Page 79 of Them Bones

John rubbed his chin harder. “I know, she’s a sweet kid... Seems like she disinherited the crazy gene, at least. But she’s got thatthing,that Hawton thing that Linette has. That Cary has. As if being drop-dead-gorgeous wasn’t bad enough, they charm your socks right off. Suck you in like a black hole. And I dunno if Nick has the wherewithal to resist. Them Hawton women are likegravity.There’s no fightin’ ‘em.”

“Does Cary suspect anything?” Jerry asked.

“Oh hell no!” John scoffed. “Are you insane? I don’t need to be cleaning body parts off this floor again.”

“He done anything? Said anything?”

“No, nothing,” John said. “But… it’s just a feeling. Nick don’t seem too interested in the girls around here anymore. And it’s not for a lack of options. He’s a decent enough looking guy, young, in Cary’s good graces… The girls like him. And he always had his arm around somebody. Till now.”

“You haven’t said anything to him about it? Brought it up?”

“I thought about it, Jerry. I did. But then I remembered that boy of yours, the handsome fucker who always looks like he’s about to swallow a bullet?”

Jerry chortled. Shane sure had mastered the ‘dour’ look. “Shane? What about him?”

John laughed. “Don’t play dumb, Jerry. It doesn’t suit you. I’ve never seen a man look at a woman the way he looks at Laney. We all know you moved him in with you to keep peace with him and Cary.”

Jerry grunted, afraid words would give him away.

“Shane might not be sleeping there, but there ain’t no way he’s not keeping an eye on that girl. I figured if Nick made a move, he’d cheerfully grind his bones for his bread. Maybe bake us all a cake.”

Jerry forced a laugh, but his nerves were fraying.You got no idea, John.

“Alright, well I’ll come back a little later I guess, really do need to speak with Cary. Hope you sort out this here problem,” he said, waving in the general direction of the backroom.

John sniffed. “Me too. Hate to see good product go to waste.”

“Ain’t that the truth…” Jerry muttered. He didn’t dabble in white anymore, but John was a machine. They called him the Cookie Monster behind his back.

“Good of you to stop by, Jerry,” John said, clapping him on the back again. “Glad somebody’s watching out for those kids. I worry about them… But I mean, what can any of us do?”

I don’t know,Jerry thought,but more than this.

JENNA

Jenna was on the floor in her living room, waiting for the comedown to end. She was sweaty, physically exhausted, and no matter how much water she consumed she still felt thirsty. But more than that, she felt hollow.

Shane hadn’t even looked back at her in the club. She may as well have been a stranger, completely invisible, someone who had never even existed. He’d gone at that guy with the single-minded ferocity of a lion on PCP, and then steered that girl out of the crowd so hard she was shocked he hadn’t just tossed her over his shoulder and run.

Suspicions confirmed,she thought. Shane Mathers definitely had a girl.

And a girl she was. Jenna grimaced, thinking about how young she looked. She’d been dolled up in a dress so tight it could have been body paint and was wearing heavy makeup, but if Jenna closed her eyes and pictured her face, she couldn’t have even been sixteen. No wonder Shane had been steering clear;jailbate,even if Shanewasonly a few years older.

Laura had been uncharacteristically quiet since the rave. She was laying on the couch with a bean bag from the freezer on her head that had hit room temperature hours ago.

“I can smell your brain burning,” Laura said, eyes still covered.

“I keep thinking he’s going to call…” Jenna pouted.

“It’s one o’clock in the afternoon. It’s a bit late now to check and make sure you’re alive.”

“I know but…”

Laura sighed, dropped the bean bag on the floor and rolled over to look at her.

“Jenna, I love you. I really do. But that guy isbad fucking news.He gave me really bad vibes, last night. Totally ruined my trip.”

Someone banged on the door and they both jumped.

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