The Killing Moon by Dan Padavona (books to read for 13 year olds .TXT) 📕

“’Cause you got bagel breath.”

Scout didn’t acknowledge his comment. When he glanced out the window, she breathed against her hand. Yeah, her breath smelled like an onion bagel. Clearing her throat, she lifted the apple. Honeycrisp, her favorite. Two weeks ago, before the weather had taken a turn for the worse, LeVar drove Scout and Naomi to an apple orchard in the Finger Lakes. She was pleased the orchard still had Honeycrisp apples on the trees. They’d stuffed two bags with Gala, Fuji, and McIntosh before LeVar found the Honeycrisp trees. Scout bit into the apple, closed her eyes, and grinned.

LeVar sat beside her.

“They’re the best, yeah?”

“Thank you,” she said. “I needed this.” As she worked, she noticed LeVar glaring at his phone and scratching the back of his neck. “You look stressed.”

“Got a text from Shep Dawg this morning.” That was the nickname LeVar had given Thomas after he became interim sheriff. “Remember those two guys who abducted Raven and that Ellie Fisher woman?”

Scout set the mouse aside and turned her chair to face him.

“Damian Ramos and Mark Benson?”

“Benson escaped prison, and Thomas is worried he’ll make trouble for Raven.”

Scout’s skin prickled.

“If the sheriff wrote you, he must be concerned. What’s your plan?”

LeVar dropped his face into his palm and let out a breath.

“I got class at nine and work at noon. Can’t be in three places at the same time.”

“Have you spoken to Raven?”

He tapped the phone against his thigh.

“I’ll call her. But first, I gotta shower so I’m not late for class. You okay working on your own?” Scout raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, I figured you would be. Have at it.”

The bathroom door closed. When the shower started, Scout played with the mouse, suddenly distracted. The cold terror of Jeremy Hyde stalking her family returned. The serial killer had recorded video of Scout in the backyard and uploaded it to the internet, a boast to prove he could reach Scout anytime he desired. Now Raven had her own stalker.

Scout straightened in the chair. Not only would she locate Violet Lyon and solve the mystery today, she’d track Mark Benson and keep Raven safe. There were too many eyes in the world to hide forever. Everyone left breadcrumbs to follow.

CHAPTER NINE

October 31st

7:55 a.m.

“Awesome show last night, Valerie.”

Valerie Leonard smiled over her shoulder and thanked the sophomore boy. She recognized him from the halls—Barton Falls was a small school—but couldn’t recall his name. More compliments followed her down the corridor as she swung her knapsack over her shoulder.

“Oh my God, you’re alive!”

Nancy gave Valerie a high-five as they passed in the hallway. Valerie didn’t need to party and get high like her friends did. Reactions from the podcast gave her the rush she craved. And she’d grown her bank account to five figures over the last year, all from advertising and T-shirt sales. Since she’d fooled her friends, imagine how many listeners bought the gag. She was going about this the wrong way. If she dragged the storyline out another few weeks and spiked her ratings…

No, that wouldn’t work. Who would host tonight’s show? Derek?

Valerie’s stomach fluttered with butterflies, and it wasn’t just from the excitement her latest show had generated. Ever since Derek kissed her and made his intentions known, she couldn’t stop thinking about him. She’d hoped for this for months. Now they were a couple. Spending the weekend alone in his house with his parents on vacation made her heart pound.

She stopped at her locker and screwed up the combination twice before getting it right. After trading her social studies book for her trigonometry notes, she fished the literature essay out of her folder. She’d stayed awake until two in the morning writing the paper, and her body dragged despite the excitement coursing through her veins.

“Good morning, Ms. Leonard.”

Valerie jumped and whipped around. Mr. Pierpoint loomed over her, his eyes shadowed by his prominent brow. In his middle-thirties, the literature teacher pulled eyes. He was blessed with high cheekbones and wispy blonde hair. The teacher’s lean physique spoke of a man who exercised daily and ate healthy. Still, something about the man gave Valerie the creeps. Maybe it was the way he always appeared out of nowhere, right behind her. Valerie brushed the hair out of her eyes.

“Mr. Pierpoint.”

“I trust you finished your paper on time. Rumor has it last night was a busy one for you. Priorities, Ms. Leonard.”

“I finished my paper.”

She reached into her knapsack for the essay, and he held up a hand. Valerie’s gaze traveled to his ring finger. A pale stripe marked where his wedding ring had been. Had Mr. Pierpoint separated from his wife?

“You’ll turn it in during class like the others. I expect your work will be better than last time.”

“I did my best.”

“Did you? You’re capable of so much, Ms. Leonard. If you put half the effort into your schoolwork as you did your internet broadcast, you’d be a straight-A student.”

She lowered her eyes. Mr. Pierpoint loved Derek and always gave him high marks, even when his work was sub-par. A pang of guilt hit Valerie. So what if Derek got better grades than her. If teachers favored Valerie the way they did Derek, she’d accept the praise and high grades.

“I’ll try to do better,” she said, biting her lip.

Mr. Pierpoint edged closer, their bodies nearly touching.

“See that you do. This time next year, you’ll be a freshman in college. Your professors won’t be as forgiving.”

He laid a hand on her shoulder. Inside, she squirmed. Why wouldn’t he leave her alone? This was borderline sexual harassment. Teachers weren’t supposed to touch their students.

“Thank you, Mr. Pierpoint.”

Satisfied for now, he smiled down at her, flashing perfect teeth. Swiveling on his heels, he strode through the crowded hallway toward his classroom. Two popular girls giggled and whispered, shooting glares at Valerie. Great. Now the entire school would talk about her encounter with Mr. Pierpoint. She imagined the crass rumors, the innuendos.

Where was Derek?

Valerie glanced down the corridor.