“That’s a better question for you, Tom,” Lara says. Considering the circumstances, she sounds remarkably composed. “What’s with the gun and the…” She flicks her eyes to Ivy. “Hostage?”
“How could you do that to Boney?” Ivy cuts in, her voice shaking. “He was your student. He trusted you!” She almost looks as though she expects him to agree; like he’s still the affable coach she thought she knew. Someone she can argue with, or reason with.
“He was a thief,” Coach Kendall says dismissively. “And a small-time dealer who wanted to be bigger. That’s why he came to the studio this morning. One of my guys told him that if he returned everything that was taken, we’d let him into the business. But that little piece of shit had the nerve to show up empty-handed.” His nostrils flare. “He thought it would give him leverage.”
Ivy and I exchange startled glances. Charlie hadn’t told us that part, and it didn’t seem like he was trying to hide anything. Boney must have hatched that plan on his own. Maybe he thought he’d dazzle Charlie with his negotiating prowess afterward. We could be big-time.
“Is that why you had him killed?” I ask, my throat dry.
“No.” He meets my eyes with a predator’s gaze: alert, deadly, and totally dispassionate. “He was always going to die. I needed a body for the police to find.” He turns back to Lara. “And for you to get found with. But I was supposed to get my investment back first.”
Jesus, I feel sick. That explains why Charlie’s house was torn apart; Coach Kendall must’ve been furious when he learned Boney didn’t bring the pills. I wonder if his crew hit Boney’s house, too, and Mateo’s, but I don’t dare ask. Especially since, as far as Coach Kendall knows, we have no clue that Charlie or Autumn are involved.
“And what were you going to do with your investment?” Lara asks in the same calm voice she’s been using since we got here. “I was supposed to go down as Carlton’s drug lord, wasn’t I? Wouldn’t that make business as usual difficult?”
“Temporarily. I’m a patient man, though. And it’s not like the demand is going anywhere.” Coach Kendall gives her an ugly smile. “If you’d been at your studio this morning, everyone would’ve gotten what they deserve. I thought about the reverse, you know—having you killed, and framing him. But a few minutes of suffering didn’t seem like enough when I could put you in jail for life.”
She doesn’t flinch. “So now what?”
“So now…” Coach Kendall passes a hand over his face. “I’ve been thinking about this ever since I realized you weren’t at the studio. There’s no good solution, Lara. You really tied my hands. But Ivy, for whatever reason, popped up where you were supposed to be this morning, and she’s been missing ever since. I can’t frame you for Brian’s murder anymore. That ship has sailed. But I can frame you for hers.”
“What? No!” I yelp, and Lara turns to me.
“And Cal?” she asks. “How do you plan to explain Cal?”
Coach Kendall’s nostrils flare again. “Cal wasn’t supposed to be here.”
“But he is,” she says in the manner of someone sharing a helpful tip.
I can’t deal with this. I can’t sit here with these two, a pawn in whatever sick game they’re playing with one another. “My parents know I’m here,” I offer up, but Lara immediately lets out a dismissive snort.
“Oh, please. They do not. Tom, let’s get real. What’s your Plan B?”
Coach Kendall shifts restlessly. “You were supposed to take the fall for everything, Lara. All the shit that’s been giving me an ulcer for the past month. Kids stealing pills and handing them out like candy in my fucking backyard. Cops sniffing around asking questions, and you being a lying, cheating bitch.” He glares at her, jaw twitching, but she doesn’t react. “That’s all gone to hell now, so Ivy can take the rap for killing Brian, and you take the rap for killing her. And Cal, I guess. All part of your drug empire, which…” He taps himself on the chest. “Shocked and horrified me more than anyone.”
“Uh-huh. Okay.” Lara runs a hand through her hair, gazing at Coach Kendall with a look that’s almost flirtatious. No, it definitely is. What the hell is going on here? “Baby, listen. I’m not telling you how to do your job, but that is a terrible plan,” she says, not unkindly. He scowls, and she quickly adds, “You’ve always been good at the numbers side of things, but you have to admit, you find the people side a little frustrating. Right?” He doesn’t answer, but some of the anger slips from his face, and she presses her advantage. “You’ve been counting all day on people to be predictable and do what they’re told, and they keep letting you down.”