Page 3 of Moon's Promise

His mocking laughter didn’t have the desired effect Vance wanted.

“If you hurt them, I’ll kill you.” Devon returned his threat with one of his own. “That’s a promise.”

“Oh … I’m so scared. Get your punk ass out of here.”

More mocking laughter followed him back to the car.

At home, he convinced his mother to accompany him to the police station. Luckily, they were assigned to a female officer who didn’t brush off their concern.

“You two go home. I’m going to send a couple officers to Mr. Laughlin’s place of work. Then I’m going to call the school and find out if Riley and Eric have been there before I’ll drive to the address you gave me of where they’ve been living.” Officer Campbell gave him a comforting smile. “I’ll also do what I can to find out their mother’s address and send officers to check on their welfare. I’m sure the children are fine,” she assured them.

Devon and his mother left. He dropped her off, then went to his part-time job at the grocery store. He was stocking canned corn when the manager told him his mother had called and it was important he called her back.

He dialed the number and held the receiver with a sweaty hand. Devon heard her crying on the other end the moment she answered.

“Mom?”

“Devon … it’s Riley and Eric … they’ve been found.”

Devon couldn’t understand the words coming from his mother because she was crying so hard.

Dropping the phone, he ran out of the manager’s office. His chest was heaving by the time he was able to get behind the wheel. He squealed out of the parking lot and was driving home when he changed his mind. Doing a U-turn in the middle of the road, he drove to the house his brother and sister had been living in.

He jerked to a stop when he came upon a police car blocking entry into the neighborhood, quickly got out of the car, and tried to run past the yellow tape, but a police officer caught his arm.

“Stay back. You can’t go this way. You’ll have to move your car.”

“My brother and sister live down there!” he yelled, trying to break away.

“Let him go.” The officer he had spoken with at the station got out of a car sitting at the curb.

The officer released him, and Devon walked over to Officer Campbell. “Where are Riley and Eric?” Looking away from policewoman’s grim visage, Devon glanced toward the house that had police cars sitting out front while officers came and went from the backyard.

“Devon, I’m going to call your mother and have her come here.”

He shook his head. “Don’t. She’s too upset to drive. Just tell me. If they’re hurt, I want to be with them,” he started to beg.

She stared at him sympathetically. “There isn’t anything you can do for them, Devon. There isn’t anything any of us can do for them anymore. I’m so sorry.”

Devon felt as if a switch had been flicked inside of him. A darkness encased him in such a deep coldness that he was surprised his body didn’t break into a thousand pieces when the policewoman laid a hand on his shoulder.

“I’ll have one of the officers drive you home.”

“Are they in the ambulance?”

Frowning at him, she stared where he was looking. “Yes, they are about to be taken to the coroner’s office.”

Devon stared at the ambulance containing his little brother and sister with deadly calm. “I want to ride with them.”

“I’m afraid that isn’t possible.”

He nodded. “I understand. I’ll follow behind them in my car, then.”

“Go home, Devon. There is nothing you can do.”

Without arguing, he got back in his car, moved it to face the other way then pulled up to the curb to wait. When the ambulance drove past, he pulled out to follow.

As they drove through town, he fixedly stared at the ambulance door and stopped a few feet from the vehicle when it arrived at a large building. Watching as the driver went into a garage until the automatic door closed behind them, he still felt eerily emotionless.

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