We approached the police officer’s desk. “We’d like to post bond for Caleb Lockhart,” I said, my voice shaky.
“Can I see some ID?”
“Oh. Of course.” My hands were shaking so badly that I nearly dropped my wallet as I searched for my ID.
“Veronica, I’ll get the bail,” Cameron said. “Caleb won’t like it if you paid for it.”
“Let him,” Kara added, touching my shoulder.
I was distressed and exhausted enough not to argue. I nodded before turning to the officer. “I’d like to see him, please. Is he okay?”
“Why don’t you wait in the lounge?”
A few minutes later, the officer appeared again. “He’s in the interview room now, waiting for you. Follow me.”
He led me through a door to the left, then to a narrow hallway with three rooms. He opened the door to his right and stepped back to let me in. There was a single table in the middle of the room and two chairs. Caleb was sitting on one, his elbows on his knees as he cupped his face in his hands. When I saw his wrist cuffed to a bolt, I nearly fell to my knees.
Oh, Caleb, what have you done?
Images of him hunting Justin with his teammates—or, worse, murdering him—flitted through my mind.
“Caleb.”
He looked up, his eyes wide with fatigue and worry. “Red.”
My legs trembled as I approached him. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. God.” He reached for me with his free hand, gathering me against him. “You’re all right. Thank God.”
“What happened?” I turned to the officer. “Please, can we have some privacy?”
“I’ll be outside.” The officer left us alone.
“Did Cameron come with you?”
“Yes, and Kar. Caleb, you’re scaring me.” I searched his face for any sign that he was hurt. Other than looking exhausted, he appeared uninjured. “What happened?”
His face turned hard, cold. “They found drugs in my car.”
Of all the reasons I would expect him to be in jail, drugs wasn’t one of them. My heart dropped to my stomach.
“I was about to leave Matthew’s and give Levi a ride home. He’d been drinking. Two police officers arrived and said they had gotten a report about drug dealing at Matthew’s house. Then they asked to search my car. I let them because I had nothing to hide. But they found drugs.” His face mirrored his anger and frustration. “I don’t deal with drugs, Red. I would never do that
. Someone planted them.”
A woman’s voice spoke from behind me. “Caleb?”
Caleb looked over my shoulder. “Mom?”
I had only seen Caleb’s mom once in person—when I waited for Caleb outside his door. She was more beautiful than I remembered, dressed elegantly in a conservative blue dress. Her worried eyes studied her son’s face as she walked to him, a police officer trailing behind her. She looked like Caleb, with bronze hair and stunning green eyes.
“I had to hear about this from Beatrice-Rose. Why didn’t you call me?”
Beatrice-Rose? How did she know that Caleb was in jail?
“I didn’t want to worry you. Mom, this is Red. Red, this is my mom, Miranda. This isn’t how I planned for you to meet my future wife, Mom.”
I pressed my lips tightly together to keep from groaning. I should have been used to Caleb’s bombshells by now…