Enemy Match Chapter 7

Enemy Match

Chapter 7

I’m calling the police, I muttered. This has gone too far. I grabbed Raj’s bike and wheeled it back to my place while Raj limped along behind. Once at the house I locked his bike up then we went inside.

Mom was still working on her laptop when we went into the kitchen. She gasped when she saw Raj’s knee.

Are you OK, Raj dear? She asked.

Yes, Mrs. M. he said with a wry smile. It doesn’t hurt too much now. It just feels like someone took a cheese grater to it, that’s all.

Mom went off to look for the first aid kit while I called Police Headquarters. The dispatch said they would send someone shortly.

Tell me what happened, I said turning to Raj who took a seat at the table. Mom came in with the first aid kit and went to work cleaning Raj’s knee which was badly scraped.

I was coming along Main Street when I went by a group of people on the sidewalk outside Billy Burger. It was Jake Prestwick and his friends. They yelled something to me that I didn’t understand but I just ignored them. A few minutes later a car came up behind me. I moved over to the right side of the road—as far as I could, but the car came right at me and bumped me. I went flying off and landed on my knee. He grimaced at the memory.

That’s awful, Mom said as she finished bandaging his knee.

Thank you, Mrs. Macdonald, Raj said.

You’re welcome, Raj, she said, standing up and retreating, to put away the kit. She returned to her laptop in the dining room.

The police arrived a few minutes later. The officer, Denton, was Paul Canning’s partner, but was stuck on the night shift for the current week.

Raj explained what had happened, and Officer Denton checked out Raj’s bike.

I’ll have a talk with Mr. Prestwick, Denton remarked. I’ll let you know what I find, Justin, he said. He turned to Raj. Are you OK, son?

I’m OK, now, he remarked. Mrs. Macdonald bandaged up my knee. Thanks again, he called out to the other room.

You’re welcome, Mom responded.

Are you OK to check out my Facebook page? I asked. Is your laptop still OK?

Raj nodded. Yes, he said. My laptop bag is padded so the laptop itself was not damaged when I fell.

Good, I said with a sigh of relief.

And yes, we can check it, my knee is OK now, he remarked with a grin.

Let’s go up to my room, I suggested. I went up the stairs and Raj followed, slowly as his knee hurt to bend it.

I’m really sorry, buddy, I said as we went into my room at the end of the hall. I don’t know why Prestwick would target you. His beef is with me. He’s in a lot of trouble now, though, once Denton finds him. That was a real dumb move on Prestwick’s part. Wouldn’t he know you would recognize him?

Raj just shook his head as he took out his laptop and laid it on my desk. Yes, he said finally, sitting in the chair and turning on the laptop. And don’t worry about my getting hurt. It is not your fault, Justin.

Yeah, well I think it is. It’s because you’re my friend that Jake even targeted you. I feel really bad.

Don’t, Raj said. It’s all good, Justin.

I nodded, but I still felt bad.

Raj booted up and hooked up to my wireless network. He opened Facebook and went to my page.

Whoa! I blurted. That’s crazy.

The pictures were as bad as Raj described. It sure looked like I was taunting the basketball team. I looked like a real jerk and the picture of Daryl laying on the ground was just horrible. No wonder the team hated me—even more than before.

But who would have anything to gain by this?

Can you scroll down so I can have a look at the pictures that were taken at the gym? Maybe we can get a clue as to who took them.

Raj nodded and scrolled through. In one of the pictures Jake was glaring at me as was Courtney Clubine. The picture of me being congratulated by Van, Raj and Melissa was taken from fairly close by. Did I remember anyone with a cell phone or camera? A few of the students had phone and were taking pictures—it all happened so fast. It could even be more than one person—two or three people working together.

Raj scrolled some more. There were about 20 pictures in all. All calculated to make me out to be a jerk—even worse than Peters as it looked like I was gloating over him being ill. And calculated to infuriate the basketball team and Jake Prestwick in particular as he was Daryl’s number 2 guy on the team.

Wait! I said, glancing at the pictures again. Do you see Coach Detmar in any of these? Raj scrolled though again. But Coach Detmar wasn’t in any of them.

Could he be the one behind this vendetta? I didn’t know him that well as he was newly hired at PSC. And he did idolize Peters to a certain degree. Why would he want me to taunt the basketball team—and Jake in particular?

I’m going to talk to Evan tomorrow and see if he can find out who hacked into my account.

Evan McIntyre was another one of my friends and was a whiz at computers and software. He skirted the edges of what was legal and he and I had an “understanding” that he wouldn’t actually do anything illegal in his investigations. But he was good. If anyone could find out who was hacking my account, it would be him.

Thanks, Raj, I said as he logged off and stifled a yawn as he put the laptop in his bag. Say, it’s after midnight and your bike needs some minor adjusting. You want to spend the night in the guest room? Or I can drive you home?

Raj nodded and yawned again. That would be great, Justin, he said with a grin. I will stay. I am too tired to even get to the car. My parents are away visiting relatives in Cambridge, so I would only be alone. Neela is with them.

Neela was Raj’s twin sister. She was a pretty girl who often dated Van.

That’s great, I said, leading him to the room which was down the hall. Mom had gone to bed and the house was quiet. I made up the guest bed and Raj climbed in and was soon asleep.

