Changed Time

Chapter Eighteen

As we were driving down the nearly deserted street, we noticed something immediately wrong with the warehouse.

"Are those cop cars?" Zach asked.

"No, they're circus carts, of course they're freaking cop cars!" Jessie snapped. "Who the hell called the cops?"

I tried to fight the urge to turn to Sophie, but I couldn't, and neither could the five others in the car.

"It wasn't me!" She protested. "I wouldn't do that to you guys. No matter how much I want to find Jamie's body, I wouldn't do that." She was talking to the whole group, but she was staring at me while she was talking. "Drew, you know I wouldn't."

I nodded. "I know, Sophie. I'm sorry we accused you."

Wyatt pulled into what could be called the warehouse's parking lot and parked the Charger alongside the squad cars.

We all got out.

A deputy rushed over to us, he had his arms spread out and a stern expression planted on his face. "Kids, this is a crime scene. You aren't allowed to be here."

I opened my mouth to protest, but Paige stopped me. "We're sorry, Deputy," She leaned in over my shoulder, "Wilson. It's just that we're part of the school's newspaper, and this would make one hell of a story." I turned to her, and if I wasn't imagining it, I couldn't sworn she was batting her eyes.

The deputy hesitated, staring at Paige, totally ignoring the rest of us. Finally he nodded. "I'm going to get my ass suspended if I do this, but what the hell, what do you want to know?"

"Oh my God, thank you so much!" Paige smiled, her smile reaching her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Come on, what do you want to know?" The deputy moved his finger in circles.

"What happened here?" Sophie asked. Her blue eyes were wide and hopeful. She looked younger than ever.

"We had an anonymous tip come in about ten minutes ago. They said that somebody had been murdered in this warehouse." Deputy Wilson looked around him. "Usually these are just false tips. Usually just a waste of time."

"But?" Jessie asked.

"From the amount of blood in there, I would say that this isn't one of those cases." Deputy Wilson shifted his feet.

"Do you know who the victim was?" Wyatt asked.

We know who it was.

The deputy shook his head. "We haven't found a body yet, but we have plenty of blood samples. We should know who the victim was by tonight."

"Wilson!" An impatient voice yelled. "What are you doing? Get the tape up."

Deputy Wilson sighed. "Is that all? I should be getting back to my job." He continued to stare at Paige.

Paige smiled. "That's all, Deputy Wilson. Thank you." She batted her eyes again.

The deputy's eyes searched Paige's face, and before looking away they scanned up and down. He bowed his head, pivoted on one food and walked back to his squad car.

"What a creep," Jessie mumbled. "I was really tempted to kick him in his‒"

"Yeah, you weren't the only one," I interrupted her. We walked back to the Charger, but none of us got in. "So, somebody called the murder in, and it wasn't any of us, so who was it?" I turned to Paige, and I could tell she had the same idea as I did.

"It could be," Paige shrugged. "But there's no way of telling."

"Who else would it be?" I asked. "Who else knows about it?"

"Wait. Are you guys talking about the girl you think was in the warehouse?" Jessie asked. "Now I really want to find this girl."

"We don't have enough room in the Charger for another person," Zach said suddenly. "I mean, I'd love for another girl to join the group and all, but we're going to need to kick somebody out, or somebody goes in the trunk."

Jessie rolled her eyes. "Well, let's see. Sophie is Jamie's sister, Wyatt drives and it's his car, Drew and Paige have visions, and then there is you." She smirked.

"Great, so do you want to go in the trunk, or should we call you a cab?" Zach smiled innocently.

Wyatt covered his mouth, trying to conceal his smile.

Jessie glared at him. "Just get in the car." With a huff, she opened the door and slid in.

With small chuckle, Wyatt got in. Zach patted my shoulder before taking the suicide step into the seat next to Jessie. I glanced across the reflective black surface of the Charger's hood at Sophie. She smiled at me, and I returned the gesture. "They'll find her, Sophie." I said softly. "They'll find her."

She smiled again—though it seemed smaller—before getting into the car.

Paige and I stood alone, the windows and doors shut on the Charger. "The only connection I had with her was the warehouse," Paige whispered.

"The only connection we had," I corrected her. "We're in this together, Paige. And we're going to find her."

She looked up at me with her gray eyes. She fought with her mouth to create a smile. "I know, Drew." And with nothing else she opened the door and got into the Charger.

I took one last look at the warehouse, now surrounded by police cruisers, before sliding in next to her.

"We can't go to Grey Creek, Wyatt. Not anymore. There is definitely something going on here, and I do believe that there is another victim here." I said as he started the engine.

"What if she left after she made the call to the cops?" Zach asked. "I mean, if I was going to call the cops, I would ditch town before they start questioning anybody who is new in town."

I shook my head. "Something has kept her here this whole time, and I'm willing to bet that it's still keeping her here."

Nobody said a word.

I turned to Paige and was about to ask her what she thought, but she was staring forward, her mind in a different place. I read her eyes, those gray eyes that shielded her emotions with an army and a guarded wall.

But through that army, and in that wall was a small window. I peered in through the window and I think I caught a glimpse of worry.

Worry and hope.