Page 120 of Midnight Auto Parts

“Mostly it tastes like burning tongue to me, but it can help settle your stomach.”

“Burning…tongue?” Kierce thrust it back at me. “I’ll pass.”

“That’s not the taste.” Josie snorted. “It’s…well…the sensation.”

Carter bit into a slice of pepperoni pizza with cheddar puffs layered on top. “Y’all aren’t selling it.”

“When we were little,” I explained to Kierce, “we dreamed of affording soda like normal kids.”

“We drank what was popular,” Josie agreed. “I don’t think we ever stopped to consider if welikedit.”

The ability to pull out a debit card and pay for cans, bottles, cases of sodas was a milestone achievement for the children we had been, but the shine had worn thin. We didn’t drink it often these days, but there was always some in one of our fridges. To prove it wasn’t a luxury. To make it a pantry staple.

“I texted the Ezells to let them know to meet us here,” Kierce said. “Have they arrived yet?”

We had given them all the grace we could spare, but it was time to officially reclaim this repo.

“Listen to you.” Josie patted his shoulder. “Using technical terms liketextcorrectly in a sentence.”

About to chastise her, I snapped my mouth shut when he smiled like he enjoyed her teasing.

And that was what it was—teasing. Not the taunting jabs she exchanged with Harrow. There was no malice or unkindness. She was gentler with Kierce. Still sharp—that was Josie for you—but careful not to wound him as he gained his footing among us Marys.

“That reminds me.” Carter licked her fingers clean. “Your loaner’s kid helped us sort out Tate and Kim.”

From the sound of things, Keshawn was earnest in her desire to make amends. “I’m almost scared to ask, but do go on.”

“Kim, a longtime Grandview Women’s Club member, had been wait-listed for the commune. But she got on scene, put two and two together, and decided to let herself in through the back door. She knew Tate was in a bad spot too, so Kim explained how to get in and left Tate to follow on her own.” Carter sighed. “The problem was Kim didn’t know the location of the commune, she figured it was in the woods near the bones, and Anunit killed her before she got anywhere close.”

“Poor Kim.”

“Meanwhile, Tate decided she didn’t want to go into hiding. She faked her disappearance, waited on her husband to come looking for her, like she knew he would, and she killed him. Kim gave her a bone as an entry key, and Tate failed to return it. The following night, after she killed her husband, she met Anunit.”

Anunit would have held us accountable for the bones if they hadn’t been in the pit before Josie sealed the area with her weeping willows. “You must have returned those to Kierce while I was out.”

“She did,” he confirmed it. “I placed them back where they belong.”

“Thank God,” I exhaled, grateful to be ticking off the boxes to close out this case.

“Your loaner is back there.” Carter hooked a thumb over her shoulder. “They’ve had time for goodbyes.”

The edge in her voice told me she wasn’t thrilled with their behavior either, but I considered us even.

“In that case, I’ll get to it.” I left Kierce and the others behind, winding around the shop until I located the Ezells. They stood side by side, their arms around each other, Keshawn with her head resting on her mother’s much lower shoulder. “Hello, ladies.”

The pair of them turned and met me with smiles, honest ones, and I found my lips curving too. “Ready?”

“Yes,” Keshawn beat her mother to answering, which earned her a chuckle from Tameka.

“Then let’s get started.” I gestured toward the garage. “After you, ladies.”

A half hour later,Camero was safe in her display case, ready for me to prime for the next loaner.

Armed with Vi’s contact information, and my offer, Keshawn stepped into a Swyft and set out for home. After the past several days, she had a lot to think about before deciding if New Orleans was right for her.

With the loaner sorted, and my stomach settled, I was ready for my share of the pizza when I rejoined the others.

“Are you expecting more company?” Josie hopped down from Carter’s tailgate, gaze fixed up the road. “There’s a truck pulling onto Downing Street.” That was our street. “It just turned on its blinker.”

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