The Librarian Principle (35 page)

“I agree,” Harvey piped up. He stopped ogling Marissa’s chest to watch Sean stanch the flow of blood from his nose with his shirtsleeve.

“So glad everyone cares what I think,” Sean complained.

“Shut up.” Ryder’s mask of composure dropped. “You lost your right to have an opinion when you stepped foot inside this school. I would like to know how the hell you managed to get in without being seen.”

Sean shot him a menacing glare—its desired effect lost when he sniffled—but at least he kept his mouth shut. Ryder and Harvey flanked Sean, ushering him quickly down the stairs into the parking lot. Liese and Marissa followed close behind, hiding Sean from anyone leaving the building. The sooner they reached the waiting cruiser, the sooner they could remove him from the property. Liese reminded herself that winter break was two days away, and any rumors that might crop up would probably fade by the time they returned in the new year.

“Did Sean say anything incriminating?” Liese whispered to Marissa as they descended the stairs.

She shook her head, keeping her voice low as she filled Liese in. “He didn’t have a chance. Ryder got all up in his face and started spouting a bunch of stuff about breaking the law and Sean’s impact on your safety and the stress he was causing you. Then you knocked Sean on his ass with the door before he could open his big mouth.”

“Thank God.” Liese relaxed a little. Until Sean was in the cruiser he could still cause damage. “What about Harvey? Do you think he suspects something?”

“Honestly, he was more interested in my chest than the situation. I think he might actually be drunk . . .” Marissa trailed off as she glanced at Harvey. Now that she’d said it, Liese could see a slight tremor in his hand and a weave in his gait.

They were almost at the cruiser when the officers stepped toward them. At the same time, Sean leaned toward Ryder and said something. Ryder stiffened visibly, his fists clenching, but he said nothing—even as Sean looked back at Liese and continued to goad him. To Sean’s left, Harvey lumbered along obliviously, breathing heavily from the exertion as he hiked his pants up under his oversized belly.

Suddenly, Sean lunged at Ryder and shoved him from the side. Ryder stumbled and threw out his hands to prevent himself from face-planting into the ground as Sean took off at a dead run. He hurdled the flower garden and crashed through the bushes in a ridiculous attempt to escape. Harvey lurched forward, but didn’t have the coordination or stamina to give chase. Ryder was already picking himself up off the ground. It was clear he had every intention of pursuing Sean, and Liese knew if he caught him, the result could be detrimental to his career.

“Sean is such an idiot,” Marissa sighed.

“I can’t let Ryder catch him,” Liese said, tearing after the man before Ryder found his footing.

Her heels hit the barely frozen earth as she bore down on him, but the weighty thud of boot-clad feet came from her left. She didn’t waver from her course, determined to reach Sean before Ryder could. Officer Tanner bounded past her, cutting her off and tackling Sean to the ground in three easy strides. Liese skidded to a halt, and someone slammed into her from behind. She nearly went down, but an arm snapped around her waist and kept her from falling.

“Are you okay?” Ryder asked, releasing his hold once she regained her footing, but keeping his hand on her back to steady her.

“I’m fine.” She drew in labored breaths, watching as the officer wrangled Sean into cuffs and hoisted him off the ground.

Once Sean had been deposited safely in the car, Liese turned to Ryder. “Are you . . . oh, God, you’re bleeding. Here let me—” She pulled a tissue from her pocket and reached out to inspect Ryder’s skinned palms.

Ryder gave a quick shake of his head and looked toward Harvey, who regarded the two of them intently. “I’m fine, it’s nothing.” He brushed bits of debris from his shirt, maintaining an aura of calm.

During the altercation, parents and students had begun filtering into the parking lot. She prayed no one had witnessed Sean’s failed escape attempt. This whole situation was mortifying on so many levels.

Ryder briefed the officers as Sean shouted muffled obscenities from the backseat of the cruiser. “Can we move this to the station?” Ryder looked around the parking lot, where cars were beginning to exit, which meant passing by the cruiser.

“Of course. We’ll meet you there,” Officer Tanner said.

Officer Cooke, his partner, leaned casually against the driver’s side door, picking at his fingernails, as Sean continued to rail from the backseat. Tanner tapped the roof of the car and slid into the passenger seat. “Let’s get this one out of here.”

Ryder urged Liese toward his car. “I’ll drive.”

“But my purse . . .” Liese protested, feeling a little dazed.

“It’s fine. I’ll get it from your office and bring it home,” Marissa offered.

In the mayhem, Liese had completely forgotten Marissa would be staying with her, but she was quite thankful. “Right, good plan.” She hugged herself and rubbed her arms, finally noticing the cold. “And my jacket? Can you bring my jacket home, too?”

“Of course, anything you need.”

“Harvey, would you let Marissa into the library?” Ryder asked. “I’ll brief you in the morning.”

“Right. Sure.” Harvey looked at them for what seemed a beat longer than necessary.

Liese stepped away from Ryder as she realized their arms had been touching.

Just as they turned to leave, Blake barreled down the sidewalk toward them, panting from exertion. He skidded to a halt, gaping at Ryder, whose clothes were rumpled after the debacle. Blake examined the scene for a long moment before he turned to Liese. “Everything okay? I tried to get here as quickly as I could but I kept getting stopped.”

“I’ll fill you in.” Marissa took his arm and guided him back toward the school with Harvey following behind. “I’ll see you at home,” she called over her shoulder to Liese.

