My blood ran cold. Did the police think Laynee and I had something to do with Emily going missing? I hadn’t seen Emily since Malcolm broke up our fight — if you could call it that.
Emily’s friends must have told the police about Wednesday night, but wouldn’t have told the truth because they were in the wrong.
My mind raced, but I kept my mouth shut. I had to make sure I didn’t say what I was thinking. Like telling them what I really thought of Emily and her “mean girl” group.
Anna-Marie’s face was pale. “Surely you have it all wrong. These girls wouldn’t hurt anyone.”
Constable Parkinson stepped forward on the verandah. “We’re just following a line of questioning. All standard procedure. No need for concern.”
Tracy came in from the back of the house with a handbag over her shoulder and told the officers that she would accompany Laynee as she was only fourteen.
They agreed and we headed out the door.
Alina gave me an encouraging smile. “Don’t worry. It will be alright.”
I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong and I was pretty sure that Laynee hadn’t hurt Emily, but how much trouble we were actually in depended on what those girls had said. They probably got together before they spoke to the police so that their stories matched. If they made up lies to implicate me or Laynee, it would make it harder for the police to find out what really did happen to Emily.
As I watched the scenery go by, I thought that from the outside, it would seem like I’d just turned up in town, stole Emily’s long-time boyfriend, had an argument with her in the restaurant, then another confrontation after class, then she’d gone missing. It was all coincidence, but would the police see it that way? I tried not to worry, but it was difficult to push those thoughts aside.
I’d had no intention of doing anything to Emily after that stunt she pulled using her magic to throw me against a wall. I was no match for her. What was I going to do? Blind her with my little ball of light? I sighed.
She wasn’t worth getting in trouble over and I didn’t know anything about her other than she was Blake’s ex and was in the more advanced magic class.
Now I just had to convince the police. At least Laynee’s story about the fight would match mine.
When we arrived at the police station, Laynee and Tracy were taken to a different room. They sat me in an uncomfortable chair and asked if I wanted a cup of tea or coffee or a cold drink, but I was too nervous, so I shook my head.
I tried not to look up at the camera in the corner of the room and knew that they’d be watching my behaviour. I wasn’t sure how long I sat there trying not to fidget, but when the detective walked in, I tensed even more. I’d been hoping that Constable Parkinson would do the interview because he’d been pretty good to me with everything that happened with Sophie.
“Hello Maddelyn, I’m Detective Allan Forester.”
“Hello.”
“I’m told you know why you’re here?”
“Yes. You’re trying to find out what happened to Emily.” I couldn’t even remember her surname.
“Yes, that’s right.” He took a seat opposite me and placed a folder on the table. “I need to let you know that you have been asked to come in to help us with an investigation into the whereabouts of Emily Pullman. You’re not under arrest and are free to leave at any time.”
I nodded, but he seemed to want more confirmation than that. “I understand.”
He looked me in the eye. “Now, why don’t you start by telling me what happened between you and Emily on Wednesday night after your lesson?”
I drew in a breath at the word lesson. Did he know what kind of lesson? Was he a Normal or a Descendant? Could I talk to him freely?
“It’s okay. I know what you are. I know what your lessons entail. You can talk to me.”
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Okay. Might as well go with the full truth. I told him about finding the group of girls harassing Laynee and how I told them to leave her alone, but they just laughed at me.
“When Emily wouldn’t quit, I told her to bring it on. I’ve dealt with my share of bullies. Mum and I moved around a lot and I was always the new girl at school. I wasn’t afraid of Emily. But then she used magic to push me up against the wall and hold me there with pressure across my throat. I didn’t fight back because we’re not allowed to do magic in public and because I’m still learning to control it.
“She only stopped when Malcolm saw us. They all denied everything, but Malcolm knew that Emily had been using magic. He gave her a warning, saying that she’d be kicked out of the academy if she kept it up. So then we went to the car park and got in the van.”
“Who is we?”
“Me and Laynee.”
He pulled a pen out of his pocket and put it next to the folder. “Who was at the van when you got there?”
“Tracy, Kellie, Kaydan and Justina.”
“Did you tell Tracy what happened?”
I tried not to sigh. “No. It wasn’t worth worrying about.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Usually, telling someone in authority makes it ten times worse. They bully you even more for dobbing on them.”
“I can understand that. So, have you seen Emily since that incident?”
“No.”
He leaned forward. “Are you sure?”
I resisted the urge to shrink away from his intense stare. “Yes, I’m sure.”
“You haven’t seen her in the street or anything since Wednesday night?”
“No.” What bullshit story did they tell you?
“You haven’t been to her house?”
“No. I don’t know where she lives.” They must have said something.
He straightened in his chair. “This isn’t the first altercation you’ve had with Emily, is it?”
Oh, great. “No.”
“Do you want to tell me about that incident?”
No, not really.
I explained how Blake had asked me out to dinner as friends and how Emily had shown up and thrown a total hissy fit in front of all the diners.
“I didn’t know anything about her until she was all up in my face about stealing her boyfriend. She called me a slut and threatened to make my life hell.”
He sat back casually. “What did you do when she did that?”
“Nothing. She wasn’t worth it. Blake told her to stop because she was causing a scene and I think she only stopped because everyone was staring at her.”
“Then what happened?”
“She stormed off and we left not long after. That’s it. Nothing else happened.”
He didn’t look convinced.
“So you didn’t threaten her?”
“No.” I just told you that.
“You didn’t say that Blake was yours now and that she better watch her back?”
I blinked. “What? No.”
Who told you that? I bet it was Felicity. Or the one that was hassling me today.
“So you and Laynee weren’t plotting revenge for what they did to you?”
“No. We haven’t even spoken since then.”
“Who?”
“Me and Laynee.”
“You live in the same house.”
“Yeah, but she’s not very talkative and I don’t really know her very well.”
“And yet you defended her against Emily and her friends?”
“Yes. Emily called her a freak. She didn’t deserve that.”
He picked up the pen and started clicking the button repeatedly, probably to annoy me and put my nerves on edge. It was working, but I was determined not to show it. I could play his game.
He looked at me again with that intense gaze. “Did you leave the house late on Wednesday night?”
7Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ69G8KwrprV
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Author's Note: Uh, oh! How much trouble is she really in? She can’t tell them she snuck out, and she definitely doesn’t want to tell them she blasted Russell with her out-of-control magic!
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