Page 96 of For the Birds

I nearly snorted. Tall, good-looking, and charming, Witt was the exception to the typical Rivers-boy genes. “I’m gonna have a vision. Give me yourhand.”

His smile faded. “Why?”

“I’m gonna see if you’re aligned with anyone when this isdone.”

His head jerked to face Neely Kate. “Can she dothat?”

“She can try,” she answered around a bite of pancakes. “She doesn’t always see everything she asksfor.”

“She asks forit?”

Neely Kate rolled her eyes. “Just give her yourhand.”

He slowly reached across the table, and I put my hand over his, looping my fingers around the side. Closing my eyes, I focused on finding Scooter. My vision filled with a dark gray haze like before, something that alarmed me, especially in light of Squawker’s new favorite phrase, but I changed the question. This time I asked if Witt would appear neutral when we were finished looking for Scooter.

The scene was dark, but it was nighttime. Sheriff cars with flashing lights were parked outside a gas station. I could see Neely Kate standing next to Witt’s car, and she was wringing her hands with a worried look on herface.

“She told you that you’d stay neutral,” she said. “And she delivered.”

“But what did she do to make that happen?”

I was back in the kitchen and I blurted out, “She said you’d stay neutral.”

Was she me? And what was I going to do to make that happen?

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