“What happened?” Liese heard Blake ask. He glanced over his shoulder one last time, just as Ryder shed his suit jacket and draped it over Liese’s shoulders. Unaware of their current audience, he tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, his fingertips grazing her cheek. Blake took it all in, his suspicion evident. She had the distinct feeling things were about to go from bad to worse.

The drive to the police station felt endless, though it only took a few minutes. Every so often Liese glanced at Ryder, but he kept his eyes on the road, white-knuckling the steering wheel. She’d never seen him so incensed, not even when he’d discovered her folder of photoshopped pictures. Silence and tension filled the small space, the energy oppressive. Liese picked at a hangnail until the loose skin tore away, a bubble of blood welling at the spot. She hissed at the pain and brought her finger to her lips.

Ryder made a sudden right turn, which Liese figured was a short cut until he slowed the car. He pulled over and stopped at the curb, then shifted the car into park.

“Are you okay?” His voice came out rough. He cleared his throat and shook his head. “No, of course you’re not.”

She wouldn’t contradict him; she definitely didn’t feel okay. He unbuckled his seatbelt and repositioned himself to face her. With an unexpected tenderness he stroked her cheek, catching a falling tear. He flipped open the glove compartment and pulled out a packet of tissues. Freeing one, he dabbed beneath her eyes. On the verge of breaking down entirely, she covered his hand to stop him, but ended up pressing her cheek into his palm, the comfort too enticing to resist.

“I think Blake might suspect something,” Liese whispered, taking the tissue from him. She smoothed it in her lap, folding it over and over until it became a tight square.

“Don’t worry about Blake; I can deal with him.”

She recoiled at the spite in his voice.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean for that to sound so severe,” he added. “Even if he is suspicious, it doesn’t matter.”

“How can you say that?”

“Do you really think he would do anything to damage your career?”

Ryder had a point. As much as Blake hated him, he wouldn’t expose him if it meant hurting her. “What about Harvey?”

“Harvey is oblivious at the best of times.”

“But he might . . .”

Ryder shook his head. “He won’t. And if he does . . . well, let’s just say he has bigger issues to deal with than my personal life. He’s treading a fine line right now, and it wouldn’t be in his best interest to rock the boat.”

Liese looked at her lap. “Marissa said she thought he was drunk tonight.”

“That wouldn’t be much of a surprise.”

“Oh.” There was a lot more going on at FAHL than Liese had realized.

Ryder took her hand and stroked the center of her palm. “We’ll work it out, okay?”

“Okay,” Liese said, but she wasn’t convinced. She still worried there was no way it could be okay.

“Shall we file the report and get it over with?” Ryder asked. At her nod, he leaned over, kissing her cheek before he put the car in gear. A short time later they pulled into the station. Liese checked her reflection in the visor mirror and cringed at her blotchy, tear-stained face.

Officers Tanner and Cooke met them inside. She reluctantly left Ryder in the waiting room and followed Officer Tanner to his office to give her statement, which reiterated much of the same information she’d provided when she filed the original restraining order. Then she filed a report regarding Sean’s breech of that order.

Liese had just finished reviewing her statement when Officer Tanner cleared his throat. “Have you ever had any concerns about Sean’s mental health?” He flipped a pen between his fingers as he assessed her reaction.

Her immediate impulse was to say no, but she paused to think about his erratic behavior over the last few months. She remembered once when she’d been rooting through his medicine cabinet for an aspirin back when they were still dating. She’d found several prescription pill bottles, almost all completely empty. She’d written it off at the time—lots of people took medication for various conditions. Now she wasn’t so sure she should have.

“I hadn’t really entertained the idea,” she said. “But maybe I should.”

Officer Tanner offered a short explanation about the markers of individuals with obsessive personalities. She understood the warning for what it was: Sean wasn’t stable, and she needed to be careful. She knew that; she just hadn’t been aware of
how
unstable.

Liese began to fit the pieces together. His highs and lows had always had a pendulum effect. After they broke up, he left her alone for a while, only to resurface with a vengeance. Ceaseless phone calls and texts would last a few days before he disappeared again. His absences never went on for long, though. Then he’d changed tactics, leaving strange and sometimes disturbing gifts for her at home and at work. Her anger at Sean ebbed to be replaced by a tingle of fear again. She’d written off his actions tonight as a pathetic attempt to gain her attention, but after the conversation with the officer, she realized it wasn’t that simple. Thank God the evening hadn’t been any more disturbing or dangerous than it was.

Report filed, Liese emerged from Officer Tanner’s office to find Ryder waiting in the lobby. The receptionist kept up a steady stream of conversation, and Ryder indulged her while periodically checking his phone for messages. A pang of jealousy stung her as the woman mooned over him. Suzy, as her nameplate indicated, batted her eyelashes and twirled her processed hair around her finger every time he glanced her way. Liese wanted to punch her in the face. And maybe cry. Emotionally spent, she was overly sensitive and too strung out to deal.

As though he sensed her presence, Ryder looked her way and smiled, but his cheer faded as quickly as it had appeared. He moved toward her, leaving the receptionist mid-sentence, and without pause he cupped her cheek and searched her face, heedless of the people around them. “Are you okay? Did something happen during the interview?”

His touch calmed her, until she remembered they were in a public place. “Yes . . . no,” Liese replied, taking a deep breath to gather herself. “Yes, I’m okay. No, nothing happened. I just gave my statement. Can we go? There are people staring.”

Ryder dropped his hand and gave the station a covert scan. “The only person paying any attention is the desk clerk.” Still, he led her outside.