Page 36 of Collin: Episodes 1-3
Collin nodded. “Can Damian call and confirm that there’s really a complaint?”
Mr. Reevesworth gave a tight nod and glanced toward Mr. Moreau.
“Have reason to believe that there’s a lot of fake police officers, son?” the older officer muttered.
Collin sighed. “My father may or may have not worked for a three-letter agency.”
“That’s not really?—”
Collin cut him off. “He’s dead.”
The officers exchanged looks. Two of them shuffled their feet and found interesting things to look at on the wall. Mr. Reevesworth was still as stone, just breathing. Collin let himself focus on the shadow of heat the older man cast against his shoulder.
Mr. Moreau came back. He had Collin’s phone in his hand. “Damian’s checking. Do you want to call your mother?”
Collin nodded. He thumbed open his phone and tapped on his contacts.
His mom answered on the first ring. “Collin! Are you all right?!”
“Yes, Mom. Did you really have to send police to come check on me?”
“Of course, I did.”
Collin closed his eyes and shook his head slowly. It still ached. “Why?”
“Collin.” She sounded guarded. “Are you really in a safe place?”
“Well, I’m standing here in the doorway of an apartment with three police officers, want to see? I can put you on video.”
“Please.”
Collin grimaced and changed the setting over to include visuals. He held it up so she could see the three police officers. “Want to tell me why you think I’m not safe now?”
“Collin, you forgot my anniversary.”
Collin frowned. “What’s the date?”
Mr. Reevesworth answered. Collin stared down at the video. There was something there, just right beyond reach in his head. He rubbed his forehead with the crook of his first finger. “Mom, you and dad got married in the spring.”
“Not that anniversary, darling.” She sounded truly crushed. “Mine. Just mine.” Her tone was soft.
“You…cancer! Your cancer-free anniversary.”
“Yes! You always call. We all get together…”
“I missed it.”
“And then I called you, and you just brushed…”
Collin leaned against the doorway. “Mom. I can explain.”
“I thought you were trying to tell me something was wrong. You haven’t kept any of your regular calls this week, and you said you weren’t alone. Then you didn’t answer my call later. And I’d checked your location, and you were somewhere new, and you were sleeping there and not going to class. I was afraid to call again.”
“Mom. Mom. It’s okay. I swear. I mean, I wasn’t okay, well, a little not okay. But I’m fine now. I just didn’t want you to worry.”
Her face was trembling with emotion. Collin turned away so no one could see her but him. “Mom. I had an accident at work on Saturday, no, Sunday, morning. It was early. Anyway, I slipped and fell. My boss, my new boss, well, my boss’s brother who’s also part of the company, he found me and took me to the hospital. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to forget. I just, everything’s been hazy, and I completely lost track of the date.”
Mr. Reevesworth wrapped an arm around Collin and led him to a chair in view of the open front door. Collin dropped down and leaned forward, holding his head in his hand, phone below his face. “I promise, Mom. I’m just in a new place because the doctors didn’t want me to go home somewhere where I’d be alone and my roommates aren’t exactly friends, you know?”
