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“Fine.”
Cody checked his display and saw it was Jugs. Dammit. Just as he was about to accept the call, it ended. Before he could return it to his pocket, the phone buzzed again and Jugs’s name displayed on the screen. Cody held up a hand to head off Lucia’s outburst, then turned for the door, hitting the accept button as he stepped into the hallway.
“Hey, Jugs, now’s not a good time.”
“Dude, where are you? I need to talk to you now.”
“I’m with my grandma. Something’s happened and we’re trying to straighten it out, why? What’s wrong?”
“Is Demetrius with you?”
“No, Demmy was at home when I left.” A cold spot opened in the center of Cody’s chest and his scalp tingled. “Why? What’s wrong?”
“You were acting weird when I saw you at the Hollow Leg with Demetrius a little while ago,” Jugs said. “And when I was leaving a few minutes ago, I saw you driving like a bat out of hell past the bar. What’s going on?”
“Dude, I wasn’t at the Hollow Leg. I went to Harriettville.”
“Wait, what?” Jugs sounded confused. “But I saw you there. I talked with you. You were singing to me and Demetrius both, and then you left with Demetrius because he was kind of drunk.”
“What?” Cody’s voice was loud enough to attract the attention of a couple of residents who were shuffling down the hall, leaning heavily on walkers, and they stopped to look back at him. Lucia stepped out of the room, hands resting on her gun belt, her forehead creased. Cody met her gaze as he said into the phone, “Jugs, I wasn’t at the Hollow Leg today at all, I swear. Whoever you saw there with Demmy wasn’t me.”
“What the fuck is going on?” Jugs said.
“What?” Lucia said.
“Where are you?” Cody said into the phone.
“I’m on Main Street in Parson’s Hollow.”
“Come out to Parson’s Pines.”
“Yeah, okay. I’ll be there soon.”
Cody disconnected the call then tried Demmy. The phone rang a few times then went to voicemail. He swore and disconnected.
“What’s going on?” Lucia said.
“Jugs said he saw me with Demmy out at the Hollow Leg a little while ago, and then Demmy and I left together. But I haven’t been to the Hollow Leg in a couple of days.”
“Jugs said he spoke with you?”
“That’s what he said. And he said I sang to both of them before I left with Demmy. Jugs said Demmy was a little drunk, and I took him out of there.”
“What the hell?” She looked into his grandmother’s room, then back at him. “Any idea where you were supposed to be taking him?”
Cody shook his head and tried Demmy’s phone, but it went to voicemail again. After he’d disconnected, the phone buzzed in his hand. His excitement died quickly, however, when he saw Ollie’s name on the screen.
“It’s just Ollie,” he said.
“Answer it,” Lucia said. “He could have some information.”
Cody accepted the call. “Hey, Ollie.”
“Hey there. I’ve been trying Demetrius but he’s not answering. Is he with you?”
“Some people think so,” Cody said, watching as Lucia turned to go back into the room.
“What’s that mean?” Ollie asked. Cody could perfectly imagine his questioning expression: eyes squinted behind his glasses, nose wrinkled, eyebrows drawn down.
