Overheard

Zoey looked outside again. She checked her phone. Still nothing from Nick. She scrolled through a news site. They weren’t reporting any updates on Alex’s case.

Something was going on with Nick. It was obvious by the tone in his voice. The man was hiding something from her. Probably a break in the case. Even though he was off it, that didn’t mean he knew nothing. Everyone in the precinct was talking about it. It would take nothing for him to find out what was going on.

He just didn’t want Zoey to find out. 

She raked her fingers through her hair and looked outside. Why wouldn’t he just tell her? Not knowing was worse than knowing. 

Worrying was the worst. She had a vivid imagination, and the bloody images haunted her.

And being stuck in the bedroom at her parents’ house didn’t make matters any better. She needed to get out and do something. Anything. But what?

There was nothing for her to do. Not when she knew so little. 

Maybe she could go down to the police station under the guise of visiting Nick. Then she could do some eavesdropping. It wouldn’t be hard. Just a matter of getting lost on the way to Nick’s office and on the way back.

Then she’d find out exactly what was going on. If she couldn’t demand answers, she would find them other ways.

There were always other ways.

She went over to the mirror on the drawers and fixed her hair and makeup so that she looked like she meant business. If she looked like she had just stumbled out of bed, they would never take her seriously.

Zoey left a note just in case she didn’t get back before anyone woke. She raced outside to her car and pulled out her phone.

“One last chance to tell me the truth, Nick.” She called his number. It rang until it reached voicemail.

She tried again. It rang and rang, then… 

Rustling noises sound on the other end. Muffled voices. 

Zoey’s heart leaped into her throat. “Nick?”

More of the same sounds. No reply.

It must’ve been a pocket answer. 

She pressed the phone closer to her ear and tried to make out the muffled words. One voice was definitely feminine. The other was masculine. She still couldn’t understand anything they said. 

“Nick?”

Just more of the muffled conversation.

“Alex…”

She held her breath, listening. Trying to hear another word. Had they really said Alex, or had she imagined it?

“Kill… him… pay…”

Zoey’s mouth fell open, and she nearly let go of the phone. She strained to hear more.

Bang!

That time she did drop her phone. She hadn’t imagined that noise. It sounded like gunfire.

What on earth was going on?

Had she just heard Alex getting shot? Or Nick?

Hands shaking, she picked up her phone. 

The call had ended.

“No!” 

She called Nick back.

Straight to voicemail.

Zoey tried again.

Voicemail.

She gasped for air. What was she supposed to do now? She called Nick again. Same result. Again. Voicemail.

White dots danced before her eyes. She was going to pass out again.

“No.” She gasped for air. “Not now.”

Zoey struggled to stay conscious. She had to find out what was going on. 

Everything spun around her.

She stared at her phone until everything stopped moving. Did she need to call nine-one-one? 

What could she tell them? She thought she heard a shot over the phone? And she didn’t know where it had happened. 

They’d probably tell her to stop wasting their time. Besides, Nick was a cop. He wouldn’t go anywhere without telling the others in the force.

Hadn’t he said he was working on another case?

She took a deep breath. That was it. He was out on another case. She’d imagined hearing Alex’s name spoken. 

Nick was probably at an accident or something. She’d probably heard a backfire. Or maybe just a car door slam shut. The rest of the force knew where he was. Nick wasn’t the kind of cop to work off the grid.

That had to be it. Nick wouldn’t be anywhere near Alex. He was with other cops on another case. Or maybe they were even at a shooting range. They were probably just talking about Alex.

Her eyes lit up. That had to be it. It explained the woman’s voice. Nick often worked with some lady officer. Alex had told Zoey about her.

Zoey closed her eyes and relaxed. It made too much sense not to be true. 

That wouldn’t stop her from going to the station and trying to find out something about Alex’s case. If Nick was out, Zoey could find a way back where the officers were. She could sneak in when the receptionist was distracted. Then she could sneak out.

She had to try. It was better than pacing inside the house, unable to sleep.