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The shrill ring of the phone nearlythe sound into the hall, I snatched up the receiver "Hello?"

Static came over the line, so loud I pulled the phone away froain

"Junkyard"

Screeech!

"Edge of town"

More static

"Edsel behind a blue school bus"

I could barely understand the words I couldn’t recognize the voice

"What?"

Snap

"Research"

Crackle

"Serum"

"Edward?" I asked

Pop

The line went dead

I hung up and considered what I’d heard Edward hadn’t called in, perhaps because he was back In the junkyard Waiting for et my research

But what if that hadn’t been Edward?

Shaking ot dressed, checked rabbed my shoes

Outside Nic’s door, I paused and listened I could hear hi, slow and steady Asleep

Good I wasn’t going to take him with me Not this time

I had to retrieve my research and create e I’d kill I wouldn’t be able to stop ed north on Midtown Road When the buildings ended, there was a junkyard No fence encircled the area If anyone wanted to drag away a wreck, h the day drea of Billy, and the cool caress of the hts froer With that thought driving le of metal

For a tiny town, they had a lot of old cars It took me ten minutes to locate a blue bus Behind the vehicle, half-covered by the low-hanging branches of a very old tree, sat an Edsel Or at least that hat the nameplate said I’d never seen one before

There was a bite to the night, a chill in the air I could have sworn a ghostly howl rose toward the stars, but when I turnedbut motor oil

Edas nowhere to be found

Unease trickled over me The darkness pressed down; a sudden silence seemed to pulse with secrets and questions My shoulders twitched as if I had a neon bull’s-eye painted on my back

walked around the Edsel Where would I hide research, if I was the one doing the hiding?

I went through the car, the trunk, the glove co there but leaves, so I crawled underneath, checked the carriage, the tires, the ground, but there was no sign of any recent disturbance