6

Chryssie jerked as the pencil dropped out of her hand and thudded on the desk top. She shook her head in an effort to stay awake. The words on the test blurred together. The few hours of sleep she’d had in the past forty-eight hours was starting to take effect. Her body was rebelling. Her mind couldn’t focus.

As she looked around, it didn’t seem as if anyone had noticed her mini-nap. All the other students’ heads were down, concentrating on the test. There was no way she’d pass as exhausted as she was.

Wrong decision—again! It would have been better to go to the police, and then get some much-needed sleep. But the university had said absolutely no make-ups. They probably would have made an exception. And even if they hadn’t, Chryssie would have been able to take the test again in three months. Of course that was three more months of Gabriella living in a foster home.

She squinted at the paper. The words came into focus. One question at a time. She picked up her pencil. After triple-checking her answers, Chryssie walked up and laid the test on her professor’s desk.

Dr. Lasky looked up with a smile. “I’m sure I’ll be seeing you at graduation. You’ve been one of the best students I’ve had in years. It’s been a pleasure having you as a student.”

“Thanks.” Chryssie smiled, not bothering to explain she wouldn’t be marching in the ceremony. That took money—money that could be better spent on getting her sister out of foster care. And even if she did march, there’d be nobody to clap for her. “You’re a great teacher. I’ve learned so much from you.”

“Be sure to use me as one of your references.”

A woman walked into the room. Her gaze roved around looking at each student. The woman held up the picture, frowned and checked out the students again.

Chryssie caught a glimpse of the paper and stared at herself. Well, not herself, but Glitter, with wig and makeup. Her driver’s license photo. Why was this woman looking for her?

Chryssie couldn’t breathe. Tearing her gaze away, she swallowed hard. She fought every instinct to run out of the room. Instead she walked out as if she didn’t have a care in the world. She chanced a glance back.

The woman continued down the aisle between desks. As she approached Dr. Lasky, she pulled something from her pocket. A badge?

How had they found her here? And why were they looking for her? Not wanting to call attention to herself, she walked fast without actually running. Heart racing, she made her way across the campus, not daring to look behind her. Any second now, she’d be in cuffs and hauled off to jail. She took a deep breath. Her imagination was running wild. Why would they arrest her? Maybe she should have come forward sooner. Could she be charged for failing to report a crime?

Chryssie looked back at the three-story brick building. She didn’t see the woman. Maybe it hadn’t been a badge she pulled out to show Dr. Lasky. The woman could have been someone from the college and simply showing her ID. There was no reason to believe she was police.

But it was time to talk with the police. She hiked across the campus toward the Student Union where she could find a cab to go to the police station. But first, she needed to eat. She couldn’t remember when she’d eaten last. Yesterday? After buying a hot dog and a soda, she plopped down on a sofa. The big screen TV took up most of one wall and was tuned to the local news. Glitter’s picture flashed on the screen.

Chryssie almost dropped the soda. She barely caught the newswoman’s words, “…was wanted for questioning in the murder of Lonnie Davis, who was found dead in an alley near the flats two nights ago.”

Panic coursed through her veins. There’s no way they could know she’d been there. Her mind flashed back to the man in the alley, grabbing her hand, forcing her fingers around the gun. The police had her fingerprints. On the murder weapon. How could she have been stupid enough to forget that? Oh, why hadn’t she gone to the police right away? This was much worse than she’d ever imagined. But if she went to the police now, they might arrest her. Not might—would!

She needed help. She didn’t really have anybody to turn to—except maybe Zack. But was he the right person? His long blond ponytail and muscled tattoos might mean he had a past, too. He might even be a criminal for all she knew. Every time she’d tried to talk to him about his job, he’d simply ignored the question or changed the topic.

She took a deep breath. Calm down, Chryssie. Panicking won’t fix the situation. Who else could she go to? Maybe her boss could help. Marv wasn’t a simple bar owner. That was only one of his businesses. He would probably know some lawyers.

Keeping her head down, Chryssie scurried out of the Student Union feeling as if every eye in the place was staring at her. She made her way to where cabs waited for fares. She opened a car door. “I need to go downtown.”

“Sure thing. Where downtown?”

“The Flats.”

“Sounds good. Celebrating the end of the semester, huh?”

“Something like that.” Not hardly.

“East side or west side?”

“West side.”

“Well, be careful. There was a murder not far from the flats the other night. It’s a pity. I don’t know what this world’s coming to.”

“Yeah.”

“I have a buddy who’s a cop. He says they have a good lead on this one.”

“Oh, really. What are they saying?”

“They’re looking for some woman bartender. According to my buddy, they’re pretty sure it’s her. I guess her prints were on the gun. But don’t tell anyone I said that. It’s privileged information.”

She cringed, still not believing that she’d forgotten something that crucial. No wonder the guy stopped chasing her. He had a much better way to deal with the mess. Make them think she’d killed that poor kid. She’d be in prison and he’d be on the streets—free to kill again. “Oh…well, that’s good.”

He pulled up to the restaurant she’d named. “Here you go.”

After she paid him, she made a show of walking toward the front doors. The moment the cab drove away, she walked up the hill toward the bar. Breathing deeply, Chryssie fought back tears. The police believed she’d murdered that man.

She’d never get Gabriella now. All her hard work would mean nothing now. She’d never be allowed to visit her sister let alone get custody of her.

How would she get out of this mess? Hopefully, Marv would know what to do. After she got her car, she’d park out front and go talk to him. She didn’t care if he got mad that she would take a customer’s parking place. She was pretty sure this counted as an emergency.