by Nancy Holder
Her phrasing was odd, but Katelyn understood it.
“I need to be home by dark,” she reminded her.
Cordelia nodded, then, wordlessly, stepped forward and kissed her cheek.
Katelyn texted Trick that she had a ride home, but he didn’t reply. Luckily, on their way out, she bumped into a girl she’d seen sitting at Trick’s lunch table and the girl promised to let him know.
When Katelyn and Cordelia stopped at the office to get permission to leave, Mrs. Walker said the principal told her to excuse anyone who asked to go.
The two girls headed for the parking lot. Once they were inside Cordelia’s car and heading away from the school, Katelyn felt herself relax a little. Cordelia’s grief was raw and fresh, but better to deal with one person feeling that way than five hundred.
For a long time they drove in silence and Cordelia cried off and on. Her makeup was completely gone by then and she looked much younger. A wave of protectiveness rushed over Katelyn. She wished she could say something to make Cordelia feel better, but knew there wasn’t anything. People had tried that with her and it had only made her feel more alone.
When they finally pulled up around the back of the house, Katelyn noticed another black truck in the small gravel lot, this one bigger and shinier than Cordelia’s. The other girl turned the engine off and sat for a moment, looking at it, without moving.
For a second Katelyn thought of Justin and a shiver went through her. She tried to remind herself that he was a lying, cheating jerk and she had no desire to see him ever again.
“Dad’s home,” Cordelia said. There was something odd in the way she said it, like she was catching her breath.
Katelyn was taken aback.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
“What? No, it’s good. You should meet. It’s good for him to meet my friends.”
And still Cordelia sat, hands wrapped around the steering wheel in a death grip.
“We can go somewhere else if you want,” Katelyn said, her friend’s trepidation communicating itself all too well.
But it was too late. The back door to the house opened, and out stepped a very tall man with a shock of white hair. His face was tan and leathery, like a cowboy’s. He was older than she had expected, but looked strong. His amber eyes were flecked through with gold, and she felt as if he were staring right through her. A chill ran up her spine.
Then he moved his attention to Cordelia, breaking into a broad, welcoming smile. She got out of the car and headed toward him, and after a moment, Katelyn trailed behind.
“My youngest! So what brings you home so early in the day?” he asked, throwing open his arms to embrace her.
Cordelia’s voice was muffled against his chest. “Kat and I got time off to work on our history project.”
Katelyn blinked at the lie. Why not just tell her father the truth? It wasn’t every day you found out a friend of yours had been killed. Surely he would understand that.
Cordelia turned and gestured to Katelyn.
“Kat, this is my father, Lee Fenner.”
“Kat,” he said, biting off her name. He wrapped his hand around hers and shook, then leaned forward as though he was going to kiss her cheek, and she jerked. He took note of her reaction and moved slightly back as well. She didn’t know what to think of him.
“So, you and my little Cordelia have become pretty close,” he said.
Behind him she saw Cordelia flush. Parental types. They would embarrass you. Some things didn’t change no matter where you went.
“Yes, I’m lucky to have her as a friend,” Katelyn replied, feeling awkward.
“And she you.” He released her hand. “Always nice to welcome a new face into our home.”
His tone was warm but the look he shot Cordelia was distinctly not happy. Cordelia dropped her head, and Katelyn felt sorry for her and even more awkward. Her entire family was weird. No wonder she’d hesitated about having Katelyn over.
“And you’re working together on a history project?” he continued.
“Yes,” she said, forcing herself to smile like nothing was wrong in the world.
“History is important. You know what they say: those who don’t learn from the past are doomed to repeat it. The Fenners have a proud history, goes back centuries.”
Cordelia looked stricken. Katelyn didn’t know what to do other than nod politely.
“The silver mine,” he said.
“We’re going to go study in my room,” Cordelia cut in quickly.
“That’s fine, good,” he said.
