The Hunt of Altswood High (The Altswood Saga #1)

Chapter 21 - Looking-glass

Chapter 21 - Looking-glass

Gabriel stared down at his phone. He couldn't believe this. Why would Luca leave now of all times?

"Hey, bud, you all good?"

Gabriel looked up at the cop. Another four rushed past in the time she had taken to pause. "Yes, why?"

"You look dazed. Do you want me to call your father?"

The house was chaotic. No one could keep track of more than two things at once. He still hadn't heard back from Jules and Annabelle, and they had said they'd call once they got to Livana's.

Gabriel shook his head quickly. "Could I drop by a friend's house quickly? You don't need me here anymore for anything, right?"

The cop glanced into the hall. Professionals filed in and out of the rooms like worker ants lugging food on their backs. "Sure," she replied. "We've got things under control, and the island's safe now."

Gabriel grimaced, hurrying for the door. The sky was just coming to light outside, the scarcest shade of lilac interrupting into deep indigo. He couldn't see very far yet, but there was enough illuminated in front of him that he didn't need to dig out the flashlight on his phone as he took the back road to Livana's house.

"Pick up, pick up," Gabriel muttered under his breath. When Jules went to voicemail, he tried Annabelle, then Livana, and then Luca again.

The last fifteen minutes had happened in the blur of an eye. Luca wanted to check out the strange noise? Sure, Gabriel would come along. It wasn't one of his finer moments but he thought that there had to be enough security across the perimeter to keep them safe. Next thing he knew, Luca was running off to lure in a psychopathic murderer and the police rushed into the house while the bullets were still hot, claiming that there was evidence to charge Kaydee and Douglas to be working together. So why hadn't Luca at least come back first? Kaydee and Douglas were both in custody; Kaydee was dragged out from her bed and Douglas was caught loitering in the roads. Neither had a firearm or anything incriminating on them, but the police seemed to think it wouldn't be long until they discovered something solid.

"Shit!" Gabriel's phone tumbled out from his hands, narrowly dropping into a puddle of water. He picked it up, wiped it dry, and pressed the ringing tone back to his ears.

"C'mon," Gabriel muttered, staring at the gravel underfoot. Luca was deathly afraid of bullets. Why had she put herself right in front of one? If the positions had been switched, Gabriel was certain he couldn't do it.

No doubts.

The ringing had gone on too long. It switched to Luca's automatic voicemail.

"Damn it!" Gabriel frowned down at the call log. While most of them were outgoing calls he made, there was just one that came in, and from an unknown ID. He hadn't noticed when the call came in, likely distracted, but now Gabriel checked the timestamp. Why had Luca rung him earlier from a phone that wasn't her own?

He couldn't put his finger on it, but Gabriel felt a sour pang in his chest, and quickened his pace. There was the faintest smell of smoke in the air when Gabriel got to the front step of Livana's house.

His knocks on the door went unanswered. Gabriel reached for the knob and let himself in.

"Hello?"

A burst of shouting answered him. Gabriel rushed into the kitchen, startling nine pairs of eyes, blinking up at him. Jules, Annabelle, and Livana were seated at the table. In identical formation, their hands were placed in front of them, and Mrs. Martinez had been marching up and down the kitchen aisle mid-rant.