TreeTalker by Susan J. Kroupa

Author:Susan J. Kroupa
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Laurel Fork Press
Published: 2022-11-18T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 34: Missing

Megan broke into a jog to keep up with Riley. At least he was going away from the sirens. If she had to talk to the police twice in one night...her mother and Jim would probably send her to one of those lock-down reform schools.

They must be quite a sight, she thought. A poodle followed by two humans, two poodles and five other dogs that she assumed were escapees along with Riley from the animal shelter.

Riley trotted down the road, as if he knew exactly where he was going, making a right turn here, a left there. He was heading straight for the library! And sure enough, as they followed him into the library parking lot, there stood Mr. Griffin and Shaun under the black shadow of an old maple.

“Shaun!” Megan called, running up to him. “Are you okay? Did she hurt you?”

“No.” He said it flatly, as if stunned, and Megan wasn’t sure whether the no meant he wasn’t okay or wasn’t hurt.

“Did she kidnap you? From the hospital?” Megan asked.

“Kidnap!” Abbie sounded shocked. “How did—”

“My mother,” Shaun said, hollow-voiced. And then, as one of Riley’s dogs, a big hound, pushed a nose into Shaun’s face, he shrank back. “Can you keep them off me?” he asked angrily.

Riley barked, and the hound backed off with a soft groan and lay down by the other dogs.

“He was only givin’ ya a friendly greeting,” Riley said.

Mr. Griffin gasped. Megan thought it was a good thing she’d warned him earlier that Riley could talk. Otherwise he would have been even more shocked. Abbie, though, seemed to be handling it okay. At least she hadn’t screamed or anything when she first heard him.

“Your mother,” Riley said. “That was the scent I could not quite recognize at Carman’s place. I should have remembered. Her scent was all over your house.”

“Carman has her.” Even in the moonlight, Megan could see his shoulders slump, feel his despair.

Mr. Griffin cleared his throat. “The police—I heard sirens. They might already have picked her up.”

At this, Shaun straightened. “We could go see. If they have her, she might be safe.”

Megan had a hard time believing the police could keep anyone safe from Carman. And that other woman—Megan’s skin prickled as if the breeze had suddenly turned to ice.

“Then we must go see,” Riley said. “But we’ll need to take care. She is there now.”

Megan asked. “Who is she?”

“Morrígu.” He growled the word.

But he stopped because Shaun suddenly moved past them, heading back towards Carman’s house. “Let’s go,” he said, his voice wild and a little desperate. “While the police are still there.”

The last thing Megan wanted was to see the police. But if they had Shaun’s mother, surely she would tell them about Carman. And they’d believe his mother more than they would any kid. But if she wasn’t there—Megan didn’t want to think of the trouble they’d all be in. And the dogs. What if the police took the dogs back to the animal shelter?

“Shaun, wait! It’s too dangerous.

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