Two song lyrics in this chapter. I've said this a million times, but I love you so much. <3
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I stare at him for several moments until the realization hits me.
"You're Stephanie's father?"
Detective Horan slowly sits back down in his chair and glares at me.
"You know my daughter?"
"Yeah, we go to school together," I say, "I have a question. So it was you who adopted Niall after Mr. and Mrs. Whittaker passed away? You obviously aren't his birth father."
"Definitely not," he laughs looking down at his skin color, "but I did adopt him after what happened and I view him as my son, so you should understand why I am a little agitated with your reluctance. I thought my wife could get it out of you but I guess-"
"That nurse is your wife?" I ask.
"Yes, Corinne is my wife."
"Stephanie's mother?"
"Yes. And you probably wonder. Why is my firm in a hospital? And the answer to that is I want to be close to my beautiful wife," he smiles.
"Oh. I assume you were married to her when you adopted Niall?"
"Yes. The death of Edith and Thomas struck us all," he says, "but it was hardest on the boys. I knew them well so it was easy for me to accept Niall into my home, but it was hard for my family because he was a very angry teenager."
"How many people are in your family?"
"Just me, Corinne, and Steph."
"What happened while he was living with you?"
"He cried a lot. He broke things. He even shattered one of my priceless vases but I'm over that now."
I swallow hard; a sour taste is in my throat.
"He got along well with Stephanie," he continues, "they became very close friends and talked a lot. She was the one who helped him the most. He wouldn't listen to anyone else. We tried therapy, but nothing worked. Stephanie broke through to him, and we just let her worker her magic and we saw a major change."
My mind reverts back to Stephanie hiding the fact that she is close to Niall. Why wouldn't she tell me?
"He went to school," Clark says, "but at home, before Steph got through to him, he would lock himself in his room and never open it, not for anyone. We would hear him crying in there and it hurt all three of us. We tried all we could for him."
"Oh my god..."
"But we were lucky. We heard about what happened in the homes that the other boys went to, and I have to say, I was lucky to have him!"
He starts laughing but my eyes widen and cover my hand with my mouth.
"What happened at the other homes?" I say.
"That's not important. Back to what happened tonight," he says shifting back to his previous intense tone, "tell me what you know."
I take a deep breath.
"Uh...Mr...uh...Detective...Horan-"
"Call me Clark."
"...Clark...I really can't say. There has to been some other way you can investigate."
"You would make this investigation so much easier if you could just tell me what you saw."
"I don't want to. Please, it's really late and I have school tomorrow."
"Tell me what you know and I'll let you leave."
"That's not fair! You can't do that!"
"I certainly can. With this badge, I can do whatever I want."
"But you have to follow the laws of the United States, which allows me to refuse to tell you anything," I retort.
"You're right. But I can keep you in here until I get the information I want. You can test me on that if you want to," he laughs.
I sigh and look away from him at the wall.
"How do you know Niall?" he begins, "Is he a close friend of yours? Are you his girlfriend?"
"No!"
"Is it a friend of yours? A lover?" he says.
"What are you talking about?"
"Whoever did that to Niall. A personal friend? Or someone who you're afraid will hurt you if you tell?"
"It doesn't matter."
"Maybe both?"
"No! Stop asking me questions!" I yell, "I want to go home! Let me go home!"
I place my face in the palm of my hands and sob softly. He starts to laugh.
"I'm not buying that. I've been in this business too long to be persuaded by a few petty tears."
There is a long pause consisting of laughing and crying from opposite sides of the table.
"I have to use the bathroom," I say.
"I can't let you leave."
"You have to let me at least go to the bathroom. How are you supposed to get me to talk if you won't even let me pee?"
He glares at me for seconds.
"You have three minutes."
"At least five." I counter.
"Two?"
"Okay, I'm going" I say and rise from my chair and exiting the interrogation room.
I'm walking quickly down an empty hallway. Clark didn't tell me where a bathroom is, so I'm wandering aimlessly through this desolate place.
I find a sign that reads Restroom and I enter the small room. I lock the door. There are two stalls, a sink, a mirror, and a window. I look at my phone. It's almost four in the morning.
I stand in front of the mirror and stare at myself. I look awful. I've been through so much tonight and the countless bags under my eyes show that.
I can't go back into that room with Clark. He will just yell at me more because I won't tell him anything. Why did this have to happen to me? It's not fair. I just want to go home and sleep. I want everything to return to normal. No more drama, no more lies.
I need to escape. I know they'll be coming to find me soon.
My eyes veer to the small window on the wall. Just big enough for me to fit through. I am on the ground floor. An easy escape.
I open the glass window releasing a large stream of wind into the room blowing my hair behind me.
I hear a loud bang on the door.
"It's been more than three minutes! What are you doing in there?!" Clark yells from behind the door.
I gasp and jump out of the window. My quick leap leads to a terrible fall and I land face first on the grass.
I stand up on my feet and begin to run full speed across the grass and onto a sidewalk. I don't think I've ever ran this fast before. My heart is pounding and sweat is pouring down my face. I don't look back.
