Deeper (The Deeper Chronicles #1) (21 page)

 

Harry sputtered and coughed, his gaze unseeing until someone with a rainbow-colored hat neared.

I-I have to stay—

Stooping, Avi covered the unknown woman’s hands with her own, applying more pressure. “You stay with me, Harry. Don’t you die on me.” Tears sprang from her eyes. Eyes that were the exact shade as his.

Using the last bit of strength he had, Harry uttered the name of the only person he knew could help.

Avi encouraged him to remain silent and reserve his strength, but his lips moved again.

Pressing her ear to his mouth, she listened.

“Call Noe...Adams,” Harry grunted out just as death collected his fifty-year old body on the sidewalk in front of his regular Sunday spot.

 

 

She raised her chilled hands to warm them with her breath and grimaced at the stains there. Her hands fell into her lap.

Her leg bounced in nervousness. The plastic seat was uncomfortable. Avi shifted her lower half, trying to find a position that didn’t make her butt clench in pain or her back tense further.

Outside the restaurant, there was a beehive of activity. Yellow police tape was everywhere. The word ‘coroner’ was etched on the jackets worn by men who passed by her to attend to Harry’s lifeless body. A few witnesses were around, giving their statements just like she was about to.

She closed her lids, still unable to come to terms with what had happened.

The loud scraping of a chair being pulled out aggravated Avi’s already sensitive hearing. A scowl distorted her features. Across from her, a confrontational man clenched a fist and pressed on the top of a pen. Each click communicated the man’s anger.

“Miss...”

“Linton.”

The clicking stopped.

“Right. Ms. Linton. I’d like—”

“Um, excuse me, but what’s your name?” she asked.

“Officer Simmonds.” He shifted in his seat, moving closer to her. “Mind telling me how you knew Detective Manning?”

“Well, I don’t.” Avi shook her head. “Not really.”

Officer Simmonds peered at her. “You were walking by then?”

“Yes and no,” Avi said. She tucked her cold hands under her legs.

He pushed the top of the pen down and up.

Avi followed each movement.

“Which is it, Ms. Linton?”

“Um, the thing is I was on my way to meet Harry, I mean Mr. Manning. But I don’t—didn’t know him.” The last words were hitched on an emotion Avi refused to name at that moment.

She wasn’t going to think about never having a father for all her twenty-four years of life, only to lose him right before they would have met...spoke...maybe hugged each other. A sob caught in the back of her throat.

Officer Simmonds leaned back in his chair.

Avi’s gaze darted around the street every so often and her shoulders hunched trying to hide from the people on the other side of the ‘do not cross’ tape.

They’re probably judging me, just like others did in Florida.

“I need to know what you saw,” Officer Simmonds said.

Avi’s teeth clamped down hard on her inner cheek. Releasing it, she blew out a steadying breath, hoping it’d help center her and her rambling thoughts.

“I-I didn’t see anything. I was walking down the street toward the restaurant. I-I saw him. I mean he was right there. Right at the...” Tears spilled onto her jacket.

Officer Simmonds urged her on as if her outward emotions were fake. “You were saying?”

“Right. Yeah...” Avi sat taller, rubbing her face on her sleeve. “He was outside the restaurant. He waved to me, be-because this was the first time I was seeing him...meeting him. I think he took a few steps from the door, but God’s honest truth, everything after that I don’t even remember.” Avi swallowed. “I heard a sound, but I thought it was a fire cracker—”

“Fire cracker?”

At the time, she’d assumed the boys who had caused trouble earlier had come back for more. She clasped her hands together. “Some kids, like right before I saw Harry, had popped a few fire crackers.”

She looked around, becoming warm and sweaty when other police officers began combing the streets.

“Focus, Ms. Linton.”

Avi’s jumpy gaze dropped to her lap before lifting to Simmonds’s scrutinizing eyes.

“Right, well, I remember the kids’ antics, but I didn’t stop to worry over them. Then I was walking.” Avi covered her ears and squeezed her eyes shut. “One sound, then another. Next thing I’m doing is corking the hole in my father’s neck with my fingers.”

Her hands fell away and she looked at them. Would the stains ever come off?

The clicking stopped.

“Your father?” He stood. “You mind taking a ride down with me to the station?”

The demand was clear; she had no choice in the matter.

P
eople hustled by her, on their way everyplace else except to the empty seat in front of Avi. On top of that, Officer Simmonds had yet to return with the cup of water he had offered earlier; her tongue and throat ached from thirst. His seat had been vacant since she was ushered from the back of the police car and through the precinct’s doors, rumpled and bloody, almost half an hour ago.

