Nick was reading his book. He was waiting for Evelyn to return from the third session of CCNC. Third session, and they still hadn’t reached level five. He checked Grizzizzik’s experience again, seeing it at 5,965. He did the math in his head for the seventh time. Five hundred and thirty-five experience points until level five. They were close. With what he did at the park, the experience points he got would go toward the Warlock level. He was mostly annoyed Grizzizzik didn’t use any of his warlock spells. Or anything, really. He was pretending he was still purely rogue. Which was a pity, because the damage of hellish rebuke for a first level spell was pretty incredible, let alone the fact that it was a reaction. Far more than the damage from his rapier, which he used constantly in this last fight.

Nick turned the page of his book, hearing Evelyn’s car pull up in the driveway. He was grateful Evelyn sought him out to tell him about the recent CCNC sessions, because it helped him feel less needy when she sought him out instead of him waiting at her door.

When he heard the knock at the front door, he realized it wasn’t Evelyn at all. He got up from his chair and glanced out the window to see two police officers waiting. Nick’s heart dived into his stomach before pounding wildly as he returned to his desk, going over in his mind whether he left anything behind. He heard some murmuring at the door. He could no longer focus on his book.

“Nick! Get in here,” Walt said.

Nick closed his eyes to give him two seconds to himself, then got up from his desk. He wasn’t sure what to expect. With Walt, expecting the worst wouldn’t help. Somehow, despite setting the bar on the ground, Nick was always shocked to find that the ground was made of water, and Walt brought his scuba gear.

He walked down the hall, seeing the two officers in the front entryway. Lydia was talking with one officer, and Walt had his arms folded, glaring at Nick. The other officer in the doorway Nick had the unfortunate pleasure of recognizing. Of course Officer Hendricks would check in on their house.

“We don’t mean to intrude on a lovely Sunday evening,” the other officer said with the name Officer Ritchie on his nametag.

“What were you doing from one to four in the morning?” Walt asked Nick, taking over the interrogation. Officer Ritchie glanced at Walt, surprised.

Nick narrowed his eyes, trying to play this off as the first time he’d heard of this. “Sleeping. Obviously.”

“There’s been a minor vandalism incident near to your home,” Officer Ritchie said. “We wanted to check if anyone had heard anything.”

“I know nothing.” Nick moved from the wall and headed toward his room again.

A heavy hand fell on his shoulder, and he shot Walt a glare. “You sit down out here.” There was no room for argument in his tone.

Nick let out an annoyed sigh, then let his father drag him to the couches. Walt used a bit more force than necessary to make him sit. Nick’s usual glare darkened as the policemen sat on the opposite couches.

“We simply want to cover all our bases.” Which meant Officer Hendricks suspected him, too. “You mentioned you were sleeping between two and five in the morning?”

“The rest of the night too, if you can imagine,” Nick said. He would probably pay for that sarcasm later.

“And is there anyone who can confirm that?”

Officer Ritchie frowned, glancing at Officer Hendricks. Nick straight up glared at him. Nick had a remark about how no one would notice unless his room had a camera in it, but he had a horrible feeling Walt might take that idea.

“Tell them the truth, Nick,” Walt said.

Nick shot his glare at Walt. “I already did.”

“You were up this morning. I saw you.” Walt’s glare was just as dark. “What were you doing?”

Nick did everything possible to keep his face steady. “I woke up thirsty. I got up to get a drink. Then I went back to sleep. Evelyn saw me, then you did.”

“What were you really doing?” Walt asked.

Nick kept glaring at his father. He knew, of course, picked up on it almost right away that neither of the cops nor Walt mentioned what the incident was, so he wasn’t about to trip himself up by mentioning toilet paper was involved. “I said what happened. If you don’t believe me, that’s not my problem.”

“Give. Me. Your. Phone.” Walt enunciated every syllable as he kept staring at Nick. Nick did not break eye contact as he reached into his pocket and slapped his phone in Walt’s hand.

“Oh, no, sir. We don’t have a warrant.” Officer Ritchie waved a hand at the phone in Walt’s hand. “There’s not enough evidence for us to get one to search your son’s phone.”

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“You don’t need to search it. I’ll search it, then let you know what I find.” Walt flipped open Nick’s phone.

This shocked Officer Ritchie to silence. He then looked at Officer Hendricks, who was hiding a smile. Nick flexed his fingers, trying not to curl them into fists.

Nick kept his arms tightly folded as he heard keys jiggling at the front door. Walt was searching through his phone, but Nick wasn’t sure what he was looking for. No one had texted him in weeks, and Walt had already checked those texts.

Evelyn walked in, taking in the sight. Nick refused to look at her. Clarissa, Ezekiel, and Grizzizzik were behind. Clarissa and Ezekiel peered inside. Grizzizzik held his face perfectly still.

“I couldn’t get in the garage. What’s… happening?” Evelyn asked.

“Nothing. Go in the kitchen,” Walt said.

“But—”

“In the kitchen. Now.”

Nick felt Evelyn’s gaze on him, but he refused to meet it. He knew his glare was dark, and he didn’t want Evelyn to see it.

“Come on, Evelyn,” Lydia said.

“Mom, what’s going on?” Evelyn asked.

Lydia placed an arm around Evelyn. “To the kitchen. Come on.”

