Page 87 of Facade

“This leads me to believe that the person we are looking for is connected to the missing students, and may not even be aware of Charlie,” Russell said.

“Hopefully you’re right,” Heath said. “Clarke’s been here long enough that if someone viewed her as a threat, he probably would have acted on that by now.”

“I agree, but think we should all be vigilant regardless,” Jace suggested.

“We’ll still be careful. It would be stupid not to,” Russell agreed. “I think we should see what we can learn during the week, and meet again next Sunday.”

“Sounds good. Same time, same place?” Heath asked.

“It’s a date,” Russell said as he stood from his chair. “Have a good day, guys.”

“You, too,” Heath said.

“I think that went well,” Clarke said after walking Russell to the door, and seeing him out.

“Definitely,” Heath agreed. “We learned a lot, and now know that your power provides more than basic answers when applicable.”

“Yeah, that’s huge,” Jace said.

Clarke sat down next to Heath, reaching out to hold one of his hands. “It is an exciting discovery that I’ll probably think about more later. The biggest thing to me is hearing that Dad is alive and ok. For the first time in months, I feel like I can actually breathe, knowing Dad is safe,” she said.

“We still have a lot to figure out, but that was the best news I’ve heard in a while,” Jace said as he texted.

“Are you passing that on to your mom and the dads?” Clarke asked.

Jace shook his head. “I’ll do that later. They’ll want to talk, and hear every detail. I’m asking the guys if anyone is up for shooting some pool this week.”

“They probably will be,” Heath said. “You usually hang out with them more often.”

“Yeah, all the drama here made for a good excuse to stick close to the dorm,” Jace said. “But that won’t fly much longer. I could have met up with them once or twice, but it would have been awkward. I want to announce that I’m bonded, and can’t talk about it.”

“You have other things to discuss now, though, and can make an excuse to leave early,” Clarke mentioned.

“True,” Jace said. “I’ll stick to asking about Mitch and the missing students.”

He used to flirt with the barmaids and any single ladies who were around when out drinking with his buddies. Obviously, Jace wouldn’t be doing that anymore, and his friends were bound to notice.

Keeping the conversation to serious topics might be enough to deter their curiosity. They wouldn’t expect him to discuss open cases or Mitch’s deranged behavior in front of servers or barflies. If Jace kept the night short, his friends might not realize he was acting differently around the ladies to question it.

Jace and Clarke stayed at Heath’s for another thirty minutes, talking casually. There was a new ease with the knowledge that Charlie was reasonably safe at the moment. They would both have preferred to stay longer, but didn’t want to spend the entire day away from the dorms.

Clarke

On Sunday after returning to the dorm, Clarke called Harry, then Hannah, to share the news. They were both agog to hear that her power answered direct questions under a trance. Naturally, Harry and Hannah were also thrilled to learn that her power had declared her dad to be safe and well.

The evening ended up being as wonderful as the day had been, full of laughter, encouragement, and pleasant conversation. Her discussion with Harry was relatively brief, but encouraging. Clarke and Hannah stayed on the phone for over an hour, talking about everything and anything.

Then Clarke had her first full night of restful sleep in over a month. That had a great impact on her state of mind and mood overall. She wasn’t naïve enough to think that her dad’s circumstances couldn’t change. But she now had hope that it would be possible to find and rescue him.

Of course, having Mitch off campus had already improved her stress levels. But Clarke was less anxious than she’d been since her dad went missing.

Heath and Jace were a big part of that, even Russell, to a degree. Heath’s house was a safe space where Clarke could be herself. Regular, frequent displays of affection from both of her mates nurtured the bonds, and made her feel unconditionally supported.

Russell added to that with his dedication to helping them find her dad. The meeting had gone even better than Clarke had hoped. They were equal partners, agreeing on where to focus their efforts, and how to proceed with the investigation. Heath and Jace had been happy to hear Russell’s ideas, and seemed to appreciate them. There hadn’t been any arguments or posturing.

The three of them were also protective, without being overbearing, or giving the slightest impression that they thought she was weak. It was sweet. Clarke felt respected, and cherished.

She woke up feeling rejuvenated, and ready to start the week. With such a positive attitude, the day went by smoothly. Nothing had the power to annoy her.