Page 26 of That's Not My Name

If I turn left and keep walking for a few miles, I’ll end up at the river.Another place I shouldn’t be. Especially after yesterday. But Autumn’s presence in class means there’s probably no search party today.

I don’t want to be home alone. I don’t really want to be in the place responsible for my worst memories either, but I need to walk off this anger and the boat launch wasourplace. The last place I felt any shred of peace, composure, happiness, and stillness. I want that back, but I don’t know how to get it.

On impulse, I veer left, whether it’s for punishment or absolution.

I only make it a mile from school before a police cruiser pulls up beside me.

EIGHT

DREW

I don’t have to look up to know who it is. I groan as the driver’s window eases down, but I don’t stop walking. The cruiser keeps pace with me.

“Where ya headed, kid?” Sheriff Roane calls across the lane between us.

His gravelly voice makes my shoulders tense. I force a smile. “Out for a walk. They say teenagers don’t get nearly enough exercise, so today…I choose health.” I shoot him and his beer belly a pointed glance. “You might consider parking that car and following my lead.”

He scowls. “You’re a smartass.”

“Yup. So what brings you to this side of town, Roane? Need to confiscate my shoes too?”

“Maybe.”

“You can take my Adidas, but you can’t take my liberty.”

His mouth twists up into an irritated pretzel. “Shut up, and get in the car. We both know where you’re going. I think you’ve had enough exercise for today.”

The cruiser pulls ahead of me, and angles to the left, cutting off my path. He leans over and flings open the passenger door. At least he’s not making me sit in the back this time.

I weigh the pros and cons. I mean, I could call my dads and tell them the sheriff is trying to question me without them. Without my lawyer. Even saying that out loud might be enough to get him to leave me the hell alone. It’s worked before.

But he took the Trooper. Which means the police must have some new evidence. If I get in the car, maybe I can find out what it is and get ahead of it.

“Any day now, Drew.”

I sigh and climb in.

At the very least, I can’t make him think I’mmoreguilty. Plus, this is what cooperation looks like, right? That’s what everyone wants to see.

The second my door closes, he pulls back into his lane and drives toward the edge of town. He doesn’t say anything, and I don’t either. He doesn’t even have the radio on…and cop cars have some seriously silent interiors. I can hear the air whistling through his nostrils and it’s kind of creeping me out.

It only takes about five minutes to get back to the river. Roane barrels straight down the road like it’s nothing. Because to him it’s a road, notthe roadwhere everything changed.

There’s nobody at the ramp today. My gaze slides across ten empty parking spaces and lingers on the second to last one. Our spot. The one we parked in every time we came out here. A giant tree hangs over it, with branches full of orange leaves.

As if he knows, Roane parks inourspot and cuts the engine.

For a second, I feel like I’ve left my body. This is exactly where she was, only in the passenger seat ofmycar. Smiling. Staring at mewith those beautiful, trusting, green eyes. The freckles across her nose peeking out from beneath her makeup.

“Drew?”

I snap back to reality and the image of Lola’s face fades from my mind. Roane’s paunchy face stares at me and I grimace. “Yeah?”

“You’re looking a little green. Anything you want to tell me?”

“For the last time, I didn’t hurt Lola. It’s just…hard being here.”

I look past him at what’s left of Lola’s shrine in the first parking spot. It’s looking sadder by the day, but there’s a fresh vase of bright pink lilies that wasn’t here yesterday. Probably from her parents.

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