Never Doubt Me: Judge Me Not #2(33)

“Already?” I inquire.

At the same time, Chase interjects, “Wow, they must have hardly stopped.”

I place a plate of over-easy eggs in front of Will, smiling since I know they’re his favorite.

He thanks me, holding my gaze long enough to express his gratitude, and then he continues his conversation with Chase. “Yeah, they didn’t stop much. Plus, you should see, dude, Mrs. Sutter drives like a maniac.”

“Clearly,” Chase remarks.

Will then asks his brother if it’d be okay if he stayed home today, as opposed to spending the day with us at Holy Trinity.

“Tired of working for free?” Chase teases, referencing the unpaid work Will did on the mural.

“No, that’s not it at all,” Will replies. “It’s just that Cassie and I met this kid who lives in town. He was at that miniature golf place across from the church the day we hung out over there.”

Will leaves it at that, saying no more, which prompts Chase to ask, “Okay, and…?”

Will continues, “Well, he called me last night. Seems like an okay dude, so I was wondering if maybe it’d be all right if he comes out to the house today.”

This is uncharted territory for Chase, and it shows in his uncertain expression. “Uh, I don’t know. What’s this kid’s name? How old is he? Where’s he live?”

Will laughs. “Jesus, Chase, you’re worse than Mom.”

But when Chase shoots him an I-am-not-messing-around glare, Will hastily provides some background on his new friend.

“Jared is the kid’s name, okay? Jared Knox. He’s sixteen and lives somewhere not far from the church. I think he called the area South of Market, wherever that is.”

Chase glances over to where I’m standing by the stove. South of Market is the nicest part of town. Jared is probably from a wealthy family, though the name Knox doesn’t ring any immediate bells.

Chase turns back to his brother. “Yeah, I guess it’d be okay. How’s he planning on getting out here? Are his parents okay with driving him out?”

“Not necessary.” Will picks at his eggs with his fork. “He actually has his own car.”

Further evidence the kid’s family has money. Chase’s blues find my eyes again, and I know he’s thinking the same exact thing.

“Fine,” he says to Will. “You can stay here today. And it’s fine with me if you have your friend over.”

“Cool,” Will mumbles through a forkful of eggs he shovels into his mouth.

When Chase and I leave for work, he asks me when we’re in the driveway if I think he made the right decision.

“Sure,” I say. “Jared is probably a nice kid.”

“Probably,” Chase echoes, and then he says, “But I’m thinking maybe I should drive separately to work. If I wrap up early today, then I can head back here and hopefully meet this Jared guy. I better make sure he’s not trouble.”

“Yeah,” I agree, “that’s probably a good idea.”

Chase and I then leave for the church in our respective vehicles.

Later, at lunchtime, Chase and I are down at the diner as usual. He reminds me again of his plan to leave work early. “Just so you don’t wonder where I am,” he says, a second before taking a bite of his burger.

“Great, I’ll see you back at the house, then,” I reply.

The rest of my workday is uneventful, but late in the afternoon, all hell breaks loose.

It all starts when I receive a frantic call from Cassie.

“Oh my God, Kay,” Will’s girlfriend sobs when I answer. “I’m so sorry to bother you when you’re probably still at work, but I didn’t know who else to call.”

She sniffles, and I assure her, “It’s fine, sweetie. What’s wrong?”

Cassie chokes up when she tries to speak. In the background, I can hear traffic whizzing by.

“Where are you?” I ask, worry creeping up my spine.

“I just pulled off the road,” she says, her voice hitching as she suppresses a sob. “Mom and I were supposed to go out to lunch today, but she forgot she had some conference call for work that she absolutely couldn’t miss. Anyway, I told her I’d pick something up for us. So I went to this restaurant we like, and when I was coming out, I noticed Paul’s car parked a few spots away. I hurried and got the hell out of there, but he followed me.” She lowers her voice, adding, “Kay, he was right on my bumper. I was terrified.”

“Oh, Cassie.”

“I turned into a residential area,” she continues, “and I just kept turning and turning until he finally gave up and sped off.”

Cassie breaks down as she finishes her story, and I, as kindly as I can, say, “Cassie, listen to me, okay?”

“Okay,” she says in a stuttered breath, still choked up.

“You have to call your mom right away. Tell her everything you just told me.”

“I did call her,” Cassie chokes out. “I called her first, but she was still on that stupid call and couldn’t talk. I’ll tell her everything when I get home, I promise, but what should I do now?”

“Can you go to a police station?”

After a long pause, Cassie says in a whisper, “I don’t think I want to do that.”