I nodded, looking around quickly, but there was no one near us at all. It was only us and the volunteer librarian in the room, and she was standing on the other side of the room at the counter. “Yeah, I said what you told me to,” I confirmed.
He smiled, and his shoulders seemed to relax. “That’s good then. I had mine too this morning so I said the same thing. You should be in the clear now. They won’t question it. The policeman was one of my dad’s old golfing buddies, he recognised me when I walked in. I could have told him anything and he wouldn’t have questioned it,” he boasted, shrugging easily.
“Thanks for doing that, Luke. Even though you’re now gonna be in trouble with Alex for it probably.” I smiled gratefully. My eyes drifted down to his mouth as he ate, I watched his lips as he licked off a crumb from the corner of his mouth. I’d never wanted to kiss him more than in that moment. How I was restraining myself from getting out of my chair and closing the short distance I didn’t know.
“You don’t need to keep thanking me.” He shoved in his last mouthful of food and opened his drink. “Beth had her interview too already. She went at the same time as me. I reckon they’ll be doing them interviews for a couple of days. Depends on if they’re doing our whole year or just people who knew her.” We sat there for the rest of lunch, speculating about who would get called and when and what the police would learn from talking to students. I didn’t get any of the book read, but if I was honest I would much rather spend the time talking to Luke anyway.
The afternoon passed differently to the morning. Instead of subjecting us to lessons, they made everyone do a kind of study hall, quiet time. Luckily for me I’d had the forethought to borrow the book I’d started at lunchtime, so I sat there in silence reading that while other students around me put their heads on their desks and slept, started assignments for the following day or just doodled in their notebooks.
Thankfully, with the whole silence is golden thing, I had managed to avoid speaking to Alex all afternoon. During sixth period a balled up piece of paper sailed across the room and hit me in the arm, bouncing onto the floor and making me squeak with fright because I was so engrossed in my book. I looked up, shocked, to see Zach chuckling behind his hand. I scowled at him but just got a smirk in return before he pointed down at the paper discreetly.
I sighed, closing my book and marking my page before dropping my pencil and then bending down to scoop it back up along with the paper. The teacher looked up, raising one eyebrow in question. I stuffed the note up my sleeve before holding up my pencil in explanation, smiling apologetically. With a bored expression she turned away, obviously satisfied that I wasn’t up to anything sinister. When I was confident that she wasn’t going to look, I pulled out the note and unscrewed it, flattening it out and seeing Zach’s messy handwriting on there.
‘Still studying at mine after school?’
I looked over at him to see him watching me curiously. I nodded, screwing the note back up and shoving it into my pocket. He smiled, settling back into his seat. “What you reading?” he mouthed, pointing at my book. I held it up so he could see the cover, watching as he crinkled his nose distastefully and rolled his eyes at me. I chuckled and opened my page, reading again for the rest of the lesson.
When the final bell went I sent a quick text to Alex, reminding him that I was going home with Zach tonight. He replied that he was going training anyway but that I was in trouble when I got home. I winced, shoving my phone into my back pocket, now not wanting to go home at all. Hopefully he wouldn’t tell my dad otherwise I would probably be grounded forever. Mind you, after someone sending me all that stuff and what happened to Chester, I wouldn’t have been surprised if I wasn’t grounded forever anyway as a safety precaution!
Zach slinked over to my desk, skilfully jumping a chair on the way instead of walking around it. “Studying time then,” he groaned as we walked out of the classroom.
I smiled at his dejected tone and opened my mouth to answer when I saw Luke leaning against the wall outside the door. “Hey, what are you doing here?” I asked, confused.
“Hey, baby,” he greeted. “Came to give you a ride home. Alex told me earlier that he was training tonight,” he said, already reaching to take my bag from my shoulder.
I twisted my shoulder away so his fingers grasped thin air. “I’m tutoring tonight so I’ll be going home with Zach,” I answered, willing him not to freak out and start ordering me around like he did last time he saw me going home with Zach.
His posture tightened, his teeth snapped together with an audible click as his eyes flicked behind me to Zach who I could feel practically pressed against my back. “Oh,” he grunted.
My bag was slid off of my shoulder, and I looked around quickly to see that it was Zach that had taken it. “I got it from here, quarterback,” he said smugly.
Luke’s eyes narrowed as he stepped closer. Panic built up instantly because the annoyance and anger was plain to see on Luke’s face as he glowered just over my right shoulder. “Make sure you take care of her,” he ordered. “Don’t let her out of your sight.”
