Lacey tightened her bathrobe around her and sighed. She took a brief look at her ajar bathroom door, before focusing once more in front of her. Forcing a smile on her face, she unlocked her bedroom door with trembling hands.
She parted it slightly and smiled. "Mom." She said looking at her mother. She shifted her gaze. "Chief Masterson." She said to Jo's dad. "What's going on?"
Judy crossed her arms as she stared disapprovingly at her daughter. "What took you so long?" she asked.
"I was in a state of undress." Lacey said looking down at her bathrobe and then staring pointedly back at her mother.
Judy narrowed her eyes at her daughter and sighed. "Well…Kyle wants to talk to you."
"Okay." Lacey said still holding her bedroom door tightly. She tried to control her breathing as she turned her attention back to Jo's dad. "Did I do something?" She asked innocently.
Chief Masterson smiled and shook his head. "Oh course not Lacey." He said craning his neck to peek into the small slit she allowed into her bedroom. "I just want to talk to you about something."
"About what?" Lacey asked softly putting a blank confused look on her face.
"Danny Desai." Chief Masterson answered without hesitation. He stared deeply at Lacey, but Lacey held her composure as she stared back at him unblinking.
She sighed and rolled her eyes, hiding her nervousness by crossing her arms across her chest. "What about Danny?" she asked making sure her voice gave off a hint of annoyance.
Chief Masterson stared at her a little longer. Lacey noticed when his shoulders relaxed and he bought her act. "Have you talked to him lately?"
Lacey shook her head. "Not since the diner." She said pursing her lips.
"You see I told you she wouldn't know anything about that boy." Judy said.
"What happened at the diner?" Chief Masterson asked.
Lacey opened her mouth but nothing came out. She glanced quickly at her mother and then averted her eyes. She stared at the hallway laminated floor and bit her bottom lip.
"Lacey?..." Judy said softly, straightening up.
Chief Masterson took a step forward. "Look Lacey…it's okay. Anything you may know…anything that happened-"
"I kind of…" Lacey paused as she looked at her mom and then looked away nervously. "I…" She turned to Chief Masterson. "I said some pretty mean things to him…I don't…uhmmm…I don't think he's going to talk to me for a while."
Lacey saw the disappointment on Chief Masterson's place. "You sure?" He asked narrowing his eyes at her. "You two were close."
"We weren't that close." Lacey said defensively as she turned to her mom.
Chief Masterson raised his eyebrow at her.
"What do you mean they were close?" Judy asked putting her hands on her hips in defiance. "As I recall, it was your daughter prancing around with him all over town."
Lacey cringed slightly.
"Lacey?" Chief Masterson said softly. "Your mom doesn't know?"
"I don't know what?" Judy asked turning back to her daughter.
Lacey stared off to the side, unable to meet her mother's eyes. She took a couple deep breaths as her grip on the door tightened.
Judy started tapping her foot. Lacey looked down, knowing what that gesture meant.
She lifted her head and took a deep breath. "It was a mistake okay." She said loudly, her voice shaking. "It just happened that one time." She looked down at the ground. "It won't happen again…I regretted it. I let him know that."
"What happened one time?!" Judy shrieked.
"Mom we just made out once. It won't happen again. I swear!" Lacey said.
Judy gasped as she stared at her daughter.
"I'm sorry okay." Lacey said softly as she held back the tears. Her hands played nervously with the doorknob. "I was just really confused, and I didn't…." she turned to Chief Masterson and took a deep breath. "Am I getting punished for kissing him?" she whispered smartly.
"Of course not…" Chief Masterson said having the decency to look a bit guilty.
"Oh yes you are!" Judy interjected. "Lacey how could you-"
"I'm sorry for bringing this up." Chief Masterson said quickly. He turned to Judy. "Judy…teenagers do stuff they regret the next day."
Lacey looked at the ground. Resisting the urge to look behind her. She knew he could hear. He could hear everything.
"But not my daughter." Judy said. She turned back to Lacey in shock. "We're going to have to talk about this."
Lacey closed her eyes and shook her head softly. "Please don't." she whispered.
"I uh…" Chief Masterson started. "I think she's realized her mistake. And we should-"
Judy held her hand up to cut him off. "Kyle, don't talk to me about my daughter."
"What is taking so long!" A female voice asked marching up the stairs.
