Marsh heard the door to the court room open again and looked back to see his parents, Hank, and Karissa walk in. He’d hoped to see Karissa but hadn’t been sure if she would show for his hearing. Did she trust him? He didn’t know and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to ask.
He waited while the judge went through several other cases before coming to his. The charges were read and the judge had him stand. “How do you plead?”
“Not guilty, your honor.”
The judge set bail and moved to the next case.
Marsh let out a breath of relief, sagging a little. For a moment there he’d had this crazy terror that maybe he wouldn’t get bail, that maybe he’d be stuck in jail forever. And then how would he prove he was innocent? Could he prove it?
He had to go through the motions of being released and signing wavers, changing back into his own clothes before he was released to speak with his parents. And Karissa.
They waited for him in the jail entrance and his mom wrapped him in a tight hug almost before he could get completely through the doorway. “Oh, honey. I’m so glad you’re out.”
“Me too, Mom.” He gave her a squeeze and moved to his dad. He hugged Hank quick and tight, thanking him for taking care of things while he was gone, then turned to Karissa.
She looked as beautiful as ever, despite the dark circles under her eyes. She didn’t step forward immediately, which would have offered him the support he felt he needed from her more than anyone else, but after a second’s hesitation, she moved to him.
He scooped her into a hug and was relieved to feel her arms squeeze him back tightly. Things were far from perfect, but he had to hope that there was still a chance for them. “Thank you for coming.”
“I wouldn’t miss it,” she said.
He let her go and looked around the circle of friendly faces. “All right. I need to get cleaned up and shave.” He rubbed his chin which sported two days’ growth.
“I ought to get back to work,” Hank said, apology written all over his face.
“Yeah, you should.” Marsh looked at Karissa. “You ought to try to get some more sleep. You work tonight, don’t you?”
“Yeah.” She looked down, hurt sliding onto her face.
“Can I walk you to your car?” he asked, not wanting Karissa to feel like he was dismissing her.
“I’d like that.” She accepted his offered hand and let him draw her out the door. No one followed them.
The sun glinted off the snow, blinding bright, and Marsh blinked in surprise. “I guess it’s been too long since I was outside. Has it really been less than two days?”
“It seems like much longer.” Karissa turned to look at him. “You’re not mad at me for wondering?”
He waited a moment, making sure he had his emotions under control. “I won’t lie to you. I’m hurt that you think there’s even a chance I could be guilty.”
“I don’t want to think that, not at all. I just don’t know what to think. I called Detective Carlson though, told him you tossed that bag. In my head, I know you’re innocent.”
“So it’s the heart that can’t trust.” They came to her car and Marsh turned her to face him. “Have I been rushing things too fast, Karissa?” Please say no.
She paused to consider. “No. You’ve been great, but I’m having a hard time. And that’s not your fault. It’s mine.”
Funny, but he felt responsible anyway. “Do you mind if I come talk to you tonight while you’re at work? Maybe we can try to hash it out between deputies radioing in for driver’s license information and 911 calls.”
She smiled, easing his stress. “I’d like that. But you can’t.” She let out a sigh. “Until they drop the charges against you, I can’t have you in dispatch. Protocol. Can you come earlier?”
Disappointment shot through him. “I’ll try. If not, I’ll call you tonight and set something up for tomorrow.” He moved in and pressed a kiss to her forehead. He wanted more, but it just seemed like too much when things were so up in the air. “Talk to you then.”
He watched her get into her car and pull out of the parking lot before turning to his parents, who were walking toward him.
***
The hall phone’s ringing woke Karissa from the half-sleep she’d been dozing in and out of for the past two hours. Marsh hadn’t come by. She tried not to take that seriously as the ringing stopped and she rolled over. Maybe she could still sleep a little.
A moment later there was a knock at her door. “Honey, sorry to bother you, but there’s a young man on the phone and he seems really upset. He insists on talking to you.” Her mother extended the phone to Karissa.
She sat up, still confused and disoriented. “Thanks.” She greeted the caller and heard a jumble of words on the other end. She didn’t follow the whole conversation but managed to get that it was Craig, that he had something to tell her, and that he wanted her to meet him at the school parking lot. She glanced at the clock and saw it was already after four in the afternoon and that she had less than two hours before work.
