Page 13 of The Grave Robber

The first few minutes of the drive were utterly silent. Ididn’t want to distract her, which was a great excuse to keep my mouth shut. Ihad no idea what to say anyway. But once she made it to the main highway, sherelaxed and instigated the conversation herself.

“So, this kid. He’s going to die soon?”

I checked my watch yet again and tried to keep my adrenalinefrom spiraling out of control. “Yes. Very.”

She nodded in thought, then asked, “Do you know how?”

“Yes, and no. I don’t know if he’s going to jump or fall. Itcould be an accident. He had a lot to drink.”

The quick look she cast my way was full of fear. “Should wecall the cops?”

I winced. The police and I didn’t always see eye to eye.They tended to complicate things. Asked questions like, “Where did you get thisinformation?” and “How did you know she was going to be murdered with a hacksawbefore it happened?” I learned early on not to rely on them.

“They could beat us there,” she argued. “They could stop himif we don’t make it.”

She was right, of course. I nodded. “We should try to getahold of his dad, too.” I took out my phone to text Jason for the contact infowhile Halle talked to the cops.

“I don’t know,” she said to dispatch, feigning hysterics. Atleast, Ihopedshe was feigning. “I just saw a kid on the roof like hewas going to jump! Please hurry!” She hung up before they could ask heranything else.

“You’ve had acting experience?”

She smirked. “Haven’t we all?”

Right again. “Think they’ll send someone?”

“I hope so.”

I studied her profile for a minute, like the alabasterstatue of a wood sprite. My phone dinged, and I tore my gaze off her. “Jason’sbeen trying to get ahold of the dad. He’s not picking up.” I checked my watch.“How much longer?”

“Ten minutes,” she said, swerving onto the shoulder tomaneuver around a truck.

My stomach clenched tighter with every second that passed.

Once we were back on the actual highway, she tossed me anapologetic grin. “Make that nine.”

“And you were a stunt driver in a past life?”

“Sorry. I won’t do that unless I absolutely have to. It’stoo risky. If we get pulled over now… Let me know if you see a cop.”

“Will do,” I said, my voice suddenly hoarse. “I thought you didn’tbelieve me.”

“I don’t, but I also don’t want to be responsible forsomeone’s death if I could’ve done something about it and didn’t.”

“Welcome to my world,” I said with a breathy scoff. I’dnever asked for any of this shit. Fucking demon.

We exited the freeway and hit downtown Spokane at the heightof rush hour. Bumper-to-bumper traffic brought us to a standstill, and my lungsfought for air.

“I forgot about the hour.” She glanced around, looking for aquicker route before pulling half onto a sidewalk, throwing her truck intopark, and pointing out the windshield. “That’s the building. It’s only a couplemore blocks.” She turned the full force of an imploring gaze on me. “We have torun for it.”

The fact that she wore a sundress and sandals did not escapeme.

Apparently, it didn’t escape her either. She opened hertruck door, then looked back. “Don’t wait for me.”

“You sure?” I asked over the hood once I got out.

She nodded and gathered the folds of her skirt. “Go.”

I took off and didn’t look back, wending through pedestriansand vehicles alike until I came to the exact spot I’d seen in Zachary’s lastmoment. I peered up. Seven stories never looked so high.

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