LYNN
"You did? Great! Did you already tell her about me, about Jim? What did you say to her? Is she around now?" I asked all of my questions in a rush.
"Relax, Lynn. I didn't tell her anything. And yes, I asked her to drop by around 7, so she'll be here soon. I can make these snacks," she held up the bag, "in the kitchen after she gets here. My mom always said to put out food when you have company."
"Oh, okay. And Kanu agreed to come over?" I wondered. "Really? I thought you didn't know her that well."
"Well she did give me an odd look when I asked. So I told her I had something to give her." Angela looked worried.
"Okay, but we don't, right?" I replied. "I mean, I don't have anything, do you?"
Angie pressed her lips together, like she was preparing to admit she'd broken the family cookie jar.
Then she said, "Well, here's the thing, Lynn. I don't like you having that photo from your brother. It was kind of stealing, that you took it. So I hoped that maybe you would give it back to her, tonight." She brought her hands together in a praying motion. "Please?" she asked.
My hand instinctively moved to my purse, where I had tucked my brother's picture. I don't want to give it back. If I give it back, then, I mean, Kanu may not know anything but what if I need it? Angie thinks I should. I don't know what I should do. Maybe I just needed a little time to think it over. I stammered, "I'll...I'll think about it. Right now, it's my only clue. What if she doesn't agree to help us? I may need her picture to..." I glanced around the room, and spotted a copy of Sherlock Holmes on the bookcase. "To give to the detectives on the campus police, in case she won't help us." I put on my best grin.
Angie gave me a side look, and said, "I can't believe you actually said that. We'll talk about it later, I guess." She shook her head. "Okay, so speaking of detectives...I did a little research about our music problem."
"You did?"
"Yup. I went over to the Music department this morning, to ask them some questions."
"Was anyone there? I hope you didn't run into Aburra, our favorite TA," I said. I was feeling a little excited, even with Jim missing and all.
"He wasn't there, thank goodness. But I did run into Mr. Lee, and I asked him if we were having class this week." Angie's chin dropped. "He didn't even recognize me. I can't believe it, it's the first time I've had a teacher not know who I am."
Wow, I'm usually glad when they don't know me, I thought. Out loud I said, "I'm sorry he didn't know you. That must have sucked, I guess. But you know, there are like 600 kids in that one room, right?"
Angie said, "Yes, well still. He didn't know me." She looked up. "Anyway, he was on his way out, but he did say that there wouldn't be class this week either. Which, I mean, we kind of guessed, since there's no music."
"Uh-huh."
"But then, after he left, I went and asked in the office if they had any books about the music library, like a catalog or other directory. The secretary gave me a copy of this." She reached over and picked up a notebook from her desk, showed me the stack of papers stapled together that was underneath. "Then I went to the Library, and did some more research." She flipped a few pages on the stack and turned it to face me. "See this album, right here?"
I read the highlighted row aloud. "'The Beatles, Yesterday and Today (Butcher Cover). Vinyl.' Yes, I've heard of this record, but I've never seen it. It's looks like dead babies or something on the cover, right? They were trying to be artistic but it was actually supposed to be pretty gruesome."
Angie said, "Yes. It's rare, and worth at least $5,000. I thought maybe that was the 'Baby' that Aburra was talking about earlier?"
"Wowzer, Angie! I'm sure you are right! Triple snap!" I snapped my fingers in a "Z" shape.
Angie repeated the gesture, smiling. "There are other valuable ones on here, too." There were several more rows on the page that Angie had highlighted. "I had no idea that we had such a unique collection, hidden here in a school." She picked up the notebook, and showed me the notes she had made.
I flipped through it. "Angie, did you do all of this research today?" I asked. She nodded. "Man, all I did was sleep in, after a late night of cleaning house. You are awesome, lady. Hi-five." I held up my hand, and Angie slapped it back.
"Thanks. It was worth it, though, don't you think? Now we know for sure, that the whoever has this music wants it for the money." Angie rolled her chair back against the desk and folded her arms. "I just wish I knew who had it now."
"Me too," agreed Lynn. "Can I use your phone? I want to see if Jim is home yet. "
"Sure," Angie replied.