I hate police stations. I really hate police stations.

Leaning back on the wooden slats of the chair didn’t alleviate her discomfort.

Finally, he brought back three paper cups brimming with water. Avi eyed them with longing. The first cup was grabbed and gulped down. So was the second cup. The third was left on top of the table while she toyed with its edge.

“I’d like to pick up right after the fire cracker noise you heard.” Pen and notepad in hand, he eyed her in expectation.

“Okay.”

“Not another word, Ms. Linton.”

Avi faced the authoritative voice. The tone was clear and matter-of-fact.

“Is my client under arrest?” A man came into view swinging a leather briefcase in one hand and wearing a pinstriped suit that looked like it might cost at least three months of Avi’s salary. “Officer Simmonds, is my client under arrest?”

He stood. “Well, no. But she’s—”

The man shoved a card in the policeman’s palm. “This is my business card. Right now, I’m taking her home.” Turning, he extended his hand. “Ms. Linton...”

He waited for her to take his invitation and latch onto his open hand.

Avi squinted at the man, turning her head to the side, and tried to place him. She couldn’t, and she knew she could never afford whatever he charged. Her upper body eased away from his hand and she pursed her lips.

“I-I...” she began.

Bending down, he whispered, “Mr. Adams sent me. He’s right outside waiting for you.”

She glanced around, even though she knew he wasn’t inside. Her brain simply wasn’t working the way it should. Avi licked her lips and looked up into the man’s face. She inspected his features, from the softened blue eyes that favored a cloudless day and lips pulled up in a friendly smile. But underneath it all, the shark wasn’t far off, reminding her of the name he had mentioned. Another predator.

Mr. Adams. Noah Adams.

The name triggered the words of a dying man.

Call Noe...Adams...

Harry couldn’t have been talking about
him
.

“Mr. Adams is waiting, Ms. Linton,” the stately gentleman said near Avi’s ear, cutting short her musings.

Avi gave a small nod and the man stepped back, allowing room for her to stand. Her legs were like Jell-O; she had to use his forearm to steady her first steps.

“Have a great day, Officer Simmonds,” the man said over his shoulder.

As if the last bell of the school year had just rung, Avi ran-walked out of the interrogation room in as composed a manner as possible, making it difficult for her companion to keep up. She pushed the doors open and took in large gulps of air. The man Noah had sent for her placed a hand between her shoulders and pointed toward a silver SUV.

The door opened, and then there he stood. Avi didn’t realize she was running until she crashed into his arms and was enveloped by Noah.

Nothing was said. Avi nestled into safety. His arms wound around her body. She pushed into him as much as she physically could. Avi clawed at his back and pressed herself into him more as the reality of the day hit her. Dry sobs wracked her body, but she was secure in the solid mass of muscle that bunched and flexed against her.

The biting wind ended their short embrace.

“Come on,” Noah said, brushing a soft kiss on her forehead.

He stepped to the side, helping Avi into the vehicle.

Ro greeted her as she entered the car. He wore a somber expression.

She released a shaky breath and a small crack of a smile. Tipping her head back on the headrest, Avi hoped to block the world out and erase the last hours of her day. When she didn’t hear Noah enter the vehicle, she gazed around. Through the tinted window, she saw him shaking hands with the man who had come to her aid. A frown scrunched her forehead.

“Let’s go, Zach,” Noah said, sliding in beside Avi and pulling out a slim silver phone along with a bulky black one.

Anger radiated off Noah. Its oppressiveness weighed down the car and its occupants. The truck was silent, except for the low hum of a radio program.

Noah spoke to Ro in a harsh, clipped tone that chilled Avi. She didn’t understand the tightness present around Noah’s lips. She couldn’t make sense of the reason his eyes strayed toward her then looked away when she caught him. She wanted to tell him to take a deep breath and try some calming exercises she used with her students, but with the way Noah gripped the two cell phones and eyed them as if deciding between life and death, she held her tongue.

He was quick to settle on his phone choice, and Avi couldn’t help wondering if that was how decisive Noah was in all issues. After a while, she wasn’t sure if he was purposefully ignoring her. Avi waited while he finished texting, but as one text led to several, followed by a few cryptic phone calls on the black phone, Avi grew impatient.

She tapped his leg. He held up a finger and returned his attention to his phones. Noah missed Avi rolling her eyes. Next, Avi used her elbow, bumping his. His head turned, leveling her with an admonishing stare, making her feel as if she were five years old. She huffed. Just as he was finishing up on the black phone, she confiscated it.

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