Page 38 of Heart of Mischief

She needed to start digging for information.Now.

“Oh,” she said, forcing a smile onto her face that she hoped her mom would see as real. “Right. I was just… too overwhelmed. With excitement, of course.”

Elias’s mouth twitched.

“But what a wonderful surprise!” Her mom clapped. “Come sit, darling. Let’s all have breakfast and catch up.”

“Actually,” said Charlie, glaring at Elias, “I should probably be going.”

“Going?” Her mom knitted her eyebrows in confusion. “Where? I thought today was your day off from the nursing home?”

“Nursing home?” Elias asked.

“Oh yes. Did Charlie not tell you? Abigail signed them all up to volunteer at a nursing home four mornings a week.” She shot Elias a conspiratorial grin. “It’s crazy, if you ask me. You couldn’t havepaidme to get up at five thirty in high school.”

“No kidding.” A grin crept up Elias’s face. “How amazing. Charlie and her friends really aresoselfless, aren’t they?”

Charlie wished she could sew her mother’s lips together.

“But no,” said Elias. “She’s not going to a nursing home this morning. Actually, we’ve been assigned to work on the same project this week. Alow-keyone, but we don’t want to waste any time getting started.” He winked. “Right, babe?”

Low-key.Loki. He had to be kidding.

“Oh, that’s wonderful,” said her mom. “Charlie’s grades have been slipping the last few weeks. I’m sure you’ll help get her right back on track.”

“Mom,” Charlie said, face heating.

“Oh, don’t worry, Trish.” Elias’s gleamed with mischief. “I’ll be sure to keep her on the straight and narrow.”

“Well,” Charlie said loudly. “We should probably get going. Don’t want to waste any time we could spend researching. Right,babe?”

“Quite right.” Elias set his coffee mug down and pushed himself up from the breakfast nook. “I’ll drive us to school.”

Oh, Hel no.The idea of being taken the-gods-only-knew-where in Elias’s car with no means of escape didnotsit well with Charlie.

“Oh, that’s okay,” she said quickly. “I can drive separately, in the Bronco.”

“Charlie.” Her mom eyed her daughter sternly, then pickedup her phone and pushed her reading glasses down onto her nose. She grabbed her coffee with her free hand and looked down at her phone, starting to scroll through notifications. “What did I say last night? There’s no need for you to drive if your boyfriend’s car is already here. Let Mason have a turn with the Bronco today.”

Charlie had to stop herself from groaning. If her mom knew what they were really up to, she’d be singing a very different tune indeed.

“Fine,” she said, glaring at Elias while her mother was distracted with her phone. “But I’m back on carpool duty tomorrow. Can’t subject Lou and Abigail to Mason’s driving forever, or—”

A sudden gasp and crash cut Charlie off midsentence. Her mom had dropped her coffee mug, shattering it and spilling hot, dark liquid all over the wooden floor. She didn’t seem to notice; her attention was entirely focused on her phone screen. She gaped at it with wide eyes.

“Mom?” Charlie rushed to her mother’s side as Elias whirled around, scanning the kitchen for signs of danger. “Are you okay? What is it?”

“It’s…” Her mom shook her head, trying to find the words. “I can’t…”

At last, she gave up, turning her phone to face Charlie and Elias. It was open to the front page of their local news station. The top headline:

TWO MORE CHILDREN FOUND DEAD IN SILVER SHORES HARBOR

13

“Charlotte,”Elias called after Charlieas she stormed out the front door and down the driveway. Henry toddled behind, squawking for her to wait up.

Charlie was making for the black convertible parked by the curb, the same one she’d seen Elias driving last month. It was old, a shiny Ford with the top down, revealing two rows of dark leather seats. A silver mustang galloped along the front grill. The whole scene looked like it belonged in 1960s California, not a small town in modern-day Michigan.