Page 78 of Love Takes Home

“So, Keith and this woman, who may or may not be his sister, were dealing drugs all the way back then? And he’s never been caught. How is that possible?” Davis asks, more to himself than any of us. “And now we think he’s involved somehow with this mystery woman and the drugs going around in the schools?”

“I would say after today, there’s little doubt. We still don’t know what his part is, though, and that’s the issue. Is he a small fry or a big fry?”

“And is he crinkle or steak cut?” Lucas asks, his baby smirk in place. When I roll my eyes his way, he shrugs. “What? I’m hungry!”

“I’ll go order something,” Lottie announces, standing up from the table. “I’ll check on the kids, too. I feel like they’ve been too quiet.”

No one points out that we all ate less than an hour ago. It’s like we’re on auto-pilot.

“What does everyone at ANON think?” Ranger asks. I shoot him a look. “What? You know y'all have been looking into everything.”

“We’re still trying to figure out how. And who does what. We know Kara or Karina or whatever is involved, but it’s like she’s always one step ahead and she disappears on us.”

“I’ve been thinking about that, and something Ginny said is scratching my brain.”

“Please share with the group.”

“Fucker.” He smiles at me. “I was getting to it. You know when I’d follow them, I’d wear the disguises?”

“The horrible pornstache and nerd glasses? Yeah, I remember.”

“Well, I’d wear a fake nose sometimes, too. What if she’s doing the same thing?”

“But why, if she’s got this identity that’s fresh and clean?”

“She’s hiding in plain sight. Every time we see her, she’s plain. Nothing stands out, nothing has color. Her hair is generic—”

“Like a wig.”

He nods.

“Her face is boring for lack of a better word. Her clothes? Beige. She’s hiding who she really is under the façade of this regular, everyday Jane.”

I pick up my phone and text Nate and Daniel. Give them something to run with.

“While they are working on that, what are we going to do about Lucas?” Trish asks, putting her arm around the kid. “He obviously can’t go to school.”

“You can’t just pull him either,” Ginny tells her. “I think Lucas has come down with the flu. He would have to miss at least the rest of this week. And next week is fall break, so there’re no classes.”

“But I can’t go back there, Aunt Ginny. I can’t be sick for the next six months.”

“No, I agree, but this will buy you a little bit of time. Hopefully enough time for Joker and Davis to figure out what’s going on.”

“What about baseball?” Davis asks.

“Fuck baseball!” Lucas explodes. “I don’t want to play for an asshole like that. And those kids certainly aren’t my teammates. I thought they were going to kill me today!”

“Language,” Trish quietly admonishes him.

He looks at me before Trish. His eyes are red and shiny, like he’s trying to keep his emotions in check. “Sorry. I’m just so angry. He’s taking one thing that I love and destroying it. Just like he did with you, Aunt Ginny.”

I’m about to correct him, when Ginny shoots me a look that terrifies even me.

“Oh, sweetheart.” She pulls him out of Trish’s arms and into hers. “He didn’t destroy me. He just wasted a couple of years of my life. But I’m still here. And I’m okay. And you know what else? I’m stronger than ever. He didn’t destroy shit.”

“You promise?” Lucas asks, his voice breaking. This is the kid I met. A little angry, a lot emotional. And not quite able to express either.

“I promise. There isn’t anything that fucker can do to me now to destroy me.” She smiles at him.

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