I sighed, closing my book and marking my page before dropping my pencil and then bending down to scoop it back up along with the paper. The teacher looked up, raising one eyebrow in question. I stuffed the note up my sleeve before holding up my pencil in explanation, smiling apologetically. With a bored expression she turned away, obviously satisfied that I wasn’t up to anything sinister. When I was confident that she wasn’t going to look, I pulled out the note and unscrewed it, flattening it out and seeing Zach’s messy handwriting on there.

‘Still studying at mine after school?’

I looked over at him to see him watching me curiously. I nodded, screwing the note back up and shoving it into my pocket. He smiled, settling back into his seat. “What you reading?” he mouthed, pointing at my book. I held it up so he could see the cover, watching as he crinkled his nose distastefully and rolled his eyes at me. I chuckled and opened my page, reading again for the rest of the lesson.

When the final bell went I sent a quick text to Alex, reminding him that I was going home with Zach tonight. He replied that he was going training anyway but that I was in trouble when I got home. I winced, shoving my phone into my back pocket, now not wanting to go home at all. Hopefully he wouldn’t tell my dad otherwise I would probably be grounded forever. Mind you, after someone sending me all that stuff and what happened to Chester, I wouldn’t have been surprised if I wasn’t grounded forever anyway as a safety precaution!

Zach slinked over to my desk, skilfully jumping a chair on the way instead of walking around it. “Studying time then,” he groaned as we walked out of the classroom.

I smiled at his dejected tone and opened my mouth to answer when I saw Luke leaning against the wall outside the door. “Hey, what are you doing here?” I asked, confused.

“Hey, baby,” he greeted. “Came to give you a ride home. Alex told me earlier that he was training tonight,” he said, already reaching to take my bag from my shoulder.

I twisted my shoulder away so his fingers grasped thin air. “I’m tutoring tonight so I’ll be going home with Zach,” I answered, willing him not to freak out and start ordering me around like he did last time he saw me going home with Zach.

His posture tightened, his teeth snapped together with an audible click as his eyes flicked behind me to Zach who I could feel practically pressed against my back. “Oh,” he grunted.

My bag was slid off of my shoulder, and I looked around quickly to see that it was Zach that had taken it. “I got it from here, quarterback,” he said smugly.

Luke’s eyes narrowed as he stepped closer. Panic built up instantly because the annoyance and anger was plain to see on Luke’s face as he glowered just over my right shoulder. “Make sure you take care of her,” he ordered. “Don’t let her out of your sight.”

Zach grinned and did a mock salute, clicking his heels together to thoroughly complete the action. I rolled my eyes and gripped Zach’s arm, giving him a little tug in the direction of the parking lot. “I’ll be fine, Luke. Please stop worrying about me,” I begged. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” I muttered, before turning to Zach. “Come on, let’s just go,” I suggested. I couldn’t wait to be out of this place and away from prying eyes.

Zach let me lead him along and out of the front doors as he dug in his pocket, pulling out his bike keys. “So, had a good day?” he asked casually, as if just making conversation and didn’t know what a horrible day I’d actually had.

I sighed and nodded as we marched across the parking lot. “Brilliant. You?” I replied sarcastically.

He chuckled at my annoyance. “Tomorrow will be better,” he said confidently. “The gossip will have moved on to something else tomorrow. I don’t know why the idiots thought it was you anyway, I mean jeez, you couldn’t stab anyone, you can barely even get the straw into a Capri-Sun,” he joked, barging me with his shoulder making me stumble sideways a step.

I burst out laughing as I slapped his shoulder. “Shut up you. How the heck do you come up with this stuff?”

He chuckled, his eyes glittering with amusement. “Saw it on a Facebook status once, been dying to use it ever since,” he replied, winking at me playfully. “Anyway, let’s change the subject, what shall we have for dinner tonight?” he asked as we made our way over to the side of the parking lot where he usually parked his motorcycle.

I shrugged easily. “Whatever, I eat anything I’m not fussy,” I replied.

