The Return

Chapter Eighteen

Holly

Holly Steinfeld could check getting arrested off her to-do list.

The holding cell reeked of old urine.

On the floor by the metal bedframe, she counted off the tally marks etched onto the dried cement wall. Three hundred and thirteen ticks of white chalk had been engraved. She contemplated walking across the tight room and leaving her own mark, a line for every hour she spent deliberating Scarlett Leighton's prom night.

She would fill the whole wall.

There were too many sides, too many stories. The truth had been watered down, reduced to a mere folk tale, and no one knew whose version was accurate. All they knew was that a teenage girl in a sparkling yellow dress walked into her prom and had to be carried out in a body bag.

"Who do you think tipped them off?" Cody tossed a rolled-up piece of paper in the air and caught it. He did that three more times before anyone spoke up.

"No one did, Douglas had a home security system that's wired to call 9-1-1 if anyone broke in." Heaven deadpanned. "After getting off the force, he built a home security system with his buddies in the FBI." She massaged the tendons in her neck.

"There were hundreds of people there, anyone could have set it off," Cody said. 

Heat simmered in Holly's belly. They needed to get out. She couldn't imagine spending the whole weekend in a holding cell.

"Not likely, Rowan would have disabled it in nearly every room."

"Except the study," Holly's lips moved animatedly.

Kyle's breathing hitched. His cheeks turned florid.

"Yeah, like the study." Heaven echoed.

"Who would be dumb enough to try to break into an ex-Detective's study?" Cody snickered.

"Anyone, okay?" Kyle said briskly. His first words since the metal doors slammed shut. "Now, can we drop this?" Elbows to his knees, he ran his hands through his hair.

"What's your deal, Man?" Cody tossed the piece of paper at him.

It was an easy miss.

"I don't get why we're acting like we don't have a term paper due this weekend... or... the fucking SAT's," He was making an effort to keep his voice steady.

"Shit, was it you?" Cody's eyes widened. "It was you. You broke into old man Giovanni's office." He chuckled.

Holly's fingertips tingled.

"Shut the fuck up, Selbourne, or you're going to regret it."

"Stop it!  Both of you, you're acting like children!" Heaven snapped.

Frustration coiled in Holly's stomach.

The room was eerily quiet.

She wondered idly how long it would be before Georgia made it to the station.

Heaven's fingers drummed on her thigh.

Kyle hesitated, then glanced down at Holly from the bed.

She knew him less than a week and she was already shooting him reassuring glimpses.

"What were you looking for anyway?" Cody piped up again.

"Dude!" Heaven chided. "Read the room." She told him, slightly irritated.

"Nothing," Kyle had a plaintive look in his eyes. He was at the edge of the paper-thin mattress.

"Real cool, Man, I've known you since... fucking middle school and you can't even trust me with this." Cody picked up another piece of discarded paper.