Love's Cruel Redemption (The Ghost Bird #12)(78)

One Down, All Down




Nathan

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Nathan swiveled back in forth in Mr. Blackbourne’s chair. With no one being in the office at all when he arrived, he waited.

He checked in on Sang once, just to be sure. He used one of the laptops left in their office. Mr. Blackbourne, the mayor and someone else was in there with her. With Mr. Blackbourne covering the situation, Nathan was pretty sure things were okay, even if he had no idea what was going on.

After what felt like ten minutes, there was a gentle knock at the door and then it opened.

Dr. Green poked his head in, spotted Nathan quickly, scanned the area and then came in, closing the door.

“You don’t need to knock for your own office,” Nathan said. He stilled his swinging, stopping short with his knee butted up against the desk. “It’s your office.”

“Today, there are strange people in other people’s offices,” Dr. Green said. He placed a messenger bag on his desk.

“I think they’re policemen. And lawyers.”

“Yeah. Aren’t they strange?” He sat down and rolled his head back. He stretched his legs until he was almost laying down in his chair. “The good news is with all the police and other people walking around, all the students seem to be on their best behavior. I’ve not gotten anyone to pay attention so well to whatever I ramble on about in classes.”

“Did you call me down here?” Nathan asked. “Why was I called in?”

“I don’t know,” Dr. Green said. “It might be to avoid Sang looking like she was the only one called in.”

“What’s she doing in there, anyway?”

“I don’t know. I’ve been in class.” Dr. Green sat up and then smoothed his hands down the front of his shirt and tie. He combed his fingers through his hair. “Do I look okay? Is she going to come in here?”

“Who?”

“Future Mrs. Green,” he said. When Nathan gave him a weird look, he continued. “Sang! Who do you think I’m talking about?”

A weird twist of emotions sprouted from inside Nathan all at once. “Do you call her that?”

Dr. Green chuckled. “Not behind her back. I’ve said it to her. I think I like it even better than Pookie.” He sighed wistfully. “Don’t you just love it when she gets all bashful? I like the pink in her cheeks.”

Dr. Green couldn’t get married to her. What was he talking about?

There was another short knock before Nathan could explain why it was weird.

The door opened and North checked in. He’d shaved, and his hair was combed back. His dark eyes met Nathan’s first and then went to Dr. Green. Seeing they were the only ones in the room, he came in, closing the door behind himself.

Thank goodness. Nathan sat up sharply. He’d heard he was fine, but seeing it for himself was another thing. “Good to see you made it out.”

Dr. Green turned to him, eyebrow cocked. “Something happen in those offices?”

North’s tone was dark, but calm. “The police asked about keeping the Jeep. Well, they didn’t ask. They’re keeping it. But they were polite about it.”

“Let them keep it,” he said. “Don’t fight with them on it.”

“That’s what the lawyer said. I don’t like kowtowing to their whims when they’ve no need to bring it in at all. No one died in it.” He crossed his arms and leaned against the door. He pushed a palm at his eyes and rubbed as he turned to Nathan. “What are you doing in here?”

“No idea,” Nathan said. “I got called down. No one was in here.”

“So what’s Sang doing in the principal’s office?” he asked.

Dr. Green slid his chair behind his desk, picking up his bag and opening it. “Mr. Blackbourne’s in there. Don’t worry about her.”

“What do you mean don’t worry about her?” North barked. “She shouldn’t be in there.”

“We should see about getting some new vehicles.”

Nathan knew what Dr. Green was doing: distracting North from thinking about Sang and what she’s doing while he was cranky.

North’s wild eyes blinked rapidly a few times before he seemed to chill out. “I’ve an SUV I brought in this morning and a big box van in the garage.”

Nathan spoke carefully. North was tense today. Without much sleep, and his Jeep gone, they all probably need to proceed delicately. “The BMW was fished out. It was brought there.”

North snorted. “That’s going to be a helluva job. I have to pull out all that leather. I don’t know if I can restore it to what it was.”

“Of course you can,” Dr. Green said. He blinked at his laptop and inspected whatever was on the screen. “It’s been done before, I’m sure.”

“And I have to swap plates,” North said. “Guess I’m taking Mr. Blackbourne’s car, but I probably need Vic with me when I leave. So he can drive it back.” He looked at Nathan. “Which means you or someone else needs to take the SUV.”

“Sure,” Nathan said. Whatever he wanted.

“With Hendricks actually gone”—Dr. Green waved his hand shortly—“what do we do now? Where do we go from here?”