Before Katelyn could get around Lee to the back door, it swung open and Arial and Regan appeared on the threshold. Arial was wearing yoga pants and a workout top, and Regan had on bike shorts and a red T-shirt that read WOLF SPRINGS, JEWEL OF THE OZARKS. Both of them held coffee cups that read FENNER CONSTRUCTION.
“Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in,” Arial said.
“Dad?” Cordelia asked anxiously. “What’s up?”
“Oh, the girls came by,” he said offhandedly.
“While I was at school?” Cordelia sounded upset and Katelyn watched her carefully, wondering why. She knew Cordelia didn’t enjoy being around them, so it should have been a good thing that they were there when she wasn’t.
“It’s no big deal, Cordelia.” Regan fished in her pocket, found a hair band, and began gathering up her hair. “You’d never win this one, anyway.”
“A little sibling rivalry going on,” Mr. Fenner explained to Katelyn. “All in fun.”
But Cordelia didn’t look like she was having fun. She looked pissed off. Katelyn wondered if this had anything to do with the Fenner family’s apparent obsession with sports competitions.
“We should do this later,” Cordelia said, glancing at Katelyn.
Regan rolled her shoulders. “I’m all warmed up.”
“Me too,” Arial added. “You don’t need to bother, Cor.”
Cordelia rubbed her face again. Her hands were shaking. Katelyn was dumbfounded. The Fenners were insane.
“Hey,” Katelyn said, sounding falsely cheery, but unable to completely hide her freak-out. “It’s okay if you have stuff to do, Cordelia. I can get a ride.” She pulled out her cell phone. “Really, it’s not a problem.”
Cordelia looked up at her father. “May I speak to you alone, Daddy?” She glanced at Katelyn. “I’ll be just a minute. It’ll be okay,” she added, which seemed both random and untrue.
Mr. Fenner gave Katelyn a long look. Then he opened the door and said, “Ladies?”
Cordelia scooted inside—followed by her two sisters, who exchanged smug smiles. So Cordelia wasn’t going to be allowed to speak to him alone. Katelyn kind of hated her two sisters for their scuzzy attitudes. Correction: she totally hated them.
Standing with his hand on the door latch, Mr. Fenner studied Katelyn. It was a look that made her feel itchy and creeped out.
“So, you’re Mordecai McBride’s granddaughter?” he stated more than asked.
Did they know each other? “So I’m told,” she murmured, and he guffawed.
“How are you liking Wolf Springs?”
She thought of Becky Jensen. “Well, today, I …,” she began, then trailed off. Cordelia hadn’t told her father about the death. “It’s small,” she said. “I’m from L.A.”
“Oh, the big city.” He sounded a bit contemptuous. “Big bad city.”
“Big, anyway,” she said, floundering. What the heck?
At that moment Katelyn’s phone rang. She was so startled she nearly dropped it. A glance at the faceplate revealed that her caller was Trick.
“I’ll let you get that,” Mr. Fenner said grandly, then went into the house. She was grateful to get the privacy denied to Cordelia.
“Trick, hi,” she said in a rush.
“Sam said you left with Cordelia.” His voice was tense. “Are you okay?”
He’d been worried about her. And it made her feel good, she realized.
/>
“She needed a friend pretty badly and—and right now I need one,” she said, still shaking off the oddness of Mr. Fenner.
“What’s wrong?” His voice changed as if he had switched to high alert.
She stepped off the porch, lowering her voice even though she didn’t think the Fenners could hear her. The whole situation was so massively weird.
“I’m at her house and her family’s being a little … intense with group time. Could you come pick me up?” she asked as sweetly as she could. Just trying to explain it made it even stranger.
“Sure.” He didn’t miss a beat or even ask for more explanation. “On my way.”
“Do you know where it is?”
“Yup.”
“Okay, thanks,” she said, relief washing over her once more.
She ended her call, still feeling bad. She felt as if she were ditching Cordelia, but no one—not even Cordelia—had objected when she’d said she could find another ride home. At least someone could have invited her in. Or not.
