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“I’s worked out for you, Mac I really aled to keep his voice steady “But I aes with my sister I don’t know her and I don’t want to know her There’s no point in it”

“Well, that’s too bad because she’s a heck of a person” Mac turned to leave “I’ll come by and see you tomorrow”

“There’s no point, Mac I’ rid of this house Even if I have to tear it doith my own hands”

Mac laughed “Well, it’s a good thing you started with the roof It needs a new one”

The closing door sounded loud as it shut behind Mac Jesse watched as Mac appeared from the side of the house and climbed into the truck He drove off with a honk of his horn as though they were a nor and Amanda lifted her arm out thein farewell

Such sihed Jesse down He had to get out of here fast Otherwise affection and caring would lock him in the prison of this town

“HE DOESN’T SEEM DIFFERENT than he did three years ago Is he? I mean, he just looks skinnier,” A in the brokenThree years ago at Eva’s funeral, he’d looked mean He didn’t look like a cold-blooded killer now Not that she knehat that kind of person looked like, but still, it was hard to i his best friend, the way the whole toas saying he had

She tilted her head to stare at his shrinking figure in the rearviewshe and her dad had found by the highway last year Cold, angry and flea-bitten

She smiled at the idea

Gotta write that one down

The article she was trying to write on Uncle Jesse for her English assign her sit in the car like a baby Her teacher had already warned her twice that the project orth thirty percent of her final grade

When she brought ho to be all Dad’s fault

They turned toward Main Street, ht Ahost A skinny, lopsided ghost

“Whoa, Dad Are you okay?”

He nodded He wiped a hand over his face and sat back against the truck seats with a shaky sigh

“Tell you the truth, Auy was” He shook his head