Page 58 of The Disputed Legacy

I shook my head. He’d never walk home by himself. I repeated the rule about only me or the school staff seeing him off the school property. He was never to be alone or unsupervised by me or someone I’d trust. And that list was awfully damn short. Besides, Oscar would still be in school for another hour.

It’s too early,I mouthed back to him.

Plus, Oscar would’ve called out to me for entrance. He would’ve greeted me.

If it was someone from the school to bring news to me, they would’ve called or texted me as the emergency contact first, not show up as a cold caller, popping in like this.

Saul approached the door, almost like a hunter on the prowl. Each step he took seemed calculated, like he was used to being stealthy.

No peephole?Saul mouthed it to me again, and I shook my head. I’d asked for one, but the landlord hadn’t gotten around to it yet. That was probably against the law or a housing code, but I didn’t mind before. I always feared someone being able to spy on me through the peepholes at other places.

He kept walking up to the door and settled on waiting off to the side of the doorframe. Tense and deliberate with his movements, he stayed there and tilted his head. He gestured for me to answer, but he would be right next to me.

Maybe someone is looking for him?

I had no clue what was going on, but so long as he was here near the door with me, it was impossible for me to feel like I was facing this odd scenario alone. I wasn’t. He was right here with me. Within reach. His stance next to the door had me suspecting he was angling off to the side like that to be my backup in caseI needed it. Support was a foreign concept, but I was learning to lean on him already.

I gripped the doorknob and spun it.

Then as I pulled the door open slowly, just a little, my worst fear was realized.

With his hand lifted as if he’d paused midway to knock again, a police officer raised his brows at me.

Fuck.

Fuck!

Oh, fuck!

My pulse sped up and I struggled to swallow. Instantly sweaty and panicking, I felt attacked from the inside out as fear claimed me.

The police were here.

One of them.

Dressed in full uniform and sporting a dull and expectant scowl, he watched me hold the door frame, unable to let him in or show him more of myself.

A cop.

He washere.

My brain froze, stuck on what this could mean.

“Excuse me, ma’am, but we’ve received a call about suspicious noise coming from your unit.” The cop who spoke cleared his throat after his statement, like his job bored him. “Mind if I step inside and have a look around? Maybe chat for a bit?”

Yes, I do fucking mind.He could come inside when hell iced over.

As I shook my head, shaking with nerves, Saul reached out to slide his hand over the small of my back, reminding me that he was here and could be my backup.

I’m not alone.

They can’t hurt me.

They can’t take?—

“Officer?” Saul said, cool but polite, almost like he was the only professional around here. He edged up closer to me, stepping out of the shadow next to the door as he revealed himself and that I wasn’t here by myself. “CanIhelp you?”

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