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Sammy nods, and Daze gives him a quick embrace before standing back up. Witnessing the tender moment between father and son feels wrong. I barely regain my balance before he’s already at the front door, wrenching it open. Something makes him look down at his bare chest, and he snatches a gray hoodie from a hook along the wall before storming into the hallway.
“He’s allergic to tomatoes. Bedtime is ten, but I’ll be back before then.”
“Wait!” I race after him, but I don’t even catch him descending the steps—he’s so fast.
“Four hours,” I hear him shout.
And then he’s gone.
NINE
I should callthe police to report child abandonment. When I finally locate my cell phone, I dial Colton instead, even though he’s the last person I want to talk to right now. He’s a safer bet than Father, and he’ll know what’s going on with Salvation.
“Frances?” At the sound of his voice, a wave of guilt and dread descend at full force. “We’ve been so worried about you! Where have you been—”
“I’m okay,” I rasp.
“You don’t sound okay,” he counters.
He’s right. My breathing hitches, my voice broken. “I just needed… A break. Fresh air. I’m fine. What’s going on there?”
He says something else I don’t catch.
“Frances? Did you hear me?”
“Huh?”
“Your father’s been looking all over for you. Tell me where you are, and we can be there in no time—”
“I’m… Okay,” I insist.Not them, Daze warned. “I just need to be alone for a little while, but I’m safe. I promise I’ll check in when I’m ready.”
“You heard about the accident, then,” Colton surmises. “Is that why you finally called?”
“Yes.” I suck in a breath. “What happened?”
“Don’t worry, it looks like nothing serious. They think it was a gas leak or something. There was damage to the main building, but thank heavens the work schedule was changed at the last minute. No one was hurt, praise be. It should take only a few days to clean up.”
No one was hurt. But the feeling settling in my stomach isn’t entirely relief. A last-minute schedule change? I don’t remember hearing about it, meaning I would have been there this morning if I hadn’t gone to the bridge. A coincidence?
Or fate. I went looking for death when it was already awaiting me.
“You take some time for yourself,” Colton says. “I’ll help manage your father. I know it’s been hard on you since…”
“Colton, I… Thank you.”
I hang up, feeling tears break loose. My cheeks overheat with a mixture of shame and frustration. It’s like I can feel Hale’s disapproval from wherever he may be. I’m disappointing him. Again.
He was murdered.
But how? I saw Hale’s body for myself and came to the obvious conclusion. He overdosed. Who could possibly want to hurt him?
Daze could have been lying. But…he had that look in his eye. I can’t ignore it. Frustration builds, and I take a page from Daze’s book and blurt a word foreign to my vocabulary.
“Fuck!”
“Auntie Lyra says I’m supposed to tell her when Daddy says bad words,” a small, disapproving voice cuts in.
Alarmed, I turn to find Sammy standing near the battered couch. A plain cell phone looks massive, held between both of his tiny hands. Despite his warning, his eyes remain on the screen, transfixed by the video playing. “But you aren’t Daddy. So maybe I don’t have to tell her this once,” he insists, flicking his gaze up to mine.
