I didn't know when Kieran planned to turn himself in. I needed to know what the situation was, and I needed to keep a close eye on it as it developed.
So after classes, I waited about an hour before going to the market, buying Jamison a coffee, and heading towards the Nest. Surely Jamison would be there, filling out a report on the incident with Kieran. I didn't know if the others would be with him, but if they were, it'd be easy to get him alone to go get something to eat.
I'd slowly started trusting Jamison without even realizing it. But the situation was too tense, and his emotions could be so unpredictable. I had to make sure I wasn't about to go down alongside Kieran.
I reached the Nest and took a deep breath before knocking on the door. It took a few moments, but Jamison opened it.
"Cor," he said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"Came to check on you," I said, holding up the coffee.
"Come in," he said, taking the coffee from me and stepping aside.
No one else was in the Nest. Jamison shut the door once I was inside and sat on the couch. I took a seat next to him, looking at the mess of papers scattered in front of him.
"Sorry, I'm trying to write a few reports about today," he said, looking exhausted. "I went to Headmaster Crowe during lunch and he called Kieran's parents. I met with Kieran after class to get his account of what happened."
"I imagine he didn't cooperate," I said.
"You imagined correctly." Jamison rubbed at his eyes and took a big sip from the coffee. He winced a little as it burned his mouth, but took another gulp before setting it down. "Thank you. For the coffee. I needed it today."
"Well, I figured," I said. "So what did Kieran say about the attack?"
"Confidential," he said, tapping his finger on a manila envelope. "Once I write up my reports, I'll deliver them to Headmaster Crowe and take it from there. But Kieran does still get privacy in the matter."
"You think this'll help you track down the Doctor?" I asked, secretly hoping he'd say yes. I wanted that asshole caught and behind bars so I didn't have to worry about him haunting me anymore.
Jamison slumped back on the couch. "I can't...I don't..." He rubbed his eyes again, biting his lip. "I don't know how to catch him. But the Academy...It's my job. I can't connect the dots on this, and I'm running out of time."
"It's not your job," I said. There he went, being emotional instead of logical again. "It's the police's job to catch a drug dealer. You're a student."
"It's my job to protect the students," he insisted. "The police aren't having any luck. If I look at it from a different angle, maybe I can find something."
"And maybe you can't," I said. "You're not a detective. You're just a student, Jamison."
He tugged at his hair, looking tired and frustrated and hopelessly overwhelmed. "You don't get it. It's my job to protect the students. The headmaster is counting on me. Everyone is watching to see how well I'll do."
"They should be watching the police. Just like Kieran should've spoken to the police, not to you," I said. Why couldn't he seem to get it through his head? Illegal activities were a job for the police to take care of, not some 17 year old kid with a fancy pin on his uniform.
YOU ARE READING
A Murder Of Crows [boyxboy]
Teen FictionCor Sander wants nothing to do with the attacks happening around Crowe Academy, but that doesn't mean he's not part of them. Begrudgingly part of the group known as the Collectors, Cor helps a shady man run an even shadier business- and send a messa...