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“So, no problems here?” Tom asked.
“Sure. If you vouch for her then everything’s good here, Tommy.”
“Then I say we all get back to our lives. I’ll take care of the car situation, Rusty, so you can get back to more important things, like patrolling the city.”
Rusty looked equal parts confused and relieved. “Thanks, Tom. About Allie—”
“Oh, no worries. I’ll make sure she doesn’t drive until everything’s copasetic.”
“So, no hidden cameras?” Rusty said, clearly disappointed.
“I can guarantee you there are no hidden cameras anywhere,” Allie said.
“And Rusty,” Tom said, “there’s no need to involve Zeke in this, is there?”
“I won’t tell if you won’t,” Allie quickly added.
Rusty scratched his chin. “Well…I guess you’re right, there’s no need to involve the Chief. Especially not if I got Tom’s word that you won’t be driving anymore.” He turned to Tom. “And I can count on you getting Allie and the boys home?”
“You have my word. She’s not getting behind the wheel of a car until she can legally drive again. Even if I have to handcuff her myself.”
“Gee, thanks!” Rusty tipped his hat at Allie then drove away in his police car.
Neighborhood Guy shook Tom’s hand then headed back to his house and, before Allie knew it, she was standing alone in the middle of the street with Tom.
“Handcuff me yourself? Really?”
“Don’t say another word,” he said in a quiet voice that should have been reassuring, but wasn’t. “Because I’m pretty close to wringing your neck. You can do whatever you want on your own time but that’s my son you’ve got in that car. If you’d gotten arrested what would have happened to him? And to Cameron? Did you think about that?”
Allie blinked to keep the tears from falling. Of all people, she didn’t want to cry in front of Tom, but she was perilously close to doing just that. Not because he’d just berated her for her stupid behavior, though.
“Tom…I’m…I can’t find Claire.” She blurted out the whole story. “I know it was incredibly naive of me to let her go off like that. And now I can’t get ahold of Zeke or Mimi and I don’t know what to do. What if someone’s kidnapped her?”
His expression softened. “Nobody’s kidnapped her.” He pulled out his cell phone. “What’s this girl’s name again? The one in the red mustang?”
“Jordan. I don’t know her last name.”
He punched in some numbers then waited. Allie wanted to ask who he’d called but she didn’t want to interrupt him. And frankly, she was more than just a little relieved that he seemed to have some sort of plan. Especially since she’d been batting zero.
“Keith? It’s Donalan. Sorry to call you at home but I need some information. Tyler’s a junior over at the high school, isn’t she? Does she know a girl named Jordan? Don’t know the last name. Drives a red mustang. Maybe friends with Claire Grant?” Pause. “Sure, I’ll hold.” Tom glanced her way, then nodded toward the minivan. “Go check on the boys.”
Something that Allie was more than happy to do, partly because it gave her something to do. Plus, she wanted to make sure they hadn’t been traumatized by her near arrest.
Both boys were immersed in a video game on Henry’s phone. Okay, good. No trauma here that Allie could see.
She went back to check on Tom’s progress. “Her name’s Jordan Young and she lives near Grayton Beach,” he said.
“Grayton Beach! That’s not a couple of blocks from here.”
“Yeah, more like ten miles. Get in the car,” he said. Then he plucked the minivan keys out of her hand. “Obviously, I’m driving.”
They pulled up to a swanky beach house. Lights, music, lots of parked cars. Cameron stuck his nose to the car window. “Wow. I’d like to live there!”
“Who wouldn’t?” Allie muttered. A party! She should feel relieved that it was nothing worse than a case of Claire lying to her. But she didn’t.
Tom unbuckled his seat belt. “Need me to come inside?” he asked.
Allie knew this was probably something she should do on her own but she’d never played the role of angry-disappointed guardian before. She was pretty sure Claire would come willingly, but she had no idea what kind of scene to expect. Having Tom by her side seemed smart. Or cowardly. She didn’t really car
