Blood Trail

By Nancy Springer

The gruesome murder of a popular high school student turns two small-town neighbors against each other

Aaron Gingrich is a well-liked high school senior who always seems to have a smile on his face. He and Jeremy Davis have been inseparable since elementary school. But one day Jeremy senses that something is wrong at Aaron’s house—and then Aaron is found brutally murdered.

Reeling from the loss of his friend, Jeremy has no one to turn to. His small town is suddenly abuzz with grisly rumors, and Jeremy was the last person to see Aaron alive. Subjected to polygraph tests, ostracized by the whole community, and treated like a criminal, Jeremy knows he needs to go to the police. Meanwhile the killer still walks free—closer than anyone can imagine. And no one but Jeremy suspects the truth.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Media
• Release date: Dec 30, 2014
• ISBN: 9781497688711

Nancy Springer

Nancy Springer is the award-winning author of more than fifty books, including the Enola Holmes and Rowan Hood series and a plethora of novels for all ages, spanning fantasy, mystery, magic realism, and more. She received the James Tiptree, Jr. Award for Larque on the Wing and the Edgar Award for her juvenile mysteries Toughing It and Looking for Jamie Bridger, and she has been nominated for numerous other honors. Springer currently lives in the Florida Panhandle, where she rescues feral cats and enjoys the vibrant wildlife of the wetlands.

Book preview

chapter one

Crawdad fight! Aaron yelled, holding a humongous crayfish in one hand as he lunged through the water at me. He aimed its claws toward my face. C’mon, Jeremy, defend yourself!

I yipped and dived for the bottom of the river, searching for a weapon of my own. All I saw were itty-bitty crayfish sending up puffs of silt as they backed under rocks. How had Aaron caught that monster? It was practically the size of a lobster, and pissed off. If it got its claws on my bare skin, it would give me one hell of a nip. Trust Aaron to grab the biggest, baddest crawdad in the swimming hole—

And here he came, diving at me in a rush of bubbles, that hellacious crawdad aimed my way. Even underwater, he was grinning.

Crawdad fight, my eye. I didn’t stand a chance. I pushed off the bottom of the swimming hole and shot to the surface, where I sucked in a big breath of air. Then I swam hard toward shore.

There was an Aaron-size splash behind me as he surfaced. Booger, he yelled, where you going? He sounded puppy-dog hurt, but I knew he was clowning around. I mean, Aaron and I had been friends since third grade. When we were little, he used to fool me, but now we were starting senior year, and I knew when he was kidding.

You think you’re hot snot on a silver platter, he yelled, but you’re just a cold Booger on a paper plate!

I started laughing, which is not a good idea when you’re trying to swim. Water went up my nose and made me cough. Aaron swam after me, but he was splashing like a hippo, because with that crayfish in one hand he couldn’t swim right. Even coughing, I got to the boulders at the edge of the river in plenty of time to haul myself out and look around for some kind of counter-crawdad armament. Okay, my bike helmet. Aaron and I had been biking to get in shape for football, and we’d stopped at the river for a swim.

He did an end around past the boulders and climbed out of the river, still grinning, still wielding his giant crayfish. Better give it up, Booger, he teased.

No way, nimrod. Arms outstretched, bike helmet in both hands as a shield, I faced off with him.

Then prepare to be creamed. Aaron advanced with crayfish at the ready.

With every step he took the crawdad looked bigger. Jeez, man, I said, that thing’s enormous. You should take it home and feed your family.

Just like that, Aaron’s hand dropped, and he lost his grin. He turned away from me, crouched by the river, and let the crayfish go scuttling back into the water. Without a word he sat on a boulder, just staring.

What the hey? I had no idea. I parked myself on another boulder and did some staring myself, watching the minnows swarming in the sunlit shallows at the river’s edge. My wet shorts trickled on the rock. The sun dried my shoulders.

After a while I asked, What’s the matter?

Aaron muttered, Nothing.

C’mon, Aaron. What’s got you torqued?

He sighed, then said, Family, schmamily. I don’t want to go home.

How come?

There could have been lots of reasons, like too many decisions waiting for him, whether to join the army or go to college, all that. Or maybe he was in trouble with his parents because his kid sister had ratted on him about something. Or maybe he was fighting with his brother. Or maybe his parents were fighting with each other. I expected him to say something like that.

But what he actually said was, Booger, I’m scared.

I was so surprised, I didn’t say anything. Just for a minute I thought he was setting up one of his jokes, like the time he got into the girls’ locker room and switched all the bras around.

I mean it, Jeremy! He wasn’t clowning. He faced me with his eyes shadowy dark, with his round face stark serious. I’m scared.

Huh? I didn’t have a clue what he was talking about.

He said, Huh, hell, pay attention, but he didn’t roll his eyes as usual.

I said, Scared to go home? You mean, like, today?

Noooo, next year. Duh. But he didn’t smile. He looked down, picked up a round stone, and held it like an egg in his hand.

How come?

Just—I’ve got this stupid feeling. Like something’s gonna happen.

In all the years I’d known Aaron, I’d hardly ever seen him without a big grin spreading across his chipmunk cheeks. I mean, we could be two yards from our own goal line and Aaron would still grin. But not now.

