At the Quiet Edge(50)

If she had a number for Jones, she’d call him. Demand to know what he was doing and where he was. But for now, all she could do was sift through the rubble of his destruction and try to interpret the pieces. He’d never given her any answers before, and he definitely wasn’t going to start now.





CHAPTER 16


He’d tried to have fun with Josephine tonight, but anytime he relaxed just a little, his brain would jolt back to anticipation. You need to get home. You need to check your messages. Your dad is waiting.

He kept telling his brain to shut up. Dad hadn’t been on Discord this morning or this afternoon, and Everett didn’t want to get his hopes up, because maybe he’d walked away again.

When he did manage to tamp down his own thoughts, he would eventually relax, and then his brain would escape his control and snap right back to Dad again.

He and Josephine had gone to the library to look up school yearbooks, and they’d found all the girls, even Tiffany Miller. But Everett had barely been able to pay attention. He’d just wanted to be back at his computer.

A soft metal click told him his mom had locked the bathroom door; then the rushing roar of the pipes filled the hallway when she turned on the tap. Everett raced to the desk and dropped into the chair to log on.

He hated himself for doing it. Hated that hope buzzed through his muscles. And he really, really hated that he still believed his dad would show up.

But then . . . he did.

Hey, LM, it’s me.

LM. Little man. It was a code, kind of, that didn’t give him away. Everett flushed hot all the way to his scalp. He checked the timestamp.

The message had come in only one hour before, and Everett felt furiously glad that he hadn’t stayed home all afternoon waiting for it. What was his dad busy with, anyway? Stealing cars and robbing old people?

Feeling immediately bad for that, he shook his head as he checked his dad’s username. It was just a bunch of letters and numbers. Everett added him as a friend.

You still there? he messaged back, unwilling to act excited to finally hear from him. When the rush of the pipes abruptly cut off, Everett jerked back in fear, then craned his neck toward the bathroom. He waited, holding his breath, until he heard the faint shushing sound of his mom shifting in the water.

He’d just relaxed back in his chair when a new message arrived. Yes! Still here! Sorry it took so long. Things are complicated, and I had to find a safe place to stay.

Where are you? Everett wanted to ask, but he knew his dad couldn’t give that away. So he typed, Is everything ok? instead.

Everything is great. I’m talking to you!!!

Everett couldn’t stop the smile that popped onto his face. He didn’t even want to. His dad hadn’t disappeared again. He’d kept his promise. It was a small thing, maybe, but it was something good.

Another message arrived. Can you talk on the phone? Or here on Discord?

I can’t, he wrote back with a glance toward the bathroom. Not alone.

Got it. No worries. I’ve been feeling guilty about the call anyway.

Why?

You’re too young for me to ask you to keep a secret this big.

That’s not true, he wrote back immediately.

His dad sent a winky face. Oh, you’ve got practice already, huh?

Everett pressed his lips hard together at that. He could tell his dad about the lockers. Tell him what he found. The missing girls and his suspicions. But when the words formed in his head, they sounded like a dumb campfire story.

But he did know how to keep a secret. I didn’t tell her you called, he said. I wouldn’t.

Thank you, LM. I’ve missed you a lot.

Everett felt so full of happiness he had to wait until the shaking of his fingers eased so he could type back. I’ve missed you too, Dad. He backed up the cursor and erased “Dad” so there’d be no evidence. I’ve missed you too. A lot. Where have you been?

All over really.

Other countries?

Sure. Brazil. Costa Rica. Dollars go a long way in some of those small villages! It’s not so bad, but it’s lonely.

He was sweating a little, his armpits prickling strangely under his shirt. It should be nice talking to his father, but instead it felt like time was slipping away, and he wanted to hold tight to it like a rope.

Are you ever coming back? He typed that, then stared at it for a long moment, afraid to send it, afraid for the answer. He tapped the RETURN key, then squinted his eyes mostly shut as if that would shield him from the reply.

If I did . . . , his dad responded quickly, would you see me?

A strange laugh popped from Everett’s throat at that. Yes! Of course!

His dad sent another winking emoji. I’ll hold you to it!

Deal, Everett responded. Then he carefully typed, That would be so cool. If you could do that.

Maybe I could.

Really??? Like soon???

His dad didn’t respond for a long time. When he finally texted again, it was just a thumbs-up emoji, and then he changed the subject. Everett felt a strange mix of guilt and resentment at that. Had he pushed his dad too quickly? But why shouldn’t he?

Everett was just answering a question about his favorite video games when a watery burble rose from the pipes in the wall. His heart exploded into flutters. His mom had opened the drain. I need to sign off in a sec. Sorry!!! He didn’t want to let go of the connection, and his neck went tight and achy at the thought.