“Because something terrible happened, and we’re all sick over it. It’s perfectly normal to feel the way you do.”
“I’ve never felt this bad in my life. I only met Luna twice, but she seemed like a nice girl, and she was so pretty.”
“It’s really important that you understand none of this was your fault. Brecken and his father set up this entire thing. They used you and Tomas to get to her.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know, honey, but the story will come out. It always does.” Tracy hated that her little boy would be forced to grow up far sooner than he should’ve had to. That was another thing to blame on Mike and his shit judgment. “The most important thing to remember is you were a victim of this crime, too, but because of your quick thinking, you and Tomas survived. And I’m so proud of you for keeping your wits about you and getting yourself and your friend out of there.”
“I wish I could’ve saved Luna, too.”
“I know, buddy, but you did what you could, and by coming home, you saved me and Dad and Brooke and Abby, too.”
“Will you stay here with me for a while?”
“Of course.” Tracy snuggled up and put her arm around him. “I’ll stay for as long as you want me to.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Neveah had told Sam she could handle the mission to pick up the cell phones in Spokane, Washington, but truth be told, she was scared out of her mind to get on an airplane and jet through the night sky to the other side of the country.
By herself.
As she waited in line at security, she hoped she’d done everything right after viewing several YouTube videos on the rules of what was allowed and what wasn’t. While she waited, she watched what the people ahead of her did when they got to the front of the line and took mental notes so she could move quickly and not irritate the travelers behind her.
Getting through security with nothing confiscated counted as her first victory.
Finding the gate, buying food for the flight and being where she needed to be when they started boarding the plane counted as her second victory.
She texted Sam. Getting on the plane. Will text when I land in Spokane.
Safe travels, Sam replied a few minutes later.
Neveah knew that was something people said when someone was traveling, but it made her nervous to think about what an unsafe flight would be like.
Her phone rang with a call from her dad. “Hey,” she said. “Did you get my message?”
“I did. You’re really flying to Spokane tonight?”
“I really am.”
“What’s there?”
“The cell phones of our murder victim’s wife and her sister. My job is to bring them back for analysis.”
“Do they know you’ve never flown before?”
“I told Sam that, and she offered me an out, but I didn’t take it.”
“I’ll never get over you working with the first lady or calling her Sam.”
“That’s her name, and if I called her anything else, she’d be pissed.”
“So you say, but still… Are you scared?”
“Terrified!”
“Aw, it’ll be fine. Find someone to talk to, and the flight will go by in a blink.”
