Page 63 of Trapper Road

And of course I have this realization when I have to spend a good chunk of the evening at the police station giving my statement. I have no doubt that if I decided to wait until tomorrow, Chief Parks wouldn’t hesitate to send a cruiser after me to politely insist upon my presence at the station. I also have no doubt that he plans to make me wait a very very long time until he’s able to talk to me.

“We don’t know yet. The police are interviewing someone, but it could be a while before we know more.”

“But if it was him, then I basically solved the case, right?”

I chuckle. “I definitely think you will be owed credit for helping.”

“See, aren’t you glad you brought me along and let me get involved after all?”

“I am. But about the case — I’m afraid it might be a very late night for me, which means you two will be on your own. The police have some questions for me and want me to come to the station to give a statement. I’m heading that way now, and I thought I’d drop by the coffee shop to pick you and Vee up and drop you at the motel. It’s getting late, and I don’t want to risk you two getting stuck walking back when it’s dark.”

“Oh, um…” he hesitates a minute, then asks, “How far away are you? I just ordered another coffee and want to see if I should cancel the order.”

I glance at the maps app. “About half an hour? Maybe more?”

“Cool. Yeah, that will work.” I think he’s about to hang up, but instead he pauses a beat before saying, “Wait… If you’ve basically solved the case, does that mean we’ll be leaving town soon?”

“I don’t know,” I tell him. “It’s possible.” There’s a tone to his voice that I can’t quite figure out so I add, “Would that be okay?”

There’s another stretch of silence. “Do you think… maybe we could stick around for a little while longer instead?”

I’m surprised by his request and the hesitancy with which he asks it. “Any particular reason?”

“No, it’s just…” he blows out a breath. “I don’t really want to go back just yet.”

I take a stab at a possible reason. “Is this because of what happened at school?”

He’s quiet for so long that I worry I might have pushed too hard. Finally he says, “They think I had something to do with it, Mom.”

My protective instincts kick into overdrive. “Who does?” I demand, outraged.

“All the kids at school. The news. Everyone.”

Anger sears through my veins. “How could anyone think that?”

“You know, like father like son. Killing’s in my DNA. That sort of thing.”

Fucking Melvin Royal again. The damage he’s inflicted on our family seems to have no end. I close my eyes, hating that I’m so far away from my son right now. I want to wrap him in my arms and protect him. “Oh, honey, it’s going to be okay.”

“It’s just, until Kevin wakes up and can tell them the truth…”

I force myself to bite my cheek to keep from responding. Connor has much more faith in his friend than I do.

“I know it was a long time ago,” he continues, “but I remember enough what it was like with Dad — the reporters and the hate mail and the constant scrutiny. I don’t want that again. It was already starting before we left, and I can tell by the stuff online it’s only gotten worse. I just want life to be normal for once.”

There’s so much frustration and fear in my son’s voice that it breaks my heart. “I know,” I tell him. And if I could give that to him, I absolutely would. But I can’t. I can, however give him more time before being thrust back under the spotlight. “We don’t have to go home if you’re not ready.”

I hear him release a pent-up breath. The relief he feels is obvious. “Thanks, Mom.”

Now it’s my turn to hesitate a beat before I say, “You know if you want to talk about what happened…”

There’s a stretch of silence. “I know.”

I wait for him to say more, but he doesn’t. Instead, he tells me he’ll see me soon and hangs up. I start the drive back into town gripping the steering wheel so tight my knuckles blaze white. If I could kill Melvin Royal all over again for doing this to our kids, I wouldn’t hesitate. If anything, I would make his death more painful.

17

KEZIA