Insidious(99)
We managed to keep our composure long enough to round the corner, only to burst out laughing once the coast was clear.
“You see their faces?”
Reese drew me in, burying my laugh with a teasing kiss. “You’re a very bad girl, you know that?”
“No, I’m just happy to not give a damn,” I corrected, sighing as I felt my cell vibrating for the billionth time. Curiosity finally got the better of me, because I pried it out of my purse.
“Your mom?” Reese safely guessed.
Only…it wasn’t. “No, it’s my dad.”
Never a good sign. Mom must have started a five-alarm fire to actually incite Dad’s concern.
I tried muzzling the annoyance in my voice to a minimal as I answered with a curt, “Hello?”
I was met with a string of expletives on the other end. Not a promising start to a conversation.
“Is she there?” I could hear Mom howl in the background.
“What’s up, guys?” I replied in an absurdly sugary tone that only made Reese snort back a laugh.
“The police are here. That’s what’s up!” Dad barked.
“Come again?”
“They’re here to see you,” he snapped.
“What for?”
“They’re looking for Riley—”
“Reese,” Mom corrected angrily. “His name’s Reese. They’re looking for Reese.”
“Again, why?”
“From what we can tell, they’re looking to arrest him for Casey Radley’s murder,” Mom sneered, obviously having taken the phone away from Dad. “Please tell me you’re not with him.”
I hung up.
“Kat?”
I staggered back a step, out of Reese’s hold.
“Hey, what’s wrong?”
“We have to go,” I muttered.
“Why? What happened?”
“You’re being framed for murder.”
Chapter 27
Whispering
“You don’t seriously expect me to turn myself in?” Reese protested.
“I know you didn’t do it,” I clarified, trying to pull him towards the frozen escalator.
“Yeah, but they sure as hell don’t,” he growled, planting his feet firmly in place. It didn’t matter how hard I yanked on his arm. He didn’t budge. “Wait…how do you know?”
“Well, I’m really not in the habit of making out with suspected serial killers for starters. Secondly, I saw the police report that Carly’s contact sent her. Casey was killed somewhere between eight and nine that night. The same night you took me to that restaurant. You didn’t drop me off until a quarter to ten. I’m your alibi.”
Knowing how the cops operated in this town, even I had to admit I wasn’t overly comfortable with the situation. But what else were we going to do? If Reese ran, it would only make him look guiltier. He finally relented, following behind me.
All it took was one face though to wipe away any other thought. I slammed to a halt, causing Reese to crash into my back.
“Kat?” Reese called out to me as I turned around and pushed my way back through the crowds, but I didn’t stop.
I finally reached the passerby in question, grabbing his arm and spinning him back around.
“Can I help you?” asked the man, taken aback and rather perturbed.
I looked into his eyes, feeling the cold dread of sheer and utter panic wash over me. “S-sorry,” I muttered. “I thought you were someone else.”
He politely smiled. “Oh.”
I kept staring at his eyes, and it made him laugh nervously.
“You okay?”
“You don’t wear contact lenses by any chance, do you?”
“No. Why?”
I whirled back around, crashing immediately back into Reese.
“Kat, what are you doing?” he whispered, looking over my shoulder at the black and blue haired Goth.
“We really have to go. Now!”
***
“Goddamn it, answer!” I cursed, trying to redial as I leapt down the escalator stairs.
I hit the landing and took off like a rocket, hearing Reese in hot pursuit. We battled our way through the crowds until we finally reached the parking lot.
“Mind filling me in?” he called out as I practically crashed against the side of his truck, still too preoccupied with my phone.
“His eyes are blue,” I panted.
“Come again?”
“The guy in there. The one who was possessed, his eyes are blue.”
“So? Demons don’t usually stay in one person for any long length of time. It’s moved on to possessing someone else. That’s hardly news.”
“Daniel said they were brown!”
Reese’s face paled. “What are you talking about?”