The Grim Reaper's Dance

“I won’t go to your daughter’s house. I’m not putting her or your grandchildren in danger.” Plus that would be six more people who could identify Casey should cops—or anyone else—come calling. “Someplace else, Davey. Someplace we won’t be seen by a lot of people.”

“Well, I guess we could just meet at Tom’s work.”

“People, Davey.”

“If we meet late enough, no one will be there. Or not many, anyway, and Tom has his own entrance. You won’t have to see anybody but him.”

“Okay. What’s the business called?”

“Southwest Trucking. Tom’s a co-owner.”

“Great. Can we go later in the evening, to be sure people are gone?”

He hesitated. “After supper, then, I guess. Seven-thirty? That way Tom could still get home to help with bedtime.”

“Sounds good. I’ll meet you there.”

“Can’t I—”

“See you at seven-thirty, Davey. Thanks.” She hung up and the phone buzzed, showing her a text message that had come while she was talking. Sheryl Crovitch. Great. The girl who wanted Casey to take a hike.

I cant blv u tuk hr 2 ur hous

r u TRYNG 2 get in trble?

Casey clenched her teeth. Bailey had said she’d told the whole group. Could they possibly keep it a secret?

The door flew open. “Casey, we have to go.” Bailey’s cool composure was gone, replaced by a manic look. “My dad’s home, and if he catches me here I am so dead.”

Chapter Nine

The last thing Casey wanted to do was get Bailey in even deeper trouble, but even more she didn’t want Casey’s dad to see her. “Suggestions?”

Bailey grabbed Casey’s wrist and dragged her toward the door. “Dad drove the grain truck out to the barn and went in there. If we can get to the garage and out the lane while he’s unloading we might escape.”

“Bailey, he’s sure to see—”

“It’s our only chance.”

Casey got free from Bailey’s grasp long enough to shove her papers into the bag, put on her shoes, and delete the Clymer search from the computer before following the girl through the house, taking her place in the passenger legwell while Bailey started the car and prepared to back out.

“Bailey!” Casey said.

Bailey turned frightened eyes on her.

“The garage door.”

“Oh.” Bailey punched the button and the door slid up. “Please don’t let him see us, please don’t let him see us.”

“But won’t he hear us?”

Bailey shook her head sharply. “Not while the auger’s going. You can’t hear anything with that on.”

As soon as they’d cleared the door Bailey was pushing the button again, and driving carefully down the lane. “I can make something up. I’m good at that, right? It’s not like this would be the first time. I forgot some homework. I needed money. I felt sick at school. That would be a good one. It would go along with what my mom said when she called the school this morning.”

“She didn’t call the school.”

“Well, technically…”

The car spun around a corner, and picked up speed.

“Okay,” Bailey said. “You can get up now.”

Casey climbed into the seat and strapped herself in.

“So now what?” Bailey glanced at the dashboard clock, her posture already relaxing, the farther they got from her home. “School will be out in an hour and a half and I’ll need to go home. Without you. Where would you like to go until then? Back to the shed? It’s so boring there.”

Casey considered. Downtown was too small. If she went to the library or Wendell’s gas station, she was sure to be noticed. Even if they didn’t equate her with the woman from the accident she would be recognized as somebody new, and it would inevitably get back to the wrong people.

What she really wanted to do was impossible. Those two men she’d beat up were just lying there in the hospital, with all kinds of answers she’d like to hear. But even if there weren’t cops waiting outside the doors, there would be nurses and doctors and nutritionists, and who knew who else. Besides, the men were bound to freak out if she showed up, and rip out their IVs and whatever other contraptions they were hooked up to. Not that the guy with the bad knee would be going anywhere.

“I guess the shed is it for now. I have an appointment this evening, so I’ll just wait for that.”

“An appointment? With who?”

Casey shook her head. “Nobody you need to know about.”

Bailey opened her mouth, then shut it with a huff, glaring out the windshield.

Casey sighed. “If you could find out from your dad about his friend Pat and whether he has another job, that would be really helpful.”

Bailey relaxed a bit. “I’ll try. Except if he saw us just now I will be so grounded.”

“Thank you.”

They were quiet for a couple miles, and Bailey’s phone buzzed in Casey’s hand, where she still clenched it. She held it up. “Want me to answer?”

“What does it say?”

Casey grimaced. “I forgot to tell you Sheryl texted just before we left your house.”

“Oh, great. Did you read it?”

“She was yelling at you for taking me to your house and wondering if you wanted to get in trouble.”

“And this one?”

Casey glanced down. “It’s from Martin.”

I got thm Wil brng 2 shed 2nite

Casey looked up. “Got what?”

“Surprise for you.”

“More cinnamon rolls?”

“That would be Terry, not Martin.”

“Oh. Right.”

“There’s this girl that likes Martin, which is so annoying because she only started being interested this year, once he started growing his hair out and got control of his acne, while I’ve been around all this—” She stopped and glanced at Casey. “Not that I like Martin or anything. I mean, he’s a nice guy, and he has his charms, and –

“Bailey. I liked Martin, too.”

Bailey stopped talking and gave a little giggle. “Sorry. Anyway, this girl, her mom works for the police department. Their receptionist.”

Casey tried to see where this was heading. “And?”

“And…Martin got copies of the report from your accident.”

“What?” How had he known who she was? And why would this police department have access to an accident