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“Huh,” Will said, intrigued. “What kind of trees?”

Becky nodded out the front window, toward Mercale. “The big ass cypress trees that used to be there. Turns out those things are like hundreds of years old. Protected too. I checked, and there’s no paperwork with the city or the state allowing them to cut down trees like they did. I’m betting the department of environmental protection would like to know about that.”

“You think it’ll do anything?”

Becky shrugged. “It ain’t gonna stop them from whatever they’re doing right now, but I reckon we should try every way we can. Something’s sure to work eventually.”

“Yeah, good idea. Smart.”

“Don’t say that like it’s so surprising,” Becky said, but it came with a smile.

“Sorry–I didn’t–” Will started to fumble an apology.

But Becky was already waving him off. “I know, chill. I’m just teasing you. I know what I look like. What I seem like. Part of that is by design, you know?”

Will hadn’t known. Had never looked past the shiny exterior she presented.

“But yeah. Anyway. The DEP is gonna test Uncle Jimmy’s farm. Results won’t come back for weeks though, so the proof might be for fuck all by then.”

It would be too late for Itori, but it would still matter to the farmers, to the other people living here.

“I hate this,” Will said, looking out the window.

“Me too,” Becky said. “I wish…” Her voice drifted down to almost a whisper.

Automatically, Will felt himself leaning in for her confidence.

“I wish someone would do something,” Becky said. “Whoever vandalized them before–I mean. It’s not like they’d have to do much. We just need more time, you know? A little sugar in the gas tank of those machines, and…”

Their eyes met. Was she really suggesting…?

Becky mimed an explosion with her hands.

She was suggesting.

“It wouldn’t take much,” Will hedged. He was surprised. He hadn’t taken Becky for the violent type.

Then again, he hadn’t thought of her as a surfer or researcher either.

The edges of Becky’s mouth tipped up. “You know, if someone did do something to stop them, I’m sure we’d all be grateful. I’m sure we’d all say we didn’t know who it was, and we didn’t see a damn thing.”

The back of Will’s neck prickled. Becky was staring at him like she knew something.

“I mean, I’ve certainly never seen anyone skulking around back there while I was taking out the trash.”

Will froze. Small towns were full of eyes. He’d almost forgotten.

His mouth moved silently, trying to come up with anything to justify his presence near Mercale at night. It wasn’t like he could tell her about Itori.

But then Mrs. Whitaker stepped up to the register with a basket full of groceries, and the moment ended. Becky snapped her gum and turned toward the woman, as if nothing had ever happened.

Will did the rest of his shift with his head down, fear vibrating just under his skin. It didn’t seem like Becky was going to tell anyone she’d seen him near Mercale, but he also couldn’t quite trust her.

###

In an effort to be more careful going forward, Will waited until well past midnight to sneak out to the construction site. Instead of leaving his shoes on the road, he tucked them into some underbrush and then waded down to the tree.

Itori was already there, seated against it. His head was tilted back as he stared up at the stars. There were no clouds tonight, and the entire starfield glittered above them.