She wasn’t really sleeping though, so she said, “I’ll pick you up in front of the jaguar statue in fifteen minutes.”
“Are you sure?” her mom asked when Karissa crawled out of the covers.
“Yes. He says he might know something that will help Marsh. I don’t know, but I’ll take anything at the moment.” Her mind was more alert now as she considered what he might want to say.
She dressed quickly, anxious to get through this before it was time for work. She kissed Paul goodbye, knowing she might not get back tonight.
The roads were clear, nearly empty. Next week the place would be filled with holiday revelers ready to live it up after a day on the slopes.
Karissa found a spot near the gym but far enough from the building to see someone coming, and checked her watch. She still had three minutes. The wait was interminable, but after nearly ten minutes, Karissa saw Craig coming around the building, his fists buried deep in his coat to ward off the cold.
She stood from her car and beckoned to him as he looked her way. “Over here.”
Craig nodded and moved faster in her direction. He scanned the empty parking lot several times on his way there, as if making sure that no one was watching him, then climbed into the car beside her.
“Okay, here’s the thing,” he said as he turned to her. “I know Coach Willmore didn’t sell the drugs to the other kids, but I don’t dare go to the cops myself. I’ve had a few problems in the past and I’m afraid they’ll hold me or something. And you know Gloria; she’s strung so tight right now, I’m afraid she’ll go postal if she finds out I want to talk to the cops.” He mentioned his older sister, who was a couple of years younger than Karissa. She had recently moved home to help when their mom got sick.
Karissa considered what he was saying. What did he want exactly? “Do you want me to take you, Craig? I can help you talk to the right people. What do you want to say?”
He fidgeted for a moment, considering. “I know who was selling the drugs. Or at least I think I know. Can you tell them?”
“If I take the rumor to them, that’s all it’ll be. They’ll end up knocking on your door anyway. It’s best if you go in and talk to the detective. I’ll be happy to go with you.”
His breathing seemed to grow heavier for a moment, as if the thought made him really nervous. “Yeah. I guess. If they’re going to ask me questions anyway, better if my sister doesn’t hear about it until afterward. Save her the heart attack.”
It was telling that he didn’t care if his mom found out in advance, even though she was the one who was sick, and Karissa wondered what was going on at home. “Okay. Let me call to have the detective meet us there.” It only took a few minutes for dispatch to put her through to the detective’s cell phone, and soon she had arranged for him to meet her at the sheriff’s office.
Karissa started the car and put it into gear, heading out of the lot. She wasn’t sure what to think of Craig’s revelation, what little there was of it, but it gave her hope. If he was right, if he could point the detective in the right direction, that might be all she needed to get Marsh clear.
Craig drummed his thumbs against his lap while they drove, nervous energy practically sparking off of him. Karissa had heard he’d had a few minor scuffles with the law, though he was pretty much clean at the moment. Getting caught for underage drinking was the last thing she’d heard—small towns were full of gossip, and the station was a virtual hotbed.
She tried to interest Craig in a conversation, asking about his mom’s condition and his older sister Gloria.
Craig was mostly unresponsive, as if afraid to speak at all.
By the time they reached the station, Karissa was getting frustrated with his tight-lipped attitude. She didn’t really know the detective. He worked days and she worked nights, so they rarely saw each other, which made it harder to gauge what he would do or what he would think, even if she did have some clue what Craig was actually going to say.
The entryway echoed when they walked into the building. She went over to the speaker and pushed the button to alert the dispatcher that they had arrived. “We’re here to speak with Detective Carlson when he gets here. He’s expecting us.”
“I’ll let him know,” Terrance said from dispatch.
It took nearly ten minutes, but eventually Detective Carlson came through the door and tugged on the blue blazer that wrapped around his portly figure. “You got something for me?”
“Craig says he does. Is there somewhere we can talk more private?”
He nodded and led them down the hall to an interrogation room. Great, Craig isn’t going to be the least freaked out about talking now. She tried not to roll her eyes. So predictable. Didn’t they ever teach the man about making people comfortable, especially informants?
Craig’s face went white as he entered the room and took a seat, though he obviously tried to act as if it didn’t bother him at all.
Karissa worried he would clam up and they would learn nothing.