt approve.
Why wouldnt Ramona approve?
You know that daddy baggage I mentioned? Lets just say it manifested itself in Julias dating preferences. Ramona was always trying to get her to see a therapist about it. I just assumed when she made that comment about Ramona not approving that it was some old guy.
How old are we talking about here?
Not, like, you know, Hugh Hefner old. But I think one guy last summer was, like, thirty! Ramona kind of lectured her about it, and since then I got the impression Julia decided the less Ramona knew about those things, the better.
In any other situation, Ellie would bristle at the thought of thirty being old. But to have a relationship with a junior in high school? Thirty was ancient.
What made you think she was keeping Ramona out of the loop?
Ramona seemed to buy Julias act that she wanted more down time to read and study and stuff. Maybe Im too suspicious but it seemed to me she was lying. One time she said shed gone to the rooftop at the Standard with this guy, Marcus, but then later Ramona found out Marcus was at a birthday party for some girl at school the same night. Ramona blew it off, but other times Julia would tell Ramona she fell asleep watching TV, and I could just tell she was lying. When she didnt show up today, I assumed it was another one of her secret disappearances. I feel awful now.
How about her friends? Would you say she was well liked?
Seemed like it. Theyre both a little more on the wild side, compared to all the matching mean girls at their school, but I think Ramona actually got hassled more than Julia for it. Julias dad kind of gave her the cred to be a little off. Compared to the kids at that school, Ramonas familys, like, poor or something.
And how exactly was Julia off, or I think you said a little wild? A lot of drinking? Drugs?
No, nothing more than the usual drinking. Maybe a little weed. Its hard to explain. Just, you know, more curious about the rest of the world than rich kids usually are.
Thats funny. Growing up in Kansas, I always thought wealthy kids in New York were incredibly worldly.
I dont mean living in Paris on your summer vacation. I mean hanging out downtown. Taking the subway. He lowered his voice. Being friends with people of a different status. Trying not to be the spoiled brats theyve been bred to be.
And where do you fall on this status spectrum? Ellie made sure not to look at the light stains near Caseys shirt collar or the spot on the sleeve where the fabric was wearing thin.
Pretty damn low. He looked down at his canvas sneakers. Im currently residing-if you can call it that-at Promises. Its what they call transitional housing for at-risk young adults. Its what everyone else in the world calls a homeless shelter.
Is that where the other kids who went to Julias townhouse with you live, too? Brandon and Vonda?
Brandon does, but not Vonda. I havent seen her in, like, a week.
Do you have last names for them?
Do you have last names for them?
According to Casey, Brandon was Brandon Sykes, sixteen years old. Casey had seen him just that day, and he was probably heading back to the shelter that night. Vonda was supposedly nineteen, but he suspected she was younger. He did not know her last name, nor did he know how to contact her.
And the shelters the best address for you? she asked.
Until I win the lottery, thats where Im at. I guess you need stuff like ages and last names and addresses for police reports.
She rotated her wrists in front of her. Like I said, I do an awful lot of typing in this job. And this transitional housing for at-risk young adults is really a better place for you than with your family? Ellie was no social worker, but she didnt feel right about leaving this kid in a shelter without at least inquiring.
My familys in Iowa, and lets just say theyre not real interested in being my family these days.
Speaking of that report Ill need to file, I should probably make sure to check your identification.
I thought you said Im not in trouble.
Youre not, but Ive got to make sure were not putting false information on a government document.
Her eyes locked on his was enough to induce an actual tremble.
Im sorry, Casey. Ive got to document every witness. Its okay. We already know.
But-
It wasnt your appearance. I noticed that pause earlier when I asked whether Casey was a nickname.
There was a full five seconds of silence before Casey sighed and pulled a beaten brown leather wallet from his back pocket.
Iowa drivers license. Same face. Same stoic expression, masking the softness Ellie had spotted when Casey had first come out of his handstand. All the basic information was there. Five feet, eight inches. DOB March 16, 1992. Green eyes. Full name: Cassandra Jane Heinz.
Does Ramona know?
He was looking at his shoes again but nodded. Yeah. We dont talk about it, but, yeah.
She patted him on the shoulder, as she would to reassure any other man. Thanks. Well let you know if we need anything else.
C asey watched the police detectives talking as they walked back toward Waverly. Even from behind, he could recognize the dynamic. The male cop may have remained silent through the entire exchange, but Casey had seen the guys expression at the sight of the drivers license. She was cool with everything. He wasnt.
That always seemed to be how things went.
As he watched them drive away in their nondescript blue sedan, he wondered whether he had done the right thing. He had told them what they needed to know about Julia, but he hadnt told them everything. Not really.
One little lie-not even a lie, just a secret-couldnt possibly make a difference. And the one little secret, if disclosed, would only hurt Ramona even further. He hadnt done it to protect himself, he told himself. It had been for Ramona.
He returned to his handstands, trying to set aside the terrible feeling that somehow he had made a mistake.
Chapter Thirteen
Bill Whitmire watched his wife, who sat cross-legged on their bed, using the palm of her hand to smooth out the surface of their down duvet. He could hear her voice from the last time theyd spent more than a single night there, reminding herself aloud that it was finally getting warm enough to pack that layer into storage and replace it with the cotton coverlet she loved so much.
Since then, their visits to the city hadnt been long enough to justify even that minor change.
She was surrounded on the bed by brochures and pamphlets fanned out in front of her like tarot cards. Her therapist had dropped them off earlier tonight. Hed heard their conversation in the foyer. Grief counseling. Group therapy. Bill-never a fan of psychotherapy-might feel more comfortable in solo sessions, with a separate therapist.
The therapist had also warned that they might require couples counseling. The sooner the better, he had said. Hed told Katherine that the majority of parents who lost a child ended up divorced within three years.
Bill had been tempted to storm downstairs and throw the man out. Using the death of their child to instill fears in Katherine about their marriage? But for some reason, he couldnt stop eavesdropping, watching them in the front hall from his spot on the second-floor landing. He wanted to hear his wife defend herself. To defend their marriage and the family they had created. To tell him they would be just fine-together.
Instead, shed allowed the therapist to drone on. Thats not to say that you and Bill wont weather the storm, hed said. Some couples become closer than ever. They find a permanent and impenetrable connection in the memories of the child who was lost. He had interlaced his fingers together to demonstrate the bond that she might suddenly form with her husband.