Page 86 of A Spot of Tea
“Ah, hang on.” Clicking. Typing. “It’s been canceled. You can release her.”
“Thank you.”
He lifted the phone’s receiver and dropped it with a click. “Looks like you’re free to go.” A phone rang outside the office, the hollow sound filling the room.
Eliza stared at him. “What?”
“I expected you’d be relieved, but I can’t tell you how relievedIam.” He sat back, resting his hands on his belly. “Your Granny said she would gut me like a fish if I arrested you.”
A cold feeling expanded from her stomach and out to her limbs. “Does that mean they got Derek? Is there enough evidence to arrest him?”
Hank shrugged and put his hands up in the air. “No idea! All I know is I get to live another day and not get baked into one of your Granny’s fish pies.”
Eliza put her hand over her mouth. “I can’t believe this.”
“Would you like a ride home?” he asked.
She’d taken up enough of his time. “No. Thank you, though. I’ll just call my mom if that’s okay.”
He nodded. “Sure.”
There was nothing quite like telling a police officer about needing to call her mom to make her feel like a giddy schoolgirl.
She punched in the number and her mom answered with a shaky, “Hello?”
She leapt out of her chair. “Mom! I’m coming home!”
After much squealing, they hung up and Eliza went outside to wait. It took six minutes for her ride to get there.
“I can’t believe you turned yourself in!” Mom yelled through the open window when she pulled up to the police station. “But I’m so happy we can put this all behind us.”
Eliza grinned, hopping into the passenger seat. “I know and I’m sorry. I didn’t want anyone else to get involved.”
“I wanted to fly up there as soon as I got your message, but I couldn’t find Joey.”
“Oh really? Where is he?”
“I don’t know! No one has heard from him all day. Russell was about to rent a water taxi to come and get you.”
Something tightened in her chest. “Do you think he’s okay?”
She waved a hand. “I’m sure he’s fine.”
“Is the plane at the dock?”
Mom tapped her chin with her finger. “No. It’s missing, too.”
Eliza looked down at her hands. She shouldn’t be surprised he’d taken off after all this craziness, and yet…she was.
She’d held onto hope that maybe, justmaybe,he’d forgive her for what she’d said.
She stared out the window and let out a breath.
It didn’t matter. Even if he had forgiven her, it didn’t mean he wanted to change. There was no use trying to change him – or anyone. Joey was someone who had to run away. She had to let him, for her own sanity.
They pulled into the tea shop and Granny came running out in her apron.
“You did it!” She hugged Eliza so tightly she couldn’t breathe.
