They did, yes.

Grace Smith stared at her computer screen like it was picking a fight with her. Her cousin (well, second cousin, but who in GOD’S name differentiates that unless they’re trying to fuck them?) sat across from her in the library, editing the latest edition of the school paper. Grace mostly tried not to look up at who she was talking to.

“So, the paper isn’t running anything about the accident?” Zack Bishop asked, watching Victoria Walker’s work over her shoulder.

“It’d be a little tasteless of us, wouldn’t it?” Vicky asked, but really told him. Grace admired that about her. Grace had never been talented at subtext in conversation. She kept quiet most of the time for that exact reason. Cousin Vicky, she could apologize for something in a way that got you telling your life story. That kind of social engineering would really work for the young hacker, but she stayed more to the technical side of things thanks to unpleasant experience in that field.

“Oh, hard agree,” Zack continued without missing a beat. “That’s what I was worried about.” Victoria nodded. “I just heard something weird was going on with the investigation, something about it closing too fast? And I was wondering if you knew what was going on. You sort of have a head for that stuff. Eyes and ears, specifically.”

“A little bit,” Victoria answered with a shrug. “Just what mom and dad said about it: that the insurance company was fast-tracking the whole thing, the local police already have the case closed, things like that.”

“Logan said someone else was there. It doesn’t sound like anyone’s taking that seriously,” Zack noted pensively. Grace watched his intense, blue eyes flick a little in their sockets, trying to process something quietly. Grace pursed her lips firmly, trying to focus back on her computer. While she was positive he hung around the library so much to try to get to know Vicky, Grace had a crush on Zack for a while now. He was just so … circumspective. Most high school boys were reckless creatures she couldn’t understand and found deeply exhausting. Not him, though. Plus, as he started heading towards the door, she was reminded how much she appreciated his killer ass.

“No? I hadn’t heard ANYTHING about that,” Victoria mumbled, mostly to herself. Grace could tell something about it rubbed her the wrong way. And she couldn’t help but agree. Logan Ravers was a big deal. The police not looking into the involvement of a second party in the accident made zero sense. “What did he say about them?”

“Not much, but I haven’t exactly pushed him,” Zack explained, turning around and backing towards the door facing the two blondes. “Tell me if you hear anything? I don’t want anything sneaking up on Logan; he’s dealing with enough BS right now.”

“That’s a whole lot of man you’re not taking advantage of …” Grace murmured softly when the door closed behind him, causing Victoria to blush just a little.

“He’s worried about his friend, Grace,” she answered primly, looking over at her cousin.

“Didn’t say he wasn’t. But he’s not always in here when you’re working for his health,” Grace continued with a beleaguered sigh. “Just saying that if I had the chance, I’d go for it.”

“Would you? Would you really?” Victoria asked, tilting her head and drilling her gaze into Grace.

“Okay, if I had the chance and was someone else,” Grace allowed, shrugging. “Like, for example, if I was you.”

“I really don’t think he likes me.”

“Then why’s he always hanging around, exactly?”

“Because he’s a nice young man and likes to stay informed,” Victoria answered, closing her eyes in a dignified manner … and, Grace noted, very pointedly NOT saying something that was on her mind. “That’s not the point, anyway. He’s not wrong that something weird’s happening.”

“Weirder than a car crash and animal attack killing two members of the second most powerful family in town?” Grace immediately felt a twinge of guilt. She hadn’t intended for that Smith family programming to kick in. It was just that ingrained by now. Thankfully, Victoria didn’t latch on to it.

“Especially because of who they are. The police are usually receptive to influential, white families making any given claim. That they aren’t looking into a serious one with good reason to be true …” She paused, looking over something on her computer. “It’s odd. They SHOULD be looking into it on moral grounds alone, of course, but I’m trying to stay realistic.”

“Hm.”

“What?” Victoria asked, very slowly, looking up to stare at her cousin. Grace blinked a few times, then looked back.

“What?”

“You said ‘hm.’ In a very specific tone.”

“It was just ‘hm.’”

“The last time I heard that, I saw poorly-disguised FBI vans outside the school for two weeks.”

“That’s not what ‘hm,’ means to most people,” Grace defended indignantly.

“I’m not talking about most people. I’m talking about you,” Victoria countered, pointing at her. “Don’t do something stupid. You’re a legal adult now. You can go to actual jail for the kind of shit you do.”

“I won’t do anything stupid,” Grace said flatly. Victoria gave it a moment’s consideration, then returned to her work, looking substantially more defeated than convinced. Grace, in the meantime, took out a blank USB and plugged it in to her computer. Victoria and Zack were right. That was strange. And it deserved a degree of … circumspection.