Don't Hold Your Breath

Chapter 15

            I followed Officer Gonzalez back to his own police car, only making a brief stop to grab my bag out of the back of the van I had arrived here in before getting in the back of the car. The other officers had already put Dex into the back seat of the other vehicle, so thankfully I didn't have to share a seat with him. When we arrived back at the station, my parents were already waiting for us. They descended upon us immediately, pulling me in for hugs and profusely thanking Zeke.

"The officer already told us about everything you did." My mother told him. "About how you saw them taking her and tried to stop him, and about your idea to try tracking her phone to find her."

That one was news to me, and I glanced up at him sharply. He was avoiding my eye carefully and I knew why. I had always kept the GPS on my phone off, so the only way it would have been useful for them was if he had turned it on back when he had been holding onto it. No wonder he knew where to find me when he got into town.

"Indigo, if you don't mind I'd like to talk with you in here." The officer asked. "Zeke, my man there can take your statement."

We both nodded, and my parents were quick to follow me into the office where we had spoken the last time I had been at the station. I had realized the story wouldn't make sense if I didn't tell them about my brother's involvement, so I couldn't avoid mentioning him. I told them that Dex had found me in the courtyard and when he mentioned my brother, I was stupid and followed him. My parents had interrupted me at that point, outraged that I had done something so reckless, but the officer talked them down so I could continue. I told them that Jeremy had just wanted to talk to me and repeated vaguely what he had said about the fire being an accident.

The explanation seemed to answer a lot of the questions Officer Gonzalez had about the case and since technically my brother hadn't done anything illegal in asking Dex to get me seeing as I had gone willingly, they weren't planning on pressing any charges in regards to this. They were still going to issue an arrest warrant for his other activities and for questioning regarding my parent's deaths, but I felt like I could live with that. It wasn't like he wasn't already wanted before now, and he didn't live in Los Angeles anyways. Dex, on the other hand, they planned to charge for the jewelry heist and for my kidnapping.

With the case seemingly closed, they let me leave with my parents. I didn't get to see Zeke at all before we left the station, but he sent me a text later that night letting me know he was staying in Los Angeles indefinitely. I didn't respond to him, but I felt a wave of relief wash over me. I called Cass the moment I got home to tell her everything I had told the police, and she cried on the phone with relief that I was alright.

My parents were still not happy about learning I had left with Dex willingly, but after a few conversations I was able to properly explain to them why I felt I had to face Jeremy directly. I was amazed at myself that I was able to open up to them, and they were surprised by it as well. To assuage their fears, I agreed to stay home from school for the rest of the week, although I had them drive me back to my apartment Saturday afternoon so I could get homework done.

I was alone when I got there and sent Cass a quick text as I unpacked some groceries. She responded a few minutes later to let me know that she was staying at John's place for the weekend and offered to come back, but I told her to enjoy herself as I could use some time alone anyways.

I went to my closet and took down a box that had been stuffed into the corner when I had first moved in. After brushing off the dust that had gathered there after three years, I dumped out the contents and began to sift through them. At my parent's funeral, a few distant relatives, neighbors, and friends of theirs had brought any photos they had of my family as they knew most everything we had burned in the fire. There weren't many of them that included my brother in them, I suppose they thought that might have been painful for me. But at the bottom of the box there was one photo that had been recovered from the house, even though its edges were burned.