Run Like Hell (10 page)

“I last saw my dog this morning when I left for school.” My voice shakes with emotion. I breathe deeply, holding the tears at bay.

“And you apparently double locked the door?” He looks at Rory and she nods her head and confirms she didn’t see Tiger when she arrived tonight.

“We better check the door.” The second officer walks over to the front door and begins to examine it.

My neighbors are congregating across the street and next door. Paranoia sets in. What if he’s amongst them, watching me? What if he’s hiding in the bushes? The police haven’t checked the perimeter of the house.

“Officer, I have to find my dog. Rory, can you drive me around the neighborhood in Mom’s car?” I can’t sit here any longer discussing details about tonight. If my attacker was here tonight, did Rory surprise him? Interfere with his plans? He must’ve known I was at the basketball game. Did he unlock the door and get in my house? Did he take my dog?

The questions are too unsettling to contemplate. I need to search for Tiger. No way would he leave the confines of the backyard or the house. He’s never run away before.

The officers suggest we scour the neighborhood for the dog while they examine the house. Rory and I gratefully leave and speak with the neighbors. We inform them that Tiger is missing, friendly, and to please contact us immediately if they find him. We drive around the entire neighborhood five times before Rory insists we return to the house.

The police are still there. Officer Whitman hands me his business card and suggests I call him if anything comes up. As he hands his card to Rory I get the impression he’s interested in her by the way his gaze lingers on her and his fingertips brush hers. Based on Aunt Rory’s confession yesterday about her dating history, Officer Whitman could be a good match for her. Plus, he’s cute and seems relatively nice.

After the cops leave I run upstairs. My emotions are a dam, ready to burst. Slamming my door, I collapse on my bed in tears. Where is Tiger? Rory quietly enters my room and settles against me on the bed. She wraps her arms around me and smooth’s my hair back the way Mom used to when I was little. We don’t talk and I have to admit, it’s nice to be held and comforted.

“I should call your parents,” Rory breaks the silence after a while.

I bolt upright. “You can’t!”

“Of course I have to call them. The cops were here two nights in a row and now Tiger is missing. And some guy was lurking around the backyard. The incidents warrant a phone call.”

I repress the sigh that wants to escape my lips. She’s right. Once she talks to my mom my whole life, my existence, will come to a screeching halt. I’ll perpetually be that problem child in Mom’s eyes, the one that can never be trusted. I can’t risk losing the small amount of trust she has in me now. I don’t want Dad’s handsome features etched with worry, or his eyes saddened with disappointment.

“Rory, do you remember when I got in the car accident and Mom’s car got totaled?” Rory was at the ER that night so I know she remembers.

“Yeah, what’s your point?” Her eyes squint suspiciously at me.

“The point is ever since the accident, I haven’t been allowed to drive. Mom blames me for the accident even though it was the other driver’s fault for running a red light. If you call Mom and Dad now, Mom will come home early and she’ll hate me for disrupting her trip with Dad. Plus, I won’t be allowed to see my best friend and boyfriend over the summer.” I’m about to get on my knees and plead for her not to call them, but I can tell from the way she’s watching me, thinking, that she’s having second thoughts.

“I’ll be right back,” she says and leaves my room.

Anxiously, I wait for her to return and when she does she’s carrying two bowls of chocolate chip ice cream with whipped cream on top.

“Eating helps me think,” she mumbles as she climbs on my bed and crosses her legs, her ice cream bowl resting in her lap. Her eyes close as she savors a big bite.

I eat a scoop and wait for her to internally debate the pros and cons of calling Mom.

“So, obviously there’s an age difference between your mother and I. I honestly feel more like an older sister to you than an aunt. Being your aunt makes me old.” She takes another bite and I remain silent as I wait for her to continue. “I know your mother isn’t easy to live with but she’s still your mother and deserves your respect and love. That being said,” she pauses to lick whip cream off her spoon, “I won’t call her.”

I set my bowl on my bedside table and hug her tightly, squealing with joy.

She pulls away after a moment. “Hey, don’t get too excited because I still intend on telling her, just not tonight.”

I can deal with that. Tomorrow I’ll track down Ricky Smith before school starts and will demand to know about his brother. And, after Ricky delivers my message to his brother, his brother will be too scared to step one foot on my property. And if he even thinks about stalking me, he has something else coming to him.

“Thank you so much, Rory! You don’t know how much I appreciate it.” I give her another quick hug then let her finish her ice cream. For being so slim, she sure likes to eat.

“I’m sorry I had to leave early this morning and I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you came home from school. But I’ll be in the spare room tonight so you don’t have to be afraid, especially since Tiger isn’t here.” She scoots off the bed and collects the empty bowls. “And don’t worry about him. He’s fine. He probably chased a cat down the street or something. I’m sure he’ll be waiting on the porch in the morning.” She winks at me and closes my door after saying good-night.

As I settle in for the night, I can’t help thinking about Ricky. Twice he’s tried to talk to me and I haven’t listened to him. I regret brushing him off.

Chapter Eight

I bypass the Coffee Cart and Traci the next morning and head straight to Freshman Halls. Avoided like an island of lepers, Freshman Halls are the hallways in the school that are farthest from all classrooms. It’s a rite of passage for freshman to schlep their book in their backpacks most of the day because their lockers are too remote to visit between periods. As upper classmen, we’ve all endured this inconvenience.

Dead set on finding Ricky, I ignore the curious glances I get from several freshmen. Admittedly, I haven’t been in this hall since my own freshman year. Up ahead, I target a short, wiry kid from the back and I know it’s him. He pulls several books from his locker and stuffs them into his backpack. I casually lean against the neighboring locker and stare him down.