All three of them turned their heads at the interruption.
"Who the hell are you?" Judy asked the lady walking up her stairs.
"Marilyn Rossi, P.I." She said as she briefly nodded at Judy and walked past her.
"I don't care who you are. What the hell are you doing in my house?" Judy asked, staring down the woman.
"Marilyn, I told you to wait in the car. I got this." Chief Masterson said.
"This is official police business." Marilyn said turning to Judy.
"Official police business my ass. You're not on the green grove police force." Judy said. She turned to Kyle. "Kyle…" Judy said pointing at the lady.
"Marilyn, I'll handle this…" Chief Masterson said quickly, knowing Judy's temperament.
"Look Ma'am…if your daughter's harboring a fugitive…" Marilyn said ignoring Kyle as she turned to Judy.
Judy stepped up to the woman. "First of all, my daughter's not harboring a fugitive." She said pointing in the lady's face. "Second of all, you do not have my permission to be on my property. So I suggest you turn around and get out of my house.
Lacey stared in horror at the discussion in front of her. She gripped the door tightly as her breathing quickened.
"Marilyn, you're out of line." Chief Masterson said stepping up to the woman.
"No wonder you haven't solved this case yet." Marilyn snapped. "There's a murderer on the loose, who could possibly be holed up in this girl's room."
"How dare you imply such things of my daughter." Judy asked. She put her hands up. "Kyle get this woman out of my house or I swear to God I will."
"Is that a threat." Marilyn asked.
"Yes." Judy said stepping up to her. "Yes it is…you're in my house, without my permission…I will threaten you as I please."
"Mom what's going on?" Clara asked rubbing her eyes as she stepped out her room. Judy turned around to see her 13 year old daughter staring in shock at the scene transpiring on the second floor hallway. "Mom?"
"Nothing Clara sweetheart." Judy sad. She turned to Kyle and Marilyn. "Out of my house." She commended. "Both of you guys out….Now."
"Judy, I'm so sorry." Chief Masterson said trying to apologize. "I didn't-
"Have you even searched the girl's room?" Marilyn asked.
"Not without a warrant you're not. You think I don't know my rights?" Judy asked. "There's no probable cause here, there's no reason for you to be suspicious of a young teenage girl who wants nothing to do with the suspect. So you can get a warrant if you want and come back…but right now, you need to get the fuck out of my house." Judy said sternly.
Lacey tried to hide her smile as she stared at her mother. Nobody…absolutely nobody crossed her mother. Her father learned that a long time ago.
"We'll leave." Chief Masterson said nodding at Judy. "Once again I apologize."
Marilyn turned and stared at Lacey sharply. Lacey gave her a blank stare, resisting the urge to smirk at her. The P.I. turned around and walked back downstairs.
"Well are you coming?" she demanded of Chief Masterson. "We have the whole neighborhood to search."
Chief Masterson sighed. "Judy…"
"Out." Judy said promptly.
He nodded respectfully and turned and walked downstairs.
Judy took a deep breath as she put her hand over her younger daughter's head. Clara had walked up to her mom cautiously and stayed by her side.
The fear rose in Lacey at the silence in the hallway. "Mom I-"
Judy put her hand up to silence her. She walked over to Lacey and shooed her aside. Without a word she pushed the door wide open and stepped into her eldest daughter's room.
Lacey stepped to the side and swallowed nervously.
Judy looked around carefully, taking a couple steps. "Is he here?" She asked.
Lacey shook her head. "N-n-no." she said her voice croaking.
Judy looked at the open bedroom window and walked over to it. She looked outside…peering to see if she could see something from the side. Satisfied she pulled her head back in and slammed the window shut.
Lacy and Clara jumped slightly at the intensity.
"Mom I-" Lacey started.
"Lacey." Judy said sharply. It was in that tone that demanded her silence. Lacey quickly shut her mouth. Clara stood next to her sister quietly. Judy walked over to Lacey's closet and opened it wide. She pushed the clothes aside. Satisfied that there was nobody there she slammed the closet door. She walked over to her daughter's bed, crouching down, she looked under the bed. She got back up and wiped her skirt and hands. Looking at the ajar bathroom door, she marched over to it.
Clara watched as her older sister slowly closed her eyes and opened them with an exhale of breath.
