Chapter 28 - A False Witness Who Speaks Lies

Nanny Bella blocked the entrance to the house even after the Virginia police officer showed her his badge. She had no idea that I was expecting someone eventually.  After all, I was a witness to Daniel’s presence in the Vaughn household. Once I convinced this cop of Daniel’s guilt, he’d go away.  

“Bella, let the officer inside.” The moist December air sliced through my skin like a scalpel.

“But your parents aren't home.”

 “Are they ever?” I pushed past her and let him inside before closing the door. Growing up in California, I never once dreamed of a white Christmas. Cold weather blows. And now my perpetual guard allowed all of that cold to get to me.

I rubbed my palms together, as much to dispel the cold as my nerves. With a frown, Nanny Bella ushered the plain-clothes detective deeper into the foyer.

"Thank you, ma'am." The officer nodded at both of us before removing his gloves. He stuffed them into his already crowded pockets. He removed a crumpled handkerchief and rubbed his raw nose. "Sorry. The cold air gives me the sniffles."

Nanny Bella didn't answer, she just folded her arms and looked ready to kick him out again.

"Really, Bella, you act like he's come to arrest me or something." My caretaker's mouth dropped open like I'd used the f-word or something. I hoped the direct approach would assure the cop that I had nothing to hide. "Did you come to arrest me officer?"

Please say no. Please say no. Please say no.

"No." He pulled off his knit cap and exposed a clean-shaved scalp. It didn't look good on his lumpy head but I squashed my laugh.

"Where's your partner?" Nanny Bella began her own investigation.

"He's following up on another case." The detective rubbed his hands together. "I'm just here to ask a couple of questions."

"See?" I shot a look at Bella. If she stayed calm, I’d stay calm. I escorted the officer toward the spacious living room on the left. "Could you bring us some hot tea or coffee?"

"Si." She reluctantly turned toward the kitchen.

I smiled and extended my hand for him to enter the room. Christmas decorations crowded the mantel and French-pane windows. A professionally, decorated tree stood in front of a large picture window. The thick grass in the background would disappoint anyone hoping for a white holiday. The realistic gas fire warmed the air, although I still shivered.

"Please have a seat." I turned down the Christmas music. Nanny Bella always filled the house with the annoying sound of Bing Crosby at this time of year. Jingle bells and pregnant virgins meant nothing to me. People said Christmas was about family, but it only spotlighted the gaps in mine.

The man looked around the room, seeming to record every detail. He stepped toward the tree and fingered an antique ornament. "You have a very beautiful home."

"It's not really mine, now is it?"

“Oh?” He looked surprised.

I smiled. “I’m not old enough to own a house.”

"I guess not." He chuckled as if he'd just remembered I was a minor. Thank goodness he wasn't too bright. I relaxed a little. I could do this. I could. My trail was covered.

Nanny Bella appeared at the door with a tray of coffee and tea. That was fast. She really wasn’t about to leave me alone with this guy for a second. She placed the tray on the coffee table and asked him what he wanted.

"A little tea." He pinched the air to indicate how much. My stomach gurgled as the smell of coffee collided with the cinnamon pine cones on the end table.

"I stay," Nanny Bella declared. She poured the drink and handed the cup to the officer. "Her parents aren't home. You understand."

"Certainly, this won't take long." The high-back chair made the medium-sized man appear short. There was nothing to be nervous about, I told myself. I had it under control.

"Courtney." Nanny Bella handed me a cup of tea. I shook my head. She put it down in front of me anyway. The warm tea would settle my stomach, but I couldn't chance picking it up with trembling hands.

"Looks like you're ready for Christmas." He nodded at the tree which already sheltered a handful of wrapped packages. The largest were for Kat. Both Father and Aunt Constance spoiled the brat. None of it mattered to me. The tired holiday intended to bring families together lasted a total of thirty minutes in our house. Tradition then took us to a restaurant for brunch with whoever was in town. Yum. Not.

"It's my favorite time of year." The officer took a small sip of his coffee. "The festive lights and music bring back great memories from when I was a kid."

I crossed my legs without comment. Why did grown-ups talk about stupid stuff? He needed to get to the point. The light chit-chat made me more uncomfortable than if he'd just ask if I'd killed someone.

