Untouchable (Private 3)

"Noelle!" Josh laughed in freakish short bursts. "Noelle told you! Of course! We're all Noelle's little puppets, aren't we?" He laughed, holding his hand up and moving his fingers around. "First she tells me to turn Rick in and what do I do? I turn Rick in! Then when that doesn't work out, she decides to tell everyone I'm a serial killer! And you just go ahead and believe her! We're all such good little puppets!"

My heart pounded painfully in my chest. He was out of his mind. Totally and completely out of his mind.

"Well, not anymore!" Josh shouted, rounding on me again. He slammed his hand into the wall above my head and bore down on me until I shrank toward the floor. "Not me! I'm not gonna let her manipulate me anymore!"

"Josh, please. You're scaring me," I whimpered. "Please, stop."

Hovering above me, Josh's face changed. It was as if he was seeing me there for the first time. And in that split second he looked petrified, mortified, clear.

"Oh my God, Reed. I'm sorry. I'm--"

At that instant, I was suddenly blinded. A bright white light hit

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me directly in my eyes and I threw my hands up as tears rolled down my face from the pain.

"Josh Hollis! This is the police!" a commanding voice shouted. "Step back from the girl."

The glass door behind Josh squealed. I wrenched my eyes open. Josh's arms were up, shielding his face. He was a dark shadow against the flood of light.

"What?" he said.

"Step away from the girl!" the voice repeated.

Josh looked at me, baffled, and stepped away from me. Instantly three cops rushed in from all angles and converged on him. Another grabbed me and checked me over, asking if I was all right. Over and over again. Was I all right?

"Yeah . . . yeah, fine," I said. "What--"

"Joshua Hollis, you are under arrest."

"What!?" I blurted.

Josh stood perfectly still as an older man slapped handcuffs around his wrists. Detective Hauer was there, his expression grim as he watched the proceedings.

"For what?" he asked.

The cop grabbed Josh's arms and shoved him forward. "For the murder of Thomas Pearson."

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* * *

"What's going on?" I demanded. Shrill, out of control, seeing red. "Why are you arresting him? He didn't hurt me! He just needs help!"

"Reed, please. Calm down," Detective Hauer said.

"We should get her out of here. Take her into one of the parlors."

That was Dean Marcus. This was one infraction too many. He was going to expel me. There was no doubt in my mind. And I didn't even care. All I cared about was the fact that they were taking Josh away. That his face had completely shut down. That as they jostled him by us, he didn't even try to look at me.

"Josh--"

"I recommend you don't try talking-to him just now," Detective Hauer said, standing between me and the mass of people that seemed to be all over Josh.

"Screw you."

"Miss Brennan!" the dean growled.