Chapter 3

Jessica came and jumped on my bed. She had a dress on that flipped up as she landed.

"My one and only visitor," I said, knowing that I wished she could have visited me each and every day.

"My mom only lets me come down here on Saturdays, well other than special times like Halloween and the day after, when I made her. She says I get into too many things."

I laughed. "Your Mom and I had a long talk about you."

Her smile faded for a moment, until I said, "I didn't believe a single word she said, of course. I still think of you as that angel."

Her laughter filled the room. Then she got this mischievous look on her face. "I know something."

"Oh? Like when I'm getting out of here?"

"Even better. Want to know a secret?"

My heart leapt and I tried not to seem too anxious. "Of course I do. I love secrets."

She smiled as though she knew I did. "Remember the two brothers that were on trial three months ago?"

"The ones that..." I didn't want to say what they did to their victims.

She nodded a bit more seriously. "I found the evidence that put them away."

"You did?"

"Yep, but no one knows. I mean the police, my mom, my Aunt and Uncle," she grinned, "and now you. The police acted like they found it. My mom wanted to make sure I was safe. I think she was right, kuz remember they tried to break out? I wouldn't want to be in danger."

"Smart thinking. But why tell me? Maybe I'm just as bad."

"You are, but for different reasons."

Now I was confused.

"I found the evidence in their car. It had been hidden well. Not even the police had found it."

Then she grinned at me again.

I was a bit puzzled.

"How did you get into the car? Wasn't it locked?"

"I spend a lot of time with my Aunt and Uncle when Mom works weird hours. They have a box with all the keys in it. Don't ask me how they get them. I'm not supposed to know that either!" She stopped talking and straightened out her skirt, running her hands down her legs. Then she looked up and into my eyes. "Know whose car I was interested in? Know what I found?"

I looked to the door expecting the police to come in any minute. My eyes started to fill.

"Why?" I said, my voice expressing the dread I was feeling.

"Just a hobby of mine. It's boring out there."

"Know what they're going to do to me?"

Now she gave me a puzzled look. "Who?"

"The police," I replied, downheartedly.

She laughed and reached over grabbing my calf. "No silly. You don't understand."

Confused, I answered, "I guess I don't."

"You're mine now."

"Yours?" I crocked out.

"It took me three days to crack your code."

"Only three?" I said, thinking how in the world she could crack that encryption code that fast.

She gave me a big smile. "It's a phone number. I have a program that helps me," she grinned again. "Once I had it, I found the reference. It was the phone number of your junior high school crush."

"How did you ever—"

"Like I said, I'm good at that and I get bored there."

"So now what. I guess you looked."

She laughed. "Only at some, but I got the idea. You like girls like me."

I didn't respond. I didn't know how to.

"Well, you do don't you?"

"Yes."

"I want to know why."

"Why?"

"Yes."

"Couldn't have anything to do with you being very beautiful."

Smiling she said, "No, I don't think so."

"Or funny, or smart, or cute."

"Oh, I like this!"

"Jessica?" her mother said as soon as she walked into the door.

Jessica rolled her eyes at me and then turned to her mom.

"You aren't going to be able to pester John any longer. You know how hospitals are now called a revolving door. You're going to be discharged today."

"Today?" Jessica and I said together.

"Mom!" Jessica said after a stunned silence.

Her mother raised her eyebrows. "Yes?"

I wasn't sure if I was amused or not, but I recognized a look on her mother's face that said she knew that Jessica was trying to hide something.

Jessica, as though her mind had been racing to find something to say, got it. "How's he going to get home? His car is at Black Hawk's."

"And how would you know where his car was?"

Suddenly studying the floor tiles and blushing heavily, Jessica was silent.

"Tell me how you knew?" her mother demanded.

"I looked it up. The newspaper article said that the cars had been towed."

"I think you spend too much time with my sister."

Then she turned to me and said, "As my darling daughter pointed out, you have no car." Then she laughed, looking down at my leg. "That isn't a real concern anyway, you couldn't have driven.