Henry stood beside me looking lost and shocked. Nice one, Henry, cheers for the help, mate! “Wait, you can’t arrest him,” Henry said. Finally. “He’s only doing what everyone else wants to do.”
“Shut up, Henry!” What was the point of him speaking up now? I pulled against the handcuffs and winced as it bit into my wrist. “I’ll walk myself,” I spat as one of them pushed me forward, toward the unmarked car half-hidden behind a neighbor’s hedge. I walked to the car in disbelief. That bastard could go back in his house and have a cup of tea while I was being hauled off to the police station.
“Don’t tell anyone,” I said to Henry as the car door was slammed behind me.
Lying back in the car, I closed my eyes. Summer would go crazy if she knew I was being arrested. I pictured her angry face and smiled. Her eyes would narrow and she would get these two little vertical lines between her eyebrows as she frowned. I had seen that face a million times, especially when I wouldn’t get up in the morning.
Minutes later, we arrived at the station, and I realized I had my car keys. How the hell was Henry going to get back home? I hoped he would call Theo and not his parents. I didn’t want them finding out. The door was opened for me, and I got out, feeling like a damn criminal. What the hell was I going to do if Hart pressed charges? I knew I shouldn’t have punched him, but I couldn’t control my temper when I saw his face.
Michael looked up as I was led into the station with my hands handcuffed behind my back. He did a double take and said something to his colleague, walking toward me. “What’s going on?” he asked, looking between me and the officer holding on to my arm.
“We picked him up at Hart’s. We actually pulled him off Hart.”
Michael nodded once. “I’ll take it from here. You can remove the cuffs now.” The officer who had arrested me looked put out, and I tried not to look smug. The cuffs dug into my skin again as they were removed. I held back a wince. “This way,” Michael muttered and walked down the corridor.
He pushed a door open and nodded for me to go into a small interview room. His face was hard and grim. I felt like I was back at high school being sent to the head master’s office. I sat down on one side of the dark wooden table. “Wait here,” he said and left the room.
I looked around and wondered if this was the room Hart was interviewed in. Was this where he managed to convince them he was innocent? Leaning back on the hard plastic chair, I rubbed my wrist. What the fuck was Michael doing?
Ten minutes later he came back in and sat down opposite me. “Well?” he said.
I sighed and leaned my elbows on the table. “I just wanted to get him to tell me where she is.”
“And you thought punching him was the best way to do that?”
“I didn’t plan it. When I saw him I lost control. Seeing his smug face.” I seethed. “I wanted to kill him.” I want to kill him.
Michael held his hand up. “You need to calm down. Now I’ve just spoken to Mr. Hart, and he’s not going to press charges. But don’t think you’re getting away with it. If you try anything like that again, I’ll arrest you myself. You’re getting off very lightly here, Lewis, but it won’t happen again.”
“Getting off lightly?” I repeated in disbelief. “My girlfriend’s been kidnapped, we have no idea where she is or what’s happened to her, and you think I’m getting off lightly?”
“You know exactly what I mean, Lewis. I’ll remind you that Mr. Hart has not been convicted of anything.” He leaned forward. “Look, I know this is hard for you. I know you want answers, but you have to let us do our job.”
“And when exactly are you going to start doing your job?” I hissed. “It’s been seven months.”
His face hardened. “You may leave now, Lewis.”
I jumped up, knocking the chair over in the process and stormed out of the room. Fuck this! Henry stood by the front desk, having an argument with some officer. “Henry,” I called, pulling his arm. “Let’s go.”
“Hey, what happened?” he questioned, running after me. I needed to get away. They were doing nothing. They didn’t care enough.
“Nothing. No charges. Where’s Theo?” I asked, spotting my brother’s car.
“I dropped him back off at work after he picked me up. He loaned me his car. So they’re doing nothing?”
“Apparently Mr. Hart doesn’t want to press charges.” I got in the car and slammed the door. “Let’s go into town with her picture. We can pick up my car on the way home. I don’t want to waste the whole day.”
“Sure. Lewis, you won’t give up, will you?”
I frowned. “No. Why do you ask?” He shook his head. That would never happen. I couldn’t move forward without knowing where she was and what happened. My throat dried and eyes stung. Do not fucking cry! “Do you want to give up?”
“No, she drives me crazy, but I won’t stop looking until my annoying little sister is found.” He laughed at some memory. “She really did do my head in.”