Page 84 of Rex

“Rex! Get on your computer and do your magic. Make sure neither of you appear on any cameras in the area. Scrub it if you find any. Also, scrub any video showing the van, Candy’s car, or the others in the neighborhood. Do it now, brother,” Reeves orders.

“The smell! Oh my God! I’ll never get that smell off me!” Horse whines in the highest voice I’ve ever heard from him.

I feel a sudden rush of cool air and realize Reeves rolled Horse’s window down.

“Get your head out that fucking window if you’re going to toss the contents of your stomach, you fucking twat!” Reeves hollers while driving with one hand and forcibly trying to shove Horse’s head out said window with the other.

“Fuck me! I had pizza and beer! I don’t want to throw that up and have them ruined for me for life,” Horse moans, but he does shove his head out the window.

I bite back my own bile and try to concentrate on doing as Reeves ordered. Glancing at Horse, though, I start laughing uncontrollably. Head out the window, long hair blowing around his face, he reminds me of every golden retriever I’ve ever seen in the backseat of a car.

“What’s funny?” Reeves hollers.

“Horse! Golden Retriever!” I sputter between laughs.

“What the fuck you going on about? He’s not blond. More like an Irish Setter,” Reeves mutters, and it only makes me laugh harder. “Or a brown labrador.”

“Quit enjoying my pain, you dicks! It was a corpse! Eyes open, staring right at me from about five inches away! That shit was spooky as fuck! We disturbed the dead, and that’s never good! Oh God. I’m going to be sick,” Horse moans before doing exactly that.

I cringe at the sound but mostly from knowing his hair is going to get puked on. No way am I going to hold it back for him. Reeves certainly isn’t, and Horse isn’t thinking clearly enough to do it himself.

Reaching up, I pull the curtain closed that separates the front from the back of the van. Pulling my phone out, I debate with myself about who I should contact first. I decide on Cash. I hit his contact and wait while also hoping Horse is finished soon.

“What’s up?” Cash asks.

“We have a situation,” I state.

“What’s that sound?” Cash asks.

“Horse, puking his pizza and beer up. Never mind about his problems. We need to meet up,” I say.

“Chubs is here sitting on the mom’s house, so I can meet you somewhere in between,” Cash answers, and we decide where.

Pulling into the empty parking lot, Reeves stops next to Cash’s truck. I quickly explain everything, and he makes the decision to call James and Livi. Talking with them, Cash sends morethan a few odd, more like disgusted, looks at Horse. When Cash disconnects from the call, he hands a bottle of water to Reeves.

“Thanks, but I’m not thirsty,” Reeves says.

“Give it to Horse,” Cash mutters.

“Thanks, Cash, but not sure I should put anything into my stomach yet,” Horse says in a scratchy tone.

“Not to drink, you simpleton. To rinse that shit out of your hair,” Cash replies while shaking his head in a “you’re too stupid to live” gesture.

“What did Livi and James say?” I ask.

“Said to stay out of that area, and they’ll deal with it,” Cash answers. “Makes me worried about his mother, though. Neither Chubs nor I have seen any sign of movement at her place.”

“I’m not going near his mom’s house! If it ain’t mine, I’m never opening another fucking window either!” Horse says while getting back in the van.

Ignoring Horse, I say, “No one has seen anything at his address either. I don’t know where he’s holed up, but I’m concerned about his mom, too. I’m guessing he killed the lady at that house, so his mom might not have fared any better.”

“I told Livi that. She said they’ll do a welfare check on her. They know that she’s disabled, too,” Cash explains. “We should probably all head home now and see if he’s stupid enough to show up at work tomorrow. Stay close to Aria and let me know if you need coverage for her.”

It’s nearly the middle of the night, but I drive my car to Les’s home. Seeing a light on, I text Aria and find out they’re both still up. I park, and Aria meets me in the doorway. Taking a seat in the living room, I explain to them what we found out tonight.

“Holy shit,” Les mutters.

Aria stays silent, so I look at her just to see her face is pale and her eyes wide.

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