Page 36 of Heart of Mischief

Charlie looked back at their mom. “The car,” she said quickly, thinking of their most common fight. “Mason thinks I’ve been monopolizing it, but—”

“Youhavebeen monopolizing it,” Mason jumped in, and although she knew he was just going along with her story, there was a littletoomuch authenticity in his voice. “If it weren’t for our tr—” He cut himself off. “Our mornings at the nursing home, I would never even see the inside of that car. You’ve driven your friends to school in it every day since you got your license, whileIwas forced to ask the guys to pick me up.”

Narrowing her eyes, Charlie turned to her brother.Definitelytoo authentic for her liking. “An arrangement thatyousuggested,” she reminded. “You said, and I quote, ‘What could be worse for my rep than showing up to senior year in a car full of girls?’”

“Yeah, well.” Mason uncrossed his arms. “I meant it. But that doesn’t mean you get free rein over the car twenty-four seven. I have places to go, too, you know.”

“Oh, really? Where? To one of your two hundred ex-girlfriends’ houses to pick up one of the two hundred identical black hoodies you leave behind? That’s your signature move, isn’t it?Oops. Silly me, so forgetful. Thanks, Rebecca, and while we’re at it, we might as well just take our shirts off and fool around a bit, don’t you think?”

“I don’t sound like that,” Mason snapped. “And I haven’t been toanygirl’s house lately. You would know that if you weren’t living so damn far up your own—”

“Enough!”

The yell sliced through their argument. Charlie and Mason jumped, and Charlie whirled around to look at their mother. Herhands were clenched at her sides, face red in a way Charlie hadn’t seen in years. It was the red of peak fury, a red that appeared only when her children were at their most incorrigible, like when Mason put fake centipedes in his kindergarten teacher’s desk or when Charlie and Lou got detention for leading the entire second grade in “guess the dirty hand gesture” out on the school lawn. Since Sophie’s funeral, Charlie couldn’t recall seeing it even once.

“What thehellis going on with you two?” her mom asked. Charlie and Mason flinched at the appearance of a rare curse word. “Look. I don’t know what this fight is really about, but I can tell it’s about more than the car. You’ve both been acting completely bizarre lately. And then I get calls from Mason’s coach about his behavior in practice, and from teachers about Charlie skipping class, and—”

“Wait,” Charlie said. “What? They called you?”

Their mom threw up her hands. “Of course they did! I’m your mother! And while I’ve always respected your privacy, there’s a limit to everything. Especially when you’re putting yourselves in harm’s way.”

“Who says we’re putting ourselves in harm’s way?” Mason asked.

Placing her hands on her hips, their mom looked between them. “You really think I don’t know what’s going on here?”

Alarm bells sounded in Charlie’s mind. She and Mason glanced at each other, a message passing between them:What does she know?

“I remember what happened with the disappearances last month,” their mom said. “You two became so secretive and spent so much time away from the house. I know you were going into that forest. Sheriff Carpenter told me he saw you there at least once. And now, with the Morris kids last night…”

“Oh,” Charlie said. “Oh.You think we’re investigating their murder?”

“I don’t think so. Iknowso.”

“Mom.” Mason exhaled. “We aren’t trying to figure out whomurdered the Morris kids. Okay? We don’t have nearly enough time on our hands.”

Their mom looked at him disbelievingly.

“I promise,” Mason said.

Finally, their mom seemed to give in. Her face relaxed, her shoulders slumping. “Fine,” she said, tiredness seeping into her voice. “You better keep it that way. And Charlie?”

Charlie held her breath.

“Share the car with your brother, okay?”

Charlie could almost cry with relief. Their mom knew nothing about Asgard.Nothing. She was still safe.

With one last weary look, their mom stepped out into the hallway, shutting the door behind her. Charlie and Mason stood silently in place, listening to her footsteps pad away and back down to the first floor.

As soon as they heard her enter the kitchen, Charlie looked at her brother. “You lied.”

“I didn’t,” he said, still staring at his door. “Wearen’ttrying to figure out who killed Maddie and Milo. We already know who did it.”

Charlie snorted. “That’s a pretty thin difference.”

“Get out of my room.”

“Excuse me?”