Jason gives me a look, then he reaches out and grabs her wrist. “Hey. No phones at the dinner table. You know that.”
Wow, Hannah is sneakier than I thought. I didn’t even realize she had her phone under the table. She obligingly places it in Jason’s outstretched hand. She leans back in her chair, pouting. “I just wanted to see if they found Olivia.”
My heart leaps. “Did they?”
Hannah hesitates. “I don’t think so.”
I look over at Liam, who is staring down at his dinner plate. I haven’t asked him about what I found in the GPS yet. I’m afraid to. Because it’s hard to think of any explanation that won’t make him look really bad. All I know is that he lied to my face this morning and I couldn’t even tell.
“She was in your year, right, Liam?” Jason asks.
“I guess. I didn’t really know her.”
Then why were you going to her house last night? At two in the morning?
The doorbell rings, which is a relief, because I wasn’tdoing much better at eating my macaroni and cheese than the kids were. That relief lasts only until I look through the peephole and see the two uniformed police officers standing at our door.
Oh God. I think I’m going to have another panic attack.
I take two deep breaths before I unlock the door. I plaster a smile on my face that I feel looks very genuine. Maybe Liam is rubbing off on me.
One of the officers is a man in his late thirties with ruddy cheeks and a gut that’s straining against his uniform. The other officer is a thin woman. She looks of Hispanic descent, with sharp black eyes, high cheekbones, and hair pulled back into a severe bun.
“Hello there,” the male officer says in a thick Long Island accent. “Does Liam Cass live here?”
Oh no. No no no no…
“Yes…” I manage. “He’s my son.”
The female officer flashes a smile that doesn’t touch her eyes. “My name is Detective Rivera and this is Detective Murphy. We were hoping to ask Liam a few questions. Is he home?”
“Yes?” I say, although I’m not sure why it comes out like a question. I clear my throat. “He’s just eating dinner.”
“Would you please interrupt him?” Rivera says. Thephony smile has disappeared from her face.
“Um…” I glance in the direction of the dining room. Jason has come out to see what’s going on, and his eyes fly open at the sight of the police officers. “Does he need a lawyer?”
Maybe I shouldn’t have asked that. That sounds super guilty. And we don’t know for sure Liam did anything. After all, he’s a sixteen-year-old kid.
“No, that shouldn’t be necessary,” Rivera says. She seems to be the spokesperson. “We just have a few quick questions.”
“What’s this about?” Jason speaks up.
“We’re just trying to get some information about the girl who disappeared this morning,” Rivera says. “We’re speaking with some of her classmates who might be able to help us. We just want to find Olivia.”
“Well, Liam says he doesn’t know her.” Jason folds his arms across his chest. “So I think you might be wasting your time here.”
Detective Murphy flashes Jason a disarming smile. “Then this will be real quick. We just want to make sure. A girl’s life is at stake, Mr. Cass. We need to do everything we can to find her.”
“I’ll go get him,” I say. I hurry out to the dining room, where Liam and Hannah haven’t moved, but Hannah isstraining to see what’s going on. I put my hand on Liam’s shoulder, and he flinches at my touch. “There are a couple of officers out there who want to ask you some questions.”
Hannah’s eyes darken. “Shouldn’t he have a lawyer? Aren’t you supposed to have a lawyer present if you’re being questioned by the police?”
It disturbs me how quickly Hannah—Liam’s sole confidante—came to that conclusion. I shake my head. “They say they have a few quick questions. Just tell them the truth, Liam.”
“All right.” Liam gets to his feet. “I’ll talk to them.”
Hannah’s eyes widen but she doesn’t say a word.
