He pointed at me. “Stay here and start cleaning up. If that’s one of your friends ringing our doorbell during dinnertime, you’re going to be in even more trouble than you arealready.”
And then he stormed off, his fisted hands shaking by hissides.
As soon as he disappeared out of the room, I breathed a heavy sigh and slumped lower in my chair, thankful for the moment of sweet relief of not having my step-dad around, even if it would only last five seconds. Luckily, the person at the door wouldn’t be any of my friends. Mostly because Bree was pretty much the only one I had, and she knew better than to stop by during dinnertime. Breeknewall about my step-dad.
“Norah, honey, you need to be more careful around him,” my mom said quietly, hands pressed tight against the napkin in her lap. “You know how he getssometimes.”
“Mom. Maybe he’s the problem and notme.”
She hissed and flicked her eyes to the empty doorway. Deep voices drifted to us from the hallway, but thankfully, my step-dad hadn’t returned just yet. “Don’t say things like that. If you make him angryenough…”
Her words trailed away into nothing. The truth was, neither of us knew just how far he would go if he got angry enough. And while I certainly didn’t want to find out, I was finding it increasingly difficult to keep my thoughts to myself. Things had to change and change soon. We couldn’t keep living likethis.
Footsteps thudded on the hardwood floor, and my step-dad darkened the doorway before stepping into the dining room. Behind him, two police officers stood with their hands resting lightly on the guns on their hips. My heartbeat roared in my ears, and a new kind of cloudiness began to creep into the corners of myeyes.
I wanted to ask why they were here, but I alreadyknew.
It was about Lars’smurder.
“Norah, these two police officers are here to ask you some questions about the death of one of the crew members at that theatre where you work.” His eyes flashed, full of anger. I had blatantly not told him about what had happened, and he was going to punish me forit.
“Norah?” My mom rose from the table, her slender hands pressing against the wood for support. “What’s all this about? A death at the theatre? You didn’t mention something had happened there. Why didn’t you tellus?”
Iwinced.
“Yes, ma’am,” one of the officers said. “Your daughter is a witness, according to another witness of ours. Norah, are you free to answer some questions, or will we need to take you into thestation?”
I read between the lines. Either we could talk here, or they’d escort me into a police station where I’d be grilled in a little room with one-waywindows.
“We can go into the living room,” I said, pressing my sweaty palms against my jeans. “I’m happy to answer whatever questions youhave.”
Kind of. What could I say? A wolf monster killed Lars, but no one else could see it but me. Not even Lars had realized what had attacked him. And then four strange guys with golden skin fought the thing with swords and daggers before I’d passed out in the middle of the street, somehow ending up home even though I didn’t remember getting here. The police wouldn’t believe me. Hell,Iwouldn’t even believe myself unless I’d seen it happen with my own twoeyes.
I didn’t know how to explain what I’d seen without sounding crazy. Orguilty.
So, I lied. I weaved a story, one that sounded logical and realistic rather than something that sounded straight out of an episode ofTeen Wolf. When I’d finished the explanation, both police officers jotted down notes, both uneasily silent about the wholething.
“So,” I said, clearing my throat. “It’s like I said. I didn’t actually see much. By the time I got into the alley, Lars’s attacker was alreadygone.”
One of the cops looked up, a woman who had called herself Deputy Franklin. “The owner, Rachel Harris, mentioned that you were shouting about a monster. Do you care to elaborate onthat?”
From out of the corner of my eye, I could see the frown deepen on my step-dad’s face. He’d insisted on sitting in on the conversation, as well as my mother. They were going to shit some actual bricks when the police officersleft.
“I think she maybe misunderstood me,” I said. “I just meant that whoever did this to Lars is a monster. There was a lot of blood.” I swallowed hard and blinked back the tears that burned my eyes. “I think I was just in shock a littlebit.”
Deputy Franklin nodded, apparently accepting my scrabbled togetheranswer.
“Just one more question,” Officer Whitmore said, clicking shut his pen and resting it lightly on his knee. Something about that move struck me as odd, as if it wasn’t entirely genuine, as if he wasn’t actually relaxed about the question he was about to lob my way. And once he spoke, I knew why. “Rachel Harris also mentioned that your shift ended a full hour before she found Lars—and you—in the alley beside the theatre. I don’t suppose there’s a reason why you stuck around for so long after yourshift?”
I swallowed hard.Shit.
Shit, shit,shit.
The first words I could think of popped right out of my mouth. “I was waiting to talk to someone I know who went in to watch theperformance.”
The officer clicked his pen. “And what’s the name of this friend of yours? We’d like to speak with them just toconfirm.”
My heart shuddered in my chest. This was going far worse than I thought it would. Partially because I kept sticking my foot right in mymouth.