“I want my dog back.”

Startled, he jumps back and drops the book he was holding. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he stammers and glances around to see who’s watching, which appears to be everyone around us. “Can we talk somewhere else?” he whispers.

I don’t care if we have an audience. I need him to talk and if he’s more comfortable somewhere else, then so be it.

“Fine. Hurry up. The first bell will be ringing soon.” I need answers now and don’t want to waste the rest of the day worrying about my dog. I can’t risk him skipping out on me either.

He slams his locker and I follow him outside. He walks past several groups of students until we’re out of earshot.

“Where’s my dog?” I repeat impatiently.

“First of all, I don’t have your dog so let’s get that clear.”

I can’t help noticing how he’s nervously looking around and acting fidgety.

“Your brother was at my house last night and my dog went missing yesterday. Coincidence? I don’t think so. So talk or I’m going to the cops.”

“Listen, I don’t know anything,” he stammers.

“Then why did you approach me twice yesterday to talk? Your brother obviously picked me up on Saturday night and wanted to hurt me.”

“Okay, enough.” Ricky glances over his shoulder and shifts his weight from side to side. Soaking wet he can’t weigh more than one hundred pounds. “I don’t know about your dog but I know about your driver’s license. I found it in Brian’s room the other day. Let’s just say he’s not the kind of guy that likes me knowing his business so he got angry when I asked him why he had it.” Ricky pauses and looks around, then continues. “You resemble Caroline, his ex-girlfriend. Brian has a bad temper. He and Caroline argued a lot.”

The students aren’t within hearing distance but he’s fidgeting and looking around like we’re being watched. “Why are you so nervous?”

His eyes hold mine for a second. “My brother, he shows up at school sometimes.”

“Why? He doesn’t go to school here anymore.” The thought of him watching me now makes my muscles tense and my eyes dart around the perimeter of the school, yards from where we’re standing.

Ricky shrugs, “I don’t know, he just does.”

Students begin filing into their classrooms. Time is running out. “Where were you and your brother last night after the game?”

“I finished watching the game and then went home. I wasn’t with my brother. By the way, how’s Jack? Is he all right?”

Jack. He never called last night or this morning. I’ve been so upset over Tiger that I haven’t had time to worry about him.

Brian isn’t nearby, or at least not visible, so my gaze shifts back to Ricky. “I didn’t see you for the remainder of the game,” I accuse him. Even though Jack has left shortly after half-time, Traci wanted to stay until the end to watch Carlos.

“I took a piss if you need to know and then sat with some of my friends. Besides, why are you so angry with me? I didn’t do anything to you. I’m trying to help you.”

“When I got home last night my Aunt was at my house and said she saw a guy on the deck that looked like your brother. And my dog is now missing.” My voice breaks and my resolve cracks. Knowing my dog isn’t waiting for me at home is all it takes for the tears to well. I blink and turn away. I don’t want him to see me cry.

“My brother was on your deck?” Ricky whispers.

I shake my head yes and wipe my cheeks with my sleeve.

The morning bell rings. I can’t risk being late but I need to talk to Ricky. “What do you have for first period?”

“Woodshop,” he answers.

“Fine, I’ll meet you outside your class. I need to know why your brother was on my deck, and you still have to tell me where my dog is.” He’s already heading to class and gives me a final nod. I watch as he disappears around the corner. At least the woodshop classroom is close to my first period. Without Ricky, I don’t have any other options other than to directly question his brother or go to the police.

First period is a daze. All I do is worry about Tiger and Jack. I’d gotten Tiger when he was eight weeks old and he and I have been inseparable since. He’s my guardian angel, my protector, and my friend. And Jack, I haven’t heard from him even though he said he’d call.

Traci keeps glancing at me, asking what’s wrong. She left last night before we discovered he was missing and I don’t have the heart to explain to her now why I’m upset.

My parents are coming home tomorrow night. Dad promised to take me car shopping if I stayed out of trouble while he and Mom are away. My only chance of getting a new car and driving privileges is to get Tiger back and end this stalking from Ricky’s brother.

My life has enough restrictions. I don’t need my parents worrying about me getting abducted or physically assaulted. Although, I presume they already have those worries. They certainly don’t need to know that I jumped from a stranger’s car because I feared something awful was going to happen to me. Contacting the police is an option but I still believe I can deal with this situation on my own. My instinct is telling me that Ricky’s reaching out to me for a reason. I need to understand what the reason is.

The bell rings and I jump from my seat. Over my shoulder I tell Traci I’ll see her later as I rush out of the classroom. When I reach woodshop most of the class has already filed out and Ricky is nowhere to be seen. He thinks he can hide from me? Angry, I kick the wall in frustration. I wanted to resolve everything this morning and now I lost my chance. He probably skipped school and went home, fearful I’d keep harassing him.

Before lunch Traci bumps into me in the hall. “Morgan? Why are you so upset?” She falls in step with me, despite my quickened pace. “Slow down, tell me what’s wrong.” The slight pressure of her hand on my arm forces me to stop.

Traci and I live relatively normal lives for teenagers - shopping, boyfriends, movies, and school. Tragedy hasn’t touched our lives. This weekend was an eye-opener for me. I’ve always known safety and security but the bubble I’ve been living in has popped, making me susceptible to the dangers in the world I was once invincible to.

Silently, I step aside in the hall and Traci follows uncertainly. My problems can’t be her problems too, but right now I can’t handle this situation on my own. I need her help. “Tiger’s missing and I think the guy from Saturday night took him.” Traci inhales sharply, her eyes widen in alarm.

“What are you going to do?” she whispers.

The idea formulates quickly – like I’ve plugged in my old Light Bright toy to view an explosion of color.