He let out a long, mournful sigh. “When my dad got that job in Australia, I thought that was the end of it. I’d go with him, make sure he got settled. Then I’d go to college somewhere. I’d make a new life. I didn’t know he was going to be here today, Robyn. I told him I was coming up here with you to clean the place, like he wanted. But he didn’t tell me he was going to be here. You have to believe me. I didn’t know what he was going to do.”
“I believe you, James.” I glanced down the hallway that led to the back of the house. Then I heard the sound of a car approaching and went to the door to look out. My phone was still in my hand. I lifted it to my ear.
“Dad? The police are here.”
“That’s good,” my dad said. “We’ll be there soon, Robbie, I promise.”
. . .
The police, two of them in a cruiser, arrived before my dad did. I told them what had happened and showed them what I had done with the gun. They secured the weapon in their cruiser and then radioed someone before going into the house. A few minutes later they escorted James and his dad out into the sun. They handcuffed Mr. Derrick and eased him into the back of the cruiser. One of them took James aside to ask him some questions while the other one took a statement from Eddy Leonard. I sat on the porch steps, waiting for my turn.
I spotted my dad’s car while the two officers were still taking statements from James and Eddy Leonard. My dad wasn’t alone. Nick was with him. They pulled up alongside James’s car. My dad got out first. The cop who was talking to Leonard marched over to my dad, who showed some him ID. When the cops looked at Nick, I heard my dad say, “He’s the boyfriend.” I glanced at Nick to see what he thought of that description. Our eyes met, and my heart raced. He didn’t look angry. Instead, he looked worried—worried and relieved. My dad said something else I didn’t catch, and the next thing I knew Nick was hurrying toward me. I thought he was going to hug me. I ached to hug him. But he stopped half a pace away from me and said, “Are you okay?”
I nodded.
“What are you doing here?” I said. His face clouded. “I mean, what made you and my dad come up here?”
“Mac called me after you left this morning,” Nick said. “He’d read my letter. He asked me to come up and talk. He wanted to know why I was leaving, make sure that I had someplace to stay. He’s a good guy.”
My dad had finished talking to the cop and stood leaning against his car—waiting, I think, until Nick and I were done.
“He had all these papers spread out on the dining-room table—stuff from the newspaper.”
He must have meant the file that my dad’s friend had sent over.
“There was a picture with one of the articles,” Nick said. “I recognized him.” He nodded to where James was, on the porch with a cop. “I told your dad that I’d seen you with that guy, but that you’d said his name was James. He got worried when he couldn’t reach you. The cops up here told him where this place was. He wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“And you came up with him,” I said.
“Yeah, well, your dad’s a calm guy. Nothing ever seems to bother him. When he got worried, it kind of scared me.” He stepped closer to me. “Maybe we don’t have all that much in common, Robyn. Maybe nothing. But—” He came even closer, so that I had to crane my neck to look up into his eyes. “The thing is, it scared me that something bad might happen to you. You mean a lot to me, Robyn. I—” He shook his head. “I don’t want to fight anymore.”
I had spent the past year waiting for Nick—waiting for him to tell me what he was thinking, waiting for him to come back to me, waiting for him to take the lead. But I couldn’t wait any longer. Maybe I would turn out to be wrong. Maybe it was too late. But I had to take that chance. I slipped my arms around his waist. It felt right. He smiled and drew me closer. We just stood there for a moment, holding each other, and I didn’t care that my dad was watching. Then Nick pulled back just enough that he could look at me.
“I couldn’t believe it when I ran into Danny in the summer. She used to be my best friend, and—” He peered deep into my eyes. “When I saw her, I don’t know, I thought ... I don’t know what I thought exactly. I was just glad that she was back in my life. I wanted to hang out with her. But when she kissed me ... I told her how much she means to me, Robyn. But I don’t love her. I don’t feel the same way about her as I do about you. Not even close.”
My heart raced. I stared up into his eyes and knew he was telling me the truth.
“I want us to be together.”
“Me too,” I said.
EXPERIENCE THE
ROBYN HUNTER MYSTERIES SERIES:
FROM THE BEGINNING:
LAST
CHANCE
Nick planted himself in my path. “Hey,” he said. “It’s been bugging me since the first day, but now I know who you are.” His purple-blue eyes were as hard as amethyst. “You’re the girl who turned me in.”
ROBYN HUNTER MYSTERIES
#1 Last Chance
Robyn’s scared of dogs—but she agrees to spend time at an animal shelter anyway. Robyn learns that many juvenile offenders also volunteer at the shelter—including Nick D’Angelo. Nick has a talent for troublemaking, but after his latest arrest, Robyn suspects that he might be innocent. And she sets out to prove it ...
#2 You Can Run
Trisha Hanover has run away from home before. But this time, she hasn’t come back. To make matters worse, Robyn blew up at Trisha the same morning she disappeared. Now Robyn feels responsible, and she decides to track Trisha down ...
#3 Nothing to Lose
Robyn is excited to hang out with Nick after weeks apart. She’s sure he has reformed—until she notices suspicious behavior during their trip to Chinatown. Turns out Nick’s been doing favors for dangerous people. Robyn urges him to stop, but the situation might be out of her control—and Nick’s ...
#4 Out of the Cold
Robyn’s friend Billy drags her into volunteering at a homeless shelter. When one of the shelter’s regulars freezes to death on a harsh winter night, Robyn wonders if she could’ve prevented it. She sets out to find about more about the man’s past, and discovers unexpected danger in the process ...
#5 Shadow of Doubt
Robyn’s new substitute teacher Ms. Denholm is cool, pretty, and possibly the target of a stalker. When Denholm receives a threatening package, Robyn wonders who’s responsible. But Robyn has a mystery of her own to worry about: What’s with the muddled phone message she receives from her missing ex-boyfriend Nick?
#6 Nowhere to Turn
Robyn has sworn that she’s over Nick. But when she hears he needs help, she’s too curious about why he went missing to say no. Nick has been arrested again, and the evidence doesn’t lean in his favor. When Robyn investigates, she discovers a situation more complicated than the police had thought—and more deadly ...
#7 Change of Heart
Robyn’s best friend Billy has been a mess ever since her other best friend Morgan dumped him. To make matters worse, Morgan started dating hockey star Sean Sloane right afterward. Billy is an animal rights activist—he wouldn’t hurt a fly. But when Sean winds up dead, can Robyn prove Billy’s innocence?
#8 In Too Deep
Robyn should be having the time of her life. She has a great summer job and a room in Morgan’s lake house. But suddenly Nick appears in town—on a mission. He promised a friend he’d investigate a local suicide. Did Alex Richmond drown himself? Or was he killed because he knew too much?
#9 At the Edge
Robyn just wants to spend time with Nick, but he’s always busy. Morgan thinks James Derrick, a hot transfer student, could take Nick off her mind. But James has problems of his own. When Robyn realizes she and James share a hidden connection, she starts to dig deeper. But is she digging her own grave?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Norah McClintock is the author of several mystery series for teenagers and a five-time winner of the Crime Writers of Canada
’s Arthur Ellis Award for Best Juvenile Crime Novel. McClintock was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec. She lives in Toronto with her husband and children.
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