“And so you plan a big art project about these people, and one of them just happens to end up dead?”
Hendrix shrugs. “I’m not saying it’s a coincidence. The project required that I press some of their buttons, raise the stakes. That’s why I came up here. I saw a text to Keith about Jonathan’s bachelor party a few weeks ago. Enough time to get the ball rolling. Some things I knew already, like about Derrick and his past, and that Stephanie had made some choices she regretted. From the journal I figured out that Maeve is some kind of klepto. Other things I just lucked into seeing firsthand, like those contractors. But there were things I set up beforehand— like sending along some anonymous emails. ‘I know what you did’— just to ratchet up the tension.” He sighs theatrically. “And so I stirred their sick little pot and then taped the blowback. It’s amazing, the footage. My project is about the costs of blind loyalty and the danger of always accepting people for better and so much worse. It’s about this group— because if there ever was a fucking example of the dark side of friendship— ”
“No one’s mentioned your little project. No one.”
“They don’t have a clue, not yet. They don’t know I taped everything. All you need to do is hit record on your phone and make your screen go dark. These days no one questions a phone in somebody’s hand all the time,” he says. “Listen, I might have called the whole thing off if any of them had stepped up and surprised me. But these people will never change.”
“I still don’t see what this project of yours or this journal has to do with Crystal or that dead guy in Derrick Chism’s car. Because that’s all I care about, Mr. Hendrix.”
“To be honest, I’ve been a little worried you might say I wasn’t allowed to use Alice’s journal in my installation, because it could be evidence of something.”
“Evidence of what?”
“They killed somebody before. Maybe they did it again.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You can read all about it yourself. I forgot the pages back at Jonathan’s house. Supposedly, it was an accident. Guy fell off a roof. But then they just left him there to die. Alice was so upset, she killed herself. I’m telling you, that’s the kind of thing these people do— bad thing after bad thing until people end up dead. I’m going to have the pages blown up, poster-size, as part of the installation.” He leaned in like he was sharing a precious secret. “You want to know what the piece is called?”
“I have a feeling you’re going to tell me, regardless.”
“Friends Like These.” This time Finch smiles, a shit-eating grin. “Clever, huh?”
KEITH
SATURDAY, 5:14 P.M.
“Yeah,” I finally answered once Stephanie was gone.
I’d felt a jolt of panic when the phone rang. Especially with Stephanie sitting right there. But I had a plan, one that would keep everyone else safe, which was all that mattered.
“You get the gift?” The same voice from the night before, deep and toneless.
“Yeah, thanks,” I said. “Super creative. Do I get the photograph back?”
“Sure. You have our money?”
“Yeah, I’ve got it.” Such an easy lie.
“All eighty thousand?” Wise skepticism.
“No, twenty.”
I’d heard Peter on the phone with the contractors— at least I was assuming it was them— talking about having that much. I liked that it was an amount of money that existed nearby. Made it easier to lie. Also, I’d been such a deadbeat so far, having only some of the cash was exactly the kind of thing I’d do. And it was important that they believe me. It was the best way to get them to come after me, and leave my friends alone.
“Twenty thousand? Are you fucking kidding me? How about the eighty thousand you owe?”
“Twenty thousand is what I’ve got for now,” I said. “I’ll get you the rest. If you kill me you get nothing. Consider the twenty thousand a show of good faith.”
“Meet us out front,” he said. “End of the driveway— ten minutes.”
“No, no,” I said. “Can’t do that.”
“Oh, no?” He sounded amused in an I-am-going-to-enjoy-killing-you-slowly kind of way.
“No,” I said. “I’m going to have to grab the money off my friend. If I stay near the house, they might call the police. I’ll meet you downtown.”