Zach grinned and did a mock salute, clicking his heels together to thoroughly complete the action. I rolled my eyes and gripped Zach’s arm, giving him a little tug in the direction of the parking lot. “I’ll be fine, Luke. Please stop worrying about me,” I begged. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” I muttered, before turning to Zach. “Come on, let’s just go,” I suggested. I couldn’t wait to be out of this place and away from prying eyes.
Zach let me lead him along and out of the front doors as he dug in his pocket, pulling out his bike keys. “So, had a good day?” he asked casually, as if just making conversation and didn’t know what a horrible day I’d actually had.
I sighed and nodded as we marched across the parking lot. “Brilliant. You?” I replied sarcastically.
He chuckled at my annoyance. “Tomorrow will be better,” he said confidently. “The gossip will have moved on to something else tomorrow. I don’t know why the idiots thought it was you anyway, I mean jeez, you couldn’t stab anyone, you can barely even get the straw into a Capri-Sun,” he joked, barging me with his shoulder making me stumble sideways a step.
I burst out laughing as I slapped his shoulder. “Shut up you. How the heck do you come up with this stuff?”
He chuckled, his eyes glittering with amusement. “Saw it on a Facebook status once, been dying to use it ever since,” he replied, winking at me playfully. “Anyway, let’s change the subject, what shall we have for dinner tonight?” he asked as we made our way over to the side of the parking lot where he usually parked his motorcycle.
I shrugged easily. “Whatever, I eat anything I’m not fussy,” I replied.
We reached his bike then so Zach swung his leg over the seat, holding out the helmet that was fast becoming familiar to me.
“Zachary Anderson?” We both looked back to see DI Neeson standing there, dressed in a brown pant suit and cream shirt. She was accompanied by the same uniformed officer that had the clipboard when I’d given my statement this morning.
“Yeah?” Zach muttered, frowning.
“I’m Detective Inspector Neeson. I’d like a few minutes of your time please,” she answered. Her voice wasn’t friendly like it always was when she spoke to me.
I frowned, confused. Surely they could wait until tomorrow to take his statement that they’d been obtaining from the students. “Can’t he do his statement tomorrow?” I asked hopefully. I really wanted to leave this place already, not sit around waiting for him to give his statement.
DI Neeson shook her head. “No. I’d like to speak to Zachary now.”
Zach made a scoffing sound and shook his head, turning back to face the front and shoving the key into the ignition. “I’ll do it tomorrow. We have somewhere to be. It’s not convenient right now,” he snapped.
He twisted the key making the bike roar to life with a loud growl. DI Neeson and the uniformed officer that she was standing with both took a step forward. “Mr Anderson, if you’re not prepared to answer questions willingly then I’m afraid you leave us with no choice.”
I frowned, stepping forward too. Surely they can cut him a little slack. What difference does it make when he answers those stupid questions? “Aww come on, we need to go so we can study. Can’t you just ask him your questions tomorrow? What difference will a few hours make?” I bargained.
“Get on the bike, Maisie,” Zach ordered, shifting forward in his seat to make room for me behind him.
DI Neeson took another step, her hand coming up in a halting gesture, so I stood fast, shocked by her stern expression. “I can’t allow you to leave with him, Maisie,” she said, before turning to Zach again. “Are you going to come with me willingly?” she asked him.
A cocky smile slipped onto his face. “Maisie, get on the bike, we’re leaving. I’ll talk to these lovely people tomorrow,” he said, smiling politely.
The officers moved before I could. The one in uniform stepped to the other side of the bike as DI Neeson reached out, planting her hand on Zach’s shoulder. “Zachary Anderson, I’m arresting you on suspicion of harassment, threatening behaviour, breaking and entering, and cruelty to animals,” she stated, shoving on Zach’s shoulder as the other officer grabbed Zach’s arm, twisting it behind his back while they continued with the arresting spiel that I’d only ever heard on TV.
I stood there watching with wide eyes, just dumbfounded as the words sank in. This wasn’t about Sandy… it was them wanting to question Zach about my case instead. “What? You don’t think… he’s…” I stuttered, unsure what I wanted to say as I watched Zach’s jaw tighten as he leant forward over the bike, not resisting arrest. No. He wouldn’t have…
The officer helped Zach off of the bike, holding him to her side as she cut the engine and shoved Zach’s keys into her pocket. I frowned, looking at Zach, confused. He hadn’t said anything, but his eyes locked onto mine. As he stood there with his hands cuffed behind his back, his expression was resigned, relaxed even, like he’d been through this a hundred times and was just one of those things.