Runaways (31 page)

“Hardly,” Crystal replied.

I saw the sheriff's station directly ahead. He looked at me.

“We're going to stop by here,” he said, “because there are some people who have a few questions for you girls. I bet you know what some of those questions are, huh?”

“Yes sir,” I said, lowering my eyes.

He laughed.

“Well, no matter what, girls, I stand by what I said back there. It sure is nice to see young people do a good deed. Of course, it makes this whole thing as confusing as hell, but it sure is nice,” he said and pulled into the station's parking lot.

“Are we under arrest?” I asked after he turned off his engine.

“We usually investigate, ask questions, gather evidence and then arrest people,” he said. “All I have right now are four very suspicious looking people. Come on,” he said, opening his door, “let's see if we can straighten all this out to where it makes some sense.”

He opened the door for Crystal, Butterfly and Raven and the four of us walked with him toward the front of the building.

“It's all right,” Crystal said. “It's just like we discussed.”

Raven looked at her as if she had gone mad and then gazed at me as if I had betrayed her, betrayed them all.

They put us in a large conference room. There was a glass window across from us and I had seen enough television shows and movies to imagine that it was a one-way window with people observing us on the other side. A police receptionist came in first and offered us soft drinks. Crystal asked for some tea and the rest of us had Sprites.

“What's going to happen to us now?” Butterfly asked in a tiny voice as she sipped her drink.

“We could go to jail,” Raven replied, fear raw in her voice.

Butterfly looked at Crystal and then at me.

“Let's not rush to any conclusions,” Crystal said. “Let's see what they ask and say first.”

Just then the door opened and a woman in her late forties entered, wearing a deputy policeman's uniform.

She didn't wear a pistol, but she had a pair of handcuffs dangling off her belt. She carried a clipboard and walked with a stiff, military posture.

“My name's Lieutenant Mathews,” she said, pointing to a name tag that read
MATHEWS
above her left breast. She sat across from us and just studied our faces for a moment before looking down at her sheets. “Who's Brooke Okun?”

“I am,” I said. She stared at me as if she wanted to memorize my face.

“Janet Taylor?”

“Me,” Butterfly said. Again, a moment's hard look before she turned to read.

“Raven Flores?”

“Pleased to meet you,” Raven said.

Lieutenant Mathews' eyes sharpened before she turned to Crystal.

“And that leaves Crystal Perry?”

“Yes,” Crystal said.

“All right, girls,” Lieutenant Mathews said, putting aside her clipboard. “I heard how you helped a family just now and what a wonderful thing you did, so I know I'm not dealing with delinquents, but unless I hear some reason why not, you're all suspects for grand auto theft. What's more, you've taken the car across state lines, and,” she added gazing down at her sheet, “no one here has a legal driver's license. Are any of these facts untrue?”

“We didn't steal the car. We just borrowed it for a little while,” Raven began.

Lieutenant Mathews did not smile, she just flipped some pages and folded them over.

“You are all legal wards of the state. I have sent for a representative of the Child Protection Services here and he's on his way.”

“Well, why don't we wait until he arrives before we discuss our situation any further,” Crystal concluded. She took her glasses off and wiped them clean. Her coolness did not win us any pity, nor did Raven's smug smile. Even Butterfly's face of abject terror won us no sympathy. I looked down, my heart thumping.

“The best thing you girls can do for yourselves now is tell the truth,” Lieutenant Mathews said. “No one wants to make this any bigger than it already is. You did all the driving?” she asked me.

“We all drove,” Raven said protectively. “Even
Butterfly. We got her a pillow so she could see over the steering wheel.”

“In a little while, Miss Flores, you won't find this to be so funny. I assure you,” she added.

There was a knock on the door. She stared at us rather than answer it and there was another knock. Finally, she stood up and opened it. A tall, thin man who looked more terrified than we did gazed in at us. He wore a dark brown suit and tie and had a narrow face with a nose that looked like it could be a practice ski slope. His mouth curled down at the corners to frame his lower jaw, which was rounded, the bones sharp against his light complexion. He had light blue round eyes and shifted them from one of our faces to the other, the lines in his mouth deepening even more.

“Okay, Mr. Glashalter. They're yours for the moment. They need some real guidance, I'd say,” Lieutenant Mathews told him. She looked back at us and then left.

He entered, carrying his briefcase and taking Lieutenant Mathews' seat.

“Hello girls. I'm Clarence Glashalter and I'm with the Child Protection Services here. I have some information about you, but I'll need you to answer a few questions. I do know you stole the automobile of the man who was your foster father, correct?” He didn't wait for us to reply. “And you've been driving west for days. Where were you headed?”

“We were trying to get to California,” I said.

He nodded as if that were a legitimate purpose.

“Yes, and?”

“And get away from foster homes forever,” Raven added.

“By stealing your foster parent's car, though?”

“He's not exactly Mr. Clean,” Raven continued.

“Well,” Clarence Glashalter said, gazing at his paper work, “apparently, he's Mr. Forgiveness. I was just told that he is willing to drop all charges against you if you will all return to the home. He's flying out here to pick up his automobile.”

“Return? I'd rather go to jail,” Raven said.

Glashalter looked at all of us and saw a similar desire. He shook his head.

“He claims his wife is very fond of you all and has been very upset, sick actually over this. They don't sound like monsters to me. Besides, I don't think you want to go to jail for stealing a car,” he added with a smile.

