“W-what?Why?”
I groan.Why did I open my mouth?
His body tenses.“He ate all my fucking brownies, and when I got payback, I ended up breaking the urn that housed my wife’s favourite cat’s ashes.She didn’t know then that I had already scattered the rat all over my granddad’s garden and replaced it with barbeque ash.That cat tried to fucking kill me every chance it got when it was alive.No fucking way was its ashes going to sit on our mantelpiece.I’ve watchedPet Sematary.Fuck that shit,” he growls, then shakes his head, clearing his thoughts.“She didn’t speak to me for a week after that.She loved the rat.It broke her heart when it died, so much so I nearly got her another to replace it.Nearly.Anyway, it was all Myles’ fault, so I got payback by breaking in and planting something in his bedroom.”
I have no words.None whatsoever.What do you say to something like that?
So instead, I mutter an, “I’m sorry.”
He shudders.“It’s okay.It was a long time ago.”
“Um, what are you doing in the car?”Makayla asks.“You don’t know us.”
“I’m bored.I hate the school holidays.There’s nothing to do.”
“You go to school?”Malia asks, seeming more relaxed since Makayla told her everyone is outside.
“I’m a teacher.”
My eyes bug out of my head.“They allow you around kids?”I slap my hand over my mouth, wishing I could shut the fuck up.
It’s the explosion.
Has to be.
He grins, puffing out his chest.“I’m the only teacher who can get those brats to listen.”
I lean back in the seat, closing my eyes.“This day is so weird.”
I open them back up when I hear shuffling in the front.Makayla turns in her seat, glancing at Max.“It still doesn’t answer our question.Why are you here?In this car?”
He sighs like we’re giving him the third degree.“Does it matter?”
“It will if you’ve only come to raid our food,” Malia warns, glancing at him through the rear-view mirror.
His stomach grumbles on cue.“Well, it wasn’t on my mind until you brought up food,” he growls, annoyed.“Why the fuck did you have to bring up food?”
“If the house is safe, maybe we can order everyone pizza,” I suggest as we pull onto the lane leading up to the house.
A hungry Carter is a dangerous Carter.
“How will we know if the house is safe?”Makayla asks, biting her lip when she glances at Malia.“We all know how to build a bomb, but let’s be honest, none of us have a clue how to locate one.”
Max snorts.“We’ll find it.”
“Don’t be so sure.It was only the other day that we realised the unit in the kitchen is a cover-up for the cellar door,” Malia admits.
“Still weird that it’s covered up,” Makayla admits, then shudders.
“Anything in it?”Max asks, as the car comes to a stop.
Malia grins as she turns around to face him.“A gold tin.Magnolia won’t let us open it.It was just sitting in the middle of the brick floor, rusty and old.But it’s been glued shut.”
Max pales when they leave the car in a hurry.He grabs my arm before I can reach for the handle.“Please tell me there weren’t crosses on the inside of the door or in the cellar.”
“No.But it smelled like death down there,” I tease him, stepping out.
“Oh my god, what happened to you?”Mercedes cries, running over to me.
