Gun Games - Faye Kellerman [46]
Eric nodded. “She had a Mac. That’s weird.”
Marge lifted her box. “Maybe we’ll find it tomorrow.”
“That’s really strange. It’s usually right out in the open.”
“Could someone have taken it?”
“I don’t know who. But if it’s not there . . .” A beat. “I’m stumped.”
Decker said, “Sometimes people give stuff away before they act.”
Eric shook his head. “She only had a few friends. Ask them.”
“Okay.” Decker picked up his box. “Again, I’m sorry for your loss.”
But Eric didn’t appear to hear. “Do you think she might have left like a note on it or something?”
“Can’t say for sure,” Decker said. “But if we don’t look, we’ll never know.”
Even though Yasmine had told him that the boy writes first, Gabe always waited until she texted him. That way he knew that she had total privacy. His phone gave off a beep at 12:30 in the morning. He had been in his bed with the lights off, resting, thinking about her and getting very aroused.
r u up?
He felt his heart sing in his chest.
w8ing 4 u. Without waiting for a reply, he texted: that was a close one 2nite.
omg, i was going 2 have a heart attack.
u were cool. i was a real dork.
no, i was a dork. at least u talked.
if u call mumbling, talking. Then Gabe wrote: ur sister’s a brat.
daisy is daisy. it’s hard being in 11th grade.
Gabe smiled. Yasmine was probably one of those nice people who always saw the good in everyone. i’m just protective of u.
:) thx.
Gabe texted: btw, someone’s been keeping secrets from me.
someone should talk!!! She texted another line. harvard!!!! Another pause. HARVARD!!!!
He texted back: Maybe.
Maybe????? r u nuts?
there r other options.
Like?
Tell u l8r.
A long pause. Then she wrote: r u going 2 college in the fall?
He wrote: yeah.
:(
maybe i’ll stay here.
seriously, gabe, if u get n2 harvard, u go 2 harvard.
maybe. A beat. i want to hear u sing.
no.
c’mon.
no.
chick-en.
sticks and stones . . .
how long have u been singing opera?
i don’t sing opera.
Gabe smiled. liar.
m not.
ok. u don’t sing opera. so what aria were u singing in the house over and over and over according to Daisy.
nothing.
c’mon yasmine enuf. i want 2know.
u’ll laugh.
Gabe texted back: ?????
Yasmine responded: promise u won’t laugh.
of course i won’t laugh.
der holle rache.
“Der Hölle Rache”—the revenge aria from Mozart’s The Magic Flute sung by the Queen of the Night. It was an iconic piece of music, one of the first arias that children hear when introduced to opera. Yet it was one of the hardest bits of music to sing because of the coloratura required.
Not too shabby. Feeling mischievous, Gabe texted back. lol.
shut up!
seriously, that’s really impressive.
not the way i sing it.
i don’t believe u.
u should.
so ur a coloratura soprano.
so they say.
who’s they? ur voice coach? u must have a teacher if u can sing der holle rache.
i do. my dad thinks i take piano lessons but i really take voice lessons.
The truth comes out. Gabe wrote: ah. now things r making sense. ur mother is n on this?
yeah.
any1 else besides me know?
just u n ariella.
ah, ariella, the keeper of the secrets. i hope she’s a gd friend.
she is.
Sneaking around seemed to be the Nourmand family pastime. Not unlike Gabe’s own family. He texted: i can’t picture all that coloratura coming from such a small chest.
ur horrible. now i’ll never sing 4u.
i didn’t mean it like that. But of course, he did. He loved teasing her.
i h8 u, Yasmine wrote.
Gabe texted: 2 bad cuz I’m madly crazy 4 u.
A long pause. Then Yasmine wrote: maybe i don’t h8 u.
Gabe wrote: let’s kiss n make up.
kiss n make out u mean.
that, 2. A pause. i’m serious. when can i hear u sing?
never.
Gabe wrote: come over this saturday. the deckers are going out 2 lunch 4 shabbos. They’ll leave at 10 so come at 11. i’ll play accompaniment 4u.
i can’t. i’ve got 2 go to shul. i already missed last saturday bcuz of u.
plzzzz?
gabe, I can’t.
:(
i’ll c what I can do. no promises.
Plzzzz, plzzzz, plzzzz???
i’ll c.
u know i don’t want 2 get u n trouble. i just miss u.
i miss u,2.
She added: a lot.
Gabe