Page 77 of Them Bones

Dustin saw Shane wince and flex his fist, which was wrapped in gauze.

“I’ll be finding out abou’ Nick, girl,” Jerry said. “You don’ worry yourself about it none. Now you git goin’, I still gotta drop Dusty off.”

Laney cast a long, lingering look at Shane, before she slung her bag over her shoulder and walked away. Shane watched her leave, and for a minute Dustin thought he might run after her and grab her. But Jerry smacked the back of his head.

“Pull it together, kid,” he said gruffly. Shane pinked a little but opened the passenger door and swapped seats with Dustin. Jerry pulled out and started driving towards VK Elementary.

“What are you going to do?” Shane asked Jerry, his voice quiet.

“I already told ya, I’mma run by Cary’s shop with some coffees for everyone. I done it now and then, nobody will think nothin’ of it.”

“What if Cary’s there?”

“If Cary’s there and there was a problem, I’ll know. Cary ain’t a subtle man.”

“But you don’t think there’s anything to worry about?”

“Either Cary was up all night burying a body, or he was there for another reason that ain’t got nothin’ to do with Laney. Either way, won’t know till I get there.”

“I wouldn’t be all that upset if he was burying that guy…” Shane grumbled.

“Me either,” Dustin said.

Shane’s head whipped around, and Jerry looked at him in the rearview.

“You don’t like Nick, Dusty?” Jerry asked, his voice tight.

“No,” Dustin said, staring straight ahead at the window.

“Why not?” Shane asked.

Jerry smacked Shane again. “You glutton for punishment, boy! I swear to God.”

“He’s mean.”

“Mean?” Shane’s eyes narrowed.

“To me. Not to Laney. He’s nice to Laney. But only because she lets him see her naked.”

All the blood drained out Shane’s face at the same time as all the blood went to Jerry’s. Shane looked grey enough to pass out, and you could have fried bacon on Jerry’s cheeks.

“Here we are,” Jerry said as they pulled in.

Dustin watched them drive away and he felt a little bad. He’d known saying that would hurt Shane’s feelings. Would make Shane mad. But Dustin had been mad all summer. Shane’s fight with Laney had nothing to do withhim,and he didn’t understand why Shane had stopped hanging out with him, too. He’d thought they were friends.

He felt guilty, but he also thought about Laney, about how sad she’d been. How she didn’t sleep, and always lookedtired. How she didn’t just use Nick’s drugs when he was there, anymore. She didn’t think Dustin knew, but he did – she was using the white stuff when she was alone, too.

And he thought about that day in July, the last time Shane had been at the house, when Laney had stepped into the backyard holding the drawing he did of the two dragons and set it on fire, tears streaming down her face.

Serves you right,he thought.

JERRY

Jerry pulled into Cary’s shop sucking on a blunt that would have given Snoop Dog a boner. He’d had a helluva fight with Shane, getting him to stay back at the yard. The kid was crawling out of his skin with worry, nobody having heard a peep from Nick or Cary. But in the end he’d agreed that showing up at Cary’s sporting broken knuckles and carrying a pretty damn obvious torch for his sister wouldn’t do anybody any good.

He figured if anyone would know anything, it would be John.

There were tow trucks and trailers littered around the entrance to the property. On the outside, it looked like any other tow yard and diesel mechanic shop. Of course, the back section was holding more blow and various other illegal substances than a cartel safe house, but that was beside the point.

---