Betwixt

I cringe remembering the scene all too clearly. Amber's crush. The guy I slept with. I couldn't get over my guilt and he wouldn't leave me alone, kept wanting a repeat.

"I found you an hour later crying in one of the music suites. You were hiding behind a drum kit. The second I saw you, I knew you had a heart and it restored all my faith in you. It was kind of hard not to like you after that. All your snide remarks can be pretty transparent."

I swallow down the lump in my throat.

"I wanted to impress you so bad and when I found your iPod, I thought it was my chance."

Self-loathing swamps me.

"I still can't believe I called you Scarface."

"Yeah." Dale shakes his head. "I guess it was kind of the last straw for me. I figured any more chances weren't worth it... but I was wrong."

He tentatively leans forward, reaching out his hand to touch my cheek. The urge to turn away is overruled by the power of his eyes. Before I can stop myself, I lean into his hand and rest my cheek in his palm. Dale's eyes glimmer with a smile. "This is my chance and I'm not going to screw it up. So Nicole, get me hell out of this cell so I can find you."

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

I know Dale's right. Finding me will be the only way to prove he's i

"Okay, I can go through the bars, but then what?"

"You'll need to find the key and bring it back to me."

I squeeze my eyes shut and silently swear. I don't think I can do this. I'm about to tell Dale that when he whispers, "I know you're scared, but you can do this."

Opening my eyes, I look directly at him. His eyes are filled with such conviction I might just be capable of believing him.

"Okay," I sigh. "Okay."

Dale shoots me a wi

"Good luck."

I let out two quick breaths then close my eyes and step forward.

My body breaks apart as I pull myself through then I spin around with a small smile.

"Are you through?"

"Check." I nod as I look down the corridor. "Okay, I'll go exploring. You just wait for me here."

Dale's eyes shift from side to side before he nods.

"Okay."

I watch him trying to bite back a grin as I realize what I've just said.

"Oh shut up! I'm nervous."

His face illuminates with a smile.

"You'll be great."

"Yeah, whatever."

I ignore his quiet chuckle as I creep away from the cell and head towards the front desk.

I don't know why I'm tiptoeing, it's not like anyone can hear me! Sneaking up to the front of the station, I peer over the top of the desk and spot the deputy with his head buried in a pile of paperwork. He looks bored to distraction as he flicks through notes and signs various pieces of paper.

A noise from the adjacent office distracts me and I look over the desks to see the sheriff pacing away from his guest. He looks at his watch in agitation and glances out the door. I instinctively duck then roll my eyes and stand. He looks a

I decide it doesn't really matter who he's talking to and the longer it takes the better. From memory, the mayor is a total blabbermouth so this meeting of theirs is working in my favor.

Forcing my brain to think cell key, I pull my attention back to the deputy and his desk. It's not exactly the tidiest work area I've ever seen. I frown as I walk through the partition and stand behind the man. He pulls off his glasses and gives his eyes a rub before stretching his arms back and letting out a yawn. I jump out of his way and spot the keys next to his coffee mug just before he leans forward again.

How am I supposed to get those without him noticing?! They're right beside his left hand.

Frowning, I fidget with my watch strap as I try to formulate some kind of plan. I can't go back to Dale without the key. I just can't.

Wiggling my fingers and stepping around the policeman, I try to reach past him for the keys. His hand jumps up and scratches his shoulder. I try once more and the same thing happens. The only way I can get those keys is to pass straight through him and even if I do that, he'll probably freak out when he sees the keys moving along the desk by some invisible force. No - I have to distract him.

I scrunch my lips up as I look at the back of the deputy's head. He scratches his shoulder again and I get an idea.

Please work. Please, please, please work!

Rubbing my fingers together, I run them down the side of his neck.

He twitches and scratches the spot. I grin and do it again. This time he slaps it. My smile grows wider and wider as I continue to torment the man until he jerks tall and moves away from his desk.

"You okay, Walter?" The female officer working at the desk behind him looks up.

"Yeah, I just feel like something's crawling on my neck."

"Let me take a look." She stands up, hitches her pants then leans over her desk to study the deputy's pink neck.

I quickly step into the vacated space and snatch at the keys. My fingers slip straight through them.

"Oh come on!"

It's not like I have seconds to spare. I glance over my shoulder as the female officer mmms and squints her eyes, trying to find some invisible bug or bite.

Looking back at the keys, I narrow my eyes and mutter, "You are coming with me."

I put my index finger inside the key ring and slide it across the desk. Like magic it shuffles across the wood and lands in my left hand. I wrap my fingers around the precious cargo and cling for dear life as I make a beeline back to the cells.

I'm in the corridor when I feel them begin to slip.

"No!" I try to squeeze them tighter, but it's no use. Air fingers are back and the keys are heading for the floor. They land with a loud tinkle that will surely be investigated. Dropping to the floor, I give them a shove and thankfully they glide across the shiny floor and come to rest in between two filing cabinets.

The deputy's head pops around the corner. He looks down the corridor with a confused frown then starts slowly walking towards me.

"Don't look at the cabinets. Don't look at the cabinets," I say over and over, until he walks past them.

He turns again and puts his fingers in his belt. His frown lines are deep with confusion and panic is knocking on my door until he shrugs. His face drops back to boredom and he makes his way back to his desk.

I let out a sigh and force my heart to start beating again as I scramble for the keys.

As quietly as I can, I pull them from beneath the cabinet and shuffle them along the ground. I must look ridiculous as I crawl on my hands and knees towards Dale, pushing the keys ahead of me.

"Okay, that is the freakiest thing I have ever seen."

I look up at Dale's comment and smile.

"Nearly there."

"Good job." Dale squats down and reaches through the bars, gathering up the keys in his hand and searching for the right one.

"Try that one." I point at the small, flat key.

"Which one?"

"The small one. No... yes, that one."

Dale jiggles the keys around as he tries to get the right angle and slot it in.