Fiery Trap

Chapter Twelve: The Return

"Is this why you brought me here?" Rachel said with a soft, trembling voice.

"Yes," the bald officer replied. His face was hardened, not feeling the least bit concerned by Rachel's shock.

"But what she wrote isn't true. I didn't kill—you have to believe me—" Rachel spoke quickly, feeling impelled to prove her innocence despite the fact she probably sounded like she was covering her tracks. With a stern face, the shorter policeman held up his right hand, indicating to Rachel to be quiet. She closed her lips, feeling all hope was lost.

"We believe you," the shorter policeman said.

"You... you do?" Rachel said.

"Alyssa told us of her findings two weeks ago," the bald officer said.

"We stated to her that we'll handle it and she shouldn't go any further," the shorter officer said. "When she found out you weren't going to be arrested, I guess she took the matter into her own hands and published her evidence."

"We've sent security to confiscate the newspapers on campus," the bald officer said. "We believe most, if not all, of the papers were taken away."

"Then why am I here? Why did you take me out of my class?" Rachel said, glancing at both officers, who seemed less threatening to her than before.

"Because we've a few questions to ask you," the shorter officer said and then the bald officer brought out a folder from beneath his leather jacket and placed it on the table. He opened the folder, revealing a photo, and slid it toward Rachel to get a better look. Rachel looked down and flinched a little when she saw the picture of Jay. He looked more calm and happy in this picture than she remembered him to be. The photo displayed him in a playful chokehold between two boys that were younger than he. The boy on the right had long, black hair like his while the other boy had short, wavy, blond hair. Both boys appeared to be in middle school.

"Why are you showing me this?" Rachel said, looking at the officers, almost offended. She didn't have the stomach to glance at Jay. The bald officer stood up from his seat and walked around till he towered over Rachel. He jabbed his finger at the boy on the right side of Jay. "Do you know him?"

"No," Rachel said after gazing at the picture for a while. She then looked at the officer beside her. "Should I?"

"That's Jay's younger brother, Miss Evans," the shorter officer said. "Did you know he had a younger brother?"

"Yes, I did, but I've never seen a picture of him. I didn't care to look into it," Rachel said, almost ashamed to admit it. It seemed like it was something she should've known.

"Well, we're currently looking for him," the bald officer said.

"You're telling me you don't know where he is now?" Rachel said.

"No—no we don't," the shorter officer replied. "Look real carefully at the picture. His face especially. Have you seen anyone like that roaming on campus?" Rachel went closer to the picture. Blue eyes, scruffy skin, pimple—a typical middle-school boy.

"Don't you have a recent photo of him?" Rachel said. "I mean, he would most likely be different than this picture."

"We actually don't," the bald officer said. And as if the shorter officer read Rachel's face, he replied immediately.

"It seemed his family isn't the photo type. Kyle usually skips school and didn't take any school photos. He's a troubled kid, kind of like his brother."