The door opened, and Cordelia stood there in sweatpants and a Wolf Springs High Cheer sweatshirt. Tears were welling in her eyes. “Kat, I’m so sorry,” she said in a rush. “I didn’t realize my dad had left you out here. I’m—I was just …” She swallowed hard.
“It’s okay,” Katelyn said, although it was anything but. The Fenners just got more and more wacko. Cordelia really needed someone normal in her life, and Katelyn was startled to realize that thus far, she was the most likely candidate. “Trick’s coming.”
“Oh, God,” Cordelia moaned. She covered her face with her hands. “Please don’t let him see any of this.”
“Any of what?” Katelyn asked gently.
Cordelia started to cry. “This is too much. It’s too …”
Katelyn pulled her into a hug. Cordelia went slack, let loose with a couple of sobs, and then jerked and raised her head. She pulled away, wiping her face and smoothing back her hair.
“Could you wait up at the top of our drive for Trick?” she asked in a tight voice.
And it just kept getting weirder and weirder. “Sure.” Overcompensating for her own nervousness, Katelyn nodded too hard. “Let me get my stuff out of the truck.”
“Of course.” Cordelia gave Katelyn a small troubled smile and walked with her. She stopped at the passenger door and, as Katelyn grabbed her bag, added, “Can you please not tell him anything? It’d be just like him to lord it over me.”
Katelyn frowned. That sounded more like Mike. It certainly wasn’t how she saw Trick. But then, did she really know him? Did she know Cordelia, for that matter?
Before she could answer, the front door burst back open. “Okay, Cordelia!” Mr. Fenner boomed. Arial and Regan flanked him as he walked down the steps. Arial had her head on his shoulder and Regan’s arm was looped through his. Their smugness was almost as nauseating as the strange family portrait they presented.
Mr. Fenner raised his brows at Cordelia, who looked one more time at Katelyn. She reminded Katelyn of a drowning person searching for a rope. But what could Katelyn do—offer her a ride out of there for, like, the rest of her life?
“I’ll go wait for Trick,” Katelyn said.
“Thanks. So much,” Cordelia murmured, fresh tears welling. Then she ran after her family and disappeared among the trees.
Katelyn started up the steep driveway to wait for Trick. She was about to put in her earbuds when she heard Mr. Fenner shout, “Put your back into it!”
Katelyn was dying of curiosity to see what was going on, but she kept walking. Mr. Fenner yelled some more, but she couldn’t make out the words.
“C’mon, Trick,” she muttered to herself.
She didn’t have to wait long. When his car appeared at the top of the road, he stopped a distance away, as if there were an invisible NO TRESPASSING sign and he was not fond of buckshot. She ran to the car, jumped in, and slammed the door shut behind her.
“Home, Jeeves,” she said, sighing, expelling the Fenner air from her lungs.
“Very good, madam,” he replied in his best snooty accent. Trouble was it mixed with his own Southern accent and came out so comical that she couldn’t hide her faint smile. She’d assumed he would be downcast, but he was joking around.
“Does madam find something amusing?”
“It just feels good after the day I’ve had,” she confessed as the shadows of the death crept up once more and the weirdness of Cordelia’s family hit her fresh.
“Then I’ve done something right,” he said, his voice soft as he dropped his lighthearted act.
“You’re always doing stuff right.” Her voice came out just as soft, and she was glad of it.
“I’m happy to end this day with you,” he said.
That felt good to hear. “Thanks for picking me up. I—I didn’t expect to need a ride.”
He inclined his head. “Happy to come to the rescue. Got sick of their particular brand of freak?”
“They’re not freaks,” she said a bit defensively. “Just different.” It wasn’t true, but she felt bad for Cordelia and didn’t want to make her life worse by gossiping about it—especially with Trick.
He gave her a look. “Whatever you say.”
“You, however, are a freak,” she said teasingly, desperate to change the subject.
His smile was private and triumphant. A little flurry of butterflies reminded her of how it had felt when he’d hugged her that morning. With Justin turning out to be such a creep, she could use a nice guy like Trick. She hoped there were more hugs in their future—maybe even full-on kisses. She blushed and looked out the window as Trick turned around. Her gaze went to a turret extending from the third story of Cordelia’s house.
