Henley

“Come on, answer…” I paced my living room, holding my cell phone to my ear. Why wasn’t he answering my phone calls? We needed to figure out our plan! After a few more rings, I reached his voice mail again. Groaning, I pressed the end button multiple times.

What in the world was he doing? We didn’t have time to mess around. It was already almost ten AM! Something told me Mrs. Calloway wasn’t going to wait until we had a plan to start things on her end. The quicker we figured something out and got to them, the better. I couldn’t even imagine how Bennett was feeling.

I tried calling Lee, who also didn’t answer. Then Henry. Whose phone didn’t even ring.

“Ugh!” I couldn’t just wait around and do nothing. We had to start somewhere and soon. I marched to my brother’s room knocking loudly a few times before letting myself in. “Brandon, get up, we’re going to— Brandon?”

The room was empty. His bed laid untouched, still haphazardly made from the previous morning, my laptop resting on a pillow. Had he not even returned last night? I hadn’t even noticed. I’d fallen asleep almost immediately after getting out of the bathtub. But, where was he? It wasn’t a good time for him to disappear.

Frazzled, I headed back into the kitchen. No one was around. No one was answering me. I at least knew where Henry lived and Lee was most likely with him, so I could start there. I grabbed my keys and nearly ran out the door. On the way, I tried Sebastian a few more times, but to no avail.

I pounded on Henry’s door when I arrived. “Henry! Lee! You two better be up and decent!” I shouted.

A few moments later the door cracked open and a bleary-eyed Henry poked his head out, his hair messy and sticking up everywhere. “Henley?”

“Is Lee here?”

“I’mhere,” Lee answered, his head appearing above Henry’s, although with his hair muchneater and looking more awake.

I pulled the door the rest of the way open and Henry stumbled out onto the steps, wearing only a pair of heart boxers. His face flushed red and under any other circumstance I would have said something, but with the situation at hand, I managed to keep it to myself. At least Lee was fully dressed.

“Aren’t you guys the least bit concerned?” I demanded, rounding on them.

Lee glanced at Henry and smiled. “Not at all. I’m quite proud of my sexuality.”

“Urgh, that’s not what I meant! I mean Bennett!”

“Sebastian hasn’t contacted you?”

“No! I’ve been calling him all morning!” I said, running my hands over my face. Henry inched closer to us and I narrowed my eyes at him. “Are you going to stand there in your boxers all day?”

Henry shook his head and dashed into an open door. Lee watched him and chuckled. “Give him a break, he just woke up. It’s been a long night.”

“Well, I’m glad you two had such a fun night. Meanwhile, I’ve been up all night worried about your brother. Who, unless you’ve forgotten, is going through a bit of a problem right now.”

Lee let out a soft sigh, putting his hand on my shoulder and guiding me to a seat at Henry’s kitchen table. I allowed it and sat stiffly, taking in my surroundings. Henry hadn’t been lying when he said his apartment was small. The front door led into a small living area that connected to the kitchen and I figured his bedroom. Still, it wasn’t bad for one person.

“Relax a little,” Lee urged, rubbing my back gently.

“I can’t. How can you?”

“Because everything will work out.”

I squinted up at him. “I can’t tell if you’re being positive because you know something or if it’s some kind of post-coital euphoria.”

Lee spluttered in response and his face colored crimson. “Henley!”

“You’re getting lucky while your brother is basically being kidnapped! Wait!” I gasped, jumping off the chair. “You don’t even know! Lee! Your mother is forcing Bennett to marry Cara today!”

“No, no, I know Henley,” he said.

I pursed my lips, trying to process this. “You know and you’re still so calm?”

“Yes. I don’t know why Sebastian hasn’t contacted you, but we figured everything out this morning. It’s all going to work out.”

“Did he find something we can use against Mrs. Calloway?”

“Yes—”

A few raps came from the front door and Lee rushed over to it, opening it to reveal Sebastian. I opened my mouth to scold him, but then noticed the expression on his face, and snapped it shut. Never before had I seen Sebastian so distressed. His hair was matted to his forehead with sweat and his tie hung loosely over a crumpled button up shirt.

“We have to go,” he stated. “Get in the car.”

“What’s going on?” I asked, hurrying over to him. “Where have you been?”

Sebastian stalked out the front door and I followed behind. “I’ll explain on the way,” he said.

