Page 21 of We Are All Guilty Here

Emmy saw a light switch on in the far corner of the house. She knew it came from the primary bedroom. She silently counted off the steps to the front door. Up the long hallway. Through the living room. Turn left at the kitchen. Another short hallway. Then the foyer.

An interior light came on, sparkling through the etched glass panels in the top of the door. Then the porch light glowed amber. Then the door was opened, and Dr. Carl was standing there in a white undershirt tucked into a pair of white boxers. He blinked behind his glasses.

“Gerald?” Carl sounded surprised. He glanced out into the street. “What happened?”

“Cheyenne Baker and Madison Dalrymple are missing.” Gerald nodded inside the house. “Can we come in?”

“Y-yes.” Carl stepped back, opening the door wider. “What can I do? When did this happen?”

Emmy watched Carl start turning on lamps in the living room. He looked concerned, but not frantic. She told him, “Madison was last seen at the Fourth celebration at the park. Cheyenne was last seen this afternoon at home. We suspect foul play.”

“Jesus.” Carl’s glasses bumped up as he rubbed his eyes. He was still caught somewhere between sleep and wakefulness. “Do you—I mean, dental records would be—”

“That’s not why we’re here,” Emmy said. “Can we talk to Jack?”

“Jack?” Carl asked, but he didn’t push for clarification. He turned back toward the dark hallway. “I thought he was asleep.”

Emmy could see a faint blue light slipping out from under a closed bedroom door. She didn’t wait for an invitation. She walked down the hall with her hand on her holstered Glock.

“Gerald,” Carl said, “what’s going on?”

Behind her, Emmy heard the low register of her father’s deep voice as he answered the question, but all of her attention stayed on the door. She reached out, carefully resting her fingers on the handle. She made herself let out the breath she’d been holding, then she opened the door.

Jack was sitting at his computer, turned away from Emmy. The large monitor was the only source of light in the room. He was seated in an office-style rolling chair that was pulled up to a large wooden desk. Papers and books were piled across the top. A pair of Beats headphones were attached to his iPhone by a red cord, but the volume was turned up loud enough for Emmy to make out the pounding synth pop of “Poker Face” leaking from around his ears. An atom bomb could’ve gone off behind him and he would’ve been oblivious.

Emmy stepped carefully into the room. She had to open her mouth to breathe. The smell hit her hard and fast: sweat and testosterone with a hint of Axe Body Spray and hand lotion. The bed was unmade, the fitted sheet pulled back to expose the bare mattress. Clothes were strewn across the floor. Shelves had been built into the open closet. The posters on the wall were filled with women suggestively caressing vintage sports cars. Everything was messy, disordered, tossed around.

She looked at the monitor. Jack was staring at a Facebook page for someone named Rex Delilah, which sounded like he’d fallen for that phishing scheme that claimed to generate your porn name but secretly collected the name of your first pet and your childhood street so the thief could break into your passwords.

While Emmy watched, Jack hit refresh on the comments. Dozens of new posts loaded. She squinted at the monitor, which was so large that she could read it from six feet away:

–Can’t stop thinking about the last thing Cheyenne said to me. She wanted to copy my homework but I said no.If I had of let her, maybe she wouldn’t be missing right now.

–I used to have lunch with Cheyenne when she first moved here. People grow apart but I always considered her a friend. I pray to God for her safe return. #CliftonStrong

–She was always a BITCH and so was Madison

–Mad snapped me a pic of her pussy want2 see it?

–I love Madison we were friends in middle school and her mom was so sweet. She made the best cupcakes do y’all remember? I like Mrs. Dalrymple 2 tho she was my teacher.

–Cheyenne told me she’d give me a bj for $50

–Cheyenne we love you and Madison both please come home! #CliftonStrong

–LINK to Mad’s pussy

–We need to pray for both of them to be returned safely. The Lord hears the prayers of children first. Let’s lift up our voices in the school quad tomorrow. #CliftonStrong

–Get on your knees before me and I will give you something to pray about real hard lmfao!!! #CliftonDONG

Emmy heard Jack snort a laugh.

From triumph? From vicarious pleasure?

He reloaded the page again like a junkie seeking a fix. More posts scrolled up. Emmy checked for her father. Gerald was standing in the hall. He had a light step for such a large man. Emmy moved to her left, positioning herself between the twinbed and the window. Gerald blocked the door, effectively cutting off any chance of escape. He slid his finger under the light switch. He waited for Emmy’s nod before flipping it on.

“Dad!” Jack yelled, standing up so quickly that his chair slammed into the bed. His Beats were yanked off his head in the process. “Poker Face” had reached the chorus. The drums sounded tinny when the headphones hit the carpet. “What the—”

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