The Library Book

#38 - Gabe Ugliano

Chapter 38 - Gabe Ugliano
published: Wednesday, 8 July 2020

Another beat of silence.

"Is that a bruise?" James demanded.

Annabeth felt a bolt of panic course down her spine. What were the chances that they could play it off as a hickey?

"I fell," Percy said lamely, struggling to remain nonchalant.

"You fell—"

"James," Annabeth interjected quickly. "You wanted to take our statements?" She shot Percy an alarmed look, which he returned. At least this seemed to yank him out of his reverie. She needed him thinking on his feet if they were going to hide this from a detective. "I'll go first."

James blinked a couple times as Annabeth breezed past him towards his desk. Fortunately, he followed suit, still in somewhat of a confused daze.

"That bruise," James stopped.

"Please don't ask about it," Annabeth pleaded. She glanced over James' shoulder to see Percy sitting in the break room, waiting nervously for his turn. "I can't tell you anything. He won't—He doesn't want to—" Annabeth winced. She'd already said too much.

James was silent for a few seconds as he sat down opposite her. "It's not that hard to guess what this is about," he said finally. "I'm a detective, Annabeth, you think I don't notice the way he clams up about it at the slightest mention?"

"Any chance I could convince you it was a hickey?" Annabeth mumbled.

James offered her a chuckle. "I won't press it," he promised. Hesitance flickered across his expression. "At the end of the day, it's up to him. We can't do anything unless he comes up to us with an actual, concrete statement."

"I don't know much about it," Annabeth admitted. "I didn't even find out till about a year ago."

James nodded. "It's tough with these situations. I've seen a couple kids come in with the same issues at home, and it never gets easier for me." He shrugged. "The one silver lining is that, with enough evidence, we can build a good case. So if he ever decides he wants...whoever it is, out, there's a good chance that it would work."

"I'm worried about him," Annabeth confessed. "I mean, apart from obvious reasons, he's acting different. It's the fear more than anything."

"Do you think he'll come to me about it?"

Annabeth bit her lip. "I have no idea. He's always been insistent about dealing with this on his own. The only reason he even came to the police was because..." She faltered. "Because I was in danger." Annabeth stared at her hands. "If he goes to you about this, it'll have to be for him."

She glanced up at James. "You have helped though. He's much more willing to trust you than he ever was with the police."

"That's good," James offered. "It's the job, isn't it? To protect people."

"He wants to be a detective," Annabeth informed him with a smile. "Percy, I mean. We had to write career essays at school."

James grinned. "Sabrina's never gonna hear the end of this."

They talked about Mortelli for another fifteen minutes. Annabeth could honestly say that she liked James. He was a good detective, a good person and was one of the few people who genuinely wanted to help Percy.

After she was done, Annabeth returned to Percy, who immediately straightened up with panic.

"Relax," she assured him, sinking into the couch beside him. "I threw him off. You're safe."