My gut tightens.I step towards her before Kelly notices.
“Mrs.Stevens,” I say evenly.“Is Mike here?They’re about to start.”
She startles a little when I approach.
“Oh… oh gosh…” Her voice trembles.
This woman threatened my wife.She made gross accusations, and I feel no sympathy for her at all.
So I don’t say anything.I just wait for her to find her voice.
“I don’t even know how to say this,” Gladys murmurs, and wipes her hands on her pants in a nervous gesture.
I already don’t like where this is going.
“Look,” she continues quickly, eyes filling with tears, “I’m sorry for all the trouble.Truly.”
My patience is thinning.
“What happened, Mrs.Stevens?”
She swallows.
“Mike’s gone.”
My jaw hardens.
“Gone?”
“That girl,” she says helplessly.“Stormee.She called him last night.Said she’d had a change of heart.”
My hands curl into fists.
“He took his father’s car and ran off to meet her.”
She shakes her head miserably.
“I don’t even know where.”
“And he didn’t call?Didn’t leave a note at least for Evan?”I ask quietly.
Her expression crumples.
“No.”
Behind me, I hear footsteps.
Kelly.She’s seen us talking.
Her eyes widen immediately.She tries to angle herself in front of Evan like she can shield him from whatever’s happening.
But it’s too late.The boy notices his grandmother.
“Grams!”
Evan jogs toward us, baseball cap crooked on his head, excitement still written across his face.
“Where’s Dad?”he asks eagerly.“We’re gonna play today.”
