Page 45 of Dotted Lines (Runaway 5)

They were both staring at Lou, who stood beside the gate.

Talking to two police officers.

Their voices echoed across the yard.

Lou’s was gruff and raspy as he thrust a photo back at one of the cops. “Never seen him.”

“Are you sure?” The officer took the photo, looking at it himself. “This is an outdated photo. Maybe you could look again.”

Lou scowled. “Never seen that kid.”

The officers shared a look. “Sir, we have reason to believe this young man is living here. In your junkyard. On your property.”

“Not here.”

“Mr. Miley, if we could just take a look around—”

“No,” Lou barked. “There’s no kid here. Don’t you think I’d know if a damn kid was living at my place?”

“There are a lot of places where a person could hide.” One officer scanned the junkyard. When his face shifted our way, all three of us hit the dirt.

Aria’s face was pale. She sat unmoving other than the short, fast breaths that made her chest rise and fall. They matched mine.

Karson’s jaw was clenched tight and his fists balled at his sides.

His mother had done this. She’d sent the police here and given them that photo.

“There’s no one here but me,” Lou repeated, agitation tainting his words.

Maybe I heard the lie because I knew the truth. But if I didn’t believe Lou, the cops might not either.

“We believe he’s involved in a breaking and entering,” one of the officers said. “He’s been stealing from his mother for years now. Family heirlooms and such. She’s finally decided to get the authorities involved.”

“Fuck,” Karson muttered.

So his mother had decided to blackmail him.

The three of us shifted again, daring another glance at the officers. Thankfully, neither was looking our way. They were focused on Lou, who seemed to be getting more frazzled every second. He shifted his weight from foot to foot. He rattled the ring of keys in his hand.

Even when he had customers come to the yard, he’d point them in the right direction, then send them on their way. He never played tour guide. If a mechanic or antique hunter came here searching for spare parts, they were left on their own, given clear directions where they could and could not search. And Lou never ha

ggled. He had signs around the shack saying as much.

It was all so he didn’t have to prolong human interaction.

“Would you call us if you see anyone?” one of the officers asked, handing over a card.

Lou nodded and took the paper, shoving it into the pocket of his baggy jeans. Then, without waiting for the cops to leave, he turned and disappeared into his shack, slamming the door behind him.

The officers shared a look of disbelief, then walked to the street, where their cruiser was parked. As they rolled down the road, Karson, Aria and I stayed hidden, waiting until the only sound was the soft breeze through the drying summer grasses around the property.

Karson was the first to stand, shaking his head as he marched to the tent.

Aria stood and sighed. “Shit.”

“This is bad.” I got to my bare feet and pinched the bridge of my nose. “This is very bad. He told me a little about her last night. His mother. From the sound of it, she’s a manipulative, lying bitch.”

“He should leave.”