“No idea. Adam’s dad is out of town for the week. He wants Adam to stay with friends. Can he stay with us until his father gets home?”
“Of course!” my mother exclaimed. “But what do you want to tell him about Nick and Helen?”
I sighed into the phone. “Mom, maybe it’s time we fill him in on what’s going on.”
“You want to tell him?” She sounded alarmed.
“How else is it going to make any sense to him?” I asked, my heart pounding.
“I’ll think about it. You say nothing unless it’s absolutely necessary,” she said sternly.
I caved. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Good, now get everything you two are going to need and get home before I lose my mind.”
She hung up. I pulled the phone from my ear and looked at Adam. I knew he was waiting for my answer.
“She said to get your stuff. You’re staying with us.”
“Thank you.” He started the car and pulled out from the parking lot.
“It’s no problem. Do you want to call your dad and let him know?” I asked, putting his phone in the cup holder.
“I already told him,” he said softly.
“You already told him?” I laughed.
“Yeah, it was the first place he thought of that he would consider safe. Said your mother was the best person to be with, that she wouldn’t let anything happen to me.” He didn’t say anything else after that, just looked out the windshield until we got to his place.
“Let’s do this quickly,” he said, getting out of the car.
He headed for the front door but then stopped dead. I saw that the color had drained from his face.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, following his gaze. Then I saw it. His front door had been pried open, and the window was shattered. “Oh, God!” I gasped.
“Stay here,” he ordered, as he continued for the door.
“Adam, don’t!” I grabbed his arm. “Let’s go. We can call the police from my house.” I tried to pull him away, but he insisted on yanking me through the door with him.
The house was a wreck. Everything had been gone through or mindlessly destroyed. Adam took a look around and then started up the stairs. I followed close behind, wishing that I could use my gifts to aid him. He opened his bedroom door and gasped. Everything was ripped apart. Nothing in his room was salvageable.
“Okay, let’s go,” he said.
We went back downstairs and back to his car. “I’ll call the police and my dad when we get to your place.”
“Do you want me to drive?” I asked, putting my hands to his face.
“No, I’m fine. Just want to get out of here.”
I didn’t know what had caused his change of heart. Had he seen something that I didn’t? He clutched my hand the entire way to my house, not saying a word, just trying to breathe.
Chapter 11
House Guest
“Mom! Nick!” I didn’t care who answered me as long as someone did.
“What is it, honey?” my mother asked as she came to the back door and saw Adam’s face. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
I got Adam sat down in the living room before answering.
“We got to his house, and it has been broken into. Everything’s a mess. We need to call the police,” I said as my mother felt Adam’s forehead.
“He’s in shock. I’ll get the phone.”
She left leaving the room only to return a moment later with the house phone to her ear. When it was answered, she handed it to me.
“Nine-one-one. What’s your emergency?”
“I need someone to go to 600 North Oak. The house has been broken into. The place is a disaster,” I said shortly, trying to keep my composure.
“Are you at the residence?” the operator asked.
“No, we’re somewhere else. It’s my friend’s house, but he’s unable to speak right now.”
“Do we need to dispatch an ambulance? Is he hurt?” I knew these were routine questions, but all I wanted was for her to say she was sending an officer to Adam’s house.
“No, he’s just in shock. Can an officer go to the house and check it out?”
“Yes, ma’am. Will someone be there?”
“No, the place is empty. My friend’s father is out of town at the moment.”
The questions continued for another ten minutes until the operator finally said that an officer was on his way. I hung up and looked at my mother.
“Do you want to talk to his dad, or do you want me to?”
“I’ll take care of that. Do you know the number?”
“It’s in his phone,” I said, looking at Adam.
Adam handed me his cell without saying anything. I passed it to my mother, and she walked off to the other room.
“What just happened?” Adam asked me after my mother had left the room.
“The police are going to go check out your house,” I told him, taking his hand in mine.
“Oh, okay.” He nodded.
“It’s going to be alright,” I reassured him.
“Yeah...” He squeezed my hand. “Did you see it?” He suddenly blurted out.
“See what?”
“The blood on the floor.” He transferred his gaze to the wall. “So much blood.”
I had missed something! And it was vital to the reason for the break-in. Where had it come from? His father hadn’t been there, and Adam had been with me, so it had to belong to someone else. My fingers tingled. Something wasn’t right. I pulled Adam to me, wrapping my arms around him, and holding him close. Then a familiar voice sounded from the door, and I jumped at the unease that flooded through me.
“I just heard,” said Helen. “Adam, are you okay?”
Adam looked up, confused, and pulled away from me. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m staying with Dawn and her mother. The church thought it best if I stayed with a member of the staff.” She sat down on the other side of him.
“Oh, that makes sense,” he said, turning toward her.
I suddenly felt like I was invisible.
“I just want you to know that everything is going to be okay,” Helen told him. “The police