"Thanks. Then maybe we'll crack open those sodas and play gin while we wait for Kanu. Do you have a radio? Maybe we can listen to some music." I took out a deck of cards, and traded it to Angie for the receiver.
Some time later we had each won a game, the soda cans were empty, and Jim still wasn't answering the home phone. Angie had put on the radio, and we were listening to that same independent station I had found the other day. Right now they were advertising for a local car dealership. I was bored.
I fidgeted with the zipper on the beanbag, while Angie tried to tell me about what it was like to share a room with her two brothers at home.
"So then there was this one time that they decided that it would be fun to make it look like it was snowing in our bedroom. They had gotten the bag of flour themselves, but needed my help to get the fan set up. Hey, stop, you are going to ruin that."
"Sorry," I said, and let go of the zipper. "Nervous, I guess."
"It's okay, " said Angie, and just then there was a knock. "Come in," she called, and the door opened wide.
Yep, this was definitely her, I thought. The one who was drenched head-to-toe in pastel on the first day of class, although right now she was looking a little more normal. She had a comfortable plaid button-down shirt layered over a white tank, and a belt showed off her figure with high-waisted light blue jeans. Her hair was as I remembered from class, cut in a chin-grazing bob. She was carrying a coat in her arms, and a designer bag hung on one shoulder that was the same shade of dark green as her boots.
"Greetings, Angela," she said politely. "I apologize but I cannot stay long, I am supposed to be at The Bridge tonight. I do not remember what I let you borrow and I am very curious. What is it?"
Kanu spoke slowly and clearly, like she was reading from a book. She had a bit of an Indian accent, maybe she was trying to cover it up?
Angie smiled. "Hi Kanu. Yes, we'll get to it in a sec. First, this is Lynn."
"Hello." She didn't turn her head, just flicked her eyes in my direction.
"Hey." I said back. That was odd, does she already know who I am? I tried to catch Kanu's eye, but couldn't quite make contact.
"So Kanu, it's actually Lynn that's got something of yours." She gestured again, this time to my purse. "G'wan, Lynn, show it to her."
I glared at Angie. I won't give her the photo, just show it to her. I reached into my purse and after a few seconds of digging found the picture and held it out.
She stared at the photo, then at me. "What...what is going on here‽" she choked out. "What? How?" She paused, and I could see her jaw working. When she spoke again, it was clipped, like she was cutting the words out of her mouth with a knife. "That is my photo. A photo of me. Why do you have it?"
"I found this photo, fair and square." I said, gripping it tightly. At the same time, Angie said, "Wait, Kanu, it's okay."
She seemed to shut down, her eyes had gone blank. She sucked her teeth, then her hand shot out as she reached for it. I jerked it back and said, "No...you can look! But that's all."
She looked at the photo again and a range of expressions crossed her features. Anger. Fear. Then she turned her eyes on me.
"Give me that photo. I do not know where you got it, but that does not belong to you. That is a picture of me. You have no right to...why do you have it? What is it that you want?!" She pointed at Angie, accusingly. "Angela, is this why you brought me here? How do you know her? Is this about me and....and my boyfriend? Is this about money?" She pointed at me. "Are you blackmailing us?" she accused.
"B-b-b blackmail?" What is she talking about? "No, that's not it." I shook my head quickly. "I need your help, is all."
"Kanu, this is not about blackmail. But this is about Jim," she said, calmly. "Can you let her explain?" Angie gestured at the empty beanbag chair.
Kanu reacted very strongly to the word "Jim". His name seemed to take all of the air out of her. "This is unbelievable," she breathed. She dropped her purse and coat, and sat down in the free beanbag chair, more gracefully than I thought was possible. "Preposterous," she said, and shook her head.
Angie pressed. "Please Kanu, just listen to Lynn."
Kanu didn't respond, so Angie tried again. "Kanu? Are you...are you okay?" She paused. I realized that the radio was still on, quietly playing some song. It was by R.E.M, I think.
Oh, I try to
What if we give it away?
She wasn't saying anything, just staring at her lap. Is this girl alright? What was that about blackmail?
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