Princess (American Princess #1)(25)
Author: Courtney Cole

Sydney and Stephen stared at each other in shock.  He reached over and pulled her to him, letting her tremble against his chest. She felt like a baby, but all she could do was shake.

“Why is this happening?”

Her voice was small, like a child’s.  Stephen had to remember that while this situation would be unnerving to anyone, it was especially terrifying to her.  She had spent her life in a glass bubble, removed from the real world.

“I don’t know.  But we’re going to find out.  I promise you that.”  His voice was laced with steely resolve and he meant every word.  He would find out, no matter what it took.

They sat still for the next fifteen minutes, while Stephen held her gently against his chest, stroking her hair and murmuring soothingly to her.  She eventually calmed down and her shaking subsided.   She had just pulled away when Detective Daniels’ car slid smoothly into the slot next to theirs.  He was out of his car and standing next to them almost immediately. 

“He lost me and I couldn’t get a good look at him.  Did you see him?” he asked brusquely, as he leaned in Stephen’s window.  He was dressed in jeans and a black polo shirt- so he was evidently off duty.

“No,” Stephen answered.  “Neither of us could get a good enough look at his face.  He was wearing dark clothes and a black ball cap pulled down low.”

“Well, Sydney… are you ready to talk yet?”  The detective stared at Sydney pointedly.

“Detective, I wish that I could.  I have no idea why this is happening.  There is no one that I know of that hates me enough to want me dead.  I can’t figure it out.” Her voice was helpless and small and every ounce of her vulnerability shone through in it.  Stephen glanced at the detective.  Surely even he could hear it.

“Alright.  Can you guys step out of the car?  Let’s sit down at the table over there and go over some things.” 

He strode purposefully toward a rickety picnic table sitting on the edge of the playground.  He didn’t even look back to see if they were following him- he just assumed they would.

He was right.  They climbed out of the car and trailed after him, each taking a seat at the table.  Sydney looked around nervously.

“I know this is silly, but I don’t feel safe out in the open.  What if he is waiting for me?  Somewhere where he can see me.”

“It’s not silly.”  The detective leaned toward her.  “It’s not silly at all.  It’s very possible that he will follow you everywhere you go until he takes care of whatever it is that he is supposed to do.  Is he supposed to scare you?  Hurt you?  Take you? Kill you?  We need to figure this out.”

She took a deep breath and swallowed hard.  “I don’t know how to help you.  I really, really don’t.” She focused on his black leather loafers rather than his face.

“Let’s start by you trying to remember anything out of the ordinary that has been going on.  Anything- even if you don’t think it is related.”  He waited, his penetrating eyes not leaving her face for a moment.  His manicured fingers tapped the dirty table as he waited.

Stephen stared at her for a second before he spoke.  “Well, there are a couple of things.  I don’t know if they are related…”

“It doesn’t matter. Tell me and let me decide.” The detective shifted his gaze to Stephen.

“Sydney just found out that her father is g*y.  That he has been g*y all of these years and has hidden it from everyone.  Except his wife.  Sydney’s mother has known all along.”

Detective Daniels’ stared flatly at Sydney, studying her.

“How did you just now figure that out?  I thought you weren’t speaking?”

“We’re not.  I figured it out the other night.  It dawned on me when I was thinking about something else. What?  Aren’t you going to die of shock now?”  She smiled a humorless smile.  “Family Values First and all that?”

“No.  Nothing in that screwed up world surprises me anymore.”

He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and drew one out, lighting it and then inhaling slowly, staring off into the distance.

“You know those things will kill you, right?” Sydney smiled a tiny smile.

“I think you’re in more danger at the moment than I am. Let’s focus on you, shall we?”

He actually smiled back at her, something she hadn’t yet seen.  He had a nice smile and she found herself wondering why he didn’t use it more.

He turned to Stephen.  “What was the other thing?  You said there were a couple.”

Stephen looked hesitantly at Sydney.  Her brow wrinkled as she stared back in confusion.

“What other thing is there?” she asked.

“Another waitress at the Sunshine told me today that someone keeps calling and asking for Sydney, but always hangs up before they have a chance to bring Sydney to the phone.  He doesn’t want to talk to her- he just wants to find out if she is there.  Marge told me that he sounds middle-aged or so.”

Shock was evident on Sydney’s face, but she didn’t react. She simply sat still, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, her knuckles white again.  Stephen glanced worriedly at her, before addressing the detective again.

“Sydney is telling you the truth.  She doesn’t know anything.  What do you think is going on?”

“What I think is going on… is that Sydney does know something.  Something career ending.”  The breath froze in Sydney’s throat as she stared at the detective in shock.

“You think my father has something to do with this?  But I’m not going to tell anyone what I know.  I wouldn’t do that.  Do you really think that he is trying to hurt me?”

“It’s the best I’ve got right now.  I think it’s a pretty clear motive, don’t you?” He stared back at her, almost kindly.  “Sydney, when people get to the level that your father is, their priorities tend to change. They don’t behave like the rest of us… life gets skewed for them.”

His tone held notes of sentiment and regret in it and Sydney watched him curiously.

“You sound like you know from experience.”

“Unfortunately, I do.  My step-dad is a senator.  Paul Hayes from Ohio.”