Brazen Girl by Ali Dean Page 0,8
of me wants to chase her to the airport, get on the flight with her. Because we aren’t anything like me and Kelly were. I never thought for a second I was in love with my ex-girlfriend.
My phone rings from an unlisted number, which I would normally never answer. But I’m desperate, and thinking it could be Jordan.
“Hello?”
“Beckett Steele? This is Deputy Morris. We met Monday evening. Is Miss Slattery with you?”
“Uh no, she’s flying home to Connecticut today.”
“Oh, she listed you here as the best way to contact her until Friday.”
“She decided to get an earlier flight. After the crash and everything, I think her parents wanted her home.”
“Well, she provided her parents’ number too. We’ll give her a try there next.”
“Is there anything you can tell me about the case?”
“I ran it by the section that works on cyber crimes this morning and it was as expected. Without a harmful act, the threatening words are insufficient for any prosecutorial action. The most that could be done at this point is a restraining order, which is typical for instances resembling stalking. But in this case, all the threats are through social media platforms. Those platforms are private companies, each with their own reporting mechanisms and abilities for users to block unwanted messages. We’ll suggest to Miss Slattery that she simply block these users from sending her messages or commenting on her posts at this time.”
“The crash she had yesterday doesn’t prompt looking into who is behind the threats?”
“There’s no indication the skateboarding fall was connected to the threatening messages, from what Miss Slattery told us. She didn’t believe her board was tampered with or anything of that nature. Of course I’ll ask her more about that when I get in touch with her.”
“And if there is another harmful act outside of the messages?”
“We can’t take action without one. These social media platforms have privacy rights for their users, and free speech is something our government takes very seriously.”
I want to roll my eyes, but I’m lucky he’s given me this much information and is still answering my questions. After all, I’m not the victim here. I don’t even know who I am to Jordan anymore.
My body falls back on the bed as soon as the call ends. The pain radiating from my chest is too much. It really hits me then. I’m cut off from Jordan. I should be at her side as she hears updates on this investigation, but I’ve got no way to contact her. She’s cut me out, and I don’t know when I’ll see her again. Will I ever see her again?
My body shakes a little as it comes at me at once. All my instincts want to obsess over her well-being, to be there for her in every way I can. But the last thing Jordan needs is another stalker. And that’s what I’ll become if I don’t accept this.
Chapter Four
Jordan
“We miss you!” Lucy shouts through the screen.
“I can’t believe you just left us!” Ellie pouts. “I mean I can, I get it, but girl, it’s not the same celebrating the end of our first semester without you.”
Zora pokes her head in the frame. Her hot pink hair has been replaced by a bright blue shade. “If the cops are still checking out your phone, they might bring me in for questioning. I definitely sent you a few harassing text messages.”
“I doubt they’re still checking it. But I did tell them to hold it until I get back.”
“They wouldn’t send it to you?” Lucy asks. “That’s lame.”
“I can go pick it up and mail it to you,” Ellie offers.
“No, I don’t want it anyway. I could use the break.”
“So they basically did nothing? That’s bullshit.”
“I mean, Instagram’s a private company. Unless I was actually harmed, the cops can’t go in there and get info about individual accounts.”
Zora grumbles something.
“Besides, they’re right. I can report it to Instagram and have the accounts removed or blocked. Or I can just block the messages myself. It’s the same outcome as if I got a restraining order.”
“But you don’t even know who it is,” Zora reminds us. “How are you supposed to sleep at night if you don’t know who it is?”
Lucy pats Zora’s arm. “The cops don’t care about if she can sleep at night, at least if she’s not actually hurt.” She turns to me. “But you were hurt. What if it was Razzle who tampered with your board?”
I shake my head. “It wasn’t the board.