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“And shit. I’m sorry, Liv. What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know. I— Where is he?”
“Memorial Hospital.”
“Where was the accident?”
“Way south. More than an hour from his house.”
I say nothing, spending my energy keeping the contents of my stomach down.
“We both assume if this is outed, I’ll lose my job.”
“And?”
“And my boss’s beach house where I’ve been for a week is ninety minutes south of the field.”
“Would he say anything?”
“No.”
“You’re sure?” she presses.
“As sure as I can be.”
“Can you drive? Want me to stay on the phone with you for a bit?”
“Yes and yes, please.” I put the car in reverse and look at Kyle in the rearview. He takes the whole mirror. “Who’s a good boy?” I ask him.
“I’m assuming Layton Ranger was…”
“Oh yeah.”
“Are you going to tell me more?”
“Maybe. Eventually. For now, tell me about your week.”
“Well, it hasn’t been as eventful as yours,” she starts before launching into a captain’s log of Sabine life. It’s mundane and perfect for keeping my mind busy as I drive.
I do fine until I see the black burn marks on the interstate highway.
“Where did you say Layton’s accident was?” I interrupt.
She pulls up a news article and tells me. I feel the crushing weight of fear all around me.
My brain heard the words but didn’t get it. The charred concrete is evidence of a fire.
Fire!
I sanitize the image in my mind as she reads the article.
It can’t be. The difference in a matter of seconds would mean death. And Layton Ranger is too full of life to be gone.
* * *
Layton
It’s like waking from a dream but into a nightmare.
