The Whispering Fog by Landra Jennings

Author:Landra Jennings
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2022-07-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

“YOU FOUND HER!” Neve said to the hound.

The hound dropped Rose’s running shoe into Neve’s hands. The cereal box she’d been carrying fell to the ground, forgotten. She hugged the shoe to her chest. “Where is she? Is she okay? Not the lake, right? I’m sure it’s not the lake.”

His tail wagged. He sniffed the cereal box on the ground.

She put out a hand to close the door behind her. Too late. Mom and Dad were already there. “What is it? Who’s there?” they said.

“It’s nothing,” Neve said, trying to hide the shoe from their sight.

“What’s that you have there?” Mom said. “My God, Neve. Is that what I think it is?”

“I don’t know. I’m not sure,” Neve said.

But Mom and Dad were already removing the running shoe from her hands.

“Rob, it’s the other shoe. Of the pair Rose was wearing,” Mom said.

“Call the detective,” Dad said. “Let me get this dog.”

“You don’t need to get him,” Neve said. “He can lead us to where he found it.”

“Here, dog. Good dog.” Dad moved toward the hound, arms out.

The hound backed away. His tail had stopped wagging.

“You’re scaring him,” Neve said. “Don’t grab him.”

“Come here, dog. Be a good dog,” Dad said.

The hound ducked out of Dad’s grasp.

“He doesn’t want you to grab him,” Neve said.

“Try bending down,” Mom said. “Waiting for him to come to you.”

“You do the waiting,” Dad said. “I’m. Getting. This. Dog.” He lunged for the hound.

The hound gave a short bark, rotating on his back legs, gracefully avoiding Dad.

“Leave him alone,” Neve said.

“Look at me, dog, I’m being serious here,” Dad said.

“Honestly, Rob,” Mom said. She had her cell phone out.

Dad chased the hound out into the yard, Neve running after them. The hound was much faster than them both. His panting looked like a smile. It was possible he thought it was a game. But eventually he tired of it and disappeared into the trees.

“Now he won’t be able to help us!” Neve said. She had scrapes up her legs. She was still wearing pajamas. Her feet were covered in dirt and mud.

“You don’t know anything about it,” Dad said.

“I do so—you chased him away!”

“Stop it, you two,” Mom shouted from the back door.

Dad’s glasses were crooked. He glared at Neve.

Neve glared back. The pain was thunk-thunking. “I know what you’re thinking,” she said. He wished it were her, she knew. He wished it were her that was missing and not Rose.

“That everything’s gone to hell?” Dad said. “That I don’t know how to fix it? That I’m desperate enough to chase a mangy old dog for leads?”

“Well, no,” Neve said. She hadn’t known he was thinking all that. She couldn’t remember ever actually asking Dad what he thought about anything. Rose had always been there to deal with Dad. They didn’t do so much talking, Neve and Dad.

He took off his glasses and rubbed his nose. “Look, I don’t know what to do with you lately. I know you’re worried about your sister. We’re worried too.

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