Part 31 (1/2)
But now, with Andy Mitch.e.l.l bringing the journals to the police, it was possible this whole thing could blow up in their faces.
Those were the worries going through Mark's mind as Officer Wilson pulled into the parking lot of the Stony Brook Police Station. Both he and Courtney tried to act all casual, as if nothing were wrong. They had to be very careful about what they said to the police, or they could find themselves in deep trouble.
Officer Wilson led them through the precinct and had them wait in the same conference room where they first met with Captain Hirsch months before.
The room was empty except for two thick file folders sitting on the end of the long conference table. Both Mark and Courtney had a pretty good idea of what was in those folders. It was the reason they were here. They gave each other a look, but didn't say a word. There was no way to know if they were being watched and listened to from behind the two-way mirror that ran the length of one wall. Mark wondered what was going through Courtney's mind. She looked pretty calm. That was good. She would have to be calm for both of them, because Mark wanted to hurl.
”Hi, guys. Thanks for coming in,” said Captain Hirsch as he walked quickly into the room. ”Sit down, please.”
Mark and Courtney took seats next to each other on one side of the conference table. Captain Hirsch sat down at the far end, in front of the two file folders. He was dressed in his usual gray business suit, with his tie loose around his neck. Mark wondered if he slept in that suit. Hirsch looked to Mark, then to Courtney, as if he wanted them to say something. They didn't.
”So, you both know Andy Mitch.e.l.l?”
”Yes,” they both said.
”What do you think of him?”
Mark wanted to say he thought Mitch.e.l.l was an obnoxious slug, but he didn't want Hirsch to think he had a negative att.i.tude.
Courtney said, ”He's an obnoxious slug.”
Obviously, Courtney couldn't care less about what other people thought of her att.i.tude.
Hirsch nodded. He then reached for one of the file folders.
”This look familiar?” he asked, as he pulled something out and held it up for them to see. It was the first page of Bobby's first journal. It lookedveryfamiliar. Courtney shot a look to Mark. Mark had to stay cool, even though his worst fear had come true. It was official. Mitch.e.l.l had turned the journals in. Mark had kept the journals rolled up and tied with a cord, the way Bobby had sent them. Mitch.e.l.l must've flattened them out and stacked them up so they could fit in a folder. Mark hated Mitch.e.l.l all the more for being so disrespectful.
”Yeah, it's familiar,” said Mark, trying not to appear angry.
”It sure is,” added Courtney, sounding a little bit more upset than Mark would have liked. He was afraid Courtney would go ballistic when she saw the journals, but thankfully, she didn't.
Captain Hirsch put the page back in the folder.
”Andy Mitch.e.l.l brought this in about an hour ago,” he said. ”He's still here. I'd like to have him join us.”
”He's here?” said Mark with surprise. ”Now?”
”Yeah. Is it okay?” Hirsch asked.
”Sure,” said Courtney. ”Bring the slime in.”
Captain Hirsch nodded to the mirror, which meant they were being watched. That was a totally creepy feeling. A few seconds later the door opened and Andy Mitch.e.l.l strode in looking like a guy who had just won the lottery. He walked all c.o.c.ky and had a smug smile on his face. When he saw Mark and Courtney, the smile fell off. But he got his act back together quickly.
”Man, that was fast,” he said with a sneer. He then said to Mark and Courtney, ”You guys feeling the heat yet?” He snorted and gave an obnoxious laugh.
”Sit down please, Andy,” said Hirsch.
Mitch.e.l.l threw one leg over a chair and sat on the far end of the table. Mark half expected him to spit on the floor.
”Why's this taking so long?” Mitch.e.l.l asked. ”You guys gonna buy me lunch or what?”
Hirsch didn't respond. He turned to Mark and Courtney, saying, ”Andy brought these pages to our attention. He tells us they're proof of what happened to Bobby Pendragon. If it's true, he's going to get a large reward.”
”You got that right!” snorted Mitch.e.l.l. ”Twenty-five big ones.”
Mark saw Courtney's hand clench. He knew she was fighting the urge to jump over the table and pummel this weasel. Or maybe she wanted to pummel Mark. He wasn't sure which.
”Andy,” Hirsch said with a friendly smile. ”Could you tell me how you gained possession of these papers?”
”I told you,” Mitch.e.l.l answered, pointing to Mark. ”He had *em! The two of *em were keeping them secret so n.o.body would know what was really going on. I figured it was my civic duty to bring *em in.”
Mark closed his eyes. This was horrible.Civic duty, yeah right.
”That's not what I asked you, Mr. Mitch.e.l.l,” said Hirsch politely. ”I asked how you gained possession of these pages.”
”You meana how did I get *em?” Mitch.e.l.l asked. Clearly he wasn't sure of the meaning of the word ”gained.”What a tool.
”Yes,” answered Hirsch patiently.
Mitch.e.l.l began to squirm. He started to answer a few times, but stopped himself as if he wasn't sure he was saying the right thing. Finally, he just blurted out: ”I took *em, okay? I just took *em. But so what, man? You would have done the same thing! This kinda stuff shouldn't be secret! People gotta know!”
Hirsch continued calmly, ”So you're telling me you stole them from Mark Dimond?”
It was clear that Mitch.e.l.l didn't like where this was going. ”Yeah, I stole *em. But that's not the point!”
Hirsch nodded. He then reached for the second file folder on the table. Mark and Courtney watched without saying a word or showing any emotion. Hirsch opened the second folder to reveal a thick stack of white paper with lines of typing on it. The lines were single s.p.a.ced and traveled neatly from margin to margin.
”I'm going to read something to you, Mr. Mitch.e.l.l,” said Hirsch. ”I want you to tell me if it sounds familiar.”
”Knock yourself out,” responded Mitch.e.l.l.
The police officer looked down at the top page, and began to read aloud.
*”I hope you're reading this, Mark.
”*Heck, I hopeanybody'sreading this because the only thing that's keeping me from going totally off my nut right now is getting this all down on paper so that- *”
”That's from the journal,” said Mitch.e.l.l, a little confused. ”The first one. That's how it starts. What are you reading that from?”
Hirsch held the thick stack of clean printed pages up for Mitch.e.l.l to see. ”Mark and Courtney brought me this story last week,” he said.
”What?” gasped Mitch.e.l.l, stunned. ”I don't get it.”
Hirsch put the pages down and chuckled. ”Yeah, that's pretty obvious.”
”What's goin' on?” demanded Mitch.e.l.l in confusion.
”This is a story they wrote,” said Hirsch, trying to hold back a smile. ”A story. It's fiction. Do you know what that means? They made it up.”
Mitch.e.l.l shot a stunned look at Mark and Courtney. The two sat there looking like innocent angels.