Swell (Complete)

Chapter Thirty-Eight (Part Two)

"We've all made mistakes,
We're no different, only by name,
With our own risks to take,
We can trust that we've all felt the same."

....

Dodge crossed Will's name of his checklist. Tom was his next target. He hadn't lied to Will about his relief, and he hoped that Tom and Marti were as prepared for exams as their brother claimed to be.
They all would have had exams before, the boys were in their last year of school, they'd be as used to exams as any kid would get, Marti would have had smaller scale exams, like Adora had.
Would she be ready?
Would his cousin?
Dodge leaned against his high backed chair and tapped his fingertips on his desk.
Exams started on Monday, they ran until the middle of next week and by then all the senior students would be thinking of nothing but the dance to celebrate.
Ideally this would go away and be over so that the kids could have their exams without fear of being attacked.
Although the only one they knew was in danger was Adora.
He closed his eyes and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Josh. I swear I'll keep her safe, I'll find out who it is." He leaned forward and shuffled

"Susie, can you call Tom Taylor to my office please?" He spoke into the receiver of the phone a few minutes later.
He took a deep breath and mentally rehearsed what he could say to Tom; whom police had already interrogated twice in the last few weeks.

When Tom flopped into the chair opposite Dodge it was a heavy movement. Dodge felt like the bad guy almost immediately.
"Hey Tom, how have you settled?" He started with a small smile.
"It could be better, you know, people could not think its me who tried to kill Brett and is stalking Adora, but what can I do?"
"I didn't ask you here to interrogate you, you've had enough of those recently..."
"No kidding." Tom scoffed and folded his arms over his chest. "Why did you ask me here?"
"I'm checking on you three because exams start next week, I want you to feel prepared despite what you've endured." He leaned forward on his desk, trying to understand Tom's body language; it wasn't as easy as Will's was to read.
"Are you checking on Iain and Adora too?"
"I will be." Tom still believed he was trying to accuse him. Was he?
He did want to know who he had to protect his cousin from, but would he go as far as to isolate her from new friends?
Was Tom even someone she considered a friend?
If the Taylors told Adora what he was doing would she believe him when he said he was checking on their progress?
Or would she see through him as Tom was doing right now?
"Do you have any fancies left on Adora, Tom?" He was surprised by his voice, by the bold question.
"Seriously?" Tom uncrossed his arms and frowned in disbelief.
"Yes." The question wasn't erasable; he might as well get the answer.
"No. I don't." Tom rolled his eyes. "I think enough has happened to remind me she isn't interested and Debbie is, and that I should, and do, leave her alone."
"Do you? Are you?"
Tom frowned darkly. It was almost intimidating, and definitely unnerving. Dodge swallowed a lump.
"Yes. I might still be attracted to her, but I see logic and reason when it smacks me in the face." Tom stood up and let out a huff. "Can I go now? Did I satisfy your interrogation or make your suspicions stronger?"
Dodge couldn't figure that out for himself, so he waved Tom out of his office and closed his eyes.
Did he really want to go through that with Marti?

Recess was nearly over, he stared at the clock for a few moments before he asked Susie to call the last Taylor to his office.
When Marti sat down opposite him there was an aura of fear around her. Her bag flopped down beside her and he watched her offer him a weak smile.
"It's alright, Marti, you're not in trouble." He tried to reassure her.
She slumped backwards into the chair in relief. "That's good, cause I couldn't handle anything else right now, Mr Dodgers." Her voice was shaky and he felt pity sinking into the pit of his stomach.
"I know you three have been through a lot, so I'm just checking to see how you're prepared for exams. Do you need any extra help?"
"Oh, no, Adora's so good at the main subjects, the ones we share. And helping me with year 11 Psychology, seem as she's did it last year. Art's never a problem for me, and the others... I'm just glad I caught up before..." She stopped herself and looked down at her hands. "Before Liss was found." Her voice dropped and Dodge took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry about your friend, and what you three have been through." He watched the fingers knot in her lap, had she always done that or was that something she had picked up from Adora?
"Thanks."
It was barely a whisper and he cursed himself for not being stern straight away. Now he didn't know how to proceed, and he felt more sympathy for her than he felt worry about her.
But would Marti really be capable of attacking Brett?
"Do you have your Learner's Permit yet, Marti?"
She looked up in surprise. "What?"
Dodge smiled gently. "Can you drive? I let Adora drive my car a few times a week so she can get her practise in, I know your brother's can't do that for you because they only have their Ps. I imagine your parents are too busy most of the time."
"Are you offering to drive with me?" She frowned.
"Do you need it?" Dodge had no idea what he was doing, driving with her would give him more time with her, and her less time with Adora, but it would also mean he had less time with Adora. Was he even thinking this conversation through anymore?
"Um... Mum and Dad drive with me a couple of times a week. Why would you want to drive with me?" There was a tone of fear in her question and Dodge tried not to laugh at it.
"I'm just trying to make sure you kids are all settling in and adjusting. I know if Adora moved I'd hope that she was made welcome and looked after. With everything that's happened, I'm worried you and your brothers might need to apply for special consideration for your exams."
"Oh, no. I think we'll be alright. I mean... I'm hoping to go through the notes again with Adora this weekend for English, Maths and Psych, I guess it'll have to be at the Escape... I know you're staying there for now, maybe we could go on a picnic to the falls for a study break."
"That sounds like a good idea, Marti. Thanks for coming in, I'll write you a late note for your next class, seem as recess is over now." He leaned forward and scribbled a short note on a carbon pad. "Who's your teacher this block?"
"It's only maths, um, Mrs Xen." Marti weakly picked up the shoulder trap to her satchel. "Do you think Adora is in danger?"
He looked up from the ripped note in his hand and blinked. Her eyes were wide with worry and he swallowed a thick lump. "I worry so, but hope not."
"Do you think that anyone else will be attacked like Brett was?"
"I don't know. I guess the best thing to do is be alert and not be caught alone." He held the yellow note out to her and watched her stand up from the chair and put her bag over her should.
"Thanks for being a good principal, and for caring so much about Adora. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to her like it did Liss." Her voice was trembling and he could see her eyes shimmering.
Was she going to cry?
"I won't let anything happen to her, and Iain is on duty when I cannot be."
"I'll be on duty too, she's my best friend, and I love her to bits." Marti sniffed and took the note from his hand shakily. She gave him a small smile and shuddered out a breath before she turned and left his office.
Dodge watched her leave and frowned as the door closed behind her.