Lee and Henry appeared seconds later, sliding into the backseat while I climbed into the front. Sebastian had left the car on so as soon as he got in, he peeled out of the driveway, typing an address into his car’s GPS. “We’re very limited on time.”

“What’s happening?” I asked, gripping my knees.

“We have to catch up to them.”

“What?”

The phone sitting in his center console began to buzz and he gestured for me to wait a minute while he answered it. “Yes. I’m on the way. No, it’s too late for that. I didn’t think she’d plan this far. The tracker is still on. Follow it to the location they’re at. We’ll converge there.”

“Tracker?” I repeated.

Sebastian held up his finger. “Okay. Thank you.” He pulled the phone away from his face and tossed it back into the console. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to silence you.”

“It’s okay. What’s happening though?”

“I didn’t get a chance to contact you. I’ve been running around since dawn. I was just going to stop by your house after this, but it works out that you were already with Lee since we’re in a hurry now. We’re going to where Bennett is currently.”

“Where is he?”

“A courthouse in Waterbury.”

“Waterbury?” Lee repeated, leaning forward in his seat. “But that’s an hour away.”

“That’s why we’re in a rush.”

“Why all the way out there?” I asked.

Sebastian adjusted the temperature in the car, making the AC turn on. “Most likely to stop anyone from interfering. I’m sure Dolores knew we would try to stop this.”

“How do you know they’re there? A GPS tracker?”

“Yes.”

“Did Bennett download an app or something?”

“I had him do it the other day. I wasn’t sure if we needed it, but I just wanted to be safe.”

“Great foresight,” I said. I didn’t want to imagine what would happen if we had no idea where he was.

“Sebastian, the tracker is moving,” Lee spoke. “They left the courthouse.”

Sebastian glanced at him through the rearview mirror. “What?”

My heart thudded in my chest. “What does that mean? They went through with it already?”

“No… they couldn’t have,” Sebastian said, shaking his head. “I don’t get it. Why would they be leaving? We were supposed to catch them in time. Which direction are they heading? Back here?”

“No. They’re heading East.”

Sebastian bit his bottom lip. “Where would they be going?”

I pulled out my phone, quickly Googling a map of Connecticut. “Can I see where they are, Lee?”

“They’re this dot here,” Lee answered, leaning forward in his seat to show me his phone.

I found the street closest to Bennett’s location and then found the same spot on the map, taking in the more relevant icons in the surrounding areas. Nothing stood out. Assuming that Bennett couldn’t stall enough to hold off the marriage, what would that leave? Why wouldn’t they just be on their way home?

“Hawaii,” I said. “They’re going to Hawaii. Bennett didn’t say it outright, but I’m sure that that’s where they’re headed.”

“Hawaii?” Sebastian repeated.

“What’s the closest airport?” I asked, raking my gaze over the map again. There were five within fifty miles. It could have been any one.

“Of course. She’s shipping them off to keep Bennett separated from the rest of us,” Lee said. “Just like she did to me.”

Sebastian gave a tight nod. “But who knows what airport they’re heading to?”

“Bradley,” I answered, taking in the current flights to Hawaii. “A plane departs 3:30. We have to get there before them.”

“Are you sure that’s the one?” Lee asked. “If we choose wrong, everything will become ten times more difficult to stop.”

I typed in the other smaller airports. “Tweed has one, but…”

“It’s more likely they’ll leave from Bradley,” Sebastian said. “Just keep an eye on their location. I’ll get us there in time.”

“They have an hour on us already,” I pointed out, my stomach tightening. “Is it even possible to catch up?”

“We’ll catch up,” Sebastian assured me, changing the destination in the GPS. “I just hope I don’t get pulled over. It’d ruin my clean driving record.”

I turned my attention back to Lee’s phone. “They’re on the highway now.”

Sebastian accelerated and I felt the urge to double check my seatbelt. I turned to look in back briefly to make sure the other two were buckled and smiled at the fact Lee and Henry were holding each other’s hands. Lee smiled at me, but Henry kept his head turned, staring out the window, a frown on his face.

“Let me know if there’s a change, Henley,” Sebastian instructed.

Taking that as a hint to pay attention, I readjusted myself, focusing on the phone. We had to get to them before they left. We had to.

