Breaking Her Rules

Chapter 7

Chemistry lessons are gruelling. None of my friends are in the class, and both Duncan and Lucas love to torment me when the teacher's back is turned. Of course, this isn't new – it's happened since grade ten, but it is grating. On Tuesday, chemistry is my last subject for the day. When the final bell rings I bolt out of the classroom and towards C block to my homeroom. No one else is here yet, so I mark myself off the roll book, grab my bag and start walking home.

When I get home I walk into the kitchen and grab the phone off the hook because it's blinking red with one missed call. I listen to the message.

'Hi Hun, it's me. Listen; there's been a little bit of a hassle about the book. I might be late coming home.' It's a short message from Dad, but I frown. His voice sounds tense and agitated.

I decide to call his mobile phone, but he doesn't answer. I wonder what kind of hassle with his book would make him sound like that on the phone.

'Mum!' I call out.

She walks into the kitchen, holding a glass of wine. 'What's wrong?' she asks.

I play the message for her. 'He must be visiting his agent,' she says, sounding unconvinced.

'I'll start dinner,' I say. 'You should try calling Dad again.'

I grab mince out of the freezer and stick it in the microwave to defrost. I sit on the kitchen counter opposite the microwave and watch the packet of mince rotate while Mum takes the phone and walks back into the study. She leaves her wine on the kitchen bench, so I take a sip. I can hear her in the study, tapping her manicured nails against her desk.

I call Watson.

'Hey, sorry I bailed so early after school. I just wanted to get home,' I say to him.

'Oh, I didn't know you were already gone. I walked home with Taylor,' he says.

'Right. Um, tomorrow after school do you want to come over to work on the English assignment?'

'Sorry Emmy,' Watson says. 'I've made plans with Taylor tomorrow.'

'Oh,' I say. 'What are you doing?'

'Just watching a movie or something,' Watson says.

'Well I've got to work on that assignment,' I say. 'When are you going to do it?'

'I dunno, this weekend maybe? I haven't really thought about it.'

'Watson, you're supposed to get dux this year and beat Duncan. How have you not thought about it?'

'I just haven't, Em. Anyway, I can't talk now. You can text me if you want. But I was texting Taylor and I was in the middle of a conversation. See you at school.'

'Didn't you literally just walk home with her?' I ask, but he has already hung up.

The microwave beeps and I take the mince out. Mum comes out of her study. She puts the phone back on the hook as I put the mince in the frying pan.

'Your father's at the police station,' she says quietly.

I turn around. 'What?' I say.

She grabs her wine off the bench. 'It's something about the book. It's something about George Addison.'

'George?' I say. 'What about him?'

'The police have decided to reopen his missing person case. Apparently something in your father's book is evidence they didn't have last time. They seem to think George's disappearance might not have been a suicide like we all thought.'

I stare at my mother, overwhelmed. 'They think someone killed George?' I ask.

'Well,' Mum says. 'I don't know, but from what your father said on the phone... I think the police are exploring new suspects. Including him.'

The mince starts hissing in the pan, but I ignore it, and stare into the worried face of my mother. This is the first time I've seen true emotion on her usually flawless features, and that scares me even more than her words.

Dan walks into the kitchen, but he stops at the doorway, sensing something's wrong.

'What's up?' he asks. 'Where's Dad?'

'He's at the police station,' I say, turning to face my brother. 'They think he murdered the lead singer of Dime's the Limit.'