If You're Gone by Brittany Goodwin Read Free Book Online Page B

times. But I called everyone I know!”
    He motioned for me to sit back down, and I sunk down into the cushion between my parents. “I’m going to ask that you refrain from contacting Mr. Lizardo again.”
    I started to speak, but my mom placed her hand on my knee and gave it a squeeze.
    “You need to let me do my job,” the detective continued. “If Michael has information about Brad, it needs to come through me. I’m sure you understand.” His inflection sounded like he was asking a question but the expression on his face indicated it was, in fact, a statement.
    “Yes, sir.” I nodded, squirming in my seat. Why is he making me feel like I’m guilty of something? So I called the guy a few times, it’s not a crime. And a far cry from harassment.
    “If you can give me a little more information about your relationship with Brad.” His left eyebrow rose as he spoke, his jawbone clenching in and out as he waited for my response.
    I peered out of the corner of my eye at my father who was staring at me. To my right my mother fiddled with her wedding band, her hands clasped as she held her gaze towards the detective. I didn’t know where to start. What is he asking me? Is he asking if we are sleeping together? That’s none of his business. Even if I tell him we aren’t, he probably wouldn’t believe me. If he is convinced Brad is nothing more than a common criminal, does he think that he has hurt me in some way? Brad would never hurt me. He would never want me to hurt the way I hurt right now…
    “Lillian?”
    I heard my name but it wasn’t from the detective, it was my mom. She rested her hand on my back.
    “Are you all right?” she asked. “Is this too much?”
    “No, no. I’m fine.” I shook my head. Snap out of it. “Brad and I have been dating for about six months.” I tried to study Detective Padron’s face. I couldn’t read his vacant expression. He looked back at me for a long moment before retreating back to his notebook.
    “Would you say you consider your relationship with Brad to be serious?”
    I nodded. “He loves me.” I glanced down at my hands and picked at the dry skin on the edges of my fingers. I didn’t like how the words sounded when they reached my tongue, as though they were in his defense. See, he’s a good guy. He loves a good girl like me. Or does he…
    “And for how long has he been telling you that?”
    “Well, not long.”
    “Define, ‘not long’,” Detective Padron said, his eyebrows furled.
    “I mean, the first time he said he loved me was the night of graduation. When he brought me home.”
    He began writing again, more frantically than before.
    “So, just to clarify, you are telling me the first time he told you he loved you was on your front porch the night he went missing?”
    Well, not exactly. “Yes.” I could feel my face growing red and hoped no one would notice. I didn't know how to explain why I had lied; it had been such a simple slip of the tongue that now felt like a blatant lie. But I couldn’t take it back.
    “Yet you do not believe that he planned to leave that night? Even though he was telling you this for the first time?” He wasn’t asking, he was telling. He looked to my parents.
    “Lillian,” my mom cut in. “It does sound like he may have had other intentions behind what he said. Are you sure nothing seemed strange? You didn’t get any feelings that he was trying to tell you…”
    Oh no. What have I done?
    “No!” I interjected. “We had a perfect picnic on the lake after graduation, it was just a really great night, that’s all . He wasn’t telling me he loved me as a goodbye. I’m positive.”
    Out of the corner of my eye, I watched my dad offer a small nod to the detective. He closed his notepad and straightened his back. It was over.
    “Lillian, that’s all I need from you for today if you have told me everything.” He cocked his head to the side as he spoke, undoubtedly some sort of police intimidation tactic.