Already Gone Read Online Free Page B

she says. “It’s grown so much since the last time I was here. I’m not sure I like it anymore.”
    “Sorry to hear it.”
    “No, I’m being too negative. The hotel is gorgeous. I’ve got a row of palm trees right outside my window, so that’s nice. I just wish you were here.”
    “Me too.”
    “I think I’ll take a day and explore, maybe drive up north to Sedona. Spend some time having my chakras realigned or my aura polished or whatever else they do up there these days. I’ll bring you back a crystal necklace.”
    “Sounds like fun.”
    “I’d rather be home.” She pauses. “Hey, how did your class go? I forgot to ask.”
    “Not what I was expecting,” I say. “Mostly business majors who signed up thinking it’s an easy class.”
    “Is it?”
    “Haven’t decided, but there are a lot of things I’d rather do than grade essays.”
    “I don’t blame you.”
    I look at my watch. “Speaking of class, I should go. My next one is about to start.”
    “Monday, then?”
    “Monday.” She’s quiet for a moment, then says, “I love you, Jake. Very much.”
    It fills me.
    “I know,” I say. “I’ll see you soon.”
    And for the first time since she left, I believe it.

– 6 –
     
    I’m struggling to fit a stack of papers into my bag when I hear someone knock at my office door. I look up as Anne Carlson, the department chair, steps inside.
    “Got a minute?” she asks.
    “Sure, come on in.”
    This is the first time Anne has been in my office. I start to apologize for the mess, but she doesn’t seem to notice so I don’t point it out. Instead, I motion to the chair across from me and say, “Do you want to sit down?”
    “No, thank you. I only wanted to stop by and see how you’re holding up after your first week.” Her eyes drop to my bandaged hand and the stack of papers. “Do you need help with those?”
    “I think I do,” I say. “You never realize how much you rely on both your hands until one is gone.”
    Anne smiles. She takes the papers and straightens them on the desk then slides them into my bag. “How’s your hand healing?”
    “Slowly, but it’s getting better.”
    She nods, and I can tell my answer was irrelevant.
    “Mr. Reese, I thought you should know that I got a call the other day from a Detective Nolan. He said he was investigating the attack.”
    “Why did he call you?”
    “That’s what I asked him. Turns out, he had a couple questions that needed to be answered. Questions about you.”
    I pause. “What about me?”
    “He wanted to know if I’d noticed anything out of the ordinary. If you’d had any strange guests, missed a lot of work, that kind of thing.”
    “What did you tell him?”
    “I told him the truth,” she says. “I explained that this was your first year and I didn’t know you well enough to decide if something was out of the ordinary.”
    “Did he say why he wanted to know?”
    “Not directly, but I got the impression he thinks you’re wrapped up in all this, and that what happened to you might’ve been a direct result of your involvement.”
    “My involvement in what?”
    “He didn’t give specifics.”
    “Of course he didn’t.” My voice comes out sharp, and when I speak again, I make an effort to stay calm. “I can’t defend myself against baseless accusations.”
    “You think he’s lying?”
    “I think he’s lazy,” I say. “He’s looking into my case, but since he doesn’t have anything to go on, he’s assuming I’m somehow to blame because of the trouble I got in as a kid.”
    “But your not?”
    “Of course I’m not. Are you worried about it?”
    Anne shakes her head. “No, Mr. Reese, and I apologize for putting you on the defensive like this. I hope you understand it’s not something I enjoy. It’s just the university isn’t accustomed to police detectives investigating our staff.”
    I keep quiet.
    “All I can go on is my instinct and your word,” she says. “My instinct tells me to trust you and