"Beautiful view." Sip.

"You didn't come to talk about trees." Nanny Bella crossed her arms over her ample chest.

"No. No, you're right." He took another sip and set the cup down. "Just a few questions." He pulled a small black notebook and pen from his pocket. He flipped over a few pages and stopped. "Do you know a girl named Nicole Vaughn?"

I casually laced my fingers over my knee.

"Yes, sir, she goes to my school."

He wrote in his notebook.

"Well," I said, "she doesn't go there now, of course. She has to stay home in bed. But you should know that, the police officer at the scene reassured me the fall was filed as an accident."

“What accident?” Nanny Bella’s voice raised in panic.

“In early November, a young girl at the mall fell onto an escalator,” the officer said matter-of-factly.

I swallowed.

“Oh, my.” Nanny Bella grabbed my hand and I squeezed hers back. I’d never told her about the accident, only Uncle John knew the real reason I flew up to New York for Halloween. I’m sure my parents knew, but they obviously didn’t tell the person who actually took care of me.

The officer continued. “I’m not here about that.”

“Really?” I tried to sound surprised. That was my cover. I wanted him to think that I believed he was here to investigate that. No reason to be nervous.

"What, mi hija?" Nanny Bella turned to me.

I stared at her. Did I say something? Great. How much did I say? I bit my lip and tried to think.

"Do you mind if I ask the questions?" The officer's eyebrows pushed wrinkles into his endless forehead.

"Go ahead." She waved the back of her fingers at him.

"Yes, young lady, no reason to be nervous, I’m not here about the accident.”

“So, why are you here, tell us quick.” Nanny Bella was priceless. I suppressed a smile. She could say things that wouldn’t sound good coming from me. I put my fingers over my mouth to make sure nothing I thought fell out.

The officer cleared his throat. “This is about the girl from the accident.”

“Nicole.” I offered.

“Yes, do you visit her often?" He studied more than my words. The small talk was over.

"Every day after school. We have history class together. I help her stay caught up."

"Oh, Courtney," Nanny Bella's eyes sparkled. "You take care of a poor sick girl?"

The officer crossed his arms and gave Nanny Bella a do-you-mind glance. The two squared off for a moment, before I finally jumped in. "Yes." I intentionally brought my eyebrows together, going for a look of confusion. "Not just history. English too."

"Does anyone else you know stop by while you are there?" He tapped his pen on the pad. I fought back a smile. I knew where he was going. The Vaughn’s probably found the empty Oxycodone bottle under Nicole’s bed.

"I saw her boyfriend there once."

"Do you know his name?"

"Daniel." I fought back a blink and tucked my hands under my legs. "Daniel Orbach."

"The boy from this summer?" Nanny Bella's face crinkled. "You've never said he was seeing someone else."

Not now, Bella, not now. This officer didn’t need to know that Daniel and I dated. "Why should I?" I shrugged. "Am I supposed to tell you everything that happens at Master's Elite?" I faced the officer. “He was someone who came by during the summer. His parents know my aunt.”

Nanny Bella swatted the air again. I wanted to ask her to go get some cookies or something but that might appear suspicious. She wasn’t being helpful.

"Is that where you go to school? Master's Elite?" The officer wrote the name down. I tried not to sigh. He must have that information already. I needed to stay calm and not freak out. Who knew what he actually scribbled on the pad.

"Yes, sir, I'm a senior there."

He reached into the outside pocket of his suit jacket and pulled out a Ziploc bag. "Have you ever seen this bottle before?"

There it was.

The evidence.

Months of planning.

I tried to look inquisitive as he handed the baggie to me. With care, I lifted it to get a better view. I had to hope all my fingerprints had been wiped off the bottle. A part of me hoped that Daniel found it. His prints would be perfect, but I couldn't ask that question. "It looks like some kind of medicine."

"It is." The officer cleared his throat. "Have you seen it before?"

"This bottle? I don't think so. Whose is it?"

"We're not sure. It appears that someone might have been providing Nicole a little more medicine than the doctor prescribed." He didn't mention the place he found it, but if he thought I was going to say anything, I'd have to slot him into the stupid category.

"Who would do such a thing?" Nanny Bella clicked her tongue.

