Nowhere to Turn (11 page)

What if, after checking Nick out, Elliot had thought a kid with a record would be glad to make some quick cash. Maybe he'd managed to convince Nick to go along with his scheme. Maybe Elliot had even paid him up front, which would explain the money the police had found when they caught up with Nick.

There was just one problem with that theory: I couldn't make myself believe that Nick would ever go along with a scheme to steal from Mr. Schuster.

No, it was more likely he'd do whatever it took to stop Elliot. And what better way to do that than to take the coins himself and hide them somewhere where they would be safe until Mr. Schuster was back on his feet again? That would explain why he had no alibi for the night of the theft, why he tried to see Mr. Schuster as soon as he was released on bail the first time, and why he refused to tell the police where the coins were. There was no way he would want them handed over to Elliot.

Knowing Nick, there was also probably no way he would think the police would believe him if he told them the truth. It would also explain why Nick would go to the mall to meet with Elliot—to confront him or maybe to make some kind of deal with him. Maybe Nick knew what I had sensed so strongly—that Mr. Schuster was reluctant to think the worst of him, even if everyone else did. Maybe Nick thought there was some way he could get the coins back to Mr. Schuster now that he was out of the hospital. Or maybe he was planning to threaten Elliot—if Elliot didn't help him out of the mess he was in, Nick would expose him in court. It was the theory I preferred to believe, even if it turned out I was kidding myself. It didn't explain the coins and the crowbar the police had found, but then, Nick wasn't a thief. Maybe he'd just slipped up. He had probably counted on the police not finding the crowbar at the warehouse. After all, he was living at Beej's house when he was arrested. And it was possible that the coins the police had found had fallen out in his backpack and Nick hadn't noticed.

“Nick, if there's anything you haven't told anybody about what happened and why it happened,” I said, choosing my words carefully, “you should tell it now. The police want to get to the truth. I know they do. You could talk to your lawyer. Or to my dad.” Or to me, I thought, even though I seemed to be the last person he wanted to confide in. “He likes you. If there's anything he can do to help, I know he'll do it.”

“What are you talking about, Robyn?” he said. Then realization—and disappointment—appeared in his eyes. “You really think I did it, don't you?” He shook his head.

“I know how you feel about Mr. Schuster, Nick. I know you wouldn't do anything to hurt him. But it looks bad.” I hesitated, but I had to know. “The police said you had a thousand dollars on you when you were arrested and that you refused to say where it came from.”

He seemed surprised that I knew. “That was my money.”

“Where did you get it?”

“That's none of your business.”

“Right.”

He slumped back in the recliner. His eyes went to the ring on my finger. “You used to trust me. When did you stop? When you met that guy?”

“I want to help you, Nick. But I can't do it alone. You have to help yourself.”

“That's exactly what I'm going to do, Robyn—help myself. I don't need you.”

He switched on the TV and stared stubbornly at it. I couldn't get another word out of him.

Beej was huddled in the doorway to my father's building when I got home.

“Where have you been?” she said. “Didn't school get out hours ago?”

“I have a life,” I said curtly. I couldn't help it. Seeing her gave me pangs of jealousy. “What do you want?”

“I thought maybe you'd been trying to reach me—you know, to let me know if you'd talked to Nick. But our phone got trashed along with everything else. I checked our messages from another phone, but there was nothing from you. So then I thought maybe when our phone got messed up, it affected our voice mail.”

“What do you mean, your phone got trashed? What happened?”

“Someone broke into our place. They tossed all the drawers and closets, ripped open all the mattresses, and smashed up the phone. But it's not like we have anything worth stealing. We think maybe it was some crack addict. So did you see Nick?”

I nodded.

“And?”

“And why didn't you tell me he had a thousand dollars in cash when he was arrested?”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Beej, he was living in an abandoned building, but he had all that cash? That didn't seem strange to you?”

“No. Why would it?”

“When was the last time Nick had that much money on him?”

“He told me a girl gave it to him.”

“A girl?”

“Yeah. While he was hitching home, he found some girl's purse. When he returned it, she gave him a reward.”

“A thousand dollars?”

“That's what Nick told me.”

“Some girl gave him a thousand dollars. In cash.” I said.

She nodded.

“Come on. You actually believe that?”

“Why wouldn't I?” she said, glowering at me. “He said that when he returned that purse, he was just doing what anyone would have done and he didn't feel right about taking a reward. He said he was gonna give it back.”

“Oh. So this girl lives around here? What's her name?”

“Sarah something. I don't know. Nick didn't tell me her last name. He said she was on her way to Europe.”

No wonder he didn't want to tell the police that story. I was skeptical, and I
wanted
to believe him.

“So exactly how was he planning to return the money to this mystery girl?” I said.

