This was it. This was really it. My head felt like it was full of buzzing mosquitos. I could barely focus on the road as I drove down the street and turned the corner. Mark had waited for us, his car idling by the sidewalk. When he pulled out, I followed, trying to stay close but not too close.
“I don’t think you need to worry about distance,” Justin said. “It’s not like whoever it is will be expecting us.”
“Did Mark tell you anything at all? Even a hint about who we’re going to see?” Raj asked.
“Nothing. Just that he was sorry. Apparently he thinks this is all his fault.”
“It is, isn’t it?” Alex said. I knew she wouldn’t be able to stay silent forever. “He’s the reason you’re being blackmailed, and you’re the reason the rest of us are. Maybe he’s behind this, or in league with whoever is.”
“No way,” Justin said. “He wouldn’t have told us to follow him, and I know he wasn’t lying. Not about that.”
“We were going to follow him anyway,” Alex pointed out.
“Enough! I know you’re mad at me, but you have to trust me on this one. It’s not him. He’s just as stuck as the rest of us. I’m sure of it.”
“You’re still defending him?”
“Guys. Let Kara drive,” Raj said.
They actually listened to him. I wondered whether he’d taken the middle role on their seesaw. He was good at it, that was for sure.
Mark had gotten on the freeway. I’d have to follow more closely to make sure we didn’t lose him, though he seemed to be keeping track of us as well. We left Marbella and headed north, getting off the freeway in Redwood City, a route that was all too familiar to me.
And to Justin. “We’re not seriously going to Walmart, are we?” he groaned. “Bad enough I’ve been forced into that stupid job, but being here late at night when I’m not working is just too, too sordid.”
It was actually smart, though. I pulled into the parking lot and realized Walmart was open later than I’d thought it would be. There were a fair number of cars in the lot, but it wasn’t crowded at night, so there was an empty back corner that was perfect. Mark parked in one of the spaces; we parked a couple of rows behind him, not sure what the best angle was for taking pictures.
Justin’s phone beeped. “Mark just texted,” he said. “Someone’s meeting him here but they’re not here yet. We should wait.” Another beep. “Person usually parks to his right.”
“That means you and Alex will have the best shots,” I said. “You guys ready?”
“Got the zoom all set up,” Alex said. “Do we know how long we’re going to be waiting, though?”
Justin started typing, then we waited for his phone to beep. “Could be a while,” he said. “Mark says there’s a window.”
“How much of a window?” I asked. “It’s already almost ten.” I hadn’t left my parents a note that I’d be out; I’d thought I’d be back before they got in from work. But they were always home by midnight. I got out my phone and shut off the ringer so I’d have an excuse for why I didn’t answer if they called.
“He didn’t say.”
“Well, we might have some time then,” Raj said. “Anyone have any predictions about who we’re about to see?”
We all sat silently. At this point I really had no idea. Pretty much the only person I’d never suspected was Alex, and I’d spent so long thinking it was Justin that I’d lost track of my list. Becca seemed so unlikely, as did the Brain Trust. It had to be someone I didn’t know. That would be better, anyway.
“Not sure why we’re trusting Mark at this point,” Alex said, finally. “This could all be a trick.”
“Stop it,” Justin said.
“I haven’t been able to think of anyone specific,” Raj said. “But I heard rumors that some of the kids who sold pot weren’t thrilled when I started selling pills. Maybe it was one of them, trying to get in on the pill action.”
“That would be better than finding out it was someone we knew,” I said. “Though I don’t know how much getting a picture is going to help us there.”
“We don’t know whether a picture will help with anyone,” Justin said. “But it’s all we’ve got right now.”
“I guess. You have a theory?” I asked.
“Not really,” Justin admitted. “I’ve tried not to think about it too much, to be honest. It’s not like knowing who it is will make me feel any better about what I’ve had to do.”
I wondered whether knowing that Justin felt guilty would make Alex any more sympathetic toward him. Probably not.
“How about you, Kara?” he asked. “Got any thoughts?”
I was saved from having to answer by the sound of a car coming up behind us. It was a beat-up silver SUV that had probably been nice a few years ago. The car parked two spots down from Mark.
“Here we go,” Justin said. “Lights, camera . . .”
“Don’t be an asshole,” Alex said, but she got her phone ready. We all took ours out, just in case.
The driver’s side door opened, and we saw a leg emerge. A cowboy boot, covered partly by a flowing flowered dress.