Framed by the wooden sill, Justin Fenner gazed down at her. Her heart lurched. He was too far away for her to read his expression. Had he been there the entire time? Was he too ashamed to show his face after cheating on his girlfriend? Or was he done with the new girl because he’d gotten what he wanted?
The car moved on, and so did Katelyn. Justin was left behind, where he belonged. Still, she brooded. And remembered how it had felt—all of it.
Including the voice that had called to her in the dark when he’d been kissing her.
It was just my imagination, she told herself.
But the screaming on Friday had not been. And now she was finding it hard to believe it had been a cat. She kept holding on to Cordelia’s assurance that Becky had died too far away for them to have heard her scream.
“Are you okay?” Trick asked her.
She didn’t answer but looked at him carefully. “What about you, Trick? You knew them both.” Then, before she knew what she was doing, she squeezed his hand. She heard him catch his breath. A muscle danced in his cheek.
“I’m glad you answered your phone,” he said quietly. Then he focused on the road as the darkness slid over the Mustang.
When they reached home, her grandfather was sitting on the porch, waiting for them. School was still in, so she wasn’t sure how he’d known they were coming.
“I gave him a heads-up,” Trick said when she glanced questioningly at him.
She climbed onto the porch, feeling slightly guilty. “I’m sorry I didn’t call. One of the girls at school died and Cordelia was friends with her. She needed to go home and didn’t want to be alone. Her family was there, though, so I had Trick come get me. We told the office we were leaving school before we did. We didn’t cut.”
Ed nodded. “Why don’t you go inside? Trick and I have things to talk over.”
His eyes were hard as he turned to look at Trick. She glanced back and saw Trick standing next to his car, shoulders hunched, hands in his pockets. Like he was in trouble. She was confused. Was Ed mad at Trick for bringing her home?
“I’ll see you in the morning, Kat,” Trick said.
She gave him a little wave. Whatever talk they were about to have wasn’t going to be nice and wasn’t going to end with Trick staying for lunc
h, let alone dinner.
She heard raised voices outside as soon as she closed the door. She ran upstairs and tried to listen but had no luck. The thick cabin walls made it impossible to decipher any words, but the volume was loud enough she couldn’t stop straining to hear. She wished for the hundredth time that she were back in California, where at least she understood the rules.
It was well past lunch by the time she heard the front door open, then shut. She listened as Ed climbed the stairs. He came into her room and sat down on the edge of her bed. His face was lined, his shoulders hunched, as if he were tired.
“I heard what happened to that girl from school. Are you okay?”
She nodded, a little surprised that he’d asked. “Kind of. I’m really thrown. But I didn’t know her. Or Haley.” She frowned. “Is it wrong I’m not more upset?”
He patted her shoulder. “No, it’s not wrong, honey. I’m just glad you’re okay.”
“Thank you.” She took a deep breath. She realized this was her chance. “Someone at school told me that forty years ago, some animals went berserk and started attacking people. And that it wasn’t the first time—it had happened before.”
He listened, his forehead wrinkled, but she couldn’t tell if he was mad, upset, or just mildly curious. “Who told you that?”
“He didn’t want me to say.”
He cocked his head. “Why not?”
“I-I’m not sure. Is it true? Did it really happen?”
“Forty years ago,” he said, “I didn’t live here full-time. This was just our summer cabin. I was busy teaching philosophy.” His face softened. “And your dad was just a little guy.” A wave of sorrow rushed over his features, and she remembered how grief-stricken he had been when he’d come out for the funeral. He had left the church during the service and hadn’t made it to the graveside ceremony.
“You never dream that you’ll bury your own child,” he murmured, more to himself than to her; then he cleared his throat, seemed to snap back to the present. “I did hear rumblings about something going on out here, but you have to understand, Katie. It was different back then. Wolf Springs was very cut off from civilization. People liked it that way.”
“And it’s so different today,” she said dryly.