We reached his bike then so Zach swung his leg over the seat, holding out the helmet that was fast becoming familiar to me.

“Zachary Anderson?” We both looked back to see DI Neeson standing there, dressed in a brown pant suit and cream shirt. She was accompanied by the same uniformed officer that had the clipboard when I’d given my statement this morning.

“Yeah?” Zach muttered, frowning.

“I’m Detective Inspector Neeson. I’d like a few minutes of your time please,” she answered. Her voice wasn’t friendly like it always was when she spoke to me.

I frowned, confused. Surely they could wait until tomorrow to take his statement that they’d been obtaining from the students. “Can’t he do his statement tomorrow?” I asked hopefully. I really wanted to leave this place already, not sit around waiting for him to give his statement.

DI Neeson shook her head. “No. I’d like to speak to Zachary now.”

Zach made a scoffing sound and shook his head, turning back to face the front and shoving the key into the ignition. “I’ll do it tomorrow. We have somewhere to be. It’s not convenient right now,” he snapped.

He twisted the key making the bike roar to life with a loud growl. DI Neeson and the uniformed officer that she was standing with both took a step forward. “Mr Anderson, if you’re not prepared to answer questions willingly then I’m afraid you leave us with no choice.”

I frowned, stepping forward too. Surely they can cut him a little slack. What difference does it make when he answers those stupid questions? “Aww come on, we need to go so we can study. Can’t you just ask him your questions tomorrow? What difference will a few hours make?” I bargained.

“Get on the bike, Maisie,” Zach ordered, shifting forward in his seat to make room for me behind him.

DI Neeson took another step, her hand coming up in a halting gesture, so I stood fast, shocked by her stern expression. “I can’t allow you to leave with him, Maisie,” she said, before turning to Zach again. “Are you going to come with me willingly?” she asked him.

A cocky smile slipped onto his face. “Maisie, get on the bike, we’re leaving. I’ll talk to these lovely people tomorrow,” he said, smiling politely.

The officers moved before I could. The one in uniform stepped to the other side of the bike as DI Neeson reached out, planting her hand on Zach’s shoulder. “Zachary Anderson, I’m arresting you on suspicion of harassment, threatening behaviour, breaking and entering, and cruelty to animals,” she stated, shoving on Zach’s shoulder as the other officer grabbed Zach’s arm, twisting it behind his back while they continued with the arresting spiel that I’d only ever heard on TV.

I stood there watching with wide eyes, just dumbfounded as the words sank in. This wasn’t about Sandy… it was them wanting to question Zach about my case instead. “What? You don’t think… he’s…” I stuttered, unsure what I wanted to say as I watched Zach’s jaw tighten as he leant forward over the bike, not resisting arrest. No. He wouldn’t have…

The officer helped Zach off of the bike, holding him to her side as she cut the engine and shoved Zach’s keys into her pocket. I frowned, looking at Zach, confused. He hadn’t said anything, but his eyes locked onto mine. As he stood there with his hands cuffed behind his back, his expression was resigned, relaxed even, like he’d been through this a hundred times and was just one of those things.

“I don’t understand. What are you arresting him for?” I asked desperately.

DI Neeson stepped to my side, placing a reassuring hand on my elbow, squeezing gently to get my attention off of Zach who was still just looking at me with that same bored expression. I gulped and looked up into the kind green eyes of the police officer that I’d met the other day, not the one with the stern expression from moments before.

“We have the fingerprint reports back in full. We’re just conducting our investigation based on some new evidence. I’ll call you when I know more,” she said. Movement from behind her caught my attention and I looked up in time to see Zach being led away towards a waiting squad car.

“You think it’s Zach that was sending me that stuff?” I asked. My eyes prickled with tears as I hugged myself against the chilly breeze that blew across the parking lot.

“At this time I’m not at liberty to discuss it. I’ll call you once we’ve conducted more investigations.” She squeezed my elbow one more time before turning on her heel and marching over to the squad car, sliding into the open passenger side.

