The Runaway Slave Part 1

Chapter 15

Adam pushed open the glass doors to the police department. He made he's obvious move towards Paul once he spotted him slouched on a waiting room chair.

"Hey, you ready to go?" Adam asked and sounded rather out of breath.

"Yeah sure." Paul said and smiled sweetly before hugging he's backpack and heading to the car with Adam.

Back in the house, with Betsy, she plumped a cushion on a plain bed she set up for Paul. She looked around the spare room and thought about adding camera's just to keep a close eye on him. But, she was worried if her markings were too obvious for him to find.

As she exited the room, she heard the doorbell go off and she skipped down the stairs to the front door to who she thought, would be Adam and Paul. She was wrong.

She came face to face with Derek, her science partner.

"Hello Mrs Hillbridge. My name is Derek.." he said in a nervous and broken tone.

Betsy showed her kind smile, and asked what she could do for him.

"Grace was always the kind of girl to forget about her homework. I figgered it would be best for me to bring round some paperwork she has been missing."

"Awh, your very sweet. But, I don't think we will be needing this." Betsy said before Derek could hand over the piles of sheets.

"The teacher won't want to keep it, and I just thought it could maybe help you with grieving over Grace. I am truely sorry for your loss, Mrs Hillbridge."

"It's okay, My husband and I will find away to concentrate on what is important. I guess I should take these from you. It would be such a waste for you to lugg them here and back." Betsy said with a tear in her eye, before reaching her arms out to take in the work.

Derek got back in he's car, once Betsy laid the stacks of work onto the dining table. He was fortunate enough to not be seen by Paul, who came hurtling down the street with Adam in their car.

Paul settled himself into he's room for the night, and during the time he spent on tugging fresh clothes, Adam and Betsy were whispering their cunning plan to bust Paul.

"you should take a look on his phone." Betsy suggested.

"How?"

"Distract him from it!" Betsy said, but then scooted over to a simmering soup on the stove before Paul walked in.

"Paul dear, i'm heating you up a spicy lentil soup. Surely you must be starved." Betsy announced and Paul simply nodded and walked into the living area to watch sports with an absent mind.

Adam followed Paul and sat down hoping to get something out of him. Or at least his phone.

"Can't trust blackberry phones!" Adam growled and Paul turned he's head but made no response.

"Paul, soups ready!" Betsy yelled, and he shot up and went to slurp it. Now was Adam's chance because Paul had left he's phone on the arm of the chair.

Adam dashed to the seat and scrambled through he's phone. First he saw texts sent to Grace.

Ones like "You little whore."

Right up to "Why you running from me? Your lucky I even like you, cos no one else does." these messages brought a tear to Adam's eye, and he dug for more.

He got to he's gallery app, and he dropped the phone making it smash when he saw the photographed pictures of Grace without clothes.

He wanted to kill Paul, but not get caught. But now wasn't the time so he quickly clicked the phone back into one piece and let it slide into his pocket. Stranks had to see this.

Adam left an answer phone message on Strank' cell, and broke the news to Betsy in the easiest way possible without flooding his eyes.

Adam held her back, and told her that this could be good evidence to hand over to Stranks, and she nodded and went upstairs for a lie down.

Adam used he's time to check on Paul who was sitting at the dining table guzzling he's grub. He paced towards a seat and tried to make conversation again.

"If you could say one last thing to Grace.. What would it be?" Adam asked.

Paul looked up with his mouth open and stuffed with homemade bread. He gulped it down and cleared he's throat.

"Obviously I'd tell her I love her, and then i'd ask her why she left us.." and then he continued to lick he's bowl clean. Adam simply nodded and looked over at the paperwork Betsy had left.

"These had better not be bills!" Adam chuckled to himself, and he skipped through some of the pages.

Not long after Adam had realised the work was Grace's, Paul got up and scurried to he's room careless about his missing phone.

It wasn't until 7pm that Adam found the threat note that Grace recieved from Paul which had been tucked away inside an article, The Runaway Slave.