I smirked back. “Who is taking in teens?”
“The Holdens.”
“Cool.”
“Cool? No deep thoughts from Avery Brave today?”
“No. They have a big house. If they know teens that need a place, they should do it. Seems like good math to me.”
She chuckled. “I suppose it does. How was your run with Felix this morning?”
“It was good. Farther, faster, stronger…the usual.”
She shook her head and laughed again as I slipped off the stool and kissed her on the cheek.
“I need a shower. Are you headed out?”
“Yes, I’m leaving in about ten minutes. What are you doing today?”
“Felix is coming to swim, and then I don’t know.”
“Lazy summer days, huh? Would you mind bringing your laundry down?”
“Not at all. I’ll call you if we end up going anywhere.”
“All right, dear,” she called after me as I skipped up the stairs. I peeled off the sweaty—now crunchy—running shorts, tank, and sports bra and checked my phone before hopping in the shower. No missed calls. No messages from Nate.
I cared; I wouldn’t lie to myself and pretend I didn’t. Nate had been like a fairytale prince for several months after the whole ordeal of last year. It had been bliss—if a high schooler can experience such a thing. And maybe that was the problem. It was a fairytale.
He’d started pulling away when school was out, right before he left for the summer. Carol and Felix thought it was in my head, but I knew on some level it wasn’t. And now, the lack of communication was my proof. I took my snack out to the front porch and let my hair dry in the breeze as I swung gently on the porch swing, thinking back to the first time Nate and I had sat here together. I wasn’t angry or even hurt. It wasn’t like we’d broken up, but I certainly felt confused.
And what was more, the butterflies in my stomach this morning from the redhead had added to the confusion. Was I just feeling neglected? Did I still have feelings for Nate? Maybe I was just lonely and looking for attention.
All of my emoting was interrupted as I saw police cars pull in to the house two doors down from us. Lights on but sirens off. I stood up from the swing and leaned on the railing, curious to see what was about to go down. We lived in an affluent neighborhood where disturbances, trouble, or chaos of any kind were unheard of.
Two police officers got out of their cars and walked to the door. They disappeared inside, and, after several moments, I felt guilty for watching with a twinge of anxiety or the thought of a break-in or domestic issues in our neighborhood.
Thankfully, Felix pulled up just as I broke away from staring at the blue lights.
“What’s going on over there?”
“No idea. They just pulled up.”
“I heard there have been several break-ins around here lately.”
“Really? I haven’t heard anything.”
“Yeah, seems to be some suspicion surrounding the construction crews.”
“How so?” I asked, thinking of the redhead.
“Seems they all go on break, disappear, and, when they do…things tend to happen. Could be coincidence. Could be their MO.”
“Well, detective Felix, in your professional opinion…,” I teased.
“Shut up.”
“Come on in. You need a snack or a drink? I’m still replenishing.”
“Naw, I’m good.”
“Okay, I’ll go change. I’ll just be a sec. You can go ahead and get in if you want.”
“Okay.”
I headed up to my room, still thinking about the police cars. I wondered to myself what was the worst thing it could be. “Murder,” I answered aloud to myself in a film noir sort of way and then giggled.
I changed into my suit and hurried down the stairs. I took the long way out to the pool by way of the front door to see if the police cars were still there. My curiosity was revving high, and I knew something big was going on. When I rounded the house and opened the gate to the pool, Felix immediately started teasing me, which I expected.
“You went out to see the police cars, didn’t you!?” he exclaimed.
“Maybe,” I teased back.
“You’re restless and nosy.”
“I’m what? You better take that back!” I sassed back at him while taking off my towel and inching my way back to the fence like I was prepping to take off.
“Don’t you jump on me, Nightingale, or you’ll regret it.”
“Then take it back.”
“I can’t. It’s already out in the universe, sadly enough.” He shrugged. “Plus, it’s the truth.”
“Oh yeah?” I said. I leaned behind the lounge chair and retrieved the extra-large water gun my dad had bought, whirled it around, and soaked Felix in the face and chest before he even saw it coming. He yelped out of surprise but then started yelling threats at me as he tried to run in the water toward the stairs. We both doubled over laughing at his ridiculous attempt to chase me.
But our laughter was cut off with a knock at the gate and a familiar voice. Felix shot me a look, and I motioned for him to stay put.
A Message from Megan
Thanks for reading The Nightingale Files. I hope you loved going back to school with Avery Brave this year. There’s plenty more to come—so stay tuned.
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The Nightingale Files : The Rook and Queen Page 18