"Just... fine." I shake my head. "I accidentally clicked something I shouldn't have."
Mom cringes, but Dad only laughs as he rises, holstering his gun at his side and fixing his hat on his head.
"I need a minute, Easton." The tip of his head indicates that it's a minute he doesn't want delicate ears to overhear, so I rise, shoving my phone in my back pocket.
I step out onto the front porch with him, noting that the bitter chill in the air is every bit as brutal as I suspected.
"There's a missing girl." Dad says, watching my face for a moment.
"Oh, shit." I frown. "Like, a kid or...?"
"Twenty-one. Still a kid, though. Brain's not fully developed yet, you know."
"Right." I nod, my stomach twisting as I get the sense I knowexactlywho he's talking about.
But Gianna is supposed to be home in bed by now... fuck, she should have been long before I even woke up. It can't be her.
"So, who is it?"
"The new family that moved into the Old Pembrooke home. Name's Gianna."
I swallow.
"Think she ran away? Aren't they from the city?" I laugh. "She probably thinks Hollow Fields is too slow a type of living for her taste."
"Her mom doesn't think so.” Dad’s mouth twitches like he’s thinking about saying more. “She's real worried. Apparently she's posted up at the station right now, so I gotta get down there to check on things. But, you know, it's Hollow Night..."
"Is it?" I glance at my wrist, as if I've ever worn a watch.
"Mm." Dad agrees. "So, you don't know nothing about her disappearance, right, son?"
"No, sir." My throat is thick; the lie threatens to choke me.
"And if I drive out to the corn fields... I'm not gonna find her, am I?"
"I doubt it." I shake my head. "It was cold last night. I don't think anyone woulda gone out there."
Dad nods, clearly buying my lies.
"Right. I'm sure everything's just fine. Probably just went for a run or something." He sighs, looking out at the neat green grass of our front lawn. It'll be brown soon, choked out by winter. "I'll see you at the game tonight. Fieldcrest, right? Sadie's got the night off so the whole family will be there."
I nod, wishing I could be grateful for having a supportive family that's willing to come watch me ride the bench. I haven't played much at all since my injury last year. I'll have to get coach to put me in somehow.
"Right, then." Dad nods, clapping me on the shoulder. "I'll see ya tonight."
"Yeah." I nod. "See ya."
Chapter 7
"Man,fuckTobyforignoring us." Jackson grumbles, staring out the window of my truck as we amble up to the cemetery.
The gates are wide open to receive visitors this time, so we roll right past them as I ease us to the back of the cemetery. There aren't many people out here today, but they all wave in greetingas we pass, and we wave back. And when we get to the very end of the cemetery, past the mausoleum, there's Toby's mom's beat up old Honda.
"Fucking asshole." Jackson grunts, opening the door and dropping out onto the pavement.
I don't know what Toby would be doing here, but it's suspicious as hell. He better fucking hope that no one's spotted him out here.
There's a thin sheen of ice on his windshield, and when I stare at it, I can see the delicate webbing of the glass shattered beneath it. I wonder when he did that... and what he hit. Judging by the fact there's no fender damage, I'm assuming it wasn't a deer. Maybe just a rock.
