Page 209 of Good Boys Don’t Bite

Vance looked at Elliot.

“You run in the mornings?”

“Sometimes.”

Ronan laughed. Elliot’s jaw tightened. Vance noticed.

“How often?”

“I don’t know.”

“Did you have your phone?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“I forgot it.”

Ronan looked away. Vance asked, “Where did you run?”

“Residential streets.”

“Which?”

“Maple. Alder. Near the elementary school.”

Ronan knew the answer before Elliot gave it. Exactly the same as last time. Prepared. Maybe because it was true. Maybe because Elliot had memorized the lie. Ronan hated that he now thought like that. Vance wrote something.

“Anything else?”

Ronan said nothing. Elliot looked at him. Warning. Fear. Pleading. All of it. Ronan swallowed.

“No.”

Vance watched him. He could tell she didn’t believe that was the complete answer. Too bad. Not everything belonged to her.

“Fine,” she said.

She pulled out her phone.

“I need to get to Saint Augustine’s.”

Ronan moved toward the door. She blocked him.

“Not you.”

“You’re not stopping me from leaving my own house.”

“No. But if you enter the park perimeter, you will be removed.”

“I understand.”

“You clearly don’t.”

Elliot touched his arm again. This time gently.

“Don’t go.”