Jaded (Jaded #1)(80)
Someone pounded on the back of Bryce’s car and Bryce and I both turned to look.
Anyone else would’ve jumped, cursed, spilled coffee, but not us. Years of training for iron restraint kept us cool, calm, and with the bored expressions on our features.
Corrigan hurled into the backseat and threw an arm around each seat as he leaned forward.
“So,” he exclaimed, enthusiastic and beaming. “How are we?”
Bryce took a sip of coffee. So did I. And nothing was said.
Corrigan danced his eyes between us, watched, studied, and a slow smile spread over his face, “Oh man. Thank god!”
The barest hint of a smile ghosted over Bryce, but it was gone as I drawled, “Thank god for what? That we didn’t kill each other?”
“Nah, man.” Corrigan smirked, “Thank god that we remembered the handcuffs. I thought I might’ve lost our pair under my bed last night.”
“Logan doesn’t strike me as the handcuff type,” I remarked.
“Oh,” Corrigan was smug. “You haven’t met the real Logan, yet.”
“I’m okay with not knowing that Logan.”
Corrigan was about to retort as I saw a police cruiser turn into the parking lot. I bolted upright and asked, “What are the police doing here?”
“I thought they were still following you,” Corrigan replied.
“Yeah, but…those guys park across the street. These guys—look.” I pointed.
“They’re right here.”
Two police cars stopped just outside the parking lot doors of the school. Another two vehicles parked behind them and I watched as Officer Sheila climbed out of the driver’s seat of one of them. She looked wary, but refreshed with her hair up in a high ponytail and a crisp trench coat tied around her waist.
“What…?” I murmured to myself as I climbed outside.
I was across the parking lot before I knew it and asked Officer Sheila, “What’s going on?”
A frown flashed over her features and she held a hand up, “Sheldon, you should go back to your vehicle. Stay there.”
“No. What’s going on?”
Bryce and Corrigan had gotten out of the car and now approached us.
“Sheldon, go back to your vehicle. Make sure your friends are with you—they were with you last night, right?”
I frowned. “Bryce was. We left Corrigan at the vigil and went to my house.”
She relaxed, slightly, which said something. A person can’t normally read a cop.
I felt Bryce at my elbow and Corrigan rounded to stand beside me and Officer Patterson. Both guys were quiet when I asked again, “What’s going on?”
Sheila frowned and nodded to two of the detectives that were waiting at the door for her. She made a gesture for them to go inside when her partner, Office Milon, appeared beside her elbow.
Firmness settled over her when she asked, “Did you know Bailey Umbridge?”
Bailey…. “Crazy hair?” I asked.
Sheila nodded.
“Yeah. I talked to her last night at the vigil. She was friends with Leisha.”
“What did you two talk about?”
“She just…I don’t know. We talked about how fake people were and she…she told me that Leisha wouldn’t have walked through the park at night. Leisha had been at her house when Carlos called her. Bailey lived two blocks from Harris’.”
“Did you notice anyone? Did anyone watch you guys talking? Anyone that you remembered?”
“Just Bryce. He came and—he was in the doorway. That’s all.”
“No one else? Anything strike you as odd last night? Like a sense that you were being watched?”
I saw the intense scrutiny in her eyes and I knew she was watching me for a reason. When it clicked and I knew what she was asking, I felt the old numbness creep back inside. Its tentacles reached deep, deeper than before, and it grabbed hold of my organs and tightened its grasp.
Paralyzed, I murmured, “What are you talking about?”
Something flickered in her eyes and Sheila said quietly, “I think you know exactly what I’m talking about.”
“He was there, wasn’t he?” I whispered, hoarse. “He was there and he saw me talking to Bailey, didn’t he?”
She didn’t need to say a thing. Her eyes did the talking for her.
“What—” I gasped. “Is she…is she inside?” Dead.
Understanding dawned in Bryce and he shifted closer to me. His chest lightly grazed my side, but he didn’t take a hold of my arm or hand. He just stood there.
“Do you remember anyone from last night, Sheldon?”
“I thought I had police protection,” I said faintly.
“You do and they were outside, like they were ordered. They aren’t one-on-one detail protection. They’re on basic watch so they wouldn’t have been inside. If you want one-on-one detail, I can arrange that. My men would be your personal bodyguards.”
“She’s got us,” Corrigan spoke up.
“Sheldon…do you remember anyone?”
“No.” I shook my head. “I just…I liked her. Bailey. I remember liking her, she was…she was cool.”
“Well, she’s dead now.” Officer Milon clipped out, harshly. He raked his eyes over me, piercing me. His balding spot seemed to have grown, but it might’ve been the wind that flapped his hair around.