Promises I Made by Michelle Zink

Author:Michelle Zink
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2015-09-11T16:00:00+00:00

Twenty-Two

I waited for Selena’s father to leave for work the next morning before taking the bus into Torrance. Selena had told me that her dad kept Saturday hours for his patients, and I made a mental note to be back before four, when she said he usually came home. I needed some things from the drugstore, and I wanted to check in with Detective Castillo before I went to Scotty and Marcus’s house.

I got off near the Econo Lodge and walked to Starbucks, where I sat down on the curb at the back of the parking lot and dialed Detective Castillo’s number. He picked it up on the second ring.

“Detective Castillo.”

“It’s Grace.”

There was a surprised pause on the other end of the phone. “Grace . . . how are you? Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine,” I said. “I’m working on . . . the stuff we talked about. On getting you the information.”

“That’s good, but listen”—he lowered his voice—“Parker’s trial date has been set for June twenty-ninth. That doesn’t give us much time, and Fletcher talked to someone on the peninsula yesterday who thinks they might have seen you.”

All the blood seemed to rush to my head, Detective Castillo’s words buzzing like a swarm of angry bees. “But I’ve been so careful . . . and how did they recognize me with the darker hair and stuff?”

“We don’t know for sure that it was even you, but you need to be extra vigilant from now on. Legitimate lead or not, Fletcher’s all over it.” He hesitated. “Are you sure you don’t want to come in? Take your chances with the DA’s office?”

I thought about it. If it were just me, maybe. But I couldn’t make that call for Parker. And now that I was working with Marcus, I felt more optimistic about our chances of getting Parker out of jail. It was a gamble, but it was one I had to take. More than that, I knew it was one Parker would want me to take.

“No, I’m going to get you what you want. Actually, I’m going to get you more than what you asked for. I’m going to get you Cormac.”

“Grace, don’t—”

“I’ll call you back in a couple of days.”

I disconnected the call and headed to Rite Aid. I filled my basket with toiletries and snacks, then caught the bus to the Town Center. When the bus dropped me off, I took a winding, circuitous route to Colina Verde, being careful to stay off the main arteries and busier roads. The sun was already hot and insistent, and by the time I got to Marcus’s house, I was out of breath, my ponytail stuck to the nape of my neck with sweat.

“Grace!” Scotty said when he opened the door. “Are you okay? Get in here.”

I stepped through the door. “Can I have some water, please?”

Lines formed on his forehead as he studied me. “You don’t have to ask for something like that here, Grace. Come on.”

He led me to the kitchen and filled a glass with cold water from the fridge.

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