I said, Something’s going to happen? Like what?

Aaron stared at the river. He tossed the stone into the water, splat. The minnows scattered.

Nothing, he muttered.

We were back where we’d started. Nothing, my ass. What’s the matter? What are you scared of?

He pressed his lips together, but then he said it. Nathan.

His brother.

Nathan? What about him? I’d barely seen Nathan all summer. Maybe if Aaron and I were at his house watching a movie, Nathan might ghost through. Never said anything. Mostly he just stayed in his room with the shades pulled down. But Nathan was always weird that way, at least for the past couple of years, anyway.

I asked, You guys been fighting? Once, back in eighth grade, they fought so bad, Aaron broke Nathan’s arm.

It was hard to believe Aaron and Nathan were twins—not identical twins, just the other kind. They were both a lot of fun—at least Nathan used to be fun—but they were way different. Aaron was like a big friendly golden retriever, always wanting to play catch or go for a walk, whatever. Everybody liked him. But Nathan was more like one of those racing dogs, a greyhound, all edges, always in a hurry to get somewhere. When he grinned, it was more like he was showing his teeth. Nathan was a cut master. Some kids kind of admired him, but not like friends. More like spectators. Nobody hassled Nathan, because he could carve you up just by saying something. A guy’s got to be good at verbal abuse in high school, and Nathan was the best. Not just abuse, but any kind of talk. Nathan was a brain. He was on the debate team, and teachers said he was brilliant, but for some reason he didn’t do great in school. Aaron got better grades—I could never figure why.

I said, What’s wrong with Nathan?

Oh, nothing. Aaron got up, flexing his muscles, and reached for his shirt. Come on, I gotta get back. Ma said I have to unload the dishwasher and stuff.

Aaron—

Come on, Booger. I’m just being stupid. Imagining things.

Whatever it was,

Reviews for Blood Trail

[margaretpinardauthor · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I read this to see if I could get any pointers for technique of a mystery for middle reader/ YA level readers, especially since I loved this author's book Boy on a Black Horse. But the ending left me hanging, the story seemed very short and jumped gaps of time where nothing interesting must have been happening... not my favorite. More of a YA novel about dealing with grief than one about a murder, as it *spoiler* is never brought to a resolution.

[margaret.pinard · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I read this to see if I could get any pointers for technique of a mystery for middle reader/ YA level readers, especially since I loved this author's book Boy on a Black Horse. But the ending left me hanging, the story seemed very short and jumped gaps of time where nothing interesting must have been happening... not my favorite. More of a YA novel about dealing with grief than one about a murder, as it *spoiler* is never brought to a resolution.

[alexis1goodro · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is about this boy named Jeremy. He washanging out with his best friend Aaron. Aaron was a big tuff guy. He was on the football team so it stroke Jeremy by surprise when Aaron told him he was scared of his brother Nathan. Jeremy was not worried about Aaron, he could handle anything. Before Jeremy went home Aaron told him to all in about ten miuntes. Jeremy ended up calling him twenty miuntes later because he forgot. when he called the first time, someone picked up with out saying any thing. The second time he got the anserwing mationen. The thred time Nathan picked up and said Aaron was not home and hung up. Jeremy statred to get worried. He was on his way to Aarons house when his mom stoped him. Then he heard siren went past his house. When he saw the ambulence in front of Aarons house he was very worried. He was hoping it was someone elso. Nope. He heard a cope tell Aarons father that Aaron had been stabed to death. Jeremy couldn't belive it. Who could have killed his best friend, then he remebered what Aaron said that day, when he said he was scard of his Brother. Nathan. I couldn't be turn he thought so he did not tell the detective who he was scard of. Everyone felt sad for Jeremy and Aarons family. Then finally Jeremy finally ended up telling the detection about how Aaron was scared of Nathan. Then sadly everyone hated him. Aarons family, the kids at school. Everyone thought he was lieing, and he was trying to hide something, when hw was not. He did not want to belive what Aaron said about Nathan, until he talked to his father. his father told him everything. That Nathan must have down it. All the evendenece was ponting at Nathan. Blood never goes away, and the blood trail showed that Nathan was chasing him. Also that when Nathen picked up the phone he must have went past the body that was in the kichen, and a lot more. With the fact that Aaron was stabed seventy five times in the neck. Soon the hatrid from his friends went away. His life was still dark, and sad and full of regret. But he had to put he past behind him, even though Aaron would stay in his heart forever and always. When I read the frist chapter of this book, I was detremend to take it back because I might have been to sad for me. I was, I couldn't stop thinking about how horible it must of been if the book were real, and the fact that it was Nathan that killed him. His own brother. It blow my mine when I heard the facts. I almost was sick when I heard about the stabing. One thing I forgot to mention was that Jeremy found out way Aaron couldn't defend himself. It was because Nathan was his brother, and he loved him and could not hurt him. That taut me a lesson, about how the love of your family can come at the werst times, but love is strong, and sometimes that is the problem in this case.Even though it rotid in my mind for days, weeks even, I think this book got to me in a good and bad way. I hope other readers will fell the same.