No Happily Ever After

Chapter 27

Jennifer'sfather agreed to drive her to the juvenile detention center where ZoeLocke was housed. Naturally, he found it odd and perhaps a bittroublesome that Jennifer wanted to visit an apparent juveniledelinquent. But, he was so glad to see her spring back to life, thathe didn't question it, nor did her require her to show him what theletter had said. He simply waited for her to get dressed, and thenthey set out together into the snowy, grey day.

Mr. Tide escortedher inside and spoke with a person at the front desk. The guardsigned Jennifer in, gave her a brief pat down, and then instructedMr. Tide to wait in the reception area. The guard opened a doorwayto bring Jennifer back. Once inside, the door swung shut with abang, and then a metal gate slid over it with a cold clank and click. Jennifer startled at the unsettling sound of it.

Soon, she foundherself seated at a table across from Zoe Locke. Despite the factthat her classmate had been locked up for several weeks, and she worea drab grey jumpsuit, Jennifer thought she still looked quite prettywith her shining, golden hair. But her wide blue eyes looked shadowyand haunted.

"Zoe!"Jennifer exclaimed quietly. "Are you OK?"

Zoe shook her head. "I'm not OK, Jennifer," she whispered. "Not OK atall. And neither are our classmates, I can pretty much guaranteeit."

Tears sparkled inJennifer's eyes. "What do you mean?" she asked with atrembling voice.

Zoe leaned in closeas she could to Jennifer without drawing attention. "Jennifer,everybody here thinks I'm nuts. Everybody. Or they think I'm lyingto try and get myself out of trouble. But I swear, I SWEAR that I'mnot. Will you please believe me?"

Jennifer repeatedthe text of Zoe's letter in her head for the hundredth time. Shestared into Zoe's eyes. She hardly knew Zoe at all. And of course,it was pretty well known fact the girl was a thief.

But this was theabsolute first that Jennifer had heard of anybody knowing a singlething about the disappearances.

"Yes, Zoe. Iwill believe you."

Zoe closed her eyesfor a moment, as though attempting to compose herself. When theyopened again, she looked Jennifer squarely in the eyes. "Jennifer,when I broke into the Bar family's house, the night that I gotcaught... I accidentally found something very, very disturbing."

Jennifer's heartbegan to accelerate. The Bar's? She had not expected to hear thisat all. But then Benjamin Bar popped her into her mind, in all hisinfinite strangeness. He was spectacularly good looking, rich, andpopular by default because of his mother's well-loved status in theschool.

And yet, now thatshe thought about it, nobody really liked Benjamin. There was justsomething odd about the guy. She didn't know what Zoe was about tosay, but, it already had a ring of truth to it.

"What was it?"Jennifer asked.

"They... Theycame home unexpectedly. I found out later that the game I thoughtthey'd been going to got canceled and they'd simply turned straightaround and come back home." Zoe dragged a great, ragged breathand then continued. "So, I had to hide. It was dark, and theirhouse is huge. Like, a mansion. I was all turned around. Somehow Iended up in the basement."

Zoe stopped asthough unable to go on. Jennifer saw a look of fright pass overZoe's face. She dared to reach over and pat Zoe's hand.

"It's OK,"Jennifer encouraged. "I'm here. I believe you, Zoe. Please goon."

"Jennifer,it's them. The Bar's. They're the killers. They have a torturechamber in their basement."

The wind rushed outof Jennifer and she sat back in her chair.

"There wasn'tanybody in it then," Zoe rushed to continue. "But therewas blood. And cages. And... And... It was the scariest thingI've ever seen. Then, when people started disappearing, it made methink my breaking into their house... Triggered something."

"We need to goto the police!" Jennifer exclaimed.

Zoe vehementlyshook her head. "I've talked and talked and TALKED to police,Jennifer. They won't listen."

"Then what dowe do?"

Zoe leaned closeonce more, leveling a piercing gaze on Jennifer. "You have toget me out of here."

***

Though Mr. Bar wascommonly thought of as the richest man in Faraway, Jennifer's fatherwas certainly no slouch. Mr. Tide was so authoritative in his day today life, Jennifer thought of him almost like a king.

And a king can makethings happen.

As soon as she andher father were in the car, she pleaded with him to get her friendZoe out of lock up. Mr. Tide was baffled, as he'd never heardJennifer mention this girl before. But, he trusted his daughter, andhe saw a desperate pleading on her face. He agreed to do what hecould to help.

He made some phonecalls and found out that the only reason Zoe had not been releasedwith probation was that her mother refused to take her back. He dida little more digging and found that Zoe's mother wasn't an exemplaryparent, and that Zoe had no previous history of any sort oftomfoolery. Plus, she was still recovering from a broken leg she'dsustained the night of her apprehension. Mr. Tide saw a picture of aneglected child who'd made a mistake as a cry for attention. Hislawyer was able to pull some strings, draw up some paperwork, and getMr. Tide appointed Zoe's guardian.

By sunset, ZoeLocke was released from juvenile detention on Mr. Tide'srecognizance.