Girl in the Dark by J.M. Cannon

Author:J.M. Cannon [Cannon, J.M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

PHOTO ALBUM

Before they go back to the truck, she wants to see this parking place Trenton talked about. She walks down the path without Michael. It is well-tread. The dirt is hard and grassless, and it winds through pines and tall bushes before opening at the end of a road.

It’s possible it’s just a deer trail. If people used it frequently, they’d probably snap the branches that cross the trail at neck-height.

A Lexus SUV sits parked at the end of the road. It’s been recently washed or waxed, or both. It’s black, and even under the overcast, its paint shines. It confirms Zoey’s thoughts that this Trenton guy and his sister Jennifer were from money.

She looks over her shoulder and walks to the driver’s-side window.

She peers in. There’s a bag of sunflower seeds and an empty bottle of green tea in the cupholder full of their shells. There are clothes strewn on the passenger seat, and papers and books on the dash. The passenger wheel well, too, is full of trash.

Trenton’s clothes were clean and put together, but his car’s a mess, at least on the inside.

He seems like a man more concerned with looking clean than being clean.

Zoey takes one last look at the car and its New York plates and then starts back towards the lodge.

She doesn’t stop walking when she passes Michael kicking around the garage. “Let’s go,” she says, and he speeds up to follow.

It takes him a while to catch up with her and walk side by side, but they end up single file as they walk on the edge of the road to avoid stepping over the trees.

She wants to watch his face when she asks him about Trenton, so she waits until he’s stuck behind the wheel and driving back to Black Castle.

She tries to be as frank as possible. “I saw you talking with Trenton in the garden.”

His face doesn’t change at all. He’s a bad liar, but she can tell that her statement doesn’t bother him. “Yeah…” He pauses. “I was just talking to him about where he’s from.”

“Where’s he from?”

“Manhattan,” Michael says, annoyed. He can sense the mistrust in her tone. “You mind if I drop you off?” he sighs. “I’m not sure I can host you two days in a row. I think I need some time by myself.”

“That’s fine,” says Zoey.

“Probably best if you keep an eye on Evie, anyway.”

“Uh-huh.”

It’s a quiet drive back. The next time they speak, Zoey thanks him for the ride and hops out of the passenger seat.

The sun has come out, and Zoey takes her coat off before she reaches Evie’s front door.

She finds it unlocked, and when she steps inside, she sees her sister is calm and sitting on the living room couch.

There’s a photo album open on the coffee table. She’s flipping through it.

“Hey!” Zoey says. “You look good.”

Evie has put on makeup and curled her hair. Ever since she was a girl, putting herself together helped her feel better. Zoey takes her shoes off and plops down next to her on the couch.

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