“Someone from work?”
“Yeah, a kid. I barely know the guy. He’s the agent that flew me home the other night. He thinks we’ve bonded or something.”
“It sounded to me like you did.”
“He called. I answered. Why is everything so raw with you?”
“I don’t know. Maybe the same reason nothing is raw for you.” She stepped past him through the door. “It was a mistake coming back. I thought we could talk and try to figure out how to deal with this, you know, as partners.” She was crying now. “But apparently you’ve already got enough people to talk to—living and dead. I’m just going to get my jacket.”
Dane dropped his head and poured the backwash from the bottle into the dirt. “I don’t want you to leave. I do want to talk to you. I just answered the damn phone. That’s all.”
Misty had already walked inside and left Dane talking to himself. He stepped up on the stoop and got a head rush. He stood and waited it out before following Misty into the house. She was standing in front of the open freezer looking at nothing. She didn’t want to leave, either. She wiped at her face. Her voice was softer now—less angry. “Did you tuck Jackson in?” she asked, and Dane’s heart sank for the second time. “What?”
Misty recognized the panic on his face. “Where is he, Dane?”
“He was in the tub. I gave him a bath like Jenn asked me to, and then Eric called.”
She was already passing him on her way to the bathroom. “Take it easy, babe. I gave him a bath. He’s clean. I’m sure he’s got himself out by now.”
“He doesn’t just get himself out, Dane.” Misty pushed open the bathroom door and Jackson was still sitting in the middle of the tub. He held his tiny knees close to his chest and was shivering. He looked up at Misty and his thin lips were tinted pale blue. “Hi, Aunt Misty.” His voice quivered.
Misty rushed to the tub and snatched a towel from above the toilet. Dane stood in the doorway behind her and watched her lift the skinny little boy out of the water and wrap him in a bundle. She spun around, holding her nephew to her chest. In the entire time Dane had known this woman, he’d never seen her look the way she did now, as if something behind her eyes could explode into splinters. Her tan face was a hot pink and her light green eyes were piercing. Dane’s own vision blurred from his beer buzz and he felt a crushing wave of guilt seize his gut.
“Damnit, Dane, you left him in here by himself?”
“Yeah, but just for a few minutes. He was playing. He was fine.”
Misty was practically growling. “Does he look fine to you? He’s freezing.”
“He’s not freezing, Misty.” Dane went to touch the boy’s face, but Misty smacked his hand away. She’d never done anything like that before, either. “What the hell, Misty?”
“You really don’t care about anyone else but yourself, do you?”
“Misty. C’mon, I—”
“Get out of my way,” she said, and bulldozed past him out of the bathroom. Dane had to balance and pivot on one leg to let her by. He grabbed the wall to keep himself upright and stood there confused, watching Misty storm across the trailer into the boy’s bedroom. Dane walked behind her. “Why didn’t he just get out?”
“Leave us alone, Dane. Seriously. Go find your friend from work or do whatever it is you do when you’re not here.”
“No. I seriously want to know.” Dane looked at the boy as Misty dried him off and dressed him in his pajamas. “Jackson, tell me, if you were done in there, then why didn’t you just get out?”
Jackson didn’t answer.
Dane’s temper rose, although he knew he was wrong. “I asked you a question, buddy. If you were cold, why didn’t you just get out on your own?”
“Just leave him alone,” Misty said as she tucked the boy under the covers. Jackson still said nothing. “I’m sorry, Jackson. We shouldn’t have left you. We won’t do it again.”
“Jesus, will someone please tell me what the hell just happened?” Dane was getting loud. He heard the front door open and Jenn’s voice call out. “Everyone okay in here?”
“We’re fine,” Misty answered, before standing up and shoving her face just inches from Dane’s. “I said leave him alone, and get out of my way.”
“I’m not going anywhere, and I just asked a question, Misty, and I should be able to do that without being ignored. I was only on the phone for ten minutes tops. Look for yourself.”
“I don’t want to look at your stupid phone.”
“And I want an answer.”
“I was waiting for you, Uncle Dane,” Jackson said, and sat up in the bed. “You told me to wait. I thought you might’ve died. I didn’t know what you wanted me to do.”
Misty burst into a full sob and pressed past her man. She made her way to the other side of the trailer—to Jenn’s room—and slammed the door. Jenn stood in the middle of the den. She didn’t even ask what had happened. She didn’t have to. Misty was her sister. Sympathy for her sister’s boyfriend had run out. She glared at Dane with the same anger Misty had directed at him, then joined her in the bedroom. She slammed the door, too. Dane stood alone in the den, baffled for a full minute before he sat down on the sofa. He figured that was where he’d be sleeping tonight. He leaned his head back and stared at the whirling ceiling fan. A few minutes later, his head popped up straight, and he tried to remember where he’d put his phone. He remembered what Eric had said. “Son of a bitch.” He spotted his phone in the kitchen and stood up to get it. He ran a hand through his dirty hair and thought about the last time he’d showered as the phone rang. He could barely contain himself. The damn thing seemed to ring forever.
“Velasquez,” Roselita said when she finally came on the line.
“He’s not hiding, Rose.”
“What? Kirby? It’s nearly midnight.”
Dane looked at the clock on the microwave. It was late. Neither of them had gotten any decent sleep in two days. He didn’t care. “My girlfriend’s nephew,” he said more to himself than Roselita.
“You’re what?”
“Nothing. Listen. Arnold didn’t stash William away somewhere so no one could find him.”
“What are you talking about, Kirby?”
“He told him to wait. Arnold thought he’d gotten away with it. There was no reason to hide him, so he just told his brother to wait—and he’s still waiting—right now—the kid is still waiting for Arnold to show up.”
“Okay, great. He’s not hiding. He’s waiting. How does that help us?”
Dane snatched his ball cap off the coffee table and pulled it down low on his brow. He saw it all playing out in his head at once. William’s fascination with animals. The Safari that Richland mentioned. The Farm. Eddie. He pictured Jackson sitting in that nasty tub of cold water—and knew William was sitting somewhere the same way. It all made sense in his head, but it was coming out like gibberish through the phone. Dane pushed open the screen door and headed toward his truck.
“I know where he is, Rose. I know where William Blackwell is—and I’m going to get him.”