Our Last Echoes by Kate Alice Marshall

Author:Kate Alice Marshall [Marshall, Kate Alice]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780593113622
Google: CJ4eEAAAQBAJ
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Published: 2021-03-16T00:00:00+00:00

18

A KNOCK ON the door made us jump. Abby tossed a throw blanket over the papers and shut her laptop as the door opened. It was Lily.

“We’re heading out,” she informed us. “And Liam is here, looking for Abby.”

“Right,” Abby said dully. “Be right there.” She palmed the USB drive and the SD card, which I’d set down on the bedspread. She put both in her bag, along with her laptop—more of her habit of keeping all the evidence with her at all times, and I didn’t blame her. With everything that was going on, I wouldn’t be surprised to find Dr. Kapoor or even Mrs. Popova going through our things.

She grabbed her bag. “I’ll see you, Hayes.” Her voice was tight. We needed to talk about what we’d seen on that drive. She needed to talk—needed to get it out, the confusion and the betrayal, before it festered like a wound. Her grandfather had been here, had been involved. And her boss, the man who’d taken care of her for years, had known.

At least my foster parents hadn’t known they were keeping secrets from me.

“See you,” I said, because Lily was there and we had no choice but to let silence win. Abby gave me a weak wave, looking more like she was walking to the guillotine than to meet up with her supposed boyfriend, and headed out.

“Liam and her?” Lily said when she was gone. She scrunched up her nose. “Okay, I guess.”

“Don’t ask me, I’m new here,” I said. “I’m going to change my clothes really quick and I’ll meet you at the car.”

“Better not be late again. We won’t get lucky twice,” she told me. I gave her a mock-salute, forcing every bit of false cheer into it, and she headed down the hall.

I quickly gathered up the documents and stuffed them between the mattress and the box spring. As hiding places went, it was a bit cliché, but it would do in a pinch.

I bolted to my own room to quickly change. I didn’t have time to shower, and my skin felt gritty, but there was nothing for it. At least I could pull on fresh clothes. I also hadn’t slept, unless you counted being unconscious for a couple hours, and my body was starting to catch up with that fact. Today was going to be brutal.

I skidded into the kitchen to discover Lily ready to go, boots on and travel mug in hand, but Kenny was still snoring on the couch.

“Uh—are we going to be late?” I asked tentatively. Fifteen minutes to the hour of doom.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got this,” Lily said. She walked to the foot of the couch, took a deep breath, and shouted, “KENNETH!”

Kenny bolted upright, somehow managed to catch his phone, and started yanking on his boots.

“Thirty seconds,” Lily told him, and headed for the door. She gestured for me to follow her. By the time we reached the porch, Kenny was right behind us, even if he was hopping on one foot while he tugged the other boot on.

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