“Fuck,” I muttered as I realized I had no idea how to proceed. We’d been so sure Caleb would come around, especially once the shit with his father died down and the man began serving his sentence. But I hadn’t seen this coming. And it was going to fucking tear Eli apart.
“Can I see him?” I asked.
Maybe there was some reasonable explanation for this. Maybe if I just talked to the young man, I could get the answers I needed.
“Yeah,” Declan said and I followed him from the office. He led me to a room at the far end of the space. “There’s a two-way mirror in there. If you don’t mind, I’m going to watch from the other side,” the man said and I nodded.
Declan opened the door and motioned to the young male officer standing in the corner of the room. Caleb was pacing back and forth along the far wall. His eyes shifted up to meet mine, but he just shook his head and kept walking. I was stunned at how agitated he was. In the past few months he’d been so withdrawn and quiet, but now he was like a caged animal.
The officer and Declan left, closing the door behind them.
“Caleb-”
“No!” he shouted. “I don’t want to talk to you! I want Jace! He fucking promised me!”
“What did he promise you?” I asked as a wave of uncertainty went through me. I’d worked with Jace several times and I knew him to be a good guy. But if he’d led Caleb on in some way…
But Caleb ignored me and kept walking back and forth in the confined space. “Caleb, why were you on that bridge?”
Caleb slowed and then turned to face the wall, putting his back to me. “Mav, please let me talk to Jace.”
I saw his shoulders hunch and I could tell he’d wrapped his arms around himself. I pulled out my phone and dialed Jace’s number. I kept my eyes on Caleb and when Jace answered I said, “Jace, Caleb wants to talk to you.”
I didn’t give Jace a chance to answer because Caleb had turned around. The hopeful look in his eyes tore at my heart and I was reminded of how young he really was and how fucked up his life had become. I put the phone on the table and said, “I’ll be outside. Just knock on the door when you’re done.”
Caleb nodded and then his unsteady hand was reaching for the phone.
I left the room and immediately sought out the room next to it. Declan glanced at me as I entered. I could hear Caleb’s shaky voice through the intercom as he whispered, “Jace?”
I probably should have felt guilty about listening in on his conversation, but I didn’t. Not in the least. The young man’s life was on the line. I wasn’t playing games anymore and I sure as hell wasn’t going to worry about my conscience. There was of course no way to hear what Jace was saying, but it wasn’t important. I’d talk to Jace to get his side of things when Caleb was done.
“No,” Caleb said softly and then I saw him sink into one of the chairs and support his head with his free hand. “He’s gonna get out, Jace,” Caleb whispered, his voice catching in his throat.
I glanced at Declan. We both knew who Caleb was talking about. His piece of shit father.
Caleb was silent as Jace spoke and then he shook his head. “I…I can’t sleep. I can’t think. I keep seeing Nick…”
Caleb’s voice dissolved as a sob tore from his throat. “Jace…please…I need you.”
Using his sleeve to wipe at his tears, Caleb listened to Jace talk for a while, nodding every once in a while. Whatever Jace was saying seemed to help somewhat because Caleb sucked in a couple of deep breaths.
“Okay,” he said quietly and then he got up and went to the door and knocked on it. I left the observation room and hurried back to the interview room. Caleb stepped back from the door and handed me the phone. “He wants to talk to you,” was all he said and then he went to sit down again.
I put the phone to my ear and said, “Yeah?”
“I’m on my way,” was all Jace said before he hung up on me.
I coveredEli’s hand with mine as he struggled to rein in the tears that had been falling from the moment I’d told him why Caleb was at our house. I hadn’t known what to say to Mariana about why Caleb was spending the night with us so I’d lied and said Caleb had asked to spend some time with Eli. I felt like shit for keeping the truth from the woman, but I needed to focus on Eli and he and I needed to make some decisions together about Caleb’s future.
Because Caleb had clearly become too much for Mariana to deal with on her own.
“Do you think he was really going to do it?” Eli asked.
“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “I’m hoping Jace can find out for sure, but I think we need to go forward thinking it’s a very real possibility.”
Eli shook his head and wiped at his eyes. I got up and snagged some paper towels for him. He dried his face and then straightened. “I’ll take a leave from school.”
“Nuh-uh,” I said as I shook my head. “Absolutely not.”