If Sebastian had claimed he was a professional stunt driver or NASCAR driver, I would’ve believed him. He weaved through traffic like a pro. Seeing how serene he seemed while driving at speeds my car couldn’t even make it to, it made me question the fact he’d never gotten a ticket before. How had he not? He couldn’t get this comfortable driving this fast in a matter of an hour. My palms were sweating profusely. I didn’t know whether to blame it on his driving or the situation.

Realizing I’d started daydreaming, I made myself refocus on Lee’s phone. Bennett’s tracker had stopped moving. “They stopped.”

“Where?”

“It looks like they just pulled off the highway somewhere,” I said. On my own phone, I checked our location. We were closing in on them. “We’re almost at them.”

“Maybe we don’t even have to make it to the airport,” Sebastian said, checking his side mirror before changing lanes. “Does it look like a rest station? Or is it an exit?”

Zooming in on my phone, I frowned. “I can’t tell. It has a street name. They must have gotten off. But…” I scrolled around. “It seems like a normal neighborhood. There’s nothing here but houses.”

“Dolores knows a lot of people. She could be trying to throw us off their tracks.”

“You think she knows we’re following her?”

“Expect everything with my mother,” Lee said.

I stared at the blinking dot. There were no houses immediately near it. “I don’t think we should stop.”

“No?”

“Maybe she is trying to throw us off. She could have ditched his phone.”

“If we get off then it’ll put us even more behind. What do you think we should do?” Sebastian asked me.

I stared at the little blinking light. This was on me? What if I chose wrong? I could’ve chosen the wrong airport already. I had to use my gut feeling. “We should stay on. If they don’t show up at the airport, we can go back. I don’t think we should risk it.”

“I agree. Lee, can you tell everyone else?”

Lee’s hand appeared and I gave him his phone back. “On it.”

“Everyone else?”

“When we get to the airport, it’s the utmost importance we find Bennett immediately,” Sebastian told me. “What airline was the flight you looked at?”

“American. But there’s one from Delta half an hour later. It could be either.”

“We’ll split up then.”

“What are we going to do when we find them?” I asked. “Just take Bennett and run?”

“No. Our first priority is making sure no one gets on a flight. Once that’s settled, we will all return back to Poughkeepsie.”

I blinked at him. When he didn’t continue I furrowed my eyebrows. “Umm. Do you really think that’s going to work?”

“Yes.”

“Did you not get enough sleep last night? There’s no way Mrs. Calloway is just going to give up and come home with us.”

“She will,” Lee said confidently. “Especially after I tell her I’m going to jail.”

I whipped around in my seat, nearly strangling myself on my seatbelt. “You what? Why would you be going to jail?”

“There’s a chance I might not, but it’s only a credible threat we need.”

“And that threat is?”

Lee scratched the back of his hand with his free hand. “Well. Since Cecil wouldn’t admit to helping frame Brandon in the car accident, I decided it had to be me.”

My heart dropped into my gut. “What?”

“Brandon is at the police station right now with the evidence we gathered. I spoke to the police earlier as well. We might not be able to prove she orchestrated everything, but in the very least, we can get ourselves the time we need.”

“But in exchange for what?” I asked.

“I’m not worried, Henley,” Lee told me, his eyes crinkling. “I’ve thought it through. I did take part of this, intentionally or nor. It’s only right for me to help set things right.”

“But—”

“I didn’t want you to know until we got to the airport,” he cut me off. “You can’t talk me out of it. It’s too late for that.”

“Damaging the company name is a sure fire to get her to forget about Cara and Bennett for the time being,” Sebastian coincided. “I’ll be Lee’s lawyer. I’ll make sure everything is okay.”

I turned to Henry, who pressed his lips together, still resolutely looking out the window. Lee sighed, bumping his shoulder into Henry’s. “Don’t worry about it. The chance of me being sent to jail is slim. Not only does this give us the time we need to present the other evidence needed to pin my mother down, but it clears your brother’s name, Henley. That was what you wanted since the beginning, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, but it wasn’t your fault either!”

“I got drunk and got into a random person’s car and crashed it. I could have done a lot worse, too. I got lucky that I didn’t kill anyone. The least I can do is clear your brother’s name while helping everyone out. I should have done thing a long time ago, but I was scared. I’m not anymore though.”

“But…”

“No buts,” Lee said firmly. “It’s too late. This is how it’ll be. We need to focus on making sure we make it in time, okay?”

