Alone

Chapter 12

Chloe

I don't recognize any of the people on my front porch. When they start for the Bronco, I stare. Riley pulls the shifter into park and turns to look at me. I glance at her, then Peter, who is staring out the window, not looking at me. The people are shouting, and I look back at the house in time to see Dad appear in the doorway, accompanied by two uniformed police officers. Peter finally glances at me, but he doesn't meet my eyes. When he looks away, his hand goes to the door handle and he gets out, looking around at the people crowding around with hard eyes. I slide off the seat and Dad embraces me, pulling me away from the Bronco as though it will suck me back in. I hug him back hard, the last three days suddenly hitting me. When I finally pull back and turn around, Peter has climbed back into the Bronco and is staring at me out the window as Riley eases the Bronco through the crowd. The cops are looking at the Bronco in confusion. One takes a step toward it, and I quickly speak. "It wasn't them." The cops swivel to look at me and Dad speaks from behind me. "What? Chloe, who did do it?" I keep looking after the Bronco as I answer. "Some guys in Colorado." Dad puts his arm around me and guides me back toward the house. Mom is on the front porch. I pull free of Dad and run toward her like I used to. She doesn't look excited like I feel, and I stop at the steps. I turn to look at Dad, but he is looking at Mom too. I swallow. Suddenly I have an urge to run after the Bronco. I turn to look at it, but Peter and Riley have already disappeared. Dad puts his arm around me again and pulls me toward the house. I numbly follow, ignoring the crowd as best I can. Dad leads me into the living room, where another uniformed cop waits by the phone. Mom. Dad, and I sit on the couch, with me in the middle, and the two cops that were outside settle in the armchairs opposite the couch. The older of the cops shifts and clears his throat before speaking. "Chloe, I know you have been through a lot, but we need you to answer a few questions, okay?" I twist my hands together and nod, and he goes on. "We know one man took you from the school, but you said "some guys". Was there more than one man?" I swallow. "Yeah, there were two men." The cop pulls out a small notebook and quickly writes something down. "And the car that just dropped you off, who was in it?" I don't know what to say. I don't know what is going to happen to Peter and Riley, so I tell the truth. "Riley Baker and Peter." The cop nods slowly, pencil flying across the paper again. "Who is Peter?"

"He's a friend, and Joe's son."

"And who is Joe?"

"The man who kidnapped us."

I feel Mom shift beside me, and the cop looks sharply at me. "This is the man that took you and Riley from the school?" I nod. "Yeah." His pencil continues to move, even when I am not talking. "Do you know where the kidnappers are now?" I wince. "Sort of. They are in a cabin somewhere in Colorado." The cop looks up, his pencil pausing. "If you came from Colorado, it has to have been close to 20 hours since you saw them. You think they will still be there? Why?" I try a smile, but cannot quite manage it. "They were tied up when we left. I don't know what they could have done to get loose." Mom breaks in, leaning away from me to look into my eyes. "What?! You tied them up and left them?" I grit my teeth. "They kidnapped me!" She is shouting now, and I remember why she left. "They obviously didn't hurt you! You left two men tied up for twenty hours! What is wrong with you!?" Now Dad joins in, shouting over my bowed head at Mom. "Leave her alone! You don't know what she just went through!" The cops are both staring at the three of us. I start to cry, great, silent drops sliding down my face. I made it through three days with Joe without crying, and five minutes in the same room as my mother has me bawling like a baby. The younger cop stands up suddenly and extends a hand to me. Even though he is not yelling, I can hear him over my parents. "Come with me, Chloe. We can finish this in the other room." I accept his help up, and trail him into the dining room across the hall. The older policeman follows me, still holding his pencil and notebook. Mom and Dad continue to fight as I sit at the table and watch the cops settle across from me. When they are both seated, the older one continues the conversation. "So do you know where in Colorado this cabin is?" I shake my head, trying to block out the ever-escalating argument across the hall. "No, but I know we came through Sand Springs on our way back." He nods without looking up. "Okay. That will help." He nods to the younger cop, who quietly leaves the room, then continues. "Okay, now can you tell me the whole story, from when you got to school on Monday?" I sigh, thinking back, and begin. The cop nods patiently as I speak, telling the whole story from the beginning, from when Joe came into the classroom to watching Riley's dad pass us on the highway headed home. I don't leave out the parts about the belt, or Riley's back, like she did with Simon. The cop doesn't flinch, and that makes it much easier to go on. When I finish, the cop looks up from his notepad. "So this Peter helped you get away?" I nod, hoping this will help Peter in the long run. "Yes, sir. If it hadn't been for him, we probably would not have gotten away." He looks thoughtful, marking something down as he speaks. "And David Baker passed you on the way home?" I nod, remembering how relieved I was when I saw him drive past without stopping. The cop nods as he answers. "Okay, we can send a patrol out to his place and see if he is there. We will also try to find Riley and Peter." I open my mouth to protest, but he holds up a hand to stop me. "Just to keep them safe, Chloe. From the sound of it, neither of them will be safe if either of their fathers catches up with them." I close my mouth and nod. Maybe that would be best.