Hide Away

Day ten

I should have been here earlier. Shane thought, as he took in the melancholy view of the police station.
The air was rancid from the stale parcel of doughnuts sitting on the table in front of him. The old and rusty world maps hanging from the dead wall...
'The inspector will not be here before long.' said a short man, probably in his mid thirties.
'I don't mind.' Shane replied, trying to sound fine.
'You can wait though, if you want
But I would suggest you to go home, kid. Give me your number. I will call you once he's back. Or you can talk to anyone else here.'
'Look, I told you I am fine. Please don't worry about me.' Shane said with the unintended hint of anger. 'And thanks, I'll wait.' He added to sound less sharp.
He waited though the one hour patiently. He had been waiting for almost ten days now anyway. Without any sign of Noel.
Then arrived inspector Reid. Reid was a friend of Shane's dad. He has been around since Shane was a little kid crawling on all fours. Reid knew Shane as much as his parents did. And being an inspector, sometimes even more.
'Oh boy. How come you're here. Woodley told me just now that there is a boy waiting for me.' he said, removing his hat and placing it carefully on his table.
'I can see you look tensed. And I guess whatever the matter is, you haven't talked at home about it yet.'
Shane wasn't even saying anything.
'Good morning uncle Reid.' he stood and shook hands.
'Come in, let me show you my cabin,' he guided shane through a narrow hallway, 'isn't it strange, that we have known each other for so long and I never happened to show you my cabin. Never really got the chance. And I always wished that it will never come...What's the matter.' he said once he positioned himself on his chair. One arm placed properly over the armrest.
There was a lovely feel about Reid. He always knew what to do best. Everyone around the town knew him to be a very sorted human. For him, what's through is through.
He made everyone comfortable enough to talk to him, even sinister criminals.
Shane told him about Noel's disappearance, everything he could spill out. Everything.
'Noel! I have seen that cheery girl.' Reid exclaimed. 'Boy, I can't believe. How come the news did not reach?'
'Her family was not here. They came back yesterday. They did not know she was missing until they called me. And everyone here thought she was with her family. So no one really thought about it. But now as they are back, people are starting to think.' Shane explained.
Reid nodded in understanding.
Shane tried to gather the courage to say it, he looked at his hands, open on his lap, almost like begging.
'they... They think it's me. I mean her parents. They think I did it. I hid her away.' he said. The thought still penetrated him sharp.
Reid waited a moment before continuing, 'what do you think  possibly is the truth?'
'I have no idea. That's why I am here.' he said, with exasperation.
'Hmm. Do you think it's a case of kidnapping?'
Shane did not look up, he couldn't bring the thought to his mind. No, it can't have happened to Noel. Who would do that and why?
'Was she happy?'
He looked at Reid, who had asked this question. Of course Noel was happy. That cheerful girl, struggling with the dress to wear for her blind date. She looked as happy as she sounded.
'Yes. I think so. Why?'
'Maybe, I thought. She could have ran away.' Reid said.
'She can't. She won't. There was no reason for that.' Shane said, more to himself. He doubted his voice even reached Reid or not.
'Then there is no other angle left, except one.'
'Which is?'
'Her date that night, do you know him?'
Shane was quiet. Of course he had thought about it. The possibility of this dreaded thing had crossed his mind a million times and lately he could not even brush it away. The feeling was just too strong. And almost obvious.
'No.' Shane said.
'She was your best friend. You never asked her who is she going out with?'
Reid asked, there was a slight him of suspicion in his voice. Just like Noel's mother, Mrs. Hastings had shown.
How could he ask her? They were friends. But just that much. Not more. Never. He couldn't imagine to get his heart broken further by getting all the details of the lucky guy she was going out with. Her friend, Dianne had set them up. And Shane tried to sound least interested. Though he wanted to know everything about that guy.
He just couldn't.
'No.' he said, in simple words, 'it was a blind date.'
'We need to learn about that guy. That's crucial.' Reid explained.
Shane nodded.
He was blank right now. Nothing was crossing the corridors in his mind except the echo of just one word.
Noel.