I didn’t like it. I didn’t like that everything fell onto Lee. It wasn’t his fault. But there wasn’t another option. This was our best chance. Lee was right, too. It would work. “I’m sorry, Lee.”

“Don’t be sorry.”

“But even if we can’t stop Bennett from getting on the flight, isn’t it fine if we just get Mrs. Calloway? Then Bennett can just come home.”

“Yes, but if we allow my mother extra time, who knows what way she’ll think of to weasel her way out? We need to blindside her with this. And more than that, think of what Bennett is feeling. My mother is manipulative. He might think this is the end for him. I’m worried about him.”

I nodded. “You’re right.”

“I usually am. Now let’s go get my little brother.”

Knowing we had something on our side strengthened my resolve. Still, the closer we got to the airport, the more my body shook from nerves. When I saw the signs directing the way to the main terminal, my stomach rolled. It was time to end this. I checked my phone. 2:40. What time did boarding start? What if they were already on the plane? Would we make it?

“I’ll park the car. You three head in and split up. You’ll need gate passes first though. Just say you’re meeting someone from an incoming flight. Check the gate, the security, the bathrooms. Comb through it. I’ll meet you in there,” Sebastian ordered, pulling up to the drop off lane. “If you find Bennett let the others know immediately. Just let the phone ring once and we’ll know.”

I nearly fell in my haste to get out of the car. Lee, Henry, and I took off running, ignoring the stares of other airport-goers. Once inside, we went straight to the information desks and were directed to where to get gate passes. Maybe it was due to Lee’s sweet talking, but he managed to get them easily. Or maybe it was the fact that he said we were meeting our ailing grandmother.

Still, once we made it through the screening and TSA, I picked a random direction, only pausing to make sure Lee and Henry took notice of the way I went. The airport wasn’t quite the size of the one we were in when we went to Hawaii, but it still looked decently sized.

I searched the face of every person I passed. I searched for a familiar form, familiar hairstyle, a suit, anything that could resemble Bennett. Nothing, nothing, nothing. I passed a bathroom and burst through the men’s door calling his name and apologizing when there wasn’t an answer, only startled men.

My lungs heaved as if I’d run ten miles. The deeper I wound into the airport, the more packed it became. I squeezed through people, opting to just call Bennett’s name, to see if anyone had a reaction. There were too many people. I’d never be able to find him. I’d never stop him—

A wisp of brown hair caught my eye, disappearing around a corner ahead of me. I ran toward it, pushing people out of my way, my gut screaming at me to catch her. Bursting around the corner, I tried to locate her, but being unable to. There was a woman’s restroom to the right and I pushed into it roughly, causing Cara to jump. Her chocolate eyes met mine in the reflection, her mouth falling open.

“Cara,” I said, moving right up to her. “Cara, where is he? Tell me now.”

She brought her hand up to cover her mouth. “Henley—”

I grabbed her shoulders, my heart skipping at the sight of gold on her ring finger, but I pushed the feeling away. Bennett was more important right now. “Where is he? We don’t have much time.”

“Henley, I can explain—”

“I don’t want an explanation, Cara. I thought you of all people would understand what Bennett is going through and stop this,” I said, tightening my grip on her. “Aren’t you sick of being controlled? This is all you want out of your life? Or do you not care as long as you have your inheritance?”

“It’s not like that,” she denied, her head dropping to the side. “Someone like you could never know what I go through—”

“You’re right. I don’t know. But I can see it. I see what Bennett’s going through. I know how Tala must feel. I can emphasize with your situation,” I told her. “I’m not saying this is all your fault, but you can help stop this. It’s not too late. Your father could listen to you. In my eyes, right now he’s a criminal, but if he admits to what he did, everything will be over.”

Cara sucked in a quick breath, gaze meeting mine again. “He’s not a criminal.”

“He framed my brother, Cara.”

“That’s because Bennett’s mother—”

“Enough of this chatter,” a voice from our left interjected.

I backed away from Cara, turning to see Mrs. Calloway standing in front of the bathroom stalls, an unamused expression on her face. Cara shrunk in on herself, wincing. “Go to the gate,” she said quietly.

“He’s already on the plane,” Mrs. Calloway stated. She brushed by me, turning on the sink faucet. I didn’t move, my mind racing. She had to be lying. Why would they be in the bathrooms while Bennett was already on the plane?