I headed back to my room, my head spinning with the implication of Detmar somehow being involved. Hopefully Evan could verify it. But it still nagged me. Why would Detmar do something like this?

I was soon asleep. A while later, I wasn’t sure how long, I jerked awake with the sun streaming in the window and a major ruckus downstairs. I glanced at my bedside alarm clock and it read 6:23 am.

Thump thump thump on the front door. Mom appeared at my door blinking sleep from her eyes. Justin, can you come with me to see who this is at the door.

I nodded and climbed out of bed, pulled on a t-shirt, and followed Mom down the hall and down stairs. I could see a shadow through the door of a large figure.

Who is it? I called through the door as the pounding continued.

It’s me, you jerk face! A familiar voice called out. Jake Prestwick.

What do you want. It’s 6 am on Sunday morning. Go home Jake.

Open up, scumbag, he shrieked.

Jake, go home, I said again. I’m not talking to you like this. You’re crazy man. Now get lost before I call the police.

The police? He shrieked again. That’s why I’m in this mess, because your friend ratted me to the police.

I looked at Mom as if to say “is this guy for real”? Let him in Justin, this isn’t going to stop until we talk to him, she said soothingly.

Jake, I’m opening the door, I said through the door.  But you have to calm down first.

There was silence—then, I’m calm, he muttered.

I opened the door and he burst into the room. He was surprised to see Mom there. Oh—Mrs. Macdonald—I’m sorry.

Mom just glared at him. What are you doing here at this time of the morning, Mr. Prestwick, she said sternly?

He turned to me. Where’s your little Indian friend? Is he here, he wasn’t at his house.

Yes, he’s here, but why did you go to his house?

He told the police that I hit him with my car. Why are you guys doing to me? I never hit anyone with my car. What do you think, I’m some kind of psycho?

Come and sit in the living room, Mom suggested and she went off to make some coffee.

I just came from the police station, Jake muttered. I’ve never been so humiliated—my parents are ready to kill me. I don’t understand.

He sat on the couch and I sat on the chair opposite. Raj was knocked off his bike last night on the way here, I remarked. He had just passed you guys downtown and you were making comments toward him.

Jake nodded. Yeah, I remember that.

Then a few minutes later someone hit him and knocked him off his bike, he was nearly killed. He says it was your car. You drive an older model Chevy, 1979 Cavalier. Blue with rust on the hood? Most of us know your car—it’s a real classic, I added sarcastically. Everyone knew Jake’s junker of a car—it was kind of a school joke.

Jake nodded. Yeah, but my car is in the shop—well the shop at school. I lent it to Mr. DeVries and his class to work on. It has a problem with the gear shift, you have to use a screwdriver to jiggle it and only a few of my teammates know about it. I haven’t had my car for about a week as DeVries and the class are trying to fix it.

Wait, I muttered. You weren’t driving your car last night?

Jake shook his head. No, Marcus was with us last night and he was driving.

Marcus Bricker from your basketball team? We saw you guys earlier at Billy Burger—where you threatened us, remember?

Yeah, Jake muttered. Look, that was only talk, I swear.

I nodded.

What’s going on here. Why did Raj rat me out, I know we aren’t friends or anything, but geez, guys this is crazy, saying I tried to kill him. The police let me go, but just barely. I swore I never hit Raj. I told them I wasn’t driving my car last night and they’re investigating that now. They had to call DeVries out of bed this morning to take them to the auto shop at school to check out my car.

Ok, I believe you, Jake, but something really fishy is going on here. Someone is trying to stir things up between you and me and Daryl and the team. And someone is trying to get to you. Throw you off your game. I don’t know who or why—yet.

What do you mean? He asked furrowing his brow. He had calmed down by now and I hoped we could settle this feud right now—at least my feud with him. The one with Peters was another story.

I sighed. Mom came back with a couple of coffees in foam cups. Jake put his on the coffee table and I took a sip of mine, then did the same.

You don’t really think I poisoned Daryl’s—well Courtney’s water bottle, do you? Come on, I don’t like Daryl, that’s not news, but—come on, guys, I wouldn’t poison him. That is a crime last time I checked.

Jake fidgeted in the chair and looked away, then back at me. No, I guess not, not really, but who else—?

I didn’t poison him—and I didn’t issue the challenge to him on Facebook. Someone hacked into my page and put the challenge up there—and those tasteless pictures of what happened at the match.

Jake’s blank expression told me that he hadn’t seen them. I could only imagine how ticked he would be if he had seen them. It would send him off the deep end.

He just shook his head.

What do you think about your coach. Detmar?

What do you mean? Jake said, taking a sip of his coffee. You don’t think he’s involved? Why? That’s nuts.

I don’t know, I said.

Just then Raj appeared in the doorway, wiping sleep from his eyes. He was surprised to see Jake.

Look, Raj, Jake said getting up. It wasn’t me, man. Last night. I didn’t hit you. I swear.

It was your car, Raj said evenly. I know what your car looks like. I am in Mr. DeVries class and we are working on it for our current module. Besides everyone knows your car—it’s a classic.

Jake says he wasn’t driving last night. The car should still be at school. The police are looking into it.

Just then Jake’s cell phone rang. He answered it and listened for a moment, then said, thanks, then hung up.

That was the police, he said grimly. They went to the school with Mr. DeVries. My car is not there. It’s been stolen!