Secrets and Lies

Chapter 9 - Mugged

Previously

I muttered an excuse to the boys before standing up to get to her, a girl offered me a place to sit on her table, her eyes suggestive, I ignored her and continued walking towards the opposite side of the canteen.

My phone began vibrating in my pocket, sighing I pulled it out and checked the caller ID.

It read Unknown.

***

"For gods sake," I groaned, running a hand through my already disheveled hair.

It seems like fate is pulling out all the stops from letting me speak to Erin. Pressing the answer button I placed the phone to my ear, tapping my foot impatiently.

"Hello, this is PC Brown, is this Connor Freeman?"

I furrowed my brows in confusion, why was the police calling me?

Then it struck me like a tonne of bricks. Nausea settled at the pit of my stomach as I chewed my lips, my breathing getting ragged. Had they found the evidence? Had Tyde told them his part of the story?

"Yeah, anything wrong officer?" I hesitated, gripping the phone tightly towards my ear. Sweat creased the palm of my hand as I waited for those two words on the other end of the line, the words that would cut like knives, 'Your arrested'. My heartbeat escalated, like the thrumming of a caged bird trying to seize liberty, the voices around me drowned out.

"I'm sorry but I need you in St Trinity Hospital right now, its your grandfather, he's been..."

Grandpa Joe.

Time seemed to freeze as she said his name. My mind was in emotional turmoil, I couldn't pick up any other word she spoke as dozen images of his face flashed through my mind. I tried to speak but it felt as if my words had been wrenched back down my throat into the pit of my stomach where acid had hungrily consumed it.

"Connor?...Hello? Anybody there?" PC brown asked.

I felt my iPhone slipping from my hand as it cascaded onto the marble flooring, yet the sound of the screen shattering into frivolous shards of glass could not be heard as I was out the common room before it reached the ground.

Trees whizzed past me, as I broke out into a run, my eyes darting left or right, for cars. I stopped by a traffic light, my chest heaving as I waited for the light to turn red. Cars rattled past me, coughing out intoxicating exhaust fumes. I made out a shadow on the opposite side of the street, his black hoodie  covering his hair, his eyes staring at me.

Tyde.

"No," I muttered, retreating back.

It cant be him hes in jail , for murder.

I told myself repeatedly in an attempt to calm my rapid heartbeat down. Ominous dark clouds gathered overhead, the sound of angry drivers screeching their horns agitatedly at  me as they waited impatiently for me to cross diverted my attention. I looked back across the street to see that shadow had disappeared. Gone. Like the wind.

Darting my head in both directions, I tried to see signs of Tyde. Was my mind playing tricks on me?  There was no sign of him. I began walking backwards, sweat droplets forming on my creased forehead, I could hear my breath coming out in short pants. The cold  brick wall embraced me from behind, promising stability and safety as my back collided with it. An old lady looked curiously at me, hobbling towards me her walking stick pointing towards my chest.

"You alright, Bab?" She shouted from a few feet away, " you look like you've seen a ghost!"

I gave her a half smile the corners of my mouth barely able to  lift upwards. Muttering an incoherent 'I'm fine' I ran across the street, ignoring what I had seen. My mind was focused on one thing. The hospital and grandpa Joe.