But I can hear her moving around as she mutters, “Don’t know why I called you, acting so scared.”
I start to speed-walk. Mackenzie might’ve let the slight breaking and entering and minor stalking go, but accusations of cannibalism could be her breaking point. After only a few steps, though, Polly stops me dead in my tracks again.
I pull on her leash. “Polly, I swear, come on!”
But when I look down to see what fascinating thing she’s sniffing at this time, my irritation quickly evaporates and ice runs through my veins.
There are drops of something dark red. Under Polly’s nose and in a steady trail up the sidewalk in front of us, as far as I can see.
I lean down, squinting. Is that…? I think it is. Blood. And it’s still wet.
I jerk Polly back, and she frowns up at me with disapproval.
“That’snotfood.”
“Excuse me?” Ms. Joyce asks, still on the line. “I know pepper spray isn’t food. I’m old, but I’m not senile.”
“No, that’s not—” I spin around and see splatters behind us, too. That’s what’s been making Polly stop. How long have those been there? All the way back at Brady Park? I pick a very bothered Polly up and walk as fast as I can. “Ms. Joyce. There’s blood here. On the sidewalk.”
“I told you!”
“Who did Mackenzie hit? It had to be really bad for all this blood. And why—put down the pepper spray!”
“I don’t know her, but I think it’s one of those Caucasian women she works out with. Hmmmm, short hair, wide eyes? Kinda looks like…Mia Farrow? Lord, all that woman’s gone through with her marriages, and now she’s got your little friend trying to blend her up in a smoothie!”
I break into a jog and then a full-out sprint, following the path of blood all the way back to our block.
Twenty-Three
“Finally!” Ms. Joyce is standingat the end of Mackenzie’s pathway when I arrive, and she throws her hands up in exasperation. “What, did you take the long way? Go for a nice little stroll?”
She knows from the amount of sweat pouring off my body right now, and the sheer size of the stains under my arms and boobs, that I definitely didnotstroll. Next to me Polly pants rapidly likeshehad something to do with us getting here so fast.
“Are yousureyou saw Mackenzie hurt that woman?” I ask Ms. Joyce, ignoring her attitude because we have much more important things to deal with here. “The lady you described, she’s dangerous. It’s more likelyshehurt Mackenzie.”
“Of course I’m sure,” she huffs. “And we don’t got any more time to waste.” She starts walking up the flagstone path to the Skinners’ house, and I follow behind her quietly. Or as quietly as I can with Polly, who has started to whimper. Even the tiny droplets of dried blood that lead right up to the door have lost their novelty to her.
“It’s okay, girlfriend,” I whisper, reaching down to scratch her ears.
“Don’t lie to her now.”
We both hesitate when we reach the door. It’s a tall mahogany thing, rustic-looking with an iron grille, as if it’s been here for a hundred years—though of course the Skinners just installed it recently when they gutted and renovated the house. It looks like the door to a fortress.
“I think I can get us in with a credit card.” But I pat the pockets of my jeans and find them empty except for my own keys. “Do you have one? Or I can run home real quick—”
“Step aside, baby,” Ms. Joyce nearly growls, her face full of determination. “I’ve got this.”
She backtracks a couple of feet and then lowers herself into a running crouch, or as low as she can go considering she’s in her eighties. Oh no. Is she really about to—?
“Ms. Joyce, no!”
“Ahhhhh!” She lets out a battle cry as she runs toward the door, and I instinctively hide my face in my hands. I’m not trying to see her crumple to the ground. But it’s only after the door flies open without any resistance that I realize she just pulled down the unlocked handle. The whole busting-the-door-down act was just for me.
“Who’s there?” I recognize Bethany’s voice immediately. And I feel like jumping up and doing a fist pump because I was right, and then get the overwhelming urge to run away, becauseI was right.
The door opened into an entryway with a wall decal that says,LIVE every moment, LAUGH every day, LOVE beyond words.And I would cringe if my whole body wasn’t already tense with anticipation and fear. I don’t think they can see us yet. We could still get away. But Mackenzie…
Ms. Joyce grabs my shoulder and leans in close. Time to talk strategy?