Page 48 of The Catcher
“Boring!” Abby scoffed before turning away, leaving Colt seething with frustration.
“Bitch!” he muttered under his breath, his ego bruised but his determination undeterred.
She gave him the bird, signaling her agreement with Colt’s sentiment. The quality of potential hook-ups declined with each passing year. Across the room, one of Colt’s pals gave him a thumbs-down and chuckled. Colt made his way over to Tyler, eager to share his failed attempt at flirting.
“Tyler, my man. What gives!? I was just hitting up one of the ladies. Trying to get some digits,” Colt exclaimed with a grin.
“Sure you were. Was it this one?” Tyler retorted, sticking up his middle finger in jest.
Colt laughed and slumped down beside him. “Mischa’s acting like a real princess tonight.”
“Probably on the rag,” Tyler joked, handing Colt a beer can. “To Pete.”
“To Pete,” they both echoed solemnly.
“Damn straight! If I ever get my hands on that asshole who took him out, I swear…”
“I hear you, brother. Rumor has it that little dweebNicholas is behind it,” Tyler added, his voice laced with anger.
“Here’s what I think. We pay this asshole a little visit. Get him to confess,” Colt suggested.
“What do you think, guys?” Tyler asked, extending his beer out in a silent toast.
Another three guys eagerly shoved their cans toward him. “Hell, yeah!”
One by one, they rose from their seats, ready to take action. Colt hesitated for a moment, then spoke up. “Hey, uh, I need to take a piss. I’ll be back in a second,” he said, excusing himself from the group.
“Meet you out front,” Tyler replied, giving him a nod of acknowledgment.
Colt stumbled toward the downstairs bathroom, his mind already racing with thoughts of revenge, only to find the door locked, thwarting his plans momentarily.
“Fuck it,” Colt muttered under his breath before elbowing his way through the crowded kitchen and out the side door. A couple of teens were loitering outside, drinking and chatting. Ignoring them, he crossed through some bushes, hopped over a low fence, and approached a nearby closed business. Leaning against the wall, he unzipped his pants and relieved himself.
Colt rocked his head back with a sigh of relief. “Ahhhhh.”
He hadn’t been there for but a minute when he heard footsteps approaching. Glancing over his shoulder, he squinted as a light shone directly into his face.
“Hey. That’s a bit bright. Tyler?” Colt called out, shielding his eyes with one hand.
The flashlight lowered, and Colt’s vision took a moment to adjust. As the figure came into focus, his expression turned to one of annoyance.
“Can’t you see I’m taking a piss here? What do you want?” he demanded.
15
“Another teen has gone missing,” Porter said, blowing into the command post at the State Police Department in Ray Brook like a whirlwind. Noah barely blinked, staring at his bright computer screen. He was lost in the conversation of the previous evening. He’d been chewing over what Callie had told him about her and Luke, and then the awkward moment that followed. He’d left her apartment early that morning before she woke up. However, he’d wondered if she’d heard him but said nothing. It was better that way. Save the embarrassment of having to go into some apology that would make things even more awkward.
“The parents of Colt Banning called late last night to say he never came home from a party.” Porter paused. “Thoughts?”
Noah snapped out of it instantly, his hand accidentally toppling his half-filled cup of coffee. “Shit,” he said, jerkingbackward away from the desk and reaching for handfuls of tissues.
Porter sighed, shaking his head at Noah’s absentmindedness. “You alright there, Noah? You seem a little distracted.”
Noah hastily cleaned up the spill, his mind still partially stuck in the morning fog. “Yeah, sorry about that. I just zoned out for a moment. It was a rough night. Not much sleep.”
Porter raised an eyebrow, clearly not entirely convinced. “Well, you better get your head squared away. We need all hands-on deck for this one.”
Noah nodded, the seriousness of the situation finally sinking in. “Right, sorry. Are there any witnesses?”
