Capítulo 83: Chapter eighty-one

"She is," blurts Emily's acquaintance. "I saw her with Harry a number of times during the laser tag game we played. She's the last person who saw him, but I…" she turns and eyes me. "... was also the last person to see her."

Jae glances up at her, then me. Then back at her. "Please elaborate."

This girl…

"I have only met Tasmin and Harry today. But even at first glance, I could tell they were close. During the laser tag game, inside the arena, I won't deny that I ran into them several times. They were always together." She pauses for dramatic effect. "If anyone here knows where Harry is, it's Tasmin. Especially if she was courteous enough to hear whether or not Harry told her he'd be leaving."

Jae is furiously taking down notes. I have a feeling that she may be copying this girl's explanation word-for-word. As she is finishing up, she asks, "Anything else?"

The girl thinks for a moment. I stare at her, my blood boiling, wondering what on earth she could say.

"Uh, yes. I hate to say this aloud but…" she takes a deep, frustratingly long breath. "... For a period of time after I saw Harry and Tasmin together once again, they were both missing. Now, I'm not implying anything in particular," she says sharply, with a glance in my direction, "but I'm just reinforcing my point that Tasmin is crucial," imitating Jae's tone from before, "to the investigation."

"Right," Jae responds, still immersed in her writing. She takes a big breath in when she's done, then glances around at all of us, completely disregarding how red I know I look right now. "Tasmin, please come with me."

My blood runs cold. "What? Just me?"

She ignores me. "Everyone else, look for Harry and come straight to the Front Desk on Deck five if you find him or have any further information to give."

Jae starts out of the room without another glance back, and I almost choose to stay rooted to my spot on the floor, and maybe my soles will learn to stick like super glue to the floor. Just as I'm about to leave, Lilli and Charlie come back through the arena door, shaking their heads at a frantic Ben. Lilli and I catch each other's gazes as I make for the door, but she doesn't know what's going on. I turn away from her. If she was there, she wouldn't have let this happen.

Past the jazz band playing and the bingo games, finally at the Front Desk. Jae asks me to wait while she heads inside the office to do a few things. After a solid ten minutes of just waiting, and being offered a drink multiple times by the kind young man at the Front Desk and turning it down each time, Jae reappears. I want to ask her what's going to happen, because I know for a fact that I know nothing about where Harry is right now. I want to know as much as the rest of my friends do. But I also know for a fact that my ass will be of no help to this investigation.

"Miss Jae, I –"

"Please follow me, you can tell me anything you need to in a brief minute."

Gritting my teeth, I spare the kind boy behind the desk a tired glance, then forward after Jae, who leads me behind the Front Desk and into the offices behind. She stops and flattens herself against the wall, then gestures to a room, saying, "Second room on the left, just head in and take a seat. Would you like anything to drink?"

I don't mean to be aggressive, but right now, I want to get the hell out of this dusty, cramped hallway, out of Jae's face, and find Harry so I can hold him tight. I slap my hand onto Jae's wrist, pulling it to her side.

"I'd like to go and look for Harry with the rest of my friends," I spit. "I wouldn't do this to Harry, no matter what that jackass said to make it seem so."

Her expression resembles that of disgust, and I now despise the thought that I ever liked her. She may be conducting this investigation to find Harry, but she can't tell the difference between a pathological liar and the one person who cares the most.

"Please, Miss Tasmin," she says, sounding quite bored. "We'll find Harry, and it'll be a lot quicker if you cooperate with me. I won't keep you long. But since you are so close to Harry, that girl in the arcade room back there wasn't wrong when she said that you're crucial to this investigation. Your information could help us find him quick enough that you'll be able to make it to the buffet with him for lunch."

I bite my lip. Nothing she said was wrong. I let go of her wrist, feeling guilty when I see that it's white from how hard I was gripping her.

"Fine," I whisper.

Jae lifts the hand I grabbed and places it on my shoulder. "Would you like anything to drink, Tasmin?"

I'm parched, but for some reason, I decline again.

"No, thank you."

The questions she asks me are repetitive, and I can see the frustration in her face when we finish. I answered every single one honestly, but her exasperated sigh tells me that – not to my surprise – I did not help.

Instead of leaving me in the room like I expect her to, she says that I can sit at the Front Desk for now, and once again, asks me if I want anything to drink. No.

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