Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 109903 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 550(@200wpm)___ 440(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109903 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 550(@200wpm)___ 440(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
"So will this," Neil said, shrugging out of Nicky's grip and going next door.
Dan answered his knock almost immediately. Instead of inviting him in, she stepped out into the hall with him and pulled her door most of the way closed behind her. She looked from Neil to Nicky, who was waiting like he thought Neil wouldn't really come over afterward, and then at the cousins' open door.
"Close that," she said. Nicky frowned but did as he was told. Dan waited until the latch clicked before speaking again. "We've got a visitor. He came by a little while ago looking for Andrew. I sent him to the library café to wait and called him when Neil said you were on the way back. I'm surprised he not back yet."
"Someone important?" Nicky asked.
"Yeah." Dan hesitated when the elevator dinged. Neil and Nicky turned and watched a stranger step into the hallway. Neil tensed. The stranger was dressed in jeans and a casual button-up shirt, but he had a cop's swagger as he approached them. Dan lifted her voice in greeting and introduction. "This is Officer Higgins of the Oakland PD."
"Whoa." Nicky held up his hands like he could ward Higgins off. "Wait. Oakland as in California, right? You are way out of your jurisdiction."
Higgins' mouth twitched into a half-smile that didn't reassure any of them. "I'm not here on official business. Not yet, anyway. I just want to talk to Andrew where he can't hang up on me. It's important. He's here?"
Dan gestured next door and came up alongside Neil. Nicky shifted like he wanted to throw himself between Higgins and his cousins, but he hesitated too long. Higgins rapped loudly on the door and waited. Neil didn't want to get any closer to Higgins than he already was, but he couldn't see Andrew's door well enough from here. He kept his eyes on Higgins as he edged down the hall. Higgins glanced back at the movement, but the door opening distracted him.
Unsurprisingly, it was Andrew who investigated the authoritative knock. He only got the door halfway open before he realized who was standing in the hallway. Neil heard the doorknob creak in warning as Andrew twisted it further than it was meant to go. It was a startling giveaway considering Andrew's wide smile and the breezy tone of his voice.
"Oh, I must be imagining things. Pig Higgins, you are a very, very long way from home."
"Andrew," Higgins said. "We need to talk."
"We talked, remember?" Andrew said. "I told you not to bother me."
"You said not to call you," Higgins said. "Just give me a few minutes, won't you, for old times' sake? I came all the way out here to see you. Doesn't that get me any sort of consideration?"
Andrew shook his head with a laugh. "You didn't come out here for me. You came on a witch hunt I already said I wouldn't help you with. Give me one good reason to not cut your throat, would you?"
Dan hissed under her breath, but Higgins looked completely unfazed by the threat. "I was wrong. I know that now. The investigation on him turned up nothing."
"I warned you," Andrew said, unsympathetic.
Higgins held out a hand like he thought Andrew would shut the door in his face. "We were looking at the wrong person, weren't we? I think I've got it right this time, but I can't do anything without a complaining witness. The other kids won't speak up. They don't trust me that much. You're all I've got."
That got Andrew's attention. "Kids? Kids, plural. You only mentioned one last time, Pig. How many are you talking about? How many has she had?"
"You wouldn't care about the number unless there really was something there for me to find," Higgins said, quiet and accusing. "Just yes or no, Andrew. That's all I want. That's all I need right now. I'll give you a name, you give me an answer, and I promise I'll go away."
"You promise." Andrew sounded highly entertained by the notion. "You'll break that promise inside a week, Pig. Don't pretend otherwise. Do I have to walk you out to make sure you leave or will you—"
"Drake," Higgins said.
Andrew shut up. Higgins stretched his hand out further, bracing for a violent reaction, and stared down at Andrew as he waited. Andrew was silent, but not for long. His drugs wouldn't let him keep still for more than a few seconds.
"How many kids, Pig?"
"Six, since you," Higgins said.
Andrew pushed his door further open and stepped out, nearly shoving Higgins aside on his way to the stairs. Higgins strode after him, and the stairwell door slammed behind them.
"You said this wasn't going to be a problem," Dan said.
Nicky sent her a helpless look. "I said if it was, Andrew would handle it."
"This is handling it?" Dan demanded. "Who's Drake?"
"Never heard of him," Nicky said. At Dan's expression he insisted, "I swear. Cross my heart and needle in my eye and all that other stuff. Ease off the Look of Death, would you?"
Dan folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the wall to wait on Andrew's return. Neil waited with her, too curious to walk away yet. Nicky disappeared into his room, likely updating Kevin and Aaron. Neither Dan nor Neil spoke as they waited, and the silence did nothing to ease Dan's obvious bad mood. She was still glowering when Andrew made it back a couple minutes later.
"A welcome party or the inquisition?" Andrew wondered when he saw them.
Dan stepped in front of his door before he could disappear into his room. Andrew obediently stopped in front of her, but he wrapped his fingers around her upper arms. It was a clear warning: he wouldn't hesitate to throw her out of his way if she didn't move fast enough. Dan tensed but held her ground.
"Why are the police looking for you?"
Andrew tilted his body toward her and smiled into her face. "I'm not in trouble, oh captain my captain. The pig is just too incompetent to make his case without some outside help. Don't try to make this your business, okay? I won't let you."