Chapter 40
I WAS GETTING CONFLICTING STORIES, and I needed another opinion. So I was back with Jared in the Bethel County Jail. Nobody wanted me there, least of all Jared. But Healy spoke to somebody, and there I was.
"I understand a lot of kids bullied you in school," I said.
Jared shrugged.
"That true?" I said.
"No. Nobody bothered me much."
He snickered.
First snicker of the day.
"Kids didn't pick on you?"
"No."
"They friendly?" I said.
"They didn't see me."
"You a loner?" I said.
"Yeah."
"You like that?" I said.
"I like being a loner," he said.
Snicker.
"I understand you were big into computers and the Internet," I said.
Jared shrugged again and snickered again.
"True?" I said.
"Computers are for losers," he said.
"You didn't use one?"
"No."
"Ever?" I said.
"No,"
Snicker.
"You get along okay with Dr. Blair?" I said.
He didn't do anything, that I could see. But I had a sudden sense of something closing down.
"Sure," he said.
"You see her much?"
"Some."
"She says she couldn't help you much because you wouldn't talk to her about things," I said.
"Fuck her," Jared said.
"Did you talk with her about things?"
"Ask her," Jared said.
"I did. She says you wouldn't."
"Fuck her," he said.
I mouthed it silently along with him.
"You get along good with Dell?" I said.
"Sure."
"You like him?"
"Sure."
"Why'd you start hanging out with him?" I said.
"He was cool."
"What made him cool?" I said.
Jared shrugged.
"He was just cool," Jared said.
"How about Animal?"
Jared shrugged.
"Was Animal cool?" I said.
Jared shrugged again.
"Animal get you the guns?"
He shook his head.
"Your grandmother gave you the money," I said. "Last January. You give it to Animal?"
"I ain't ratting out nobody," Jared said.
"Why do you suppose Dr. Blair told me you were being bullied all the time and that you took refuge in nasty websites?"
"Huh?"
"Why do you suppose Dr. Blair lied about you?" I said.
"She lied about me?"
"If you're telling the truth, then she was lying."
"Fuck her," he said.
"Why do you suppose?" I said.
"'Cause she's a fucking whore, huh?"
"Why do you say that."
Jared got up and went and banged on the door. The guard opened it.
"I wanna go back to my room," he said.
"We call them cells, kid," the guard said and looked at me.
I shrugged and waved him off. The guard took him.