“He gave her his aunt's phone number. He said the girl was going to leave a message for him there when she got back to town.” She glared at me. “You think he's lying, don't you?”

“About the money? You have to admit, it sounds pretty far-fetched.”

She shook her head in disgust. “I thought you were his friend.”

“You're a hard person to get hold of,” Ben said when I called him again from my father's place.

“I'm sorry. I forgot to recharge my phone.”

“I feel like I haven't seen you in ages.”

“It's only been a couple of days. Morgan and I have been slaving over our project.” Well, Morgan had been slaving. I was starting to feel guilty about how little I had done.

“Oh, well. A couple more days and it'll be March break. I can't wait. I miss you.”

“Miss you too,” I said. I thought when I said it that I meant it, but for some reason, the words didn't ring true in my ears.

“You're ditching class?” Morgan said the next morning when I told her why I couldn't meet for lunch.

“Technically, no,” I said. “I have a free period after lunch, and I'll be back in time for my next class.” I filled her in on what I had overheard on Mr. Schuster's phone. “I have to find out what's going on, Morgan.”

It had eaten at me all night. Nick had seemed so disappointed at the thought that I didn't believe him. He'd said that he didn't want my help, that he was going to take care of things himself. What if he did something foolish? What if he ended up in more trouble?

Morgan looked doubtful. “It's a big mall, Robyn.”

“I know exactly where he's going to be.”

She checked her watch. “Well, we'd better get going if we're going to make it on time.”

“
We?
You're going to ditch class?”

“I just remembered that I have a dentist appointment. And my dentist's office is at the mall.”

“You need a note for that.”

“No problem,” she said, grinning. “I'm sure I can come up with one.”

We made it to the mall with ten minutes to spare. The Gap was on the second floor. We were hurrying toward the escalator when Morgan pointed up: “There he is!”

I scanned the knots of shoppers on the second floor. Nick was walking quickly toward the Gap, which was to the left of the escalator. Elliot was nowhere in sight, but a moment later, I saw Isobel and her grandfather. They were near the top of the escalator. Mr. Schuster was clutching his walker. Isobel was holding his arm to support him. At first I was afraid that Isobel was going to try to take Schuster down the escalator, which wouldn't be safe. Then I saw her point to something farther on. The glass-walled elevator just past the escalators? She seemed to be steering him in that direction.

Just as Isobel and Mr. Schuster were making their way past the top of the escalator, Nick ran up behind them. I couldn't tell if they had seen him or not—there were a lot of people pressing to get on the escalator, and I lost them for a moment. When I caught sight of Isobel again, she seemed to be struggling to maneuver her grandfather away from the top of the escalator. A look on her face told me that something was wrong. Mr. Schuster was having trouble with his walker.

Nick had moved directly behind the two of them. I thought he was going to say something to Mr. Schuster, but instead he turned his head. While I watched, he thrust his hands out in front of him. Then—oh my God!—Mr. Schuster lurched forward and down the escalator. Isobel screamed and scrambled to grab him, but she wasn't fast enough. Mr. Schuster slammed into the man in front of him. The other man jerking aside, turning to see what had happened. The look of annoyance on the man's face quickly turned to alarm. The man tried to get hold of Mr. Schuster, but with no one in front of him anymore to break his fall, Mr. Schuster continued to pitch forward. I watched in horror as he fell all the way down the escalator. His walker clattered down in front of him.

Some quick-thinking person at the bottom hit the emergency Stop button. The escalator ground to a halt, forcing the people behind Mr. Schuster to clutch the handrail to keep themselves from careening forward. More people crowded around the spot where Schuster lay crumpled on the ground.

“Did you see that?” Morgan said, her eyes wide with astonishment. “Did you see what I saw?”

I nodded grimly. I didn't want to believe it, but I had seen it.

“Nick pushed that man,” Morgan said. “He pushed him right down the escalator.”

“That man is Mr. Schuster,” I said.

“What?” Morgan looked stunned. “Are you sure? Why would Nick push Mr. Schuster down the escalator?”

How could I possibly answer that question? I could barely believe it had happened.

People in the crowd were talking and pointing at Nick, who stood frozen at the top of the stalled escalator. He didn't resist when a man grabbed him and held him. A security guard appeared at the bottom of the escalator. He knelt down to check on Mr. Schuster and then spoke into a walkie-talkie.

The man who had grabbed Nick hauled him down the escalator and dragged him over to the security guard. I saw Nick shake his head. Isobel stared up at him, disbelief in her eyes. The security guard stood up and took Nick by the arm. Then Elliot appeared. He bounded down the escalator and knelt down beside his father. He said something to Isobel, who was crying. She shook her head. I have no idea what she said, but Elliot sprang to his feet and flew at Nick. A second security guard appeared. The two guards pulled Elliot off Nick. Then one of them twisted Nick's arms behind his back and handcuffed him.