The officer ignored her and kept his eyes drilled into mine and said, "I don't know. Sometimes people do things for malicious reasons and others just try to appease their guilt. Do you know anyone who might have reason to do either of those, Miss Manchester?"

"Of course she doesn't." Nanny Bella moved closer to me. I let her put her arm around me. I concentrated on acting casual. "She just told you they are friends. She takes her homework and sits with the girl." She faced me and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "Does your cousin Bailey go too?"

The officer wrote Bailey's name in his book. Not good. Not good at all. Nanny Bella needed to back off before she got me in trouble. Bailey could say anything.

"No," I said. "When I go, I go alone."

"What's Bailey's last name?"

"Curtis." I didn't like this line of questioning, but I smiled anyway.

"C.U.R.T.I.S, is that right?"

"Yes, but I don't think she visits Nicole."

"No problem. I'll just stop by and ask her a few questions." He gulped down the remainder of his tea as if he'd never sipped a beverage in his life. The interview was over. Just like that. I should have been relieved, but his questions bothered me. They weren't direct enough. He was searching for something. He tucked the evidence and notebook back into his pocket. "Thank you for the hospitality."

"All over?" Nanny Bella stood up.

"Yes, that’s it." He stood and retrieved his knit cap. There was no way they could pin this on me, could they? I'd covered all my bases. Everything was in Daniel's name. I'd never gone anywhere without a disguise.

I followed the officer to the front door. He fished out a business card. "If you think of anything more, please give me a call."

What would I have to tell him? He only hinted at a possible crime. Nothing concrete had come from his mouth. "Yes, sir." I hugged myself as the door swung open. Nanny Bella and I watched him hurry to his car in the cold. We waved goodbye. After Nanny closed the door I went back to the living room. I extended my hands toward the gas fireplace, but the flames didn't warm them.

Nanny Bella turned on the music again. "That was strange." The clink of china against china sent goose-bumps up my arms. The meeting went fine. I shouldn't worry. I hadn't revealed anything, but I'd have to stay on my guard until the investigation ended.

"Yeah," I said. I had to get away before the in-house detective began her own line of questioning.

"What do you think about those drugs?" She bent over and picked up the tray.

"I don't know." I maneuvered around the couch, but she met me at the door.

"So, who is this Nicole girl?"

"A school friend."

"You know her a long time?"

"Look, Bella, can we talk about this later?"

"Sure," she said, but I knew her questions wouldn’t stop. Once she got back from the kitchen, she’d drill me. I had to get out of the house. As soon as she left the room, I went to the coat closet and bundled myself up in a thick jacket. I pulled a hoodie over my head.

In the yard, grass sunk under my feet as I walked toward the pier. I tightened the scarf around my neck and clenched my fingers into fists. The weight of possibilities threatened to collapse on me. While I'd expected someone would come ask questions, I never expected them to be so vague. That officer had been fishing.

The wind whipped strands of my hair loose. Across the lawn, I saw a handful of workers at the dock. The last thing I wanted to deal with was people. The measurement on a pier pole indicated the tide had risen more than a foot. Gusts bounced the boat's bumpers against waterproof wood while the men tightened the lines.

Bailey could get me in trouble. She was good at that. But what did she know? Nothing really. She might actually be a good alibi. If she talked about the rumor, the cops could only connect that to the accident, something they already knew. I hugged my arms around my chest as the wind bit at my cheeks. The officer would have to puzzle a lot together to pin it on me. Hopefully the library had cameras. The train station, too. Then again, this wasn't some dystopian movie with cameras on every corner. Come on.

I pulled my sleeves over my hands and turned toward the gazebo on the other side of the yard. The small shelter had been built in a grove of trees with an open view of the river. Mother made sure it had windows so that she could spend time there during inclement weather. A button on the wall started the heat lamps.

The detective didn't ask me about pre-paid Visas or the mailbox. My finger brushed across the wooden bench and found the uneven dents that spelled Kat's name. I carved it months ago. No one had noticed. When they did, my sister would plead innocence and I'd act like I had no idea what they were talking about. Even if Kat didn't get punished, my parents couldn't openly blame me. And when it came to cops, neither could they. I picked at the wood, but it didn't give way. I needed a knife. I needed to carve Kat's name a little deeper.