“From what you say, you had direct interaction at the party with Angela and Patrick. But not with Gary.”
“Yes. And I had completely forgotten about the party—until tonight.” She paused for a moment. “I mean it was pretty…upsetting. I guess it was the first time I saw things get that much out of control—ending with the gun. Until then, smoking in the woods was a big deal. Or somebody getting hold of a six-pack of beer.”
“You came from a pretty tame environment.”
“Yes. And now you telling me to focus on the murders brought back stuff I didn’t want to remember.”
He nodded. “Of course, the dream could be important for other reasons.”
“Like how?”
“Before Gary shot the gun, what was happening?”
She grimaced. She didn’t really want to talk about her own behavior, which she’d avoided discussing. Instead, she made the comment general. “Well, some kids were drinking. Others were dancing or making out, and some had even gone upstairs to the bedrooms. Angela, Linda, and I just wanted to get out of there when we saw how out of hand it was.”
“Hmm. It’s how I’d expect rich high school kids to act—until the shooting.”
“But I wasn’t a rich high school kid. We’re back in the house where I grew up, and it’s not exactly a luxury mansion.”
“Okay. But you were hanging out with the rich crowd.”
“The in crowd, I’d put it. And I had lied about where I was. If my dad had found out, I would have been in deep doo-doo. And he would have made sure Angela’s parents knew about it.”
“How did she fit into that crowd?”
“She wasn’t one of the rich kids either, if that’s what you’re asking. Her parents owned a couple of antique shops. One in Ellicott City and one in New Market. Both of us worked hard to fit in.”
“How?”
She was sorry she’d said that last part. “Being friendly. Going along with what the gang wanted.”
“Drinking and smoking?”
“Yes.”
“Drugs?”
“I managed to avoid drugs.”
He looked thoughtful, and she braced for another probing question about herself. To her relief, he asked, “And if we went to the house where they had the party, would we find a bullet hole in the wall?”
“I don’t know. Maybe Brian patched it up and painted the wall or something before his parents came home.”
“You never went back to his house?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“I wasn’t really friends with him. I wouldn’t have gone there to hang out. And that night gave me the feeling that it was dangerous to be around him.”
“Well, the dream gives us more to work with. Who else was there?”
She thought for a moment. “Claire Lowden and Zeke Pressman. They were making out.”
“Uh-huh.”
She laid her forehead against Max’s shoulder, silently admitting that there was more she should say, but she didn’t really want to. Did she have to tell him everything?
He stroked his hand up and down her arm, making her skin tingle.
“Do you remember when the party was? What month?”
She thought about that. “It was May. I even know the date. Brian said they were celebrating Cinco de Mayo. May fifth.”
“Good. That may be helpful.” He kept stroking her, then finally said, “It’s still pretty early in the morning. You think you can go back to sleep?”
She wanted to say she’d feel safer if he stayed there with her, but she knew that asking him to sleep in her bed was a bad idea—as bad as having kissed him. Instead she gave the only answer that she could. “Yes.”
***
Conscious of Olivia’s gaze on his nearly naked body, Max forced himself to climb out of bed and head down the hall to the room where he was sleeping. He wanted to stay. Olivia wanted him to stay, but if he did, he’d end up doing something he knew was unprofessional. Worse than what he’d already done. Deliberately switching his thoughts away from himself, he started thinking about Olivia’s dream again. She’d said it was what had happened the night of the party, but she’d hesitated at several points, which made him wonder if she was being completely straight with him.
Was there something she had done? Something that embarrassed her? Or worse?
They were going to have to talk about it again, but he knew from her evasive behavior that he was going to have to give her a little time.
He switched his thoughts back to himself. Or more accurately, the two of them. Her talking about the past had brought up the incident in the pizza parlor, when he’d come over and rescued her from the two creeps.