Graded in Red

Chapter Twelve

After the unsettling call with my mom this morning, I realized I had actual work to tackle for my classroom. The school year was just around the corner, and my preparation was far from complete. Glancing at my watch, it showed 10:45 am; I had 15 minutes to make it to Coffee Grind for my meet-up with Victoria. I quickly changed into more comfortable attire – a soft v-neck from Target, a pair of boyfriend shorts, and my well-worn Converse. No need to dress up for Vic.

Pulling into the Coffee Grind parking lot, I spotted Vic walking in. But she wasn't alone. Beside her strode a guy around 5'10'', with jet black hair and a lean, swimmer's physique. I had a strong inkling about who she'd invited to our coffee date.

Stepping into the coffee shop flooded me with high school memories of working here. Late-night lattes, cramming for exams with Jake or Victoria after closing – those were the days. I could crank up my favorite tunes, indulge in as much coffee as I wanted, and tidy up the tables, although it made waking up in the morning after all that caffeine a bit challenging. Three hours of sleep was enough back then.

"Hey, Mags!" Vic enveloped me in a tight hug and whispered, "Don't be mad. I invited him because I thought it would be good for you two to get to know each other better."

I managed a forced smile once she let me go. My forehead vein must've been visible by now. I hoped Mike hadn't noticed that tell.

"Hi, Mike! Long time no see! How've you been?" I tried to sound as cheerful as I felt before realizing our friend coffee date was taking an unexpected turn.

"Just working on my master's and gearing up for the new school year. And you? How's it feel to be back home?" Mike ruffled his hair, a nervous habit he had since high school. Some things never change.

"It's going as well as it can," I replied, at a loss for words.

"Oh no, Maggie, I'm sorry. That was an insensitive question," concern evident in his gaze.

"It's okay, Mike. Really. It's not something that happens every day. I can't shake the image from my mind, but I'm determined to find out who did this."

Victoria and Mike exchanged looks that clearly stated that I was crazy. I explained to them that the captain of BBPD wanted me to be the prime suspect because of the fact that I didn't have an alibi and I was caught fighting with Bridgett the night before.

Victoria interrupted me, "But, you were actually trying to help her. She was drunk or drugged out on something. Everyone in the bar can give witness to that!"

"I know, but that was the last night that she was scene before I stumbled upon her at school. So, I am being looked at. Though, I found out something extremely interesting this morning."

Mike and Victoria leaned in as I recounted Jake's unexplained decade-long involvement in helping my parents. I shared how my mom snapped at me, mentioning that Jake was hurt too, and I couldn't help but wonder what really went down on that prom night.

"I don't know what happened at prom that night. Do either of you?" I asked, looking back and forth between them.

"You know I don't. I left the dance with you, remember? Plus, after that, I was in so many interviews and plays that I barely had time for school in the last few weeks," Victoria replied.

Glancing at Mike, I noticed he was gazing out the window, avoiding eye contact with me. His reluctance to engage was obvious, and I had a feeling he knew more than he wanted to share.

"Do you remember anything?" I pressed, sensing his reluctance.

His green eyes met mine, intense and hesitant. "Listen, Maggie. I don't want to start off on the wrong foot with you after all this time, but that's not my story to tell. But I'll say this much – Jake had as much reason to dislike Bridgett as you did to dislike him after prom." He shifted uncomfortably, avoiding eye contact once more.

I turned to Victoria, silently asking for her insight. She merely shrugged, suggesting we grab something to eat before diving into our discussions about the upcoming school year. It was reassuring to know that I wasn't the only one in the dark about what happened that night. While I wanted to delve deeper into the subject, I knew there was only one person who held the answers.

For the next three hours, the three of us talked at the coffee shop – reminiscing about the past, catching up on what we missed, and planning for the school year ahead.

Mike, always organized, offered me an array of teaching materials from his extensive experience teaching various sections of history. By the end of our meeting, I felt more confident about the upcoming school year and how things would unfold.

After saying his goodbyes, Mike promised to meet up later in the week to finalize any pending details. Victoria grabbed us some ice-cold sweet teas to keep our energy up without the impending crash.

"So, what's your take on this whole mess?" Victoria sat down, pushing the tea toward me.

"I don't know. At first I thought it was that man from the bar that night, the one you caught me spying on Bridgett with. He had grabbed her and they were arguing. But when I met with him this morning he had an alibi and even willingly told me the reason they had been fighting. I didn't have another clue about who it could have been until I talked to my mom this morning and she told me about Jake and prom. She wouldn't tell me anymore, but it got me thinking. What if it was Jake?"

Victoria had been taking a drink from her tea and snorted it out. "What?! What do you mean? I know that we have some beef with Jake still, but that is all in the past, Mags. Do you really see Jake killing someone?"

I shook my head, "I just don't know Vic. I know that I didn't do it. But he was there that night. He also showed up at the scrap yard this morning, when Tom had told me that the captain was actually coming to talk to him. That doesn't seem like a coincidence to me." I took a long drink from my tea.

"He came by my apartment to let me know that he wasn't going to let me get blamed for the murder, but what if he was trying to blame Tom? But now Tom has a solid alibi and now I'm the only one left to blame it on. I have to find out what happened at prom. Was it worth killing over after ten years?"

"Honey, nothing is worth killing over." Victoria whispered

"And yet, Vic, someone did die." I retorted.