Clark said that he couldn't let me leave. But what if I escape? He can't make me come back right? Did I break a federal law? Is there a law about escaping from a federal officer?
It's not my fault! He would have kept me there all night! I can't tell him that Zayn did that to Niall! I can't let Zayn go to jail! But maybe Zayn won't go to jail because it was self-defense?! I've heard of big cases where the attacker has gotten off for self-defense! But I don't want to be involved!
My internal screams are all that I hear as I run down these quiet streets.
I slow to a walking pace. I'm breathing heavily. The streets are very dark, drained of life, as am I.
I'm at least a thirty minute walk from my apartment. I'm pretty sure buses don't run this late and I don't have the money for a taxi. I don't think I can make it. I thought I would just go to the hospital and come back home, but much more than that happened. I left my car at the hospital, so now I have no way to get to school tomorrow. Maybe I can call Stephanie. Giving up, I sit down on a nearby bench.
Maybe I can just rest here for a few minutes until I have the energy to walk home. I close my eyes and slowly lean over to lie on the bench. My body is parallel to the ground and my arms are dangling inches from the concrete.
I start to drift off...sleep is nearing...dreams are calling...I can't fall asleep...but I'm so tired...just a little sleep is fine...only a few-
"Miss? Excuse me? Are you all right?"
My sleepless thoughts are interrupted as I open my eyes to see an old, rotund man staring down at me. I dismiss my fetal position and I am now sitting head towards the sky on the bench.
"Have you been waiting for the bus?"
"I...I don't-"
"Can I take you somewhere? There's usually no one that rides this late at night. There's only one other guy on the bus right now, but I can take you wherever you like as long as it's not too far."
"I don't have any money for bus fare."
"That's okay!" he beams, "it's on me! Come on, let's go!"
"Um, okay. Thanks," I say.
I start walking towards the bus. The bus is large on the inside. There are several rows of seats with poles from ceiling to floor in the front of the bus for standing passengers to hold. I grab a pole as the driver sits down and starts the bus.
"Just take a seat!" he yells. I'm shocked at his exuberance so late at night.
"Where can I take you miss...name?" he asks.
"Emily."
I hear a noise from the back of the bus. I turn around to see a black silhouette sitting in the back of the bus. It's too dark to see the person's face underneath his black hooded jacket.
"Emily!" the bus driver yells again. "I like that name!"
"Yeah," I respond, "apparently everyone does. It doesn't feel as special anymore."
There is a brief moment of silence.
"Something on your mind?" the bus driver says, "why are you out here so late?"
"It's nothing. I just want to go home."
"Brighten up! You're almost home! The sun will rise soon! I pray that you will see the light!"
"Thanks," I say attempting to smile at him.
"Where to, Emily?"
"City Ville Apartments on 15th please."
"Oh my god! What a coincidence!" the bus driver yells.
I grab my chest and ball a fistful of my shirt in my hand.
"What?"
"That's where that guy in the back is going to! Do you know him?!"
I turn around. I stare at the back of the bus. It's so dark back there. He's looking down. I can't see his face.
"Hey dude!" the bus driver yells, "you want to come up and make conversation? You two are going to the same place!"
Silence.
The bus driver's voice lowers and he whispers to me, "I guess he's shy. He only said where he was going when he got on the bus and then went to the back and stared at the floor. Who knows what's wrong with him. Does he look familiar to you?"
"I can't really see him."
"Oh well. Whatever. But please miss, you must have a seat, my chairs are awfully comfortable! I promise!"
"Um...okay."
The closest seats are in the middle of the bus. Farther away from the kindhearted bus driver. Closer to the stranger in black.
He can't do anything crazy on this bus, right?
I sit in the closest seat to the front and face forward. I pull out my phone to look at the time.
No battery.
The bus driver turns on a radio in the front of the bus and begins to sing along to the song.
I hear a noise from the back of the bus.
"Hey, bus driver!" I scream, "Hey! Hey!"
No response. He can't hear me.
I hear a deep sigh coming from the back of the bus. I freeze. I stop breathing. I become dead silent. My eyes are wide open. I stare forward in fear.
I hear movement from the back of the bus. My shoulders tense. My legs are shaking.
Footsteps. I hear footsteps coming towards me from the back of the bus. Slowly. Closer and closer. A tear runs down my cheek.
"Emily..." he whispers.
I gasp.
"Emily..."
Wait. I've heard this voice before!
"Emily..."
I'm still afraid to turn around. I recognize the voice. I know I've heard it somewhere! I've heard this voice recently! It's not Clark! It's not Zayn's boss! Who would be trying to find me?!
"Emily..."
The way he says "Em." Wait! I know! I've figured it out! It has to be him! Why is he on a bus in the middle of the night going to my apartment?! How does he know where I live?! The voice finally clicked! It's-
A hand grabs my shoulder and squeezes it tightly.
I turn my head. A black bag covers my face. I can't confirm who the man is. He ties the bag behind my head. I scream. I can't see anything. I try to scream again. My scream is muffled as a large hand covers my mouth.
"Emily...this is all your fault. You're going to pay for what happened to Niall. You're going to fucking pay."