I swatted her shoulder. “Be quiet. Aiden gets plenty from me.” And he did. Except for the truth about where I’d been spending my nights. I swallowed hard and took the sim card from my cup holder and handed it to Kira. “Track down all the numbers on this,” I said. “I want the names of everyone Michael has been calling other than Caitlyn. Full report tomorrow.”
“On it, Tess.”
“And let me know what you see on the webcam.” She saluted me, and I slipped the car into reverse until I was in front of her building entryway. After all, it was three in the morning.
“See you at school,” she said happily as she climbed out. She loved when I trusted her with evidence.
I watched her blond curls flop around on her shoulders as she jogged to the front gate of her complex. She waved one last time and I waved back, mostly to encourage her. But the minute she was gone, my smile faded.
Just once, I wanted not to confirm a cheat, to find at least one innocent guy. But so far, SOS subjects had been found guilty hundred percent of the time. It was tragic. And it was seriously impeding my perk.
I sighed and shifted my car into gear before pulling onto the street, headed for my home in Murray Hills. With a quick check at my reflection, I straightened my frown and tried to look positive.
It was possible. It was possible to find at least one innocent suspect. I was sure of it.
SOS THE OFFICIAL HANDBOOK
UPDATED:
OUR MISSION STATEMENT: The mission of SOS (the Society of Smitten Kittens) is to make a positive difference in the dating lives of the girls at Washington High—primarily through investigation, client confidentiality, and inspirational cheer sets—all the while building the self-esteem, individuality, and confidence of the female population by providing a high standard of leadership, competence, and fabulous accessorizing.
SMITTEN KITTEN CODE OF CONDUCT: ° Never be seen at the location of an investigation. Being covert means being invisible.
° Never leave a Smitten Kitten behind. When faced with exposure, use the predetermined escape routes and stay in formation.
° Always be upbeat and positive. School spirit is essential to success.
° Refrain from using any profane language. Smitten Kittens never cuss.
° Be on time for all practices, games, and SOS meetings and missions.
° Do not engage in any dating activities with a suspect. Making out with a suspect is bad form.
° Dress appropriately for all games and missions. Cheer skirts for games, spandex for practice, and black, drab outfits for missions.
° Although a Smitten Kitten is often privy to detailed encounters of the cheating variety, she must always maintain her class in and out of school. Never speak to anyone outside of SOS about the missions. If needed, an SOS-approved counselor can help with post-traumatic-SOS-disorder-related issues.
THE LAWS: ° The Cheat—An official cheat requires the subject to be engaged in romantic or sexual activity with a person other than the client. These offenses include, but are not limited to, hand-holding, kissing, dirty talk, or any of the four bases.
° Double Jeopardy—We will never investigate the same subject twice for the same cheat. Once cleared or convicted, the subject is free to continue his inappropriate lifestyle without our supervision.
° Evidence—Each subject is innocent until proven cheating. To confirm the crime, more than one form of evidence must be provided to the client. This can include photos, audio or video surveillance, e-mails, eyewitness accounts, recovered items with fingerprints or DNA, or admission of guilt. Instincts and bad reputations do not count as evidence.
° Interference—Never interfere with a cheat in progress. Although it may be difficult to witness these crimes of passion, it’s the SOS responsibility to investigate without bias.
° Confidentiality—It is key to every mission to maintain the secrecy of the client and the SOS organization. Never engage a client or subject directly with collected evidence. All communication must be anonymous.
DISCIPLINE : If a Smitten Kitten is caught breaking these rules, an official disciplinary form will be sent. The infractions could result in° Verbal or written warnings
° Suspension of assignment
° Loss of cheer time
° Dismissal
PAYMENT AND EQUIPMENT: SOS is a nonprofit organization. There is no charge for our services, and all proceeds from donations go directly toward equipment and other essential supplies, like uniforms. Only the president and treasurer have access to these funds.
RESPONSIBILITIES: Smitten Kittens are expected to keep a cheerful attitude at all times. The SOS reputation is dependent on the squad’s conduct along with our success on missions.
All Smitten Kittens are responsible for learning cheers, stunts, lock picking, wall scaling, equipment handling and maintenance, and herkies.
Never let them see you sweat! Go, Smitten Kittens!
CHAPTER TWO
I CHECKED TO MAKE SURE THE DOUBLE DOORS OF the gymnasium were shut before crossing the wood floor to pause in front of my squad.
“Kitten call to order,” I said, clapping. The Smitten Kittens were gathered on the front wooden bleacher, packing up their cheer gear. We’d just finished practice, and I was sweaty and exhausted. But we had business to attend to.
“I need the double scoop. What’s the status report?” I asked Kira, readjusting my ponytail.
“There’s over two hundred numbers on the sim card,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Who would have thought Michael Garnett had so many friends? He’s such a tool.”
“Kira,” I scolded. “Be objective.”
“Sorry.” She shrugged apologetically and then reached into her backpack to pull out a manila folder, setting it on her lap. “I’ve printed out the names, and I’m doing a run-through now. I’ll need another day.”
“Great job, K. I’m totally impressed.”
Leona groaned from the end of the bleacher, and Kira glanced over at her, beaming. Leona rolled her eyes.
“Be nice,” I mouthed to Leona. “Now, what about the webcam?” She adjusted her glasses and looked down, checking her phone for the feed. “Nada. But that’s to be expected, Tess. He seems like a night perv.”
I tsked. The squad had been very judgmental lately. I blamed the fact that we’d caught several of their boyfriends cheating on them in the past three months. Poor things. It was tragic, really.
“I have something,” Izzie announced, twisting a red strand of her hair around a pen.
I nodded to her, wondering if she’d found a crucial piece of evidence in Michael’s MySpace account. We would need at least two forms of cheater tracks to confirm the crime.