When she said that, I thought he went at Cedric's and spent the weekend there before having him drive him to school, but he was not there either, which must have meant he was still at his place.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡap6UJngf71
I made a mental note to pay them a visit in the afternoon, because he can't undermine Angel's life like this, not when he's so close to get what he wants.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiQ2gMXgiCp
I didn't expect the police outside the school but that's not so out of the ordinary, drug dealing happens, people get busted.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKNQUzL46IA
I certainly did not expect the police at home. Not again.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJexb2Q0kvH
Because to add insult to injury I live in a hellhole and that means we don't have a full on, well structured police station with hundreds of officers to properly cover every single corner of the city, it means there's two police officers sharing the second floor of the old school with a couple of paramedics. It means that of the two officers sitting on our couch, one of course has to be officer Fayek.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhDsBJjvDdM
She has kind eyes, she's always had, I remember them vividly, rich brown, with the longest lashes I've ever seen, even longer than Ariel's.
I'm choking.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9w8w6C4epu
I'm standing on the doorway and I'm choking.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTxsB0XVNov
Tahani Fayek and her scrawny new recruit are sitting on my couch, in my house, with my parents in front of them, and she's looking at me with her big kind eyes and Àngel wasn't at school and his mom said she hasn't seen him since Friday.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNMhAppdEvW
I'm choking but they don't know.
–Morning officers, Eid Mubarak, sorry I'm two days late, my phone broke.–
–Khair Mubarak, Wesley,– she replies smiling, but I know that smile like I know those eyes and today, right now, I don't trust them –How are you?–
–Worse than I was ten minutes ago, better than I'm going to be ten minutes from now.– I lower my gaze, because I can't bear all those people looking at me all together. Even mom is here at this hour. At least I can make them all go away for a moment as I close the door behind me and hope, for a couple of seconds, that this is a big misunderstanding. –Because I'm not going to like what you're going to say in the next ten minutes, am I?–114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡExuPvXMd0j
–I'm afraid not, why don't you sit down?–
–I don't really want to.–
They all look at each other now, I'm sure they've already talked about it, that this was going to be difficult, that I was going to be difficult, because my father is already standing up and taking the backpack out of my hands, patting my shoulder in silence.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡreQFLfCVnd
The other officer, the young one who looks like a bundle of sticks waiting to fall apart, breaks the silence in the worst possible way.
–If you don't want to talk with us here, you can follow us at the station.–
–You don't even know where the station is, palosanto.–
It's wrong, I shouldn't have, because he's new here, he doesn't know me and now he's livid, he will think I'm rude and I'm making my parents look bad, I know, I'm sorry but I couldn't help myself. So I mumble an apology while I sit down on the vacant armchair, mom's glance trying its best to deep fry me on the spot.
Tahani shakes her head, maybe to tell Palosanto and mom to drop it, maybe simply out of frustration. I don't know. That's new. She didn't do it the last time. Well, to be fair, the last time was different, I was different.
–Wesley, Angel is missing.–
–Since Friday, Ariel said. We were waiting for him, he was late, she went to check on him, they told her they hadn't seen him since Friday.– I know all this. Mom is surprised, Tahani too, Palosanto looks like he wants to throw me in jail on the spot.
–You knew? Since this morning?– mom intervenes as per usual, like this involves her –How come you didn't throw a tantrum about it?–
Silent treatment, that's the only thing she could get out of me. I don't do it on purpose, I just shut down when she does that.
Tahani waves her off and leans towards me –Yes, they haven't seen him since Friday, when he left to come here.–
–I took him to the bus stop, in the evening.–
–That's true, Wesley was back in no more than twenty minutes.–
–Chloe, please, let us handle this.– mom falls silent once again, thank the universe, somewhat offended. Dad is back from upstairs, where he climbed to lay my bag, and as the knight in shining armor he is he whispers something in her ear. They excuse themselves and disappear in the kitchen, close the door behind them, so that we are alone but they can still hear everything we say.
–Let's start over, from the top.– she takes a note pad out of her uniform –And please remember that you're not being accused of anything, this is just a witness statement at best.–
I nod, I understand she genuinely thinks this is the truth, I don't blame her for not knowing what really goes on in the mind of his family.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvkwXDXjRUG
–There's not much to say, we went to school, had lunch and then studied.–114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfISYqC0QnR
Is there anything else, really? This is what happened Friday, all in all. Nothing special. He slipped through my fingers like water.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqqJthjUBRs
–Then you went with him to the bus station?–114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAH1YmcIxRm
–Yes.–114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmr4KEX2ETs
She looks pointedly at me waiting for me to add something, probably, but I avoid her gaze. Not on purpose, I swear, I'm just lost, I'm trying to remember any detail that could have been meaningful but there's nothing, just my fingers laced together, knuckles white, so tight I can't move them.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ20ocOZi5oN
–Did he say or do anything strange? Out of the ordinary? Concerning?–114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpzQu1EPEdT
When I shake my head she exhales, powerless or disappointed, both I guess, and when after a while she stands up looking so glum I feel bad because I can't help her more.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQkIAskbEdZ
–Wait, chief, can I ask a question?– Palosanto speaks up unsure, glancing at Tahani for permission before carrying on –This morning, when you found out he wasn't home, were you worried?–114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqzDlGHLzkq
–Not really.–114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwGbYUVeJNC
–Why?–114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡspnkDy7WD2
Why? Why wasn't I worried? I wasn't worried because I thought he was at the train station.114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrcoTbMK21F
–Because I thought he was with Cedric,– unsure, I draw a breath before going ahead, I don't know how much I should say, we're friends despite everything, what if I get him involved for nothing? –We often spend time at the train station, you know, the place is cool and he's a musician, he has a lot of cool stuff there–
By the way they look at each other it's clear this is new information for them, or at least a new name, because Tahani scribbles something down in her notebook. Palosanto is proud of himself, back straightened and chin up, he must feel like such a Sherlock, he must feel so much better than her because he found out something when all she did was indulging the edgy teen. Truth is he will never be half the person she is, no matter what, the glint in his eyes will die out and he won't ever be able to pick himself up again. He stands all cocky in my house, my living room, a speck of blue against the combination of oranges and yellows that my parents put together, a distortion that means bad things have happened and are happening and will happen and everything spirals around him but my father's voice brings me back telling me to be polite and say goodbye. Palosanto isn't in the living room anymore, he's outside on the balcony, hands in his pockets, waiting for us townies to go over our weird rites.
Tahani is on the door nodding at something my mother has said and I didn't hear but turns to me as I make my way towards them.
–Hug?–
No.
–Handshake?–
Handshake. Her grip is firm, always has been, and I like her hands, sturdy and well kept, with trimmed nails and no jewelry. She manages to get a smile out of me.
–Wesley, I know it's hard, but truly nobody thinks you're involved, so please try not to stress out too much.–
–Sure, nobody except the whole town.–114Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlj37DDluuo
