So the bad news is that my shotgun call had not been honored. Lisa pulled rank on me and usurped my dibs. Apparently, she and Matias two ranks below Pseudo Davos and one rank above Matias, putting her as the second-ranking officer in our group. Somehow that also gave her the authority to steal my dibs. What a rip.

The good news is we didn’t go to Wendy’s. I have nothing against the brand but it still left a sour taste in my mouth after my call with Quincy who had turned out to be Matias. Besides, the place we did end up eating at, a hole-in-the-wall Indian restaurant, easily put anything we could have gotten at Wendy's to shame.

Pseudo Davos told us he learned about this place from a friend of his. She apparently knew all the best food spots in town. I made a mental note to have him introduce me to this friend. Your boy is always on the prowl for good eats.

Also since it was his treat, technically Persona’s treat, he told us to get whatever we wanted and I happily obliged. A hungry Deshawn plus unlimited expense card equals Naan for days.

Initially, Matias and I saw eye to eye in that regard. We both stuffed our faces with Samosas, Biryani, Vindaloo, and of course delicious garlic Naan. I was full after the fourth serving but Matias still kept going, much to my shock and Lisa and Pseudo Davos’ amusement. Seriously, was he an anime protagonist or something? There is no way the human body can hold that much food. He finally declared his fullness with a mighty belch after the ninth serving.

After we ate Pseudo Davos dropped me off at the neighborhood police station. The alibi was that I woke up on the side of the street alone with a fuzzy memory. To really sell the story, he gave me a tattered version of my clothes and had Lisa and Matias rough me up “gently.” They weren’t gentle.

Pseudo Davos explained that the plan was to have the cops rule me out as a suspect while doubling their efforts to find Heather, which the Lions would be more than happy to piggyback off. Once again, he seemed to hint that Persona had access to everything, which was a scary thought and probably definitely broke a few privacy laws.

The visit to the police station went better than I expected. Honestly, I thought I’d be blamed for Heather's disappearance and locked up. But that didn't happen. Although I was detained for a few hours and questioned, it was less of an interrogation and more of a Q&A session. The lead officer, Detective Pearsons, was far more understanding than I could have imagined. He was the good cop. His partner, Detective Simmons, was surprisingly also the good cop. They both patiently listened while I lied to their face but I doubted they would have believed me even if I told them the truth.

After my responses, Detective Pearsons assured me that they would find Heather. While Detective Simmons added that they would catch whoever did this and make them pay. Detective Pearsons nodded grimly. With that they released me.

In the lobby waiting for me was my mom. She looked like she hadn’t slept in a few days. She no doubt stayed up worrying about me. With her were the Turners. Mr. and Dr. Turner looked like mom did disheveled and sleep-deprived. Still, they smiled when they saw me.

“Deshawn,” my mom said as she wrapped me in a hug. “What happened?”

“I don’t know. One moment Heather and I were sitting and talking by the pool at the Turners, and then the next I was waking up in a ditch off the 101,” I repeated the same lie I told the detectives. “I wish I could tell you what happened, but I can’t...remember.” I turned to the Turners. “I'm sorry.”

“No need to be Deshawn,” Dr. Turner said through a strained smile. “We are all glad you’re back safe.”

Mr. Turner put a hand on my shoulder. “That's right. Now we’re just praying that Heather makes it back safely too.”

The look on the Turner’s face made me want to upchuck all the Naan I ate before. While I was stuffing my face they were getting sick with worry about their missing daughter. They were genuinely glad that I had made it back safe which only intensified my guilt.

“I swear,” I said without thinking, “I’ll do everything in my power to find Heather and bring her back home.” A strange new feeling coursed through me, a resolute, unwavering determination.

The Turners both smiled appreciatively at me.

“Thanks Deshawn,” Dr. Turner said as she burst into tears. Her husband placed his arms around her. He tried to look strong, but it was obvious that he was seconds away from breaking down too.

As I watched the Turner’s display their grief, I wasn't sure if I could follow through on what I had promised but, in that moment, I dared anyone to try to stop me.