Judy looked around the white bathroom, lingering on the glass shower door. There really was no place to hide here. Judy paused as she saw a towel on the floor, against the door. She walked out the bathroom and took a deep breath.
"Mom, I'm sorry…I really am. I just….I wasn't thinking." Lacey whispered.
"I never know what's going on with you." Judy said staring at her daughter, unable to hide the hurt in her eyes. "To find out something like that from Kyle?" She said in disbelief.
"It wasn't a big deal. I didn't want to bother you with-"
"What am I doing wrong?" Judy asked cutting her daughter off.
A tear fell down Lacey's face. "Nothing…I just…" Her voice trailed off as her bottom lip quivered.
Judy lifted her head to stop the tears from flowing down her face. "I'll call your father tomorrow." Judy said taking a deep breath. "Just more reasons for him to point out why I'm an inadequate mother." She murmured under her breath.
Lacey looked down and wiped the tears off her cheek. Clara reached out and gave her sister's hand a reassuring squeeze.
"Everybody to bed. Come on let's go." Judy said.
Nobody said anything as Judy and Clara moved out of her bedroom. Judy grabbed her daughter's door and closed it. Lacey took a deep breath and wiped her face. Going over to her door, she pressed her forehead against the cool wood and sighed as she turned the lock on her door.
"I'm sorry for always fucking up your life." Danny said softly, having came out from behind the bathroom door. He stared at Lacey's slumped shoulders and took her silence as an answer. "I'll just uhmm…I'll go."
"If you didn't do it, why don't you just turn yourself in?" She asked turning around. She took off the bathrobe she'd put over her clothes and flung it on her desk.
"Nobody'll believe me." Danny said. "You heard that lady right? I don't know what she has against me but she wants my head on a silver platter." Danny shook his head. "I'm not taking that risk."
"You don't think Danny." Lacey said. "You're a fugitive. Where are you going to go?" she asked. "People will recognize everywhere."
"I just have to get out of green grove." Danny said. "Further into New York…I know somebody, where I can lay low for a while."
Lacey stared at him in confusion but Danny didn't elaborate. He looked at the ground. "Thanks…for …for everything." He turned around and walked to the window.
Lacey watched him walk away. The memory of seeing his 11 year old self escorted by police flashed through her mind and she cringed. "Where are you going?" she asked her voice shaking. "There are police everywhere right now…you probably won't get two feet down the block."
Danny held the window latch. "You don't want me to get caught?" he asked softly. Danny ran his hand over his hair as he turned around. "Does that mean you believe me?" he asked.
Lacey stared at him for a while before shaking her head. "I don't know what I believe right now." She said honestly. "Every time I want to believe you, something else comes up."
Danny looked down. His eyes downcast from the hurt. "Of course...I understand."
Lacey looked away from him as she walked over to her bed. She threw her pillow on the floor and tore her covers from the bed and angrily tossed it to the ground. "You can leave when they're not circling the block." She said stiffly. She didn't look in his direction as she got in her bed. Pulling her sheets up. She turned her back to the window.
"Thanks." Danny said softly. He walked over to the side of her bed and sat on her floor. Pulling the covers over his legs he rubbed his hands nervously. Resting his head against the wall, he turned so he was staring at her form. She was all the way on the other side. Her body huddled in the fetal position. He wanted to climb on the bed and wrap his arms around her and comfort her. Tell her how much he appreciated everything she was doing. How even if she didn't believe him, she was still willing to help him out. That meant so much to him. He knew he didn't deserve it.
He heard her deep intake of breath followed by her harsh shallow breathing. Danny closed his eyes. He'd seen her cry too many times when they were younger to know exactly where this was going. "Lacey…" He whispered, his voice breaking.
"Leave me alone." She whispered back.
Danny got up and climbed on her bed. He put his hand around her but she pushed it away. He tried again but the same results. As he settled next to her, he saw her scoot further to the edge of the bed. But she could no longer move without falling off. Taking that opportunity, he scooted closer to her, putting his arm around her once more, pulling her against him even though she tried to pull away. He held on because he knew she needed it. Not letting go even when she elbowed him. He held on tighter. Burying his face in her neck.
"I'm sorry Lacey…but please trust me…you're all I have." He whispered. Danny shut his eyes as he held on to her. He felt her resistance slip away. Lacey stopped moving and slumped against his chest as her damp hand held his. A silent tear slipped down her cheek.