Page 64 of The Girl in the River

“Did Kevin and Jesse have problems?” Ellie asked.

A frisson of alarm glinted in Thelma’s eyes. “How would I know?”

Ellie offered her a smile. “Small town. People talk.”

“Not in this town, they don’t,” Thelma said. “I mind my own business.” Lifting her chin stubbornly, she turned and headed to another table, but Ellie thought she saw fear darken her face as she glanced at the Moons again.

“Everyone is either really loyal to the Moons or they’re afraid of them,” Ellie said. “So what exactly are they afraid of?”

EIGHTY-FOUR

Two redneck guys in baggy jeans and wifebeater shirts lumbered in. The chubbier one lifted bandaged fingers to scratch his bearded face, and she recognized the other man from Buster’s convenience store. When they spotted the Moons, they swerved to the bar, heads ducked as if avoiding the men.

Ellie and Derrick surveyed the crowd as they ate.

They were just finishing when Kevin and his father walked toward Ellie, bypassing the two men without a glance.

Derrick stood. “I’m going to talk to the bartender.”

Ellie nodded. Maybe he’d talk.

As Derrick made his way to the bar, Kevin and his father stopped at Ellie’s table. “Any word on Jesse?”

“Not yet,” Ellie said as she sipped her lemonade. “But we’re still looking.”

Kevin’s mouth tightened. “What about the little girl? I want a paternity test done.”

“She’s safe,” Ellie said. “And we will run a test. But it may take time.”

“Speed it up,” Kevin’s father ordered. “We need to know if she’s a Moon.”

Obviously expecting her to obey like everyone else in this town, they stalked away. Ellie gritted her teeth. She didn’t take orders from anyone. Shewouldfind out the truth about Pixie’s paternity, only she’d keep the results to herself until she discovered what happened to Mia. If Kevin was Pixie’s father, she’d sure as hell make sure the Moons weren’t dangerous before any introduction was made.

Just then, a hunched over white-haired women with a cane hobbled by, dropping her purse. Ellie bent to pick it up and hand it to her. The woman leaned over as well, and their hands brushed. “Be careful, dear. There’s bad blood around here.”

Her voice was so low, for a moment Ellie thought she’d misheard, but the woman trembled as she hobbled away. Thelma appeared a minute later with the check.

Ellie paid in cash then took the receipt and saw a name scribbled on the back.

Patty Lasso.

Ellie quickly tucked it away then looked up to ask Thelma who Patty was, but the waitress had already hurried to another table as if it had never happened.

EIGHTY-FIVE

SOMEWHERE ON THE RIVER

Mia crawled to the tiny cabin window, her stomach lurching with the movement of the boat. All she could see for miles was water and more water. Shadows darted across the gray sky, a few leafy trees slipping into view in the distance as the boat glided along, blocking out the sunlight.

Fingers of dread tiptoed across her skin. All she could think about was the legends of the river she’d heard growing up from her grandmother.

Gram’s voice taunted her:Far into the woods in the deep, deep South, the murky river water breeds monsters. Big scaly creatures, amphibian-like lizards with eyes that pierce the night, following its prey until time to attack. Just before their fangs sink into you, they release a feral roar that echoes off steep mountain walls and rings for miles and miles.

Flesh-eating insects, poisonous serpents and the wet earth can suck a body below, like quicksand burying you so deep you might never be found.

Then the Devil’s door opens and swallows you as if Satan called you home.

Trying her best to banish the legend from her mind, Mia glanced around the small room, blinking things into focus. The bed, a chair with a small table where a new water bottle sat. She had no idea where she was or how she was going to escape.

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