Page 36 of Into the Night

The officer follows me to my vehicle and leans his arm on top of the door, stopping me from closing it.

“Appreciate you coming out,” is all the officer says, holding his hand out to shake mine. He must see the beast shining in my eyes, but he doesn’t comment or react, he just returns to his spot guarding the door and slowly lifts the radio to his mouth.

I've got a pretty good idea who he’s calling about.

Before anyone decides to bring me in and ask me some more questions, I need to get out of here. Because I have one theory about what happened to Kali, and I’m not going to waste any more time before checking it out.

“Let’s go pay Jed a visit. Make sure he doesn’t have anything to do with what’s going on.”

A week ago, I would have said talking to myself was the first sign of madness, but I’m well beyond that now. A little bit of eccentricity is the least of my problems.

As I pass the sign for Sutton on my way out of town, I rub Kali’s blanket all over my body and breathe in her delicious scent. I’m embracing the craziness that my life has become. I don’t care anymore.

All I want is her back, and I’ll do anything to find her.

21

GRIFFIN

Driving into Zora, I frown, feeling the dreary desolation of the town without even leaving my vehicle. John described Sutton as a one-horse town when he was convincing me to move up here. I’m not sure what this place is… half a donkey, maybe?

There’s one short strip with the main attraction being a run-down diner that seems to be open for business, despite the broken windows being boarded up. On one side is a bar that should have been condemned years ago, and on the other, a grocery store with paint peeling off the blue sign over the door.

Outside the bar, two men are smoking, their harsh laughter breaking the eerie silence. Their clothes are scruffy, and both have their hoods up with just the tip of their cigarettes glowing in the gathering gloom.

It’s dusk already, and the sky is painted with stripes of orange, casting a strange light over the deserted street. As they turn to watch me drive by, falling silent and waiting till I pass to resume their conversation, I get the feeling Zora’s not a pleasant place to be after dark.

Pulling in outside the diner, I glance up and down the road, already wanting to get the hell out of here as quickly as I can. The only good thing about this place is it’s quiet, and I’d be willing to bet everyone knows everyone.

A woman as beautiful as Kali couldn’t fly under the radar here. And a prick like Jed would be known to all.

Staring back at the bar, there are now four men standing outside, all glaring suspiciously in my direction. They remind me of the man I’m looking for. They carry the same bang of stale sweat and alcohol and have too much time on their hands, with nothing better to do than cause trouble.

I grit my teeth.

These aren’t the kind of guys I’d want anywhere near Kali.

Straightening my shoulders, I ignore them as I pass, but prepare for another frosty welcome as I enter the small restaurant.

Every head in the room turns my way as I duck inside. My size draws attention at the best of times, but in a place where outsiders are infrequent and very clearly unwelcome, I stand out even more.

Making a show of taking an exaggerated sniff, a middle-aged man seated near the door sneers at me. “We’re closed.” He snarls, nodding toward the door I just came through. “Leave.”

A grey-haired woman with a sour expression leans one arm over the till and points to the door. Her red apron, with the name Joy embroidered on it in yellow, is filthy, and her fingers are stained with tobacco. She’s the least joyful-looking person I’ve ever seen.

Glancing around the room, I take in three tables enjoying half-eaten meals. Enjoying it might be a stretch. There’s nothing appetising about the food in front of them, and the smell of reused fryer fat hangs in the air, assaulting my senses. Fighting the urge to wrinkle my nose, I can feel the cloying smell of grease clinging to my clothing.

“I’m not staying, I’m just looking for someone.” I’m keen to avoid any trouble here if I can.

Joy tilts her head and fixes me with unnervingly pale eyes.

“Don’t know them,” she says, a mean smirk on her face. Her surly attitude rubs me the wrong way, and I can feel the fire starting to flow in my veins. “Like he said, I think you should leave. Now.”

Fuck this.

“You don’t know Jed?”

Their weighty silence tells me that just as I suspected, everyone in town knows Jed. You only get the balls to turn up at someone’s home, unannounced and unwelcome, when you’ve lived your entire life mistakenly thinking you’re someone important.

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