Trouble is a Friend of Mine

‘So, Sloane, how do you know Marina Miller?’ Digby said.

Sloane pointedly ignored him and kept talking to Henry. ‘Mother needs help at the booth.’ Mrs Bloom waved at us.

‘Look at her … she seriously thinks she’s a Kennedy. It’s so sad,’ Sloane said.

Henry hesitated, but Digby nodded. ‘Later.’

‘Later, dude.’ Henry jogged away.

Digby passed Marina’s phone to Sloane.

‘This call log shows you and Marina were talking around the same time she started dating Henry. The calls stopped when they broke up. Looks like Henry’s not the only one who dumped her last summer. I guess you didn’t need her if she didn’t have Henry anymore,’ Digby said. ‘Pretty cold, Sloane.’

‘God. Boo-hoo-hoo,’ she said.

‘But we’re not here to judge. It’s just interesting that you and Marina were so friendly,’ Digby said. ‘Tell me about it.’

‘What about you, Zoe? Do you find it interesting I knew Marina?’ Sloane said.

‘What?’ I said.

‘She’s not interested,’ Sloane said. ‘If she were interested, she’d ask me herself, wouldn’t she? After she apologized for throwing my phone in the toilet, of course.’

Digby was annoyed. ‘Sloane. These mind-games are –’

‘Mind-games improve your memory. Without mind-games, I might not remember why Marina was calling me,’ Sloane said.

‘Fine. Sloane, tell us about Marina,’ I said.

‘Do it nicely. Please? With a cherry on top?’ Sloane said. ‘The works.’

Digby stepped between Sloane and me.

‘I’d totally get it if you don’t want to do this,’ he said. ‘No one should talk to you like that.’

‘Is this important?’ I said.

Digby hesitated.

‘Screw it.’ In my most disrespectful voice, I said, ‘Sloane, I apologize for ruining your phone. Please, pretty please, tell us how you knew Marina. Cherry on top.’

‘Of course, Zoe. I would be happy to after that very nice apology,’ she said. ‘We were both on the equestrian team at the country club. Ursula too. Did you meet her? Ugh … Ursula. Such a pill. We get it. You’re smart. Now go tweeze your eyebrows.’

‘Sloane. Marina?’ Digby said.

‘I let her borrow my car and driver,’ she said. ‘When she didn’t want anyone to know where she was going.’

‘Where did she go?’ Digby said.

‘Mostly skanky places downtown. She got my driver in trouble because someone keyed the car at the 7-Eleven she used to go to,’ Sloane said. ‘That’s the kind of thing she did. Get my driver to drive to some specific 7-Eleven in the ghetto.’

Digby got excited and said, ‘Did she meet anyone? Did she buy stuff –’

‘It’s not like my driver and I have tea and chat,’ she said.

‘Sloane … are these your friends?’ said a guy wearing a three-piece suit. I noticed he carried three cell phones.

‘This is my dad’s campaign manager,’ Sloane said.

‘Well, we haven’t announced anything official, but James Patrick Bloom is exactly the kind of leader who’ll lead this great state of New York into the bold, bright future.’ He spoke in a smooth, oily gush. ‘Hi, I’m Elliot Rosen. How do you know Sloane?’

‘They’re public school kids, Elliot. See what the Democratic Party’s forcing me to deal with?’ Sloane said. ‘I don’t know what for. Not like Sasha and Malia ever saw the inside of a public school and look where their dad ended up.’

‘Oh, Sloane. The presidency is such, such a long way in the future.’ Elliot laughed, but his eyes were worried. ‘Did I hear you mention Marina Miller? Is she … did someone find her?’

‘I don’t know. Did they?’ Sloane asked Digby.

‘Because if you knew something, anything, I’d appreciate a heads-up. I mean, is she de—’ Elliot rephrased. ‘Is she alive? Because we’d need to get in front of this story. The Miller campaign’s basically dead in the water, but even a dead cat can bounce if you throw it off a high enough ledge, know what I mean?’

Elliott offered us his card.

‘Go away, Elliott,’ Sloane said.

‘No, wait.’ Digby took the card. ‘Would this be a tit-for-tat situation?’

‘You bet,’ Elliott said. ‘Wow. Sharp as a tack. Maybe I’ll be working for you someday.’

‘Not unless you’re a criminal defense attorney,’ Sloane said.

She and Elliott walked back toward the party. Digby and I started walking away.

‘Oh, Zoe, you’re welcome, by the way,’ Sloane said.

I couldn’t help myself. I didn’t turn around because I knew I’d chicken out. I just reached back, flipped Sloane the finger, and kept it up even after I heard the auction’s audience gasping.

‘Hey, Princeton, you know the local news is filming this, right?’ Digby said.

No, I did not.

Digby scored discarded, defective hard taco shells from the Mexican place, shook them up in a bag with salsa, and called it dinner. We walked to the parking lot.