Page 136 of It Runs in the Family

Boone leaned into my ear, whispering so I could barely hear him. “Breathe, Iris. I swear you’ll be okay.”

My cousin was about to find me and ask a ton of questions I wasn’t ready to answer. That made it impossible to believe I was going to be okay.

But Boone had already moved to a window overlooking the backyard. He grabbed the handle at the bottom and tugged. It stuck at first, then slid up, making the barest hint of a noise.

My heart was beating so fast I was struggling to catch my breath.

Boone carefully removed the screen, then motioned for me to come closer.

When I stood next to him, he leaned into my ear and whispered, “As soon as you hit the ground, run to the back of the yard and go over the fence and to the street on the other side of that house.” He pointed to the blue, two-story house visible through the chain-link fence separating the two yards. “Don’t wait for me.”

I stared up at him in panic.

“I’ll be okay. I promise, but this way I’ll know you won’t get caught. Now go.” He scooped me up into his arms.

I squelched a yelp.

He swung my body so my legs were sticking out the window, and I was sitting on the ledge. “It’s a small drop, but you’ll be okay,” he whispered. “Now go.”

I jumped out, holding back a small shout when I landed on my feet, twisting my ankle. Boone watched me, motioning for me to go.

I ran for the back fence, my ankle screaming with every step. When I reached the fence, I no longer saw Boone in the window.

Had Garrett found him?

I considered going back to save him, but Boone had told me where to go. I could ignore his instructions, but I’d decided I trusted him to keep me safe, hadn’t I? For all I knew, this was part of Boone’s plan. If I went back, I could mess it up.

So, I hopped the fence, cringing at the noise as it rattled the support pole. I stood in front of the shed in the neighbor’s backyard, watching Deanna’s house, but there was no sign of Boone or Garrett. Then I realized I had to look suspicious as hell lurking in the neighbor’s backyard, wearing nitrile gloves. I stripped them off and stuffed them into my jeans pocket.

Where was Boone?

I felt like I was going to throw up. There was a very real possibly Garrett had found him. What kind of damage would it do if Boone’s cover was blown?

After several minutes and no sign of either man, I hobbled over to the front yard of the blue house. Boone hadn’t given me instructions on what to do next, but I couldn’t just stand in the street waiting for him to show up. Besides, I needed to figure out what was going on.

I limped down three houses and saw that there was a straight shot through the two yards to Boone’s truck. I headed over to it, trying to put as little weight on my ankle as possible. Thankfully, the homeowners didn’t poke their heads out and ask me what I was doing.

When I reached the edge of the house closest to Deanna’s, I peered around the porch and took in the view of the front yard. Garrett’s sheriff’s car was parked at the curb, but nothing was happening in the yard.

Where was Boone?

I crouched there for several more minutes, waiting for some kind of action—even more deputies to show up and haul Boone into the station, but there was nothing.

“Whatcha doin’ down there?” a woman asked from above me.

I looked up to see an older woman’s head sticking out a second-story window in the house next door.

“I’m waiting for my friend,” I said, trying to keep my voice down.

“Is that your friend’s truck?” she asked, tipping her head toward the street.

I wasn’t sure telling her the truth was the best idea but telling her a lie seemed just as risky. “Yeah.”

“Well, while you’re waitin’, come inside and get me out of this room,” she said.

“Are you locked in?” I asked.

“Something like that. Now hurry up. I’ve gotta pee like nobody’s business.”