“Good afternoon everyone,” he greeted, his tone neutral, professional. Very different from the man who broke into Santiago’s house. Actually, he seemed to be embodying Santiago right now, observing each of them. “Everything alright?”
His gaze stopped on Lauren, and he cocked his brow.
She squinted at him, trying to read what he was about. His gaze turned to Anderson Archer.
“Mayor Archer, League...I mean Sheriff Stillwater is investigating a crash not far from here and wanted me to find you and see if you’ve heard from your son, Andy?”
“Was he in the accident?” Veronica Archer asked, wrapping her arms around her narrow chest, trembling slightly.
Lauren wondered if the woman was having DTS. But it was the first time since coming to Shrouded Lake that Lauren witnessed genuine fear and concern from the other woman. The fact that she could’ve lost her own life and was now experiencingreal consequences for her reckless choices didn’t seem to affect her nearly as much.
“We’re trying to determine that ma’am.”
“He left the family home last night and we haven’t seen Andy since.”
“How was he before he left? Did he say where he was going?”
“He was being a pain in the ass, which isn’t anything?—”
“He was upset, Anderson! If you would go easier on him, he wouldn’t fight you so much.”
“Easier? He has the easiest life a person could have. I’ve given him that and what has he done with it?” He stood straighter and adjusted his tie. “What does the sheriff want with my son, Deputy?”
“Just to ask a few questions. The transport bus crashed on the way here and your son’s friend Tommy Lewellen seems to have fled the scene. Sheriff just wants us to check in with family, friends, and known associates.”
“Well, you’ve got your job cut out for you. The Lewellen family has lived in this town for generations. Come, Mother, we have other engagements. Ladies.”
He said the last word as if he didn’t believe that any of them actually were.
Lauren, her mother, and Lina watched the pair walk away, looked at each other, and burst out laughing.
“What’d I miss?” Sonny smiled confused.
“Nothing,” they said in unison and moved toward Lina’s car.
“Hey Lauren,” Sonny called out. She paused before getting in the back seat. “I did good just now right? Was professional and shit?”
She smiled. “You did so good I thought Santiago would leap out of your body at any minute.”
“Tell him that when you see him. Tell him how...comported I was.”
He thumped his fist against his chest twice and threw her a deuces sign before walking back to his cruiser and speeding off.
Twenty minutes later Lina dropped Lauren and Ma Mable at Lauren’s house and headed back to town without coming in.
Ma Mable frowned at Lina’s hazard lights as she sped off.
At the front door Lauren searched through her bag for her keys. Her heart was racing. Why was she agitated?
“It’s because the house and the lake are haunted,” she told her mother as she unlocked the door and walked in, disarming the alarm. “Lina sped off because she didn’t want to be invited in.”
But Lauren’s body wasn’t going haywire because of the ghosts; she was afraid of finding more animal parts inside her home.
“I’ve heard all about you buying a house of spirits,” Ma Mable said as she looked around. “This looks like you…but it doesn’t feel like you.”
“I’m not going to be here forever. I’ll probably rent it or sell it if I can find the right person. But baby girl has to give her stamp of approval. We can’t just have anybody living here. Not anymore.”
“So, you’re coming back home?”