“It seems you’re too late. Not that it would have mattered anyway had Bennett seen you,” she continued.

“It doesn’t matter whether he’s in Hawaii or not, you’re done for,” I told her. “Although having Bennett around might make yourself look less suspicious, so you might want to reconsider. My brother is at the police station right now.”

Cara gaped at me, but Mrs. Calloway showed no reaction. “And?”

“Your other son is on his way as well. He’s admitting to everything.”

“Oh, dear.”

“You should get Bennett off that flight. Lee will say he’s a witness. The police will want to speak with him. Don’t you think it’ll look even more suspicious on your end if he tells the police you tried to ship him off to Hawaii?”

Mrs. Calloway turned off the faucet, regarding the air dryer with a disdainful look before reaching into her purse and pulling out a handkerchief. I didn’t like how at ease she appeared. She cleared her throat, turning to face me. “Do what you’d like.”

“Sorry?”

“Let Lee confess. That’s fine. If he insists on taking the blame, how could I stop him?”

“Even if it lands him in jail?”

“It’s easier for me with him out of the way.”

I narrowed my eyes. “But wouldn’t that tarnish the Calloway name?”

“I wanted to avoid it, but if it has to be that way, I’m sure once I explain how dysfunctional he is people will see how hard I’ve worked as a mother to raise him.”

“You don’t care at all that Lee is taking the blame for your actions?”

“Should I?”

I couldn’t believe my ears. “You’re despicable.”

“Now I see why Bennett was so obsessed with you. You two are quite alike. Both stubborn and so very simpleminded.”

“It only takes a simple mind to see how much of a witch you are,” I snapped at her.

“A witch? At least I’m not a homewrecker.”

“Homewrecker?” I repeated.

“Are you not here for my son? Who is already married?” she asked me. “I’ll be making the official announcement this evening. If you’re seen around him from this moment forward, I can’t imagine how your reputation will stand.”

Married? So, they had really gone through with it already? The ring wasn’t only for show? A knot formed in my stomach, but I ignored it. That was fine. It didn’t mean anything. It didn’t change anyone’s feelings. It was just a stupid piece of paper. But, for Bennett…

“Where is Bennett?” I asked Cara.

“I already told you,” Mrs. Calloway drawled.

“Cara,” I pleaded.

Cara squeezed her eyes shut. “Gate 21. You might be able to catch him before he boards, but go quickly!”

I didn’t hesitate. Twisting on my heel, I lunged for the bathroom door, the idea of Mrs. Calloway trying to trap me in here on my mind. Surprisingly, she didn’t move, but I didn’t stay long enough to see what she did next. I looked for the signs pointing toward any gate to get my bearings. One had an arrow pointing down the hall toward gates 20-30. I took off, my heart in my throat.

He couldn’t have boarded yet, he couldn’t have boarded yet, he couldn’t have—

“Bennett!”

His head turned toward me, his arms only barely managing to catch me as I barreled into him. “Henley?”

“I’ve got you,” I told him, squeezing him tightly, my face pressed into his shoulder. I could hear his heart beating erratically. “You’re not getting on this flight. I don’t care if I have to physically knock your mother out. You’re staying here.”

“How did you find me?” he asked, pulling me away so he could look at my face.

My heart hurt at the sight of his. Drawn in, gaunt, dark circles under his eyes. He looked absolutely defeated. He blinked slowly at me. “I think Sebastian bugged your phone. It doesn’t matter. We’re all here. I need to let them know.” I pulled out my phone and texted Sebastian and Henry the gate number.

“Henley,” he started, clenching his jaw, and leaning heavily into me. “She tricked me. I wanted to stall like you guys said, but my name was already on the marriage license. I couldn’t stop it—”

“It doesn’t matter,” I told him. “That means nothing to me. What matters is that we put a stop to this.”

“How?” he asked. “I’m afraid coming here will only aggravate my mother more.”

“There’s something that’ll keep her occupied for the time being until we can convict her properly.”

“What’s that?” he asked, staggering to the side a little.

I grabbed him again, steadying him. “Are you okay?”

“She tried to drug me,” he admitted, bringing a hand to his forehead. “I managed to make myself puke a few times when we got here, but I still feel a little fuzzy.”

A shiver of anger ran through me. “She drugged you?”

“Excuse me?”

