You don’t want to know,I thought.
“I just don’t know if it’s worth it at this point,” I tried instead. “I’ve only got seventy-two hours remaining. I might as well finish it out, you know?”
There was a pause on the other end. When she spoke, her tone was different. “Charlotte, I don’t understand. Last week you wereadamantthat we find a way to get you home. After talking to dozens of other sheriffs, your father might have found a way. What’s changed?”
I made myself sigh into my phone. “I guess I’ve just accepted my fate. I’ve been charged with a crime, and I need to do the work. Letting Dad pull strings feels like cheating, you know?”
There was another pause. I could feel Momma’s studious gaze through the phone, trying to decide whether or not to believe me. I always had a tough time lying to her. She saw right through me.
“We’re still gonna come visit you this weekend, like we talked about,” she said.
I cringed. “Ah, you don’t have to do that, Momma. It’s such a long trip…”
“It’s an easy drive,” she said dismissively. “You’ve been trapped there over a week without a real home-cooked meal.”
“The diner food is good!”
“I want to see my daughter,” she insisted. “Is something wrong, Charlotte?”
“No, Momma. Nothing’s wrong. But I’ll be picking up extra community service hours, just like last weekend.”
“Then we’ll take you out to dinner after. Some place nice.”
I needed to find a way to keep them from coming. If Dad realized there were meth dealers moving product through Eastland, and even running the town itself, he would probably do something stupid.
“I’m seeing Scott this weekend,” I blurted out.
“Oh?”
“I was embarrassed about it, so I didn’t want to tell you. We’re sitting down to go over the food truck business, how to split it up. It’s going to be emotional, so I’d rather deal with it by myself. Plus, I don’t want Dad threatening to lock Scott away in a jail cell.”
“Forget your father, I want a piece of that fool!” she said bitterly.
I laughed. “See what I mean?”
She sighed and said, “Yeah, I suppose I do. I’m glad you’re finally handling your problems. I thought for sure you’d avoid them until you came home. I don’t know what’s gotten into you to make you so proactive, but I like it.”
A man named Jayce. That’s what’s gotten into me.
I hung up and sat on the bed, still wearing only a towel. I hated lying to my parents, but it was for their own good. This was something I had to take care of myself.
Another peal of thunder sounded outside, farther away this time. It went on and on, like rolling thunder, until I realized that’s not what it was.
I ran to the barn door and peered out into the darkness. Through the rain and trees I saw half a dozen headlights driving down the road. They slowed, then turned toward the barn. Pulling down the driveway.
The Copperheads, I thought.They’re here.
31
Charlotte
Terror gripped my chest as I watched the bikes turn, one by one, down the driveway toward me.
I slid the barn door closed. Instead of a traditional lock, there was a latch bar that fell into place, but after a moment I pulled it back up. Locking the door from the inside would just let them know someone was here.
Barriers wouldn’t save me, but stealth might.
I grabbed my damp clothes off the door and looked for a place to hide. The loft area above the bathroom seemed best, so I climbed the ladder with my clothes under one arm and then tossed them the rest of the way on top before peeking over the edge. The loft was filled with old boxes I could hide behind. I pulled myself the rest of the way onto the loft, but I was careless in my hurried state and knocked my bra off the edge. It landed on the ground, pink and damp and most certainly not belonging to Jayce.