Page 122 of Buried Too Deep

Cora could only nod. She was numb.

Minnie had cared about Cora. And it had gotten her killed. Who would be next? Who should she warn?

Who can I trust?

For now, only Burke’s people. And Joy and her brood. And Tandy, of course.

And Patrick? Was Tandy’s father still trustworthy?

I don’t know. I don’t know anything anymore.

Cora had thought that seeing her father’s grave would be the worst thing to happen to her today.

I’m sorry, Minnie. I’m so sorry.

Merrydale, Louisiana

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 4:00 P.M.

Merrydale Welcomes You.

Sage hoped so. Or at least he hoped that Merrydale would be generous with the answers to his questions.

The suburb north of Baton Rouge was full of nice, well-kept houses, but Sage was really interested in the high school. He hoped he’d gotten this right.

He was here in disguise. His personal cell phone was next to him in a Faraday bag, unreachable and untrackable. He was using his burner for all internet searches and GPS directions.

He checked the mirror on his car’s visor to make sure that the dark wig was on securely. The heavy, dark eyeglass frames obscured a fair portion of his face. He didn’t look like himself, which was the goal.

He slowed as he passed the high school, studying the sign on the side proclaiming the school’s name.

Yes. He’d gotten it right.

Putting on his blinker, he turned into the parking lot, just to make sure. He pulled out his phone and found the photo he’d taken of the graduating girl his grandfather had hidden in his safe. He zoomed in on the lettering over the girl’s right shoulder. Only the lower half of the school’s name was visible, but the girl’s cap and gown were in the school colors, so that had helped his search.

The photo was several years old, based on the graduation-year charm dangling from her cap’s tassel. He at least knew she’d graduated in a year that started with 201. He couldn’t see the final number.

It was a decent place to start.

The letters in the photo lined up perfectly with the letters on the school—Merrydale High School. He was in the right place, at least.

He didn’t yet know the name of the girl, but hopefully he soon would.

He’d googled the public library’s location on his burner phone. He had no idea what he was walking into in this little town, so he wasn’t going to leave a tech trail. The library was less than two blocks from the high school.

It closed soon. He hoped he’d find what he was looking for easily. Otherwise, he’d have to come back later and he wasn’t sure he had time for that.

It felt like time was running out.

His grandfather’s behavior today had been weird. Alan had texted him to hurry to meet him, said that he needed him. But the old man hadn’t said more than ten words the whole two hours Sage had sat in his office—mainly hello and goodbye. There hadn’t been much more than that.

However there had been several times when Alan had looked like he’d wanted to say something. To command something.

It had put Sage on edge. He’d gotten out of there as quickly as he’d been able to and got the distinct impression that Alan had been all too happy to see him go.

Weird. That Alan’s behavior was so upside-down was not a good sign.

It gave urgency to his mission. Sage wanted to find out who the girl was and what she had to do with Cora Winslow. He wanted to know why the combination to Alan’s safe had been one day earlier than the day Jack Elliot had been buried in concrete.

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