Plague Saint

Chapter Sixteen: Dig Yourself in Deeper

Winter had seen the guard station cells before. From the outside. Being locked up was new.

She hadn't said a word the entire journey to the guard station, too in shock to even ask what she was being arrested for. She sat in silence in the back of the guard vehicle—the only kind of machine ever seen on the streets besides the trolleys, and the occasional vehicle owned by those wealthy enough to afford them.

One of the guards, an officer she was somewhat familiar with from her time working at the station, spoke into a radio. "We picked up a girl who matched the description of the 'suspicious figure' the resident reported. When we arrived, everyone was freaking out about a fire, but we don't know if it's connected. We'll have to question her."

Thank God she'd ditched the bag with everything tying her to the fire, but it was a small comfort. Someone had seen her sneaking around.

"Get this, it's Winter Pierce. The girl who quit a couple weeks ago."

Upon arrival, they escorted her inside to an interrogation room and left her handcuffed to the table. A captain—Captain Perry, of all people—came in after an excruciating ten minutes. "Why were you sneaking around the apartment building on Rose Street?" he asked.

The upside of the grueling wait was that Winter had plenty of time to come up with a story. "I'm friends with someone living there, and I thought I lost my key when I was visiting her a few days ago. We'd been outside, so I was trying to see if I'd dropped it."

"Really?" Perry asked. "Someone called in and said they saw a kid trying to look into windows and climbing up a fire escape.

Bristling at being called 'kid,' Winter's eyes narrowed. "I don't know, maybe there was someone else there too."

"There was also a fire started inside the building, presumably from someone outside."

"I was just looking for my damn key, okay? And I didn't find it, which means its god-knows-where and I need to figure out what happened to it before someone else takes it!"

Perry sighed. "Fine. Did you see anyone else while you were there? Someone who might be responsible for the fire? You had to have seen something when you were walking away, you were there at the exact same time." He still didn't sound convinced she wasn't responsible.

Winter needed someone else to point a finger at. She frowned. "Well, I thought I was being paranoid, but there were a few minutes where I felt like someone was watching me. That's part of why I left when I did."

Perry studied her in silence for a few long moments before nodding and leaving without another word.

When he returned, he was holding a clipboard. Processing paperwork. Winter swallowed. "Am I being detained?"

"Not for long, just until your parents arrive to check you out."

No. No, no, nonono— "But I didn't do anything!"

"We aren't keeping you in the arson case, but we did pick you up for questioning and since you're underage, we can't let you leave without an adult." He didn't even glance at her, his eyes still on the paperwork. "We also need to inform them that we may have further questions for you. We didn't find anyone else in the area, and even if it was bad timing on your part, you still are tied to this case."

"Look, you know me! I worked here for a year!"

"Doing paperwork for a year doesn't mean you can't be a criminal, Winter. I'm sorry. The receptionist said your parents are on their way."

He walked out, leaving Winter to sit with the fear snaking its way through her chest, squeezing her heart until she thought it would explode, tightening around her lungs until she couldn't breathe. Maybe her parents wouldn't find out about her not working here. Maybe they wouldn't contact her again about the case. The apartment building was a poor one, so hopefully the whole thing would be dropped, anyway. That happened all the time.

When Perry returned for the final time, Winter had gone numb, her mind blank. She snapped out of it, but she wondered if she might worry herself into oblivion one of these days. Easier not to care anyway, right?

He led her to the front desk, where her parents were waiting. Talking to Beth. Their heads turned at the same time. Mom looked upset. Not angry, necessarily, but distressed. Dad was unreadable.

"Good night!" Beth called as they walked to the front doors. No one responded.

Winter had barely processed the shock of the cold, dark night when Dad was talking.

"What the hell, Winter?"

"I didn't do anything!" she protested. "I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, why would I set a fire in—"

"They told us you quit two and a half weeks ago! Why did you lie to us?"

Shit. They did know. "I got a similar job at the hospital and forgot to mention it."

"Forgot? Forgot to mention it? For two whole weeks?"

"I'm sorry! I was really busy!"

"Isaac," Mom murmured. "Is now really the time? We could at least discuss this when we get off the trolley—"

Dad sighed. "Fine. Let's go."

They walked to the trolley stop in heavy silence. Winter wiped snowflakes off her face, wishing she had her hat.

Damn it. Her hat. And bag. The whole reason for this mess. She needed to get back as soon as possible and hope the guards had given up their search. The thought of what might be waiting in the journals took over her train of thought.

"Winter," Mom said softly.

"Hmm?" Winter looked up from the sidewalk she'd found herself staring at.

"Trolley's here."

They climbed on. Silence. "Did either of you see River today?" Winter finally asked.

"We went by this morning," Dad replied plainly.

More silence. The trolley arrived at their stop. They were barely off when Dad was speaking again.

"What were you doing by that building anyway, if not setting the fire?" he asked.

Did he seriously believe she'd done it? Sure, it was true, but she'd thought her parents would have a little more trust in her. Even if it was undeserved.

"A coworker from the hospital works there, and I went to say hi," Winter lied. "Then I was leaving and the next thing I knew I was being arrested."

"I overheard one of the guards talking to the receptionist. He said they had a call about someone sneaking around and acting suspicious before the fire was started."

"I swear to God, it wasn't me."

They reached the apartment building. Dad stopped at the bottom of the steps, blocking her path. "That's a serious thing to say, Winter."

Mom, who'd been leading the way, paused a few stairs up.

"Why would I set the fire?" Winter asked again.

"I don't know. Why would you lie about your job? Or get home hours later than your shift was supposed to end the day River got sick?"

They'd never asked about that, with everything that happened with River. And Winter couldn't tell them she'd been killing Director Adams.

"Sometimes we get behind, it happened at the guard station too," Winter said.

"But you didn't call like you usually do!"

Winter tore her gaze from her father's cold eyes to her mother, whose expression held concern.

"Isaac, we're all worried about River, and that's put us all on edge. I think we should get some rest and discuss this in the morning."

Dad didn't even glance her way. "They told us they might have more questions for Winter. As far as I'm aware, she's their only suspect!"

"Isaac!" Mom's voice was more stern now.

To Winter's relief, he relented. His shoulders sagged. "All right."

And Winter thought that would be the end of it for now, until they reached the door. Dad paused before stepping inside. "But I'm going to call the hospital tomorrow to make sure she's not still lying to us."