Read Online Keep No Secrets by Julie Compton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Julie Compton
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person."
"Point fingers about what ?" he asks as they stand. He has the sense his refusal to give them more information will hurt his dad. When the tall man grabs the
doorknob, Michael cries, "Wait!" They turn and he says, "He was just trying to help her. He didn't want her to get in trouble with her dad."
"We still don't understand," Pete says gently.
"She said things that he thought meant her dad would hurt her if he knew she'd been drinking. That's why he waited."
"Waited?"
"You asked how long it took to take her home. It took so long because he waited with her in the car. To let, you know, the whiskey wear off."
"Do you know how long it took?"
"I don't know. He was gone about two hours, I guess."
The officers glance at each other. As Pete pulls out a phone, Bushy Brows smiles at him. "Thank you, Mike. You've been very helpful. I know Celestina will appreciate it." With a wink, he adds,
"Now go play some ball."
"So your older son went to a party with his girlfriend, and you and Mr. Hilliard stayed home with your younger son?"
Caruthers talks as the other officer writes on his notepad.
"Yes."
"And then Mr. Hilliard heard your older son—it's Michael?"
Claire nods.
"He heard Michael come in past curfew, around three a.m.?"
"Right."
"Did he tell you what excuse Michael gave? Or were you there?"
"I'm sorry, Officer. But as I understand it, you wanted to know if Jack was home.
He was. I don't think how we decided to deal with our son is any of your business.
In fact, in light of the limited information you've given me, I'm not sure Jack's whereabouts are your business either, but we have nothing to hide, so I was trying to be cooperative." She stands again, intent on getting rid of them. "I think we're done here."
The chime of a cell phone fills the office. Caruthers reaches for the phone at her belt and answers it. Claire stares at the calendar on her desk and is relieved to see no student conferences scheduled for this afternoon. She just wants them out so she can call Jack. Or should she head over to the school and interrogate Michael? What hasn't he told them? She'll reach Jack from her cell phone on the way.
"Mrs. Hilliard?" The officer's voice is quiet. She lowers her phone as she speaks.
"That was one of our other officers. He just spoke with your son."
" What? " What is going on? And how dare they talk to Michael without permission?
"Michael claims that Mr. Hilliard drove his girlfriend home on Saturday night because he and his girlfriend had been drinking. Are you aware of this?"
When Claire stands, she feels dizzy.
She rests her palms on the desk to steady herself. Without looking up, she says, "I want to you leave. Now."
Jack's cell phone rings before the Chief answers the question.
"Excuse me," he says when he sees that it's Claire. "It's my office. I have to take this." Let them think it's a business call.
"Yeah?" he says into the phone and hopes from his tone and the impersonal way he answered that she knows he's not alone.
"Jack." Her voice is breathless; she sounds upset.
"What is it?"
"The cops just left my office" —Jack stifles a gasp— "and somehow they've talked to Michael, too—"
"What?" Jack tries desperately to control his voice. The men with him are listening to every word.
"Why would Michael be telling them that you drove Celeste home on Saturday night?" She's about to cry. He hears it right through the phone. "And why would they care?"
"I don't know." He needs to let her know that he's with the cops now. "Can I call you back, Beverly? I'm at the police station right now." She lets out a cry.
"Tell me what I need to know now and then I'll call you back as soon as I'm done here."
Jack raises a finger to the Chief as if to say, Give me a moment .
"They showed up here at the law school asking if I knew where you were on Saturday night. I told them we were home all night, but then one of the cops got a call, and when she hung up, she said that Michael told some
"Point fingers about what ?" he asks as they stand. He has the sense his refusal to give them more information will hurt his dad. When the tall man grabs the
doorknob, Michael cries, "Wait!" They turn and he says, "He was just trying to help her. He didn't want her to get in trouble with her dad."
"We still don't understand," Pete says gently.
"She said things that he thought meant her dad would hurt her if he knew she'd been drinking. That's why he waited."
"Waited?"
"You asked how long it took to take her home. It took so long because he waited with her in the car. To let, you know, the whiskey wear off."
"Do you know how long it took?"
"I don't know. He was gone about two hours, I guess."
The officers glance at each other. As Pete pulls out a phone, Bushy Brows smiles at him. "Thank you, Mike. You've been very helpful. I know Celestina will appreciate it." With a wink, he adds,
"Now go play some ball."
"So your older son went to a party with his girlfriend, and you and Mr. Hilliard stayed home with your younger son?"
Caruthers talks as the other officer writes on his notepad.
"Yes."
"And then Mr. Hilliard heard your older son—it's Michael?"
Claire nods.
"He heard Michael come in past curfew, around three a.m.?"
"Right."
"Did he tell you what excuse Michael gave? Or were you there?"
"I'm sorry, Officer. But as I understand it, you wanted to know if Jack was home.
He was. I don't think how we decided to deal with our son is any of your business.
In fact, in light of the limited information you've given me, I'm not sure Jack's whereabouts are your business either, but we have nothing to hide, so I was trying to be cooperative." She stands again, intent on getting rid of them. "I think we're done here."
The chime of a cell phone fills the office. Caruthers reaches for the phone at her belt and answers it. Claire stares at the calendar on her desk and is relieved to see no student conferences scheduled for this afternoon. She just wants them out so she can call Jack. Or should she head over to the school and interrogate Michael? What hasn't he told them? She'll reach Jack from her cell phone on the way.
"Mrs. Hilliard?" The officer's voice is quiet. She lowers her phone as she speaks.
"That was one of our other officers. He just spoke with your son."
" What? " What is going on? And how dare they talk to Michael without permission?
"Michael claims that Mr. Hilliard drove his girlfriend home on Saturday night because he and his girlfriend had been drinking. Are you aware of this?"
When Claire stands, she feels dizzy.
She rests her palms on the desk to steady herself. Without looking up, she says, "I want to you leave. Now."
Jack's cell phone rings before the Chief answers the question.
"Excuse me," he says when he sees that it's Claire. "It's my office. I have to take this." Let them think it's a business call.
"Yeah?" he says into the phone and hopes from his tone and the impersonal way he answered that she knows he's not alone.
"Jack." Her voice is breathless; she sounds upset.
"What is it?"
"The cops just left my office" —Jack stifles a gasp— "and somehow they've talked to Michael, too—"
"What?" Jack tries desperately to control his voice. The men with him are listening to every word.
"Why would Michael be telling them that you drove Celeste home on Saturday night?" She's about to cry. He hears it right through the phone. "And why would they care?"
"I don't know." He needs to let her know that he's with the cops now. "Can I call you back, Beverly? I'm at the police station right now." She lets out a cry.
"Tell me what I need to know now and then I'll call you back as soon as I'm done here."
Jack raises a finger to the Chief as if to say, Give me a moment .
"They showed up here at the law school asking if I knew where you were on Saturday night. I told them we were home all night, but then one of the cops got a call, and when she hung up, she said that Michael told some
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