Page 39 of Dread’s Beloved

“Not that good.”

“He’d need to access her phone. Do you share your location with anyone?” Joe looks to me.

I start to shake my head, but then I remember Zane and I had our locations on for each other, and I don’t remember ever deleting the app or revoking permissions. “Zane’s phone.”

“I don’t have it and I don’t know if the police took it as evidence or not. Sukie was supposed to pack the apartment up once it was cleared from being a crime scene.”

“You still got a secure line?” Dread questions.

“Yeah. In my den. It’s a private number. Just through here.” I follow Dread and Joe into another room filled with bookcases and pictures of his days as a police officer. Joe was handsome back in the day.

“Call Sukie. Ask her about the cell. Don’t tell her where we are or why you’re asking.”

He’s lucky I remember her number since he smashed my phone and I don’t normally need to know anyone’s number.

She answers on the third ring. “Hello.”

“Don’t say anything. Just listen and answer my question. Have you cleared the apartment yet?”

“No. There’s still crime scene tape blocking it off. Hold on, I will. Geez,” she mutters to someone else.

“Are you in bed with my brother? You totally are, aren’t you?”

“Babe,” Dread barks.

“What?”

“We don’t have time for you and Sukie to gab about boys, yeah?”

“Right. Sorry. Do you guys know if Caudill has Zane’s cell?”

Sukie relays my question to my brother, and he takes the phone from her. “What’s going on?”

“Dark would like to know what’s going on,” I tell Dread.

He takes the phone from me. “That fucker made us.” He pauses. “Yeah. Right. Fuck. Do it.”

I can’t hear anything that’s happening on the other end of the call. I notice Joe left to give us our privacy and decide I really like Joe. He seems sweet.

“Fucking knew it. How do you want to play this?” Another pause. “Right. Will do.” He hangs up the phone.

“What did he say?”

“Told us to watch the news and stay put.”

“The news?”

“Authorities say a man with ties to a local biker gang wanted for escaping from prison is responsible for the murder of a beloved member of the Wolfe Lake community.” The screen cuts to two images. A mug shot of Donavon Miller and that lady from the market. In his mugshot, he has long, graying hair and a matching beard, but I bet he’s cut his hair and shaved to throw people off.

“Donavon Miller was only reported missing yesterday morning. He was taken to a hospital for emergency surgery and a mix-up with paperwork and a stolen identity allowed him to escape undetected posing as the other patient they are calling simply John Doe at this time as not all family members have been made aware of his death. The John Doe was wrongly identified as the escapee. Officials reported his death to the prison and the jail. It is unclear if Donavon Miller killed the other man to cover up his escape and fake his own death. It was only when family members of the John Doe turned up looking for him that the errors were found out. It’s a really bizarre and heartbreaking story. And now a manhunt is underway. If you see Donavon Miller, do not approach him. Please call 911. He is considered armed and dangerous. This is ad developing story and we’ll have more on the six o’clock news program this evening. Stay tuned for more.”

“This is crazy.”

“That’s the feller who is after you?” Joe looks at me, and I nod. “Ugly bastard.”

He’s got that right.

Chapter Sixteen