Nick closed his eyes as his sister left. Clarissa and Ezekiel tiptoed upstairs, and Grizzizzik headed toward the backyard, his face hiding everything.

Officer Ritchie rubbed his forehead before resting his elbows on his knees. “There is no other reason for us to stay. If you remember anything else, let us know.”

“My son can help you clean the mess.” Walt was still maneuvering through Nick’s phone.

Officer Ritchie stood up. “No need. It’s already cleaned up. It took less than twenty minutes.”

“With all due respect, officer, it wasn’t simply a harmless prank. This is vandalism, and those who did it must be caught,” Walt said.

“I didn’t call it harmless. I stated the fact that it took less than twenty minutes to pick up,” Officer Ritchie said. “If you’ve seen nothing, then put this to rest, please. We simply stopped by because it looks like you had some doorbell technology that might help. Good day, Mr. Larsen.”

Officer Hendricks stood up. “You know how to reach us if you find anything.” Officer Hendricks stared right at Nick, and Nick glared right back.

“I will, thank you,” Walt said.

The policemen left, and Nick went to get up from the couch when Walt grabbed his shoulder again, forcing him back down. “You will stay here.”

Nick glared as his father stood up and headed down the hall. As expected, Walt would tear his room apart. It didn’t matter. His dark clothes were back in his closet. He had spent most of the morning and afternoon making sure there was nothing to tie back to him. Nick walked that perfect balance of being clean, but not too clean.

He remained on the couch, arms folded, heart pounding, as Walt moved things inside his room. The police car pulled out of the driveway, and he closed his eyes, trying to keep himself calm.

“Evelyn, no—”

“I need to move my car. I couldn’t get in the driveway because that sorry excuse for a police officer was blocking it,” Evelyn said.

“Don’t talk to Nick. You know your father is in one of his moods.”

“Dad’s always in one of those moods, Mom,” Evelyn said.

Nick kept his eyes closed as Evelyn walked out the door. There was silence as Lydia sighed, then looked at Nick. “Just cooperate, Nick. You don’t have to worry if you didn’t do anything.”

“Seriously, mom?” Nick couldn’t help it. It came out of him like bile. “I’ve cooperated for the past three years, and it’s gotten me nothing.”

“It’s gotten you peace,” Lydia said.

“This isn’t peace.”

“Your dad is protecting you. He didn’t have nearly as many rules as you did as a kid, and wanted to make sure you were set up for life,” Lydia said.

“No one has as many rules as I do.”

There was a space where neither he nor Lydia said anything. It was long enough for Nick to hear his books being tumbled out of the bookshelves. Nick’s glare returned, staring right at his mother. Sometimes he wondered what it would be like to have a mom who took his side. Who stood up for him. Who didn’t disappear whenever Walt talked to him.

Lydia moved away from Nick, back into the kitchen. The garage door opened, and Evelyn walked right in, placing her keys in her pocket as she headed straight for Nick. “What’s going on?”

“Some sort of vandalism. The police were seeing if we knew anything about it.”

“And Dad instantly thought it was you.” Evelyn’s eyes darkened.

Nick did nothing more than shrug, because he felt that painful feeling of what might happen if Evelyn discovered it was him. He desperately needed his sister to find out what Grizzizzik was doing, and soon.

Evelyn turned around and marched down the hall. His heart stuttered to a stop, not sure what to expect. “Evelyn,” he whispered urgently.

Evelyn didn’t hear him as she walked into Nick’s room. “Seriously, Dad? You think this is justified?”

“I told you to get back in the kitchen,” Walt said.

“Are you putting all this stuff back when you’re done?”

“This is going to take at least an hour.”

Nick remained away, knowing his presence wouldn’t help.

“You didn’t answer my question. You are destroying his room. Are you going to put it all back?” Evelyn asked.

“He’s brought this upon himself.”

“No, he hasn’t! He’s done nothing to deserve this! He didn’t do it, Dad! Nick can’t take responsibility for everyone else’s stupid mistake!”

“I will only ask you one more time, Evelyn. Get back in the kitchen.”

“No.” His little sister was angry. It was clear by how short and clipped that word was. Nick remained at the other end of the hall. He didn’t see Walt, but he could almost feel the air shifting to something dangerous. The danger that meant Walt seeing Nick’s face would be like gasoline to a flame.

“Dammit, Evelyn, don’t fight me on this. Your brother needs control, or he ends up doing stupid shit like this!” Walt said.

“Like what? No one’s even told me what’s going on!”

The back door slid open, and Grizzizzik walked into the house. Nick’s face dropped.

“Ask Nick! He knows more than he lets on!” Walt screamed.

Nick shook his head at Grizzizzik. He didn’t know why his character was here, but it made him deeply uncomfortable. Evelyn and Walt were still in his bedroom, while Grizzizzik was approaching him. Lydia had returned to the kitchen, getting some dishes done.

“Get out of Nick’s room!” Evelyn shouted as Grizzizzik appeared, his hand grew green. Nick’s heart hammered in his chest as the bathroom door opened on its own.

“Stop it,” Nick whispered.

Grizzizzik said nothing, his hand still glowing.

“Get in the kitchen!” Walt shouted.

“What are you doing?” Nick hissed.

A roll of toilet paper floated out of the bathroom.

“Sorry, Nick. Chaos asked that you get caught,” Grizzizzik said.