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"Your Angel? What do you ure of speech, silly"

"And what about Garrick?" I wonder "Where does he come to play in all this?"

"Oh, he was there that night too," she says, staring across the restaurant at ain the reflection "Garrick and Asher both showed up when it happened Asher knocked Laden off me and then Garrick took h I have a guess"

"Asher wouldn’t kill someone…" I trail off I hardly know him Yes, we had sex, but it doesn’t mean I’ve discovered what lies in the darkest parts of his soul I shake my head "And besides, whoever made Laden disappear also made my dad disappear And Asher wasn’t even around when that happened"

"Maybe it was just one of those freakish coincidences? Or a copycat? And would it matter if Asher did kill Laden?" She focuses her attention on me "He had me pinned doith a knife toto kill me"

I stutter for words that don’t exist because nothing can make it better Thankfully, Todd drops down in our booth and interrupts h I can’t He pulls a cigarette out of his jacket pocket and pops it between his lips

"Okay, so what’d I arette and exhales "Anything good?"

Raven and I let out a loud breath "Nope," we both say

Todd ives ure out how much I want to tell her Soht red across our front door This happened a few times after my dad disappeared, only it was onlot of the school

I grab a can of paint ree "It’s like a God damn witch hunt," I say as I work to scrub it off In the end, half the paint comes off the door, but it’s better paint-less than labeled with hate

As soon as I make it to my rooht to his voicemail, so I text him

Me: We need 2 talk

Asher: Why? What’s wrong? Is this about last night… R U ok?

Me: I’m fine I just have so errands Can I talk to u tomorrow at the dance?

Me: Dance??? WTF

Asher: Yeah The town Halloween dance thingy I saw a flyer posted on the grocery store door I thought ether, like on a date a real one this tiot touess But can I oes bad, I’ll have my own ride ho about detective Craels and Grim Reapers

Asher: Sure… r u sure ur ok?

Me: Yep I just really need 2 talk to u about soht I think I’m ready for the answers And I have other questions 4 you

It takes him a second to text back

Asher: I know you do I’ll c u at the dance at 7 I’ll b the one dressed as the artist ;)

I start to put ain

Asher: And E I don’t want to lose you… I want every night to be like last night

I’e, but I knohatriled up just thinking about him Please, oh please, don’t let him be a serial killer I like him too much I toss the phone on my bed It’s the afternoon but I’et soh the house

Sighing, I stumble out of bed and hurry down the hall into her room Her bed is unmade and her waitress uniform is discarded on the floor The bathroom door is shut and the knob is covered with blood

I pad up to the door "Mom? Are you in there?"

She sobs frole the doorknob and jerk on the door "Moht now, but I am"

"No!" she screams "I don’t want you here You’re a killer! You’re a killer! You killed your grandainst the door "Mo the shit out ofhits the other side of the door and I hear the sound of glass shattering I run into rab my phone off the dresser, and call Ian on my way back to her bedroos Music blares in the background "Yo, yo, yo What up?" He’s drunk and it’s barely past lunch time

"You need to co another one of her meltdowns and she only wants to talk to you"

"What?" He suddenly sounds sober

"She locked herself in…" I trail off as I enter et here now And get someone sober to drive you"

"Okay," he says, frazzled "I’ll be there in ten"