I couldn’t move. Zach turned in the seat, looking out of the window, his gaze locking on mine. In that moment I was totally lost. I had no idea what to think. Was it really Zach that was doing it all? What possible reason could he have for wanting to hurt me? I could think of none. Luke’s words rang in my ears again, ‘how much do you really know about him?’ Apparently I didn’t know him at all based on DI Neeson’s assessment of his character.

Chapter 23

I watched as the squad car pulled out of the parking lot. My feet seemed to be welded to the floor, my eyes wide and my brain scrambled. Had that really just happened? ‘New evidence’ she’d said – what kind of new evidence would make them arrest Zach like that?

A cold wind blew across the parking lot; ruffling my hair and making my skin break out in goosebumps. I didn’t know what to do or think. Was it really Zach that poisoned Chester? DI Neeson seemed to think so. There had to be some evidence linking him to it in order for them to arrest him. My stomach churned with worry and nerves. I’d trusted him. I’d defended him when Luke had suggested him, and now this? I felt a little betrayed. But at the same time part of my brain just refused to believe it. He seemed like such a nice guy, and he’d had plenty of opportunities to hurt me if he wanted to, but he hadn’t raised a finger. I felt guilty for even considering the possibility that it was him. I had always believed in innocent until proven guilty. I just tried not to believe that him being arrested wasn’t solid proof that he’d done it, after all, mistakes were made all of the time. And she hadn’t actually wanted to arrest him in the first place, just speak to him, but because he refused to talk to her she had no choice. My mind was whirling so fast it was practically spinning out of control.

I swallowed loudly and looked around the rapidly emptying parking lot. Some people were standing around, watching me; their faces wore excited expressions so I knew that they’d just seen Zach get led off into a cop car too. It would be all around school by tomorrow lunchtime.

I needed to leave. I reached into my pocket, trying to ignore the fact that my hands were shaking as I pulled out my cell phone. The first person I thought of, as always, was Luke. Struggling with my trembling fingers on my screen, I finally got his number up and pressed call. He answered after a couple of rings; I could hear his car radio playing in the background, so he was obviously on his way home.

“Luke, is there any chance you can come back to the school and get me?” I croaked, my voice barely working because my mouth was so dry.

“Come and get you? I thought you were tutoring,” he replied.

I closed my eyes, turning and perching on the seat of Zach’s bike. “I was but… please? Can you come back here and take me home? I’ll explain when you get here,” I mumbled.

There was barely even a second of decision time before he answered. “I’ll just be a couple of minutes.”

I smiled and ended the call, slipping my phone back into my pocket and ignoring the stares that were directed at me. A couple of minutes later Luke’s Jeep rolled into the parking lot, stopping in front of me. Luke’s concerned face peered through the windscreen as he popped his seatbelt and moved to climb out. I waved a hand and quickly jogged to the passenger side, climbing in.

“Thank you,” I gushed, settling into the familiar seat and closing my eyes.

“What happened to Zach?” he inquired. “Thought you were tutoring?” His eyes flicked to Zach’s bike still parked there, and he frowned in confusion.

I groaned and turned in my seat to face him. He’s going to go crazy when he finds out! “The police just arrested him,” I replied, wincing and waiting for his reaction.

A smug grin crossed his face. “I knew that dude was no good. What did they arrest him for?” he asked, obviously happy that someone who he saw as a rival for my affections was now in trouble.

I licked my dry lips before answering. “For the notes and stuff that I’ve been sent, and for poisoning Chester,” I told him.

His eyes widened in shock before his teeth snapped together with an audible click. “What the hell? It was him?” he growled, tightening his hands into fists.

I shook my head quickly. “It might not be. They only wanted to talk to him, that’s all,” I countered.

He made a half scoff, half growling sound in the back of his throat. “They don’t arrest people for nothing, baby. Son of a bitch! I can’t believe it was him the whole time!” he ranted.

I frowned at that, still not wanting to believe it. I always liked to see the good in people. “Luke, they’re just conducting their investigation. He might be innocent.”