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Jules nodded and Danny left to his cruiser expecting me to follow suit, but I delayed for a moment. I grabbed Jules and kissed her roughly. I could taste the salt from her overflowing tears.
“See you later Jules. I’m off to the clinker. Will you wait for me?”
She fought the smile through her tears, “Can’t you take anything seriously?”
“I take you seriously. I love you Jules. Don’t worry. I’ll be out in a couple of hours.”
I pushed open the storm door and met Danny at his cruiser. I piled into the passenger seat.
“What? You’re not going to cuff me? I’m a violent criminal Danny. Maybe you should put me in the back. You might want the plexiglass between us. I’m dangerous.”
“Elliott, you seem to have lost your mind so I’ll remind you how serious this is. You could lose your scholarship if he does press charges. You know that? You should stew about that for awhile. Think about what that would do to your mom and dad.” He looked at me severely. “Why didn’t you just report it Elliott?”
“Honestly? I just found out about it myself today. Jules was too frightened to let me know all that he had done because she was afraid of my reaction.”
“Rightfully so,” Danny added.
“But when he had hung the painting up, she didn’t have a choice. She had to tell me everything. Jules couldn’t get it down and she had to ask me to. She didn’t want it scaring her parents,” I turned to face Danny. “What would you have done if someone was harassing Aunt Becky?”
“I’d call the police Elliott.”
“And what if you’ve told the police and they don’t believe you?”
“It’s not that I don’t believe you Elliott! It’s that I think you’ve pegged the wrong guy. Jesse was your best friend. You should know he wouldn’t do that. His record is spotless. It’s just not in his nature Elliott, to be so cruel.”
“He’s an incredible deceiver.”
We arrived at Jules’ house and I jumped out to see for myself what had scared my Jules so badly. The red maple was surprisingly beautiful. Its red leaves, on the verge of falling, dusted lightly with a recent blanket of snow. I circled the tree and found no painting. Always one step ahead, isn’t he?
“Where’s the painting Elliott?”
“Jules isn’t lying. He must have gotten it.”
“Jesse’s been at the station since you hit him. He couldn’t have done it Elliott.”
I sighed in obvious defeat.
“I know how this looks Danny.”
“Do you?” He asked me seriously. “Because if I didn’t know you personally, I’d think that you and Jules were out to start trouble.”
“But you do know us personally!”
“I’m starting to think that I don’t really know you at all. Get in the car!” He screamed.
He must have called Taylor, I thought. Damn it! I punched the dashboard and then brought both my fists to my forehead.
The tiny one room police station had several people standing around it as we drove up, including my parents and Jules’. Jules must have called them. I saw Mrs. Thomas standing next to my mom and they were talking quietly. Jules sat on the hood of her own Karmann Ghia biting her already short nails.
When she saw us, she jumped up and ran to my window. She placed her palms on the glass. I shook my head and she immediately started to tremble. Danny told me to face her so he could cuff me since everyone was standing around waiting for me.
“It’s procedure. I’m sorry son.”
I nodded in response. Jules and I both knew what it meant to have the painting in Danny’s possession. She came to the same conclusion as I did that Taylor had taken it.
“You have to go search Taylor’s house!” She screamed through the glass at Danny. Danny stepped out from the driver’s side and came over to mine.
“Julia, I can’t do that. I’d need a warrant and the judge is not going to issue a warrant over something with no evidence to back it up. Besides, if Taylor did take the painting, and I’m not saying she did, she more than likely didn’t take it back to her house darlin’. Now, go stand next to your mama.”
