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Completely empty. No secretary behind the desk, no students waiting on the bench outside the principal’s office.
Weird.
But he shoved through the swinging door into the guidance area. The school worked hard to make it look welcoming: a red and blue shag rug covered the tile, and four plush armchairs lined the back wall.
The five policemen standing there killed the welcoming vibe.
Gabriel stopped short. He actually felt the blood drain from his face. Didn’t they send cops to tell you something bad had happened to your family?
He couldn’t even remember the last words he’d said to his older brother.
And where were Chris and Nick?
Fear had his chest in a vise grip. He had no idea how his legs were holding him.
Ms. Vickers was standing in front of her closed office door.
She looked as pale as he felt. “Gabriel?”
He’d never seen Vickers look rattled. His mouth was dry.
“Yeah.”
One of the cops stepped forward. He was the oldest of the five, probably in his late forties with salt-and-pepper hair. “Gabriel Merrick?”
“Yeah. Yes.” His voice cracked. He could barely get the words out.
“Could you set the bag down, please?”
The backpack? It hit the floor with a thunk. “What happened?”
The officer took another step forward. “You’re under arrest.”
CHAPTER 35
Layne sat with her father and Simon, but she couldn’t eat her dinner.
Really, she was amazed the food on the table was even edible, because she hadn’t paid one bit of attention to cooking it.
Gabriel had been arrested.
He’d disappeared from math class, but she’d heard about it in the lunch line. It was all over school. The wild stories were completely unbelievable Gabriel was wanted in three different states, he’d attacked the guidance counselor with an aerosol can and a lighter, he’d been caught running a meth lab. But the most common story was that he’d been arrested for arson, for starting the fires all over town.
The most popular story included the detail that someone had reported him for starting the fire at the farm.
Simon had found her, had demanded answers. Did she know?
Did she believe it?
She didn’t want to, but she couldn’t forget that lighter tumbling out of Gabriel’s sweatshirt. The haunted look in his eyes.
She also couldn’t forget the note he’d left her, when she’d admitted she was afraid.
Truth: don’t be.
She’d given Simon the only honest answer she had: I don’t know.
Layne had gone looking for his brothers, but she didn’t know their schedules and had no idea where to search. She’d looked up the number for the landscaping business as soon as she got home, but the phone went unanswered.
