Chapter 242


    Chapter 242 At Your Beck and Call


    I left the thought hanging, my hands twisted together with nerves.


    Idris saw my distress and gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. “Hold off on the panic. The coroner


    said ‘might.‘ There’s been no autopsy yet. We’ll wait for the results and then make our next move.”


    I tried to calm the flutter of anxiety in my chest as I waited for him to hang up with Officer Jackson.


    I must have made some noise because Officer Jackson said, “We’re still waiting on the autopsy to


    make any solid calls. Until we have hard evidence, we’re holding off on any major moves.” It felt like he


    was trying to reassure me.


    I bit my lip, keeping quiet.


    Idris asked into the phone, “What’s with the skeletons found near Noah?”


    “Looks like they’re from people Noah took out a while back. If we line up the timeline, they were


    probably on his bad side when he was calling the shots. We haven’t ID’d them yet, Officer Jackson


    exined, then hesitated before saying, “But we might need to bring Charlie in for a chat at the


    station.”


    Idris did not bite, just said tly, “That is your department’s business.”


    With that, he ended the call.


    I looked at Idris, confused. “The bodies have been found, so why do the cops need to grill. Charlie? He


    and Inch got pulled into this mess because of me.”


    Idris gave me a look, his dark eyes serious. “He was hiding bodies for you, and just ‘happened‘ to stash


    them in Noah’s old stomping grounds, which ‘just happened‘ to dig up more trouble. You think the


    world’s full of that many idents?”


    I scrunched my eyebrows together. “Ind in the Lake is out of the way, and that spot’s been deserted


    for ages. It’s the perfect ce to hide a body. Isn’t it obvious why Charlie would pick there?”


    He quirked an eyebrow, “You only think that because you know Lake City like the back of your hand.


    Charlie, on the other hand, is from Silvana and has barely been here for a month. How could he


    possibly find such a perfect spot to ditch a body so fast?”


    I froze, my mind racing for an answer that just would note.


    The topic was subsequently dropped.


    Finding Noah’s body was just the beginning. The real mess was just starting. I was stuck under the


    watchful eye of the cops, and Idris and I ended up back at the station.


    Luckily for me, Officer Jackson had my back. He told them I was all in on helping out with their


    investigation, which meant I did not have to camp out at the station waiting for any updates. I just had


    to show up whenever they gave me a buzz, which meant I could dodge hanging around those drab


    police station walls.


    As Idris and I were about to head out, we ran into Charlie. He rolled in, looking sharp even in a


    wheelchair, and you could bet he turned heads.


    He caught sight of us, his eyes crinkling just a bit before his gazended on me. “Everything sorted


    out?” he asked, his voice steady as ever.


    I shook my head a little. “Sorry you got roped into this mess,” I told him. He was obviously here to get


    grilled by the cops.


    He just shed a small, easy smile. “No worries. We’re practically family. I’m happy to help,” he said.


    His words caught me off guard. Charlie was not the type to talk in riddles or drop hints.


    From what I knew of him, he had never been one to y coy.


    The air seemed to chill in an instant, and I knew something was up. I shot a quick look at Idris. His face


    was stone, yet his eyes were locked on Charlie, not missing a beat. Perhaps it was my imagination, but


    it felt like Idris was sending a silent warning.


    Charlie, for his part, did not seem to give a hoot. He shot Idris a quick nce and shed me a grin.


    “Hey, if you ever need anything, just give me a shout. I’m always around.”


    I was tongue–tied, honestly. Watching him force a smile that was more painful than tears, all I managed


    to choke out was a feeble, “Thanks.”


    With a casual smile, Charlie excused himself, his crew wheeling him into the precinct.


    The whole time, he did not exchange a single word with Idris, not even a nod or a hey.


    Once Charlie disappeared inside, Idris looked as if he had swallowed a lemon. Scratch that, he looked


    downright thunderous.


    I felt a pang


    of weird guilt washing over me like I had been caught red–handed in some betrayal. I had no clue what


    to say to Idris, so I mmed up and just kept walking.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    I had been chauffeured to the parking lot in a cop car, so I did not have a car to use on the way back.


    With night falling, I would need good luck to g down a cab..


    While I was debating whether to brave it and find a taxi, Idris’s voice broke through, deep and


    controlled. “What’s on your mind?”


    I jerked, caught off guard by his piercing, stormy gaze. “Uh, nothing!” I stammered, shaking my head.


    He did not press, and ordered, “Get in the car. Grandma’s waiting for us back home.”


    im Bonus For Free Every Days*