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Knox: Har har.

Me: No one is dead but there is some missing information. Thought maybe it would help get your mind off things?

Knox: Those are the only details I get?

Me: Yup.

My phone begins buzzing with his contact so fast that I cackle out loud. The moment I accept the call, I get a simple, “Hey.” His voice is accusatory, a little offended.

“Hi.” I smile.

“I can’t get any extra information?”

I tug at a curl falling out from my loose ponytail. “I feel like if I let out too much, you may not actually help me.”

“So we really are talking about dead bodies.”

“Not dead but…lost, maybe.”

How much can I share here to get him on board but not tell him the full story?

If Knox and I have disagreed on anything in our friendship, it’s always been the topic of my mom. We tiptoe around it as much as possible, and if I drop the bomb that I’m on a search for her long lost lover in hopes of finding her a reason to come back to town, I have a feeling he will not only refuse to help, but also attempt to nip the whole thing in the bud here and now.

“You are being suspiciously mysterious.”

“Well, it is a mystery.”

He’s quiet for a while except for the sound of his dresser drawers opening and closing. Unfolding sweats and zippers unzipping. My cheeks burn a little.

Eventually when he’s done dressing, he mumbles in my speaker, “Yeah, all right.”

“Yeah?”

“Mm-hmm. Might be fun. Like a…Halloween search.”

“Yes! We totally should be able to figure everything out by Halloween. That’s…”

“Four weeks and one day away.”

A giddy, explosive sensation settles in my stomach at the thought of getting this wrapped up in such a short time. I clap my hands and roll around the quilt on my bed. “So, first, I need you to ask Miller if he knows a girl his age by the nickname Cricket.”

“Doesn’t sound familiar, but I’ll ask him.”

“Perfect.”

“What do I do if he asks me why I’m wondering?”

“I don’t know, tell him it’s for a family tree thing.”

“Whose family tree?”

“Someone’s?” I yawn. “You’re a smart guy, figure it out.”

“It’s late, you should go to sleep.”

“Probably. Call me when you hear from Miller and we can go from th—”

“Go on a date with me.”