Bennett and I both turned to face an older man who had come up to us. He had blonde hair tinged at the roots with the faintest shade of grey and deep brown eyes. The fitted suit he wore hinted at money, leaving no doubt to who he was. Cara’s father. Cecil. One of the key figures in my brother’s setup.

I swallowed hard, a numbness spreading through me. His gaze stayed directed at me and only me. “Yes?” I asked, feeling prompted to.

“You are the sister of Brandon Linden?”

“Yes,” I repeated, my whole body tensing up. What was about to happen? He didn’t appear intimidating, but I was sure he knew that I was aware of everything at this point.

Cecil reached his hand toward me and Bennett swiftly stepped between us, batting it away. “Don’t touch her.”

“It’s not that,” Cecil said quietly. “I want to apologize.”

My eyes nearly burst out of their sockets. “Huh?”

“I have no excuse for my actions. I won’t give one, either,” Cecil said, keeping eye contact with me resolutely. “I placed an innocent man in jail and I have been ruining not only his life, but his sister’s as well. On top of that, I dragged my own daughter into this mess, and Bennett, you as well. I’m deeply sorry for this.”

His words barely got through to me, the numbness seeming to spread to my mind. He was apologizing? After everything? I was speechless.

Bennett gathered my hand in his, nearly crushing it in his grip. “Why say that now? It’s too late.”

“I said I wouldn’t make up an excuse,” Cecil responded, folding his arms over his stomach. “Just know that I am not only sorry, but I’m very ashamed of my actions. I should never have let this happen.”

“Then fix it.” I stepped closer to him. “If you’re so sorry, fix it. I won’t accept any apology from you. Actions speak louder than words.”

“There she is.”

At the sound of Mrs. Calloway’s voice, I whipped around. Standing with her were three men in security outfits, with Cara nowhere to be seen. The security moved forward, toward me, and Bennett pushed me behind him. “What do you think you’re doing?” he demanded.

“Ma’am, may we see your flight ticket please?”

“I have a gate pass,” I said, pulling it out of my pocket.

One of the security guards took it and looked at it and then put it in his own pocket. “You’ll have to come with me.”

“What? Why?”

“This woman said you were harassing her and her family.”

“I’m waiting for my relative—”

“The passengers for that flight have already deplaned. I will ask you again to come with me.”

I froze, my hand letting go of Bennett’s. Mrs. Calloway stepped up to Cecil, the smug smile on her face stretched so wide it horrified me. It wasn’t fair. How did she always get the upper hand? What would happen now? Where were Sebastian and Lee and Henry?

A firm hand gripped my upper arm and pulled. I didn’t resist, wide eyes turning to Bennett. “It’s fine,” I promised him. “We’ll figure it out. Don’t get on the plane.”

“Bennett will be getting on that plane,” Mrs. Calloway answered me. “Unless he wants his brother to rot in jail.”

Bennett turned to her. “What?”

“You don’t know of your little friend’s plan? She’s placing all the blame on your brother. He’s confessing right now.”

“Lee is?”

I tried to pull away from the security, but when the other two moved in to grab me, I stopped, putting up my hands. “Wait. Just wait a second! Bennett, it’s not like that, don’t listen to her—”

“You get on that plane or I will not bail your brother out of this one,” Mrs. Calloway said to him, gathering her luggage. “Now move.”

“Just wait a second,” I said to the security guards, struggling not to fall as they dragged me along. “This is a crime. He’s basically being kidnapped! You’re removing the wrong person. Bennett!”

Bennett started to move toward me, but Mrs. Calloway stepped in his way, blocking my view of him. She held up a hand and curled her fingers, the spark in her eyes making my blood run cold. “Goodbye, Henley.”

No. This couldn’t be happening. Not when we’d made it so far. I was scared. If Bennett left what would happen? What would she do? He couldn’t go. But I couldn’t fight. If I resisted the security guards, who knew what kind of trouble I’d get into? But what else could I do? I couldn’t let this happen!

“Stop.”

Cecil’s voice resounded loudly, causing even the security guards to momentarily pause.

“Bennett! Henley!”

I twisted my head to look over my shoulder, seeing Sebastian hurrying towards us with a woman I didn’t recognize and three more security guards. As they approached us, the woman pulled out handcuffs, and for one alarming moment, I thought they were for me. But instead, she brushed right past me, walking right up to Mrs. Calloway.

“Dolores Calloway, you’re being placed under arrest.”