Plain Threats. Alison Stone

the right thing to say. “I hope we can be.”

      Samuel’s nose twitched as if he were trying to process the scene. Rebecca’s heart pulsed in her ears. She didn’t want to push Samuel away by revealing she had gone to the professor to try to exact information out of him.

      Apparently sensing this, the professor spoke up. “I gave your mom a ride home.” An apologetic smile slanted his lips. He had told a lie of omission, obviously leading her son to believe he had given her a ride home from the diner. “Then all this craziness broke out.”

      “Oh.” Samuel stared straight ahead, skepticism written on his face. “I’m going to bed.” He stomped up a few stairs before Rebecca called to him.

      “Do you know anything about what happened here tonight?”

      Samuel stopped without turning around. “How would I know? I wasn’t home.”

      Rebecca caught the professor’s eye. Unease twisted her insides, worrying how far she’d push Samuel.

      “You must be tired.”

      Samuel nodded curtly. “Yah, I’m going upstairs.” Samuel continued his stomp up the stairs like a petulant child. When he reached his room, he hollered down the stairs. “Who was in my room?” He thudded down the stairs, his chest heaving.

      “I was in your room.” Rebecca approached the bottom of the stairs. “Where did you get all that stuff?” The walls of the house seemed to sway as she waited for the answer.

      Samuel pressed his lips together but didn’t say anything.

      Rebecca worried about the consequences of talking in front of the professor, but she was overwhelmed. She couldn’t let this defiance from her son slide a minute longer. “Where did you get the money for a computer?”

      A muscle ticked in Samuel’s jaw and suddenly he looked like a man. An angry man. “Stay out of my room,” he spat out.

      “Samuel, your mother’s worried about you.” The professor moved next to her, making her feel like for once she wasn’t alone.

      “You don’t have to worry.” Samuel ran upstairs and slammed the bedroom door.

      Rebecca and the professor exchanged worried looks.

      Samuel was definitely hiding something.