Page 12 of Keeping Collette

“I’ve told you what my parents are like, so you can imagine how hard it was for me growing up. School wasn’t easy. We all know how cruel some kids can be, and the nice ones tried, but after a while, they drifted away. Probably from their parents telling them that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and with parents like mine, it was only a matter of time before I peddled drugs to them.”

Deal reached across the table and took hold of her hand, squeezing to let her know he wasn’t like the people she’d grown up with. He had no plans to go anywhere.

“I got a part-time job as soon as I could, and saved up for a ticket to the prom and to get a dress. I didn’t care if I went alone. Or if anyone looked at me weirdly, which I knew they would, regardless if I went or not. I wanted to experience that one moment that is shown in movies and TV shows as the best night of a high schooler’s life. I got myself there and was having a good time, and I should’ve known something would happen. I shouldn’t have left my purse unattended on a table. I don’t know who it was, but someone slipped some pills into it and obviously reported me to one of the teachers. The music was stopped, and the teacher came up and grabbed my purse.” She swallowed and looked away for a moment. “I don’t have to tell you what happened next.”

Anger swirled in Deal at the shitty behavior of the kids she’d gone to school with. How they’d spoiled her night. “You’re right, school kids are assholes. I’m sorry that happened to you.” Again, with saying sorry. It was becoming a favorite word of his while he was around her.

“I wasn’t surprised.”

Her resignation cut him deep, and he wanted to haul her close and hug her tightly. Tell her that those people were fools and were missing out knowing the wonderful person she was. But that was all too much too soon. The chances of her believing that was how he thought about her was slim—especially considering how he’d treated her when they’d first met. And the assumptions he’d made.

Another thought hit him about the whole prom incident. “Did it affect your ability to graduate?”

Prom was so close to the end of the year, but there were still finals to be completed, and if she’d gotten expelled, she wouldn’t have been able to take them.

“I did graduate. If, whoever planted the drugs on me, hoped that I’d get expelled, they were wrong. The principal was a reasonable man. He was also aware that I didn’t actively seek trouble. I was someone who kept to myself. Did my work. Handed everything in on time. If I was going to sell drugs for my parents, he knew I would’ve done it a lot sooner, and the people who’d bought them off me would do everything to keep their association with me quiet. He figured out that they’d been planted on me, but he also had to show some leadership, so he suspended me for three days. I was still able to do my finals and get the necessary marks I needed to graduate. I didn’t go to the ceremony though. I was told I could go, but I decided it would be best if I didn’t.”

“I’m glad the principal believed in you. I can understand why you didn’t go to the ceremony, which sucks.” Deal didn’t say anymore, even though he wanted to. What he wanted to do is find whoever the asshole was who’d done that to her and slam their head against a wall.

Walking across the stage, getting the diploma she’d worked so hard for, and then tossing her cap in the air with everyone else was a rite of passage. To miss out on experiencing that was criminal.

“Yeah it does suck, but I’ve come to terms with it.” Her eyes took on a faraway look as she gazed over his shoulder. “I wanted that for Courtney. Wanted her to walk proudly across that stage with her head held high, proving all those who tarred her with the same brush as they tarred me because of our parents, wrong. And now that might never happen,” she finished with a whisper.

This was the first time he’d heard her speak as if her sister wasn’t coming back. In all their discussions in the office, Collette had always said “when” her sister came back. Not “if”. Given the information that Cass had uncovered, Deal wanted to believe Courtney would be found alive and well, but the longer she remained gone, the chances of that happening dwindled.

“It might.” He didn’t want to give her false hope, but if he didn’t say anything, then she would believe he thought it was a lost cause.

“Don’t say things you don’t believe. I know the longer there’s no sign of her, or any contact and activity on her bank accounts, the outcome isn’t going to be what I want it to be. But I can’t give up hope.”

A tear leaked out of her eye, sliding down her cheek. Deal reached across and brushed it away. “Hope gives us a beacon to follow. Don’t lose it. And I promise you, we’ll do everything we can to find her. Keep believing, because miracles happen.”

Even with knowing the odds, and the statistics, Deal wanted this one to come true.

Chapter Seven

The alarm buzzed, and Collette stared at her device before telling it to turn off. Another sleepless night. Exhaustion was burying her, but she dug herself out of it every morning, because if she didn’t, she would suffocate and never breathe again.

She went to grab her phone off her bedside table, only to find an empty surface. Her heart stuttered for a second with the thought it had been stolen, but then remembered she’d put it in the kitchen to charge in the hopes it might help her sleep.

It didn’t.

Collette dragged herself out of bed, not wanting to go to work, but knowing that in order to be able to pay Alliez for what they were doing for her, and to pay her rent along with eating, she needed to go to her job.

Fortunately, Astrid was aware of her situation, so she’d been wonderful the last couple of days in letting her rest when it looked like she was about to collapse on the ground.

She couldn’t keep doing what she was doing though; her body was going to rebel. The last thing she needed was to get sick, but if she didn’t sleep soon, that could be the likely outcome.

Opening her fridge, she pulled out the carton of orange juice and poured herself a glass. Her phone taunted her by her toaster, but she resisted scooping it up. Look after herself first, and then she could look at her phone.

The chances of any news coming through was slim, especially as she’d been awake all night, and if the police or anyone had called to say they’d found Courtney, she would’ve heard it.

The silence was more deafening than going to a heavy metal concert.

After she downed her juice, she rinsed her glass and pulled the fridge open again. The previous day, Astrid had handed her a breakfast casserole as well as her famous Shepherd’s Pie.

Words of thanks had been impossible for Collette, as being looked after wasn’t something she was used to. It was usually her doing the caring. She’d only been able to manage a small portion of the pie for dinner. Her stomach in knots because, even with Alliez on the job and Cass with all her computer skills, they still didn’t have a lead on her sister.

There were times, in the last four days since Alliez started investigating, that it seemed like they were hiding something from her. She couldn’t put her finger on why she felt that way, only that she did.