Page 32 of Glass
13
POPPY
I know why Felix is my mate.
I’m not sure I’m ready to admit it to him—I’ve barely admitted it to myself—but the answer is clear in front of me. Rose is hovering over Felix like a mother hen as he answers the last of the officer’s questions about our accident and the ensuing shoot-out. She’s not a shifter, she has no reason to be loyal to him, and yet she’s protected us because of his connection to the family he found amongst The Lost.
Felix and I, we survive because of the people around us. We survive because we know when to lead and when to lean.
It doesn’t change the fact that I don’t want to be Lost.
I seem to blend into the background of the crime scene as several men in uniform mull about. Felix told everyone that I’m in shock, so they’ve focused on his answers to their questions for now. It helps that Rose was upfront about being responsible for the shooting. Based on the way everyone is talking, it sounds like the whole thing is being framed as a robbery gone wrong.
It feels like too simple of an answer. It doesn’t feel like the truth.
A dark cargo van turns onto our road, and the officers hovering over the bodies in the middle of the street scatter. One of them heads for me, his face stoic as he stops in front of me with arms crossed over his chest. His body language isn’t friendly, but his eyes soften as I take him in warily.
“Sheriff wants us to make sure you don’t recognize either of these men.” TheOfficer Ricename tag on his uniform catches the sunlight the same way the gun had, and I startle slightly. The officer’s eyebrows knit, his eyes filling with sympathy as he looks at me like a wounded animal.
“Sorry,” I say sheepishly. “Uhm, so I have to look?”
Officer Rice grimaces. “I’m afraid so. But don’t worry, we’ll only show you their faces, and you won’t see anything gruesome.” It’s probably the best I can ask for under the circumstances.
“Okay.”
I follow Officer Rice to the middle of the street where white sheets stretch over both of the men. A man who has to be at least seventy climbs slowly out of the van that stopped nearby. He raises a hand in greeting and heads toward us.
“It’s okay if you don’t recognize either of these two,” Officer Rice says. “We just need to make sure this wasn’t a targeted attack.”
His words give me pause. It almost sounds like he’s leading me to say I don’t recognize anyone before I’ve even seen the men. Before, I couldn’t get a good look at them from this distance and through the post-accident haze. I look over my shoulder to find Felix’s gaze.
He’s talking to a different officer, but he seems to sense my stare and looks up, meeting my eyes. He gives a nearly imperceptible nod.
“I’m ready,” I tell Officer Rice as I turn back. There’s no way Felix would let this happen if he was concerned. I’m not going to recognize these men.
“This is the coroner,” Office Rice introduces as the older man finally makes it to us. “We’re ready to see the faces.” The coroner juts his chin up in greeting and kneels down between the two covered bodies.
“First.” The coroner draws back the sheet and I stare at the pale face of a man I don’t recognize in the slightest. The shaved head and dark red beard don’t strike me as someone easy to miss. “And second.” He returns the first sheet to position and pulls back the other sheet. The second man looks gaunt around the cheeks, more pronounced by the way his mouth is hanging slightly open. With his medium brown hair cut in a generic hairstyle, there’s nothing as noteworthy about him as the other’s red beard, and I don’t recognize him either.
“No. Nothing,” I tell the men.
“Great.” Officer Rice touches my shoulder to nudge me to turn around. “Thanks for your cooperation. We should be done here soon and you and your boyfriend will be able to be on your way.” I don’t correct him.
I take a step in Felix’s direction, but the officer stops me.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but we have one more person we need to see if you can identify.” I’m confused until he gestures to the SUV smashed against the passenger’s side door of Joss’ SUV. I didn’t think twice about who was driving the car that hit us because I was so concerned about the men prowling toward us from down the road.
I follow Officer Rice around the perimeter of the crash toward the open driver’s side door of the offending SUV. There’s a sheet over the person in the driver’s seat. And I notice the airbag from the steering wheel is covered in blood but also looks… off. Almost like it didn’t deploy all the way.
Officer Rice leans on the open door and follows my gaze. “Eh, this model was recalled a few months back for airbag problems. My wife just bought one too and had to take hers in for repair work to fix the problem.”
“That’s bad luck,” I murmur.
“Yep.” Officer Rice reaches in to pull the sheet down off the man’s bloody face. “Or nature’s justice, I’d say. The failed air bags might have saved your lives.”
I hum a non-response. I don’t want to think about how easily this man might have gotten to us first if his airbag had gone off appropriately.
I’m not sure how I would recognize the man even if I did know anyone that would try to hurt me like this. His nose is caved in and his face is caked in dark, crusty dried blood. The dark brown hair doesn’t help either, he could be anyone.