He didn’t know where Chad was.
And he didn’t know how to find him.
Romeo slowed his stride the closer he got to the parking ramp.The blue lights of a police car flashed.They reflected off the ceiling and the ground.Already, a few onlookers watched as a uniformed officer peered in through the driver’s window of Romeo’s car using the torch on her phone.
Josh stood by the trunk of the car, phone to his ear. He ran a hand over his blond hair, eyes wide as he spoke to whoever was on the other end.
Romeo turned around and managed to stop himself before he ran.
Never run, Chad’s voice said, even if someone sees you, even if you think they’re suspicious of you, don’t run.So, Romeo didn’t.He stepped out of the car park just as another police car arrived on scene, mounting the curb in the officer’s haste.A woman jumped out from the passenger side, calling Josh’s name into the darkness.
Romeo cursed himself as he walked far enough away from the hospital for him to arrange a taxi.He’d been overwhelmed with fear when Josh first called him, and he’d made a mistake by driving to the hospital, then parking in the parking ramp.He hadn’t been thinking, and not for the first time he saw the weakness of emotion.He’d only realized how much danger he was putting both Chad and himself in when he got to the front doors of accident and emergency.
They had his car, and it wouldn’t be long until they had the CCTV from the car park.
“Idiot,” Romeo hissed.He pulled off the jacket and the cap before balling them up, and burying them in a trashcan he strode by.
The taxi driver beamed a smile at him, and Romeo mirrored him as best as he could but knew the expression didn’t meet his eyes.He climbed into the back, and exhaled a long breath, hoping his fuck-up wouldn’t cost them, if it wasn’t already too late.
****
Romeo checked his phoneagain.
Nothing.
A trap or the truth.
He didn’t know, but hedidknow where Chad’s car had been last.
The white dot with Chad’s initials may have vanished from the map on his phone but he could still remember the address, and as soon as they turned onto the street, Romeo spotted Chad’s car, a silver Honda Civic, parked on the side of the road.
“Can you pull over here?”Romeo asked.
The driver flashed him another smile, and Romeo managed to match it for appearances sake.He didn’t get out immediately, though.He scanned the area, scrutinizing every parked car in case there were undercover officers inside.
Everything was still.
There was no one lingering in a suspicious manner.
“Problem?”the driver asked.
“Lots of them,” Romeo mumbled back.“Can you wait here?”
“Sure.”
There was a row of houses, all with their curtains drawn, but lights shone around them.Nothing alarmed Romeo about the state of Chad’s car.It was well parked, there were no dents, or smashes, nothing that indicated anything was wrong.He tried the handle, and found it locked, and when he peered through the window, he spotted Chad’s phone, face down on the passenger seat.
Did they arrest him here?
Push him up against the car and cuff his hands behind his back?
Romeo closed his eyes.“Give me a sign, Chad, a fucking sign.”
“It can’t stay there.”
He froze at the woman’s voice before turning to slowly face her.She stood on the doorstep to the house, in silhouette, and it was only when she took a step closer did Romeo see her clearly.
She wore a bright pink dressing gown and had rollers in her black hair.
