Too Close to Home: A Scarecrow and Mrs. King Continuing Story - Book 2

Chapter 11

Day 5 - Saturday (early morning)

Arlington Heights Police Department

Lee ran his hand over his hair as he paced back and forth inside the small confines of Interrogation Room #1. There were one-hundred and one ways he could handle this situation, and not a single one of them would be the right one. Okay, so he was exaggerating. He shook his head. His odds of finding the best way were just about as low, but he had to try. He knew what Amanda would do; she would pray. But he wasn't quite on the same speaking terms with the Almighty as she seemed to be these days. Still...Lee looked up toward the ceiling and managed one thought. Help.

The door opened, and Lee turned. Eyes cast downward, Philip walked in ushered by a guard. Lee nodded to the officer and waited for him to leave. Walking toward Philip, whose head seemed to hang lower, he reached out a hand and laid it gently on the boy's shoulder. "Philip?"

At the sound of Lee's voice, Philip snapped his head up and sucked in a breath. Compassion exuded from his stepdad's face, and any bravado that was left in him drained out; the tears he'd been holding back by sheer force of will seeped unbidden from his eyes.

"Ah, Philip..." Lee pulled him close and wrapped his arms around him. Afterall, almost fifteen year old boys still needed hugs. For all Philip's attitude, he was really just a scared kid; a scared kid who was the son of the woman he loved more than life. He felt the weight of Philip's arms come around his back, and the boy began to tremble. Lee scrunched a hand into Philip's hair and held him close, his own heart breaking for the pain this stepson of his was going through. "Come here, Philip; let's sit."

Philip took his lead and followed him to the table, slumping into the chair and bracing his face in his hands. His shoulders shook with silent sobs. Lee pulled the other chair around so he could sit next to Philip and laid a hand on his back. Philip obviously wasn't ready to talk, and the last thing Lee wanted to do was interrogate him.

Philip sniffed and wiped his nose with his shirt sleeve. "They won't tell me anything, Lee." He raised red, angry eyes to Lee's. "They won't tell me anything about Melissa. Where'd they take her? Is she going to be okay?"

Lee took a deep breath and shook his head. "I'm so sorry, Philip." He braced himself for the outburst he knew was coming. "Melissa didn't make it."

Philip just stared at him, trying to process the words. "No..." He whispered and shook his head. "No!" He stood as his adrenalin levels spiked. He wanted to run, but he was trapped in this room with no way out. "No!" Not knowing what to do with the tidal wave of rage surging through his body, he picked up the chair he'd been sitting in and sent it soaring across the room. Lee stood quickly to get out of the way. "Noooooo!" Philip tried to flip the table, but it was bolted down. He looked up at Lee and pointed a finger at him. "It's a lie! You're a jerk, man! You lied to me about my mom, and now you're lying to me about this!" He came at Lee with fists flying aimlessly and managed to land a punch in Lee's still tender abdomen.

Choosing that moment to come into the room, Francine saw the young man on the attack. She quickly moved to intercept, but Lee caught her eye and shook his head. Confused, she stepped back and watched Lee handle the boy.

"It's okay, Philip," Lee spoke just loudly enough to be heard through Philip's thick anger. "Go ahead. Hit me if you need to, man. It's okay."

Letting out a guttural yell, Philip melted to the floor and scraped his hands into his hair; Lee went down with him. Distressed, Lee looked up at Francine and wrapped his arm around Philip's shoulder as he cried.

"Philip?" Eyebrows raised in shock, she mouthed the name; he nodded in response.

"She can't be gone, Lee," Philip shook his head. "How can she be gone? She was just here..." He turned his head, his eyes beseeching Lee's. "I was just talking to her."