“Yes, we do. We'll survive,” Raven insisted. “As long as we're together, we'll survive. We're sisters.”

“I understand that,” Clarence Glashalter said. He shook his head. “But the four of you won't be going to the same place.”

Butterfly moaned and looked at me and then Raven with desperation.

“This isn't funny. It's not some game we're playing, girls.”

“What do we have to do?” Crystal asked quickly.

“You have to apologize and go back and behave yourselves. I might get you on probation then. It bodes well for you that you helped that family just now,” he added.

“We don't want to go back. We can't go back,” Raven cried. “He's a monster.”

“If you have any legitimate complaints about your foster parents, you should be telling your counselors back in New York, not stealing cars and driving across the country,” Mr. Glashalter said.
“Follow procedures. I'm sure you're familiar with them. You've all been in the system awhile and . . .”

“Oh, the system,” Raven groaned. “I'll just run away again,” Raven threatened.

Mr. Glashalter's lips lifted and stretched. His eyes narrowed as he stared at her.

“Then you'll just get into deeper trouble and you won't have an opportunity like this, believe me,” he said. “I assure you, if you are not cooperative . . .”

“We'll cooperate,” Crystal promised quickly. “Thank you for helping us.”

Mr. Glashalter returned to his plastic smile and directed himself at Crystal.

“Very wise decision, my dear. That's smart. That way I can do what I can to help you,” he told her.

“What do we do now?” Crystal asked.

“For now, I want you all to sit tight. I'll explain things to the sheriff and speak with the assistant district attorney. It will take a while, but I think we can manage it all as long as you remain cooperative,” he added with no veiled threat in his voice. He rose.

“I'll be back shortly,” he said and left us.

As soon as he did, Raven spun on Crystal.

“Why don't you tell him what we found in the car? Why don't you tell him why we don't want to go back with Gordon Tooey?” she asked.

“Why would they believe us, Raven? And then what . . . Gordon changes his mind, presses charges and they split us up? Do you want to see that happen? Do you?”

“Of course not,” Raven said, “but . . .”

“Then no buts. Just be patient, be prudent and wait for another opportunity,” Crystal said softly.

“But you know what he's going to want and when he finds out what we did . . .”

“What's he going to do, turn us in for throwing away his cocaine?”

“I hate to think what he's going to do,” Raven said. She looked to me for help.

“For the moment, Raven,” I said, “we have no other choice.”

“It's easy to say that now,” Raven cried, “but in a while Gordon Tooey will be coming through that door.”

No one spoke.

The thunder of our own hearts filled our ears. It was enough.

E
very time the door opened, our breath caught in anticipation of facing Gordon. After Mr. Glashalter left, the first person to come in, however, was the deputy who had brought us from the hospital. He carried bags of burgers and fries with some sodas under his arm. The delicious aromas made my stomach churn.

“I thought you girls might be a little hungry. Looks like you'll be here awhile,” he said, putting the bags on the table. He stood back. “Go on, eat them while they're hot. Compliments of the county,” he added with a big grin.

I looked at Crystal. She nodded and we passed the burgers and fries to each other. The deputy watched us a moment and I could see the wheels turning in Raven's head. I squirmed in my seat and glanced at Crystal, who looked just as anxious about her.

“Suppose you found drugs in someone's car but you didn't tell the police, is that a crime?” Raven blurted.

I think the mouthful of burger bun I swallowed turned to stone in my throat.

“It's always a crime to withhold evidence or not report a crime you know is in progress,” he replied. “Why?”

“I just wondered,” she said.

“Are there drugs in that station wagon?” he followed. He would have had to be dumber than a rock not to have asked her, I thought.

“No,” Raven said.

“Were there?” He waited. “If there were, there might still be some residue.”

“And if there isn't?” Crystal asked. “You can't prove there were any, right?”

“Absent of physical evidence or an eyewitness, no,” he said.

Crystal glared at Raven.

“I'm talking about another car,” she said. “A boyfriend of mine back home.”

“Oh. Well, you better drop him like a hot potato,” the deputy advised. “If he gets picked up with that stuff and you're with him, it won't go well for you.” He looked at Butterfly. “I bet you'd like an ice cream cone. What's your favorite flavor?”

“I like strawberry,” she said.

“Anybody else? Better get me while the getting is good,” he said.

“I'll have a vanilla cone,” Raven said. Crystal and I declined and he left to get them.

“That was really stupid, Raven. Can you imagine what would have happened if he ripped apart the wagon with Gordon watching and they found nothing?” Crystal asked. “Gordon would see his drugs
were gone and he would have been furious. I'm sure he would press charges against us then.”

“I just wondered if there was another way out of here,” Raven moaned. “You know I don't want to do anything to break us up.”

“I'm scared,” Butterfly whimpered, her lips quivering ominously. “I was never arrested before.”

“You're not being arrested now,” Crystal assured her. She fixed her eyes on Raven. “No one's going to do anything or say anything more.”

Everyone was quiet a moment.

“Well, I'm scared too,” Raven admitted. “I'm sorry, but I am.”

“We're going to be all right,” I said. “Don't worry about it.”

“Right. I won't worry. You'll call super mechanic and he'll come flying in his, what did you say he called it? His Betty Lou?”

I glared back at her, tears of rage burning my eyes. She looked down and folded her arms.

The sheriff's deputy returned with the cones and told us they had just gotten word that Gordon would be here in an hour. Then he left us again.