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“Orion would never run away,” Mrs. Patterson chimes in, a matter of fact.
My dad urges me with his chin to continue.
“…And I fell down a ledge in the woods,” I go on, ignoring her but glad to see some coffee’s not far away.
“Yes. And a Professor from the college found you, and took you back to his place, didn’t he?” My dad asks, hijacking my story and giving me bullet point facts in his own way.
Facts I didn’t know he was even aware of until just now.
The local cops have been in touch obviously. Dad’s surprise visit is all business, I can tell.
I know he’s come down to take me home himself after he’s made some more of his own inquiries.
He’s very good at what he does, and being his daughter won’t get me off the hook.
“To his house?” Mrs. Patterson exclaims, making an owlish face, blinking down her long nose.
“It’s certainly unusual,” agrees Mr. Patterson in his deep grandfather-like voice, frowning.
I feel my chest tighten like I can’t get enough air no matter how hard I breathe.
I wish Xander was here.
Actually, right this second? No, I don’t. This is bad enough.
“It is unusual,” My dad echoes, settling himself down at the kitchen table and motioning to me with his hand to sit opposite him.
He looks tired. Worn out. Mrs. Patterson suggests that she and her husband take their coffee into the lounge, leaving just my dad and me.
The first round of interrogation’s about to start, I can tell.
Chapter Eighteen
Gillian
One look at my dad tells me two things, he’s driven all night and he’s in no mood for games.
I sit opposite him at the Patterson’s kitchen table, coffee in front of both of us.
He’s waiting for me to start, but I really don’t have anything to say. Not until I know what he knows, which is exactly why he’s waiting for me to go first.
“Gillian,” is all he says to start with, giving me a firm look.
“I’m not going home today, Dad. I had no idea you’d just turn up either. It’s a little embarrassing,” I whisper, leaning over the table, telling the truth.
“What happened?” he asks. Wanting the same story he’s been told but with all the missing pieces added.
“What happened when?” I ask, jumping when he slams his palm flat on the table.
“Dammit, Gillian,” he barks and I feel my lower lip tremble, wishing Xander was here after all.
He’d know what to say. He always knows what to say.
“Sorry, sweetie,” My dad sighs. I’ve been up for two days on another case and now this,” he almost hisses, making me screw up my nose.
“What’s this?” I ask, seriously wanting to know.
He sighs bitterly. “This is you breaking your foot and being carried off by some Professor, then having some spooks come out of nowhere taking all your medical files. And this is having the same Professor’s car in the fucking driveway of the house you’ve been sitting for the past year, which by the way looks like it’s been rebuilt since yesterday according to the neighbors. That’s what this is,” he whispers hoarsely.
“Oh,” I say, looking down into my coffee cup.
His cell chimes and he sighs again, stabbing the answer button.
“Parker,” he almost barks.
“What!” he growls after listening for a few moments.
“Where?”
“When?”
His eyes narrow on mine and I feel sick, getting up to leave the table when he holds his hand up, seeing the note fall from my pocket.
“You’re staying right here young lady,” he hisses, still listening to his call.
“Well, where the hell is he? Did he just vanish into thin fucking air?”
I freeze as I pick up the note, knowing they’re talking about Xander.
“No, I haven’t. But his car’s here… How the hell should I know, you’re the police in this town aren’t you?” he booms.
“…Wait a second, a shooting?” he adds, and I feel my blood turn to ice.
“I’ll be there in ten minutes,” My dad snaps, hanging up.
“Xander,” I cry. “Where is he? Tell me he’s alright,” I beg my dad, rounding the table and gripping him, hugging him.
Feeling him peel the note from my hand.
“I was hoping you could tell me where the Professor was,” my dad says, stroking my hair and holding me tight suddenly.
“Oh, baby. Tell me what happened, tell me everything,” he says softly.
An hour later I’m in an interview room at the local police station.
Xander’s note, along with a typed statement of everything I can remember, including what we did last night. It’s all there, laid out on the table for the whole world to see.
But it’s only my dad and the campus cop, Stanton. For now.
On the plus side, there’s no need to worry about my dad finding out anymore. It’s not a graphic account of what we did, but he gets the idea.
On the downside, Xander’s gone and everyone seems to think I know where he is.
