Page 61 of Hidden Truths

“Of course I did,” my dad says calmly.

“Dad?” I ask, getting that itch that tells me we’re missing something.

“You know I wouldn’t have shown up here if I didn’t go over that phone with a fine-tooth comb, Harlow,” he says, sounding disappointed.

“I know. That’s not it.” I chew on my bottom lip, thinking. “What’s in place of the gas station?”

“A garden or something. I drove by it to check. It’s just grass and flowers now. There’s nothing there that can help us,” he says.

“Can you send me the address?” I ask.

“You’re not going,” Cal says immediately.

I glare at him and cross my arms.

“Uh, I mean. Please don’t put yourself in danger. I don’t think I could handle it if something happened to you,” Cal says, looking a little guilty.

“That’s what I thought. And I’m not going. I was just going to look it up,” I explain. My dad looks at me with curiosity and sends me the address. I immediately look it up on my phone. “It’s a community garden,” I explain, looking over the town page that the address pulled up.

“What does that mean?” Jo asks.

“It looks like you can rent space and plant things,” I say, continuing to read. “They also offer classes on gardening and field trips where kids can plant something themselves.”

“Not sure how any of this pertains to the case,” my dad says carefully. He knows better than anyone that I can be like a dog with a bone when I think I’m onto something.

I open my mouth to agree that nothing is here, but then I get to the bottom of the page. I gasp and almost drop my phone. I look up to see everyone’s eyes on me, even Cora’s.

“What is it, Firecracker?” Cal asks, squeezing my thigh gently.

I show him my phone, at a loss for words. He takes it from me and reads it out loud. “Community Garden was generously donated by the Wolfe Family to the community of Summer Bay.”

I watch as Mav stomps out the front door and slams it behind him.

“I’ve got him,” Kai says, following him.

“Is he taunting us?” Cal asks my dad.

My dad runs his hand through his hair, which is becoming more white than red these days.

“That gas station was bought and demolished within a month of Ezra going missing. If anything, I think it was meant as a warning,” my dad says, considering the new evidence.

“He’ll claim ignorance if you confront him,” Willa says, cuddling Cora to her.

“Covering his tracks by donating land for community use. It’s smart. Really smart,” I admit.

Cal’s phone rings, the guard station number coming up. He picks it up and immediately looks angry.

“So tell her to leave,” he says. We’re all watching him as he listens. “Fine. Let her through.”

“I’ll get out of your way,” my dad says, looking like he’s in a hurry to leave.

“What’s going on?” I ask.

“Paula’s here,” Jason says, coming in from the kitchen and taking Cora from Willa. He gives her a quick kiss on the head and hands her back.

My eyes fly to Cal. He looks just as angry as his dad. “Willa, can you take Cora to your house?”

“Of course,” Willa says immediately. “I’ll take her through the backyard.”

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