“When they talk to your parents.”
“Why would the police talk to my parents?”
“Are you serious? Addison is missing. There’s no evidence. And you’re his roommate. They’re going to check out your story.”
“I didn’t know what else to say.” Tyler started crying, voice shaking. “Did I fuck everything up?”
“Shit.” I stood up. “Fuck.”
“Mark, please don’t be mad. What should I do?”
“Let me think.” We needed to come up with a believable story about where Tyler had been. And a reason he had lied.
And then it came to me—it was so obvious.
“You said the cop gave you a card. Do you have it on you?”
“I think so.” He fished around in his pocket and passed it to me. Detective Daniel Laurence. Sawyer Police Department.
“Go back to the dorms. Stay there. If anyone comes by, don’t answer. If anyone calls, don’t pick up. Lie low until you hear from me.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’ll call you later.”
Behind me, the doors to the station banged open. Two uniformed cops pushed in, gripping the arms of a woman they pulled between them. She was in her forties, maybe fifties. Bloodshot eyes and sallow skin. Her hands were bound behind her back and she was yelling.
“These fucking cuffs are too tight. You’re cutting off my circulation.”
“The cuffs are fine.” The cop who spoke was short, bulldoggish. She yanked on the woman’s arm, making her yelp. “You need to quit jerking around.”
“My fucking hands are gonna fall off.”
The cop sitting behind the front desk, a young guy with a small face, pinched in the middle, nodded at the crew. “Good to see you, Stacey. Nice of you to pay us another visit.”
“Fuck off.” They pulled her down a hall and out of view. Her shouts echoed against the low ceiling tiles, muffled and useless. I approached the front desk. It smelled like microwaved food anddisinfectant. The pinch-faced cop busied himself with paperwork, ignoring me. Finally, he looked up.
“Is there something you need?”
“I’m looking for Daniel Laurence?”
“Detective Laurence?”
Fucking cops. “Yes,” I said. “That’s right, Detective Laurence.”
“Does he know you’re coming in?”
“No. Is he here?”
“Slow down. Why don’t you let me know what you need, and then we can take it from there.”
“I’m here about the missing persons case. From the college.”
A pause. “You work at the college?” I nodded. “Has Detective Laurence spoken with you?”
“No.”
“And why not?”
