The officer frowns slightly.
“You can see my bedroom from his office. I was in there. I was going to stay the night over there.” My voice breaks and I whisper the rest as tears fall down my hot cheeks. “He’s been taking pictures of me.”
“I’ll go over there to question them,” the first officer says, and radios something back before opening the door. “I’m not able to look at his phone without his permission or a warrant, but if we can find evidence of a connection to what happened over here, would you like to press charges against him?”
I swallow hard and nod. He can’t get away with this like he has been for so long. And if he used his key to come in here, in my room even, and do who knows what he was doing with the fake blood and the lamb…
“I’ll wait here,” the other officer says. “Call for back up.”
The first officer nods and steps out onto the porch and shuts the door behind him.
“You should go in there.” The officer nods to the living room. “Have a seat, okay?”
I bring my bag into the living room and Stevie follows me, hopping right up onto the couch with me. I drape my arm over her as she nuzzles in as close as the dress allows.
I have to call my mom. I have to tell her about this. About everything that’s happened.
She’ll be so worried for me—even scared. I am.
Has Alex been following me? How could I have lived by him all this time—and Mom never suspected. Ron loves him. How am I going to tell them what he’s been doing?
The officer said he’d need to give up his phone voluntarily. He won’t. And if he does… the officer will be looking at my photos on Alex’s phone right now. My stomach churns and I stifle my cries with my hands.
What am I supposed to do? Have someone with me all the time until I feel safe enough to be on my own? I’m trapped.
Stevie sits up and flops down against the other end of the couch, watching me with sad eyes.
What’s really happening? Has Alex followed me this whole time? Who was in the black car? It doesn’t make sense, does it?
I hear a car pull up out front.
“Red car. You know them?”
“Yeah,” my voice croaks. “It’s my friend.”
He’s my friend, now. He’s apologized for the past. He’s someone I can rely on, isn’t he?
Are you a friend? Should I trust you? Is it a mistake not to?
Stevie goes racing across the room. I follow her and she’s wagging her tail as Stokes walks in with a pale face filled with confusion. The first officer follows behind him. Another police car parked on a diagonal on the street in front of the Hilden’s lights the neighbourhood up in flashes of red and blue.
I hear Carol shouting outside, but the officer closes my door behind them, drowning out the sound.
“They gave your key back.” He gestures to Stokes. “This is your friend?”
I nod and Stokes joins me at my side. I grab his hand and he squeezes it, pulling it to his chest, and wrapping his other hand around mine as we wait for the officer to continue.
“I’ll make sure to write everything in the report, but they claim they’ve been together the whole night, and denied your accusations. I just need you to write out your statement for me here, and then I might need you down at the station tomorrow. I’m not sure if Mr. Hilden will be open to more questioning. You’ll get a call one way or the other.”
I nod as he hands me a piece of paper. “That’s all? That’s all you can do for me?”
“We’ve cleared the house. You’re all good here,” the other officer says, opening the door.
“Someone will be in to take some photos,” the first officer says. “I’ll be upstairs until they get here. You get your statement to me before I leave.”
I nod as one leaves out the front door and the other climbs the creaky steps, leaving Stokes, Stevie, and I alone.
“Lyn—”
I wrap my arms around him and he squeezes his arms around me as I let out my sobs, sinking into his embrace.
Chapter 19
When will I be free?
Darkness enshrouds Stokes on the living room couch. I shuffle into the room, fresh from a shower and dressed for the day, with Stevie close behind me.
After I gave my statement to the police, and they took pictures of the mess in the bathroom and my bedroom, Stokes put all my bedding in the wash and cleaned the bathroom floor. I think he even threw out Stevie’s stuffed lamb. He did it all without asking, while I was curled up with Stevie on my mom and Ron’s bed. He just took over and let me rest while providing the feeling of security I don’t know what I’d have done without.
I barely slept but having Stevie at my feet and Stokes downstairs helped to ease away the stress of the events of last night.
I pull the blinds open from the three window panels, letting the early morning sun seep into the living room. Stokes groans and turns over slowly, but as he opens his eyes to see me, he lifts his head and sits up with a worried look.
“I’m okay.” I fold my arms over my chest and lean against the wall. “Just going to make some coffee for us. Sorry to wake you, but the band will be over in an hour or so, and I wondered if you might want to shower, or go home to change at all.”
“No.” He rubs his eyes. “I’ll stay here for the practice and then… Lyn, are you sure you’re up to this show?”
I study him, unsure of what my answer to the question might mean for him. In truth, I’ve been through worse,
