Virals(40)

"I'll be conducting an investigation," Karsten continued, an inquisitor confronting wicked souls. "I expect everyone's full cooperation."

"Of course," Kit answered. The other adults nodded.

"For openers, I want to know why these children are here so much. What they do. Where they go."

I started to protest. Kit's hand clamped my shoulder. Firmly. I got the message.

"For now, I'll only add this." Karsten smiled without warmth. "If I'd done something foolish, like, say, stolen something, I might try to misdirect the authorities."

Karsten's eyes drilled into me.

He suspected. And he wanted me to know.

"And what better way to divert suspicion," Karsten said, "than to fabricate a tale of masked marauders with firearms rampaging across the island?"

With that, Karsten pushed past us and strode down the trail.





CHAPTER 29


On the return trip, my mind spun wheelies. I couldn't believe what had happened. The skeleton was gone. We'd been humiliated.

What had we stumbled upon? Who were we up against?

Hi had it the worst. Ruth grilled him nonstop, firing a barrage of pointed questions. He bobbed and weaved with his answers.

Lorelei Devers was convinced that, due to nerves, we'd imagined the whole thing. Rolling with his mother's theory, Shelton emphasized how "chaotic" and "alarming" the night had been. Lorelei ate it up.

I felt a sharp pang of sadness. Where was my mom, to comfort me? Why did I always have to take care of myself?

Tears welled behind my lids. The sudden grief spread, threatened to overwhelm. I gave my head a quick shake, tried to dislodge the thoughts. I didn't want to go there. Not with others around.

Ben sat next to me. Kit had remained on Loggerhead and Tom was driving the boat, so we were alone. For now. A bit of luck on a day having none.

After Karsten's revelation, Kit had seemed less receptive to my version of events. Not outright suspicious, but definitely wary. He'd said that we "needed to talk" when he got home. I wasn't looking forward to that conversation. At all.

"We looked like idiots," Ben muttered.

"Total morons," I agreed. "And now Karsten suspects we're responsible for the breakin. Talk about bad mojo."

"They must've come for the remains," Ben said. "To dig Heaton up. We were in the way."

"I think so, too. They confiscated the skeleton and the tags, then planted monkey bones to discredit us." I sighed. "The bastards erased all traces of Katherine from that grave."

But the timing mystified me.

"After what, forty years?" I asked. "Why now? Why remove Katherine yesterday, just twenty-four hours after we learned about her disappearance?"

Ben shook his head. No answers.

I considered the last few days. I don't believe in coincidence. Something bothered me.

Synapses fired in my brain. Images. Sounds.

A seed of suspicion sprouted. Sent out roots.

Maybe.

I kept the theory to myself. I needed proof.

It was mid-afternoon by the time we arrived back at Morris. We'd missed an entire day of school. I stretched, tired. A nap beckoned.

But the gang needed to dissect today's fiasco. To tease meaning from the melodrama that had just played out.

How? Sneaking off to the bunker would be impossible.

"I'm texting Shelton and Hi. Download iFollow." I told Ben about the app Jason had shown me. "Load the program onto your laptop, too. iFollow has real-time videoconferencing. After dinner tonight, we can meet online."

"Will do."

As Ben worked his mobile, I fired my message into cyberspace. It only took a moment.

Hi glanced at his current phone, an older model he'd dug from a desk drawer that morning. His iPhone was still missing, no doubt lining the ocean floor below us. Ten seconds. Then, careful not to alert his mother, he flashed me a thumbs-up behind his back.

Shelton read my text from his pocket. Staring into space, he nodded, seemingly at nothing.

I leaned back, mentally poking and prodding my theory. I needed to be sure.

From now on, I wasn't going to play the fool.





At dinner I danced around Kit's questions. Telling the truth was pointless. He'd never believe it.

"I made a mistake. Got scared."

"A mistake?" Kit's eyes narrowed. "About bones?"

Two-shoulder shrug.

Distracted by his own problems, Kit didn't press. His face looked drawn. Getting chewed out by your boss will do that, I guess.

"We'll discuss this again," Kit promised.

The meal ended in silence.

Safely locked behind my bedroom door, I booted my Mac. Two mouse clicks launched iFollow with a flourish of colors and dance beats.

When the GPS function opened, seven glowing circles dotted the Charleston map. One hovered over Mount Pleasant.

Hel-lo, Jason. How's the water?

I changed my online status to away. No time for sparring with Jason tonight. My island crew had urgent business.

I switched from Bolton Lacrosse to Bunker. We really needed a better group name.

The GPS screen now showed four dots stacked over Morris Island. Even online, our neighborhood looked sadly alone.