Down By The Water by Cruise Anna

Author:Cruise, Anna [Cruise, Anna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mission Bay Publishing
Published: 2013-09-14T14:00:00+00:00

TWENTY SEVEN

I thanked Cheryl for talking to me and left her sitting in the chair by the campfire. I was surprised she'd been so nice to me after her husband seemed ready to use me as kindling and I appreciated what she'd told me, even though it hurt to hear.

The sky was almost completely dark, a chorus of crickets and cicadas chirping in unison as I traveled the dirt path back to the house. Footsteps scampered on a bed of dry leaves among the trees and I wondered if it was a chipmunk or a squirrel or something bigger. I was in Minnesota. There were wolves and bears further north which meant that there could be some in Pelican Lake, too. I shivered.

I was staring at the ground as I walked, trying not to think about the sounds in the woods when I literally bumped into Ty.

I stifled a scream and took a step back. “You scared the shit out of me!”

He smiled. “Sorry?”

I cuffed his arm. “Jesus. You shouldn't sneak up on people in the dark.”

“Uh, I didn't sneak up on you.”

I started walking again and he fell into step next to me. “Yes, you did.”

“No, I didn't. I called your name but you didn't respond. I thought you'd been zombified or something.”

I caved and smiled. “Whatever.”

“Where were you?”

Footsteps sounded again but this time, with Ty next to me, I didn't even react. “Talking to Annie's mom.”

He raised an eyebrow. “That go okay?”

“Better than okay, actually,” I said. “Her husband wasn't happy to see me, but she was fairly cool. And I learned a couple of things.”

“Like what?”

“Like Jorgenson totally has it out for me. And that her daughter is autistic.”

The eyebrow stayed up and his eyes went wide. “What?”

I told him about my conversation with Cheryl Phillips as we made our way back to the house.

“Jeez,” he said, shaking his head. “I just thought she was a quiet kid.”

“I'm sure that's what most people think. I don't know much about autism, but it sounds like it's hard to communicate with her.”

“And just goes to show what an idiot Jorgenson is,” he said, frowning. Then he swatted at his arm. “Hey, can we go inside? I'm apparently dinner and dessert tonight for these goddamn mosquitos.”

I nodded and followed him up the stairs and into the house. It was still quiet inside and he hit the light switch so we weren't in the darkened living room.

“Where is everyone?” I asked.

“My parents went out for dinner,” he said, collapsing on to the sofa. “I think they just needed to get out of here for awhile.”

I knew the feeling. It was the exact reason why I'd been so happy to slip away with him after visiting the auto shop.

“I don't know where your sister is.” He glanced around the room, as if he expected her to materialize out of thin air.

I sat down next to him, my leg touching his and I felt my insides jump just a little. “Oh, I know where she's at.

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