Oh, good. My return is already common knowledge. “Well, why don’t you inch back this way and we’ll get out of here?”
Micah slid himself carefully toward Steve. Steve reached out his hand when Micah was close and pulled him over. Micah threw his arms around Steve and hugged him tight.
Momentarily stunned, Steve went still. Then his arms closed around the trembling boy. He patted him on the back. “It’s okay. You’re all right now.”
Micah nodded into Steve’s chest but didn’t seem inclined to let Steve go.
Steve patted him on the back one more time before pulling him away. He looked into pale green eyes that stared back at him from a mixed-race face. Mocha skin and a slight slant to his eyes suggested a black and Asian heritage.
“Okay, Micah. Why don’t you hop on my back and we’ll get out of here?”
Micah carefully climbed around Steve, placed his arms around Steve’s neck, and squeezed tight.
Steve tapped Micah’s arms. “Maybe loosen up just a little bit.”
“Sorry,” Micah mumbled, and he released some of the pressure on Steve’s neck.
“Here we go.” Steve stepped down to the next branch, careful to keep his weight forward. Luckily, the wind died down just then and the climb down was uneventful. Less than two minutes later, Steve stepped onto the ground. He knelt down and Micah clambered off.
“All good,” Steve said, standing.
Micah looked up at him. “Thanks. You’re nice.”
Steve nearly laughed. If only the rest of the town were so easy to convince. He pictured everyone in town getting caught in a tree. Steve could go around and rescue them all one by one and everyone would like him again.
“You’re not so bad yourself,” Steve said.
Steve turned to go, and Micah fell in step next to him. “How come you killed that girl?”
Steve glanced down in surprise, stunned yet again. “Um, I didn’t.”
Micah nodded his head so hard Steve worried it might roll off his shoulders. “That’s what I thought. You’re too nice. My brother and his friends said you were real dangerous. Said you would kill someone as soon as look at them.”
Great. “So how come you’re talking to me?”
Micah shrugged again. “You don’t look like you killed anybody.”
“Yeah? And what do people who kill people look like?”
Micah paused for a moment. “I guess they have blood on them.”
“What if they killed the person a long time ago?”
Micah looked at him, uncertain. “I guess they look mean. And you don’t look mean.”
Steve smiled. If only the jury had thought the same way. Steve wasn’t sure what to say to the kid, so he stayed quiet. Micah didn’t seem to mind. He babbled on about the kids at school, his mom’s meatloaf, which apparently he hated, and the fact that his dad worked too much to come see him and his brother very often.
Steve stopped in front of his grandmother’s house and looked down at Micah. “So I told them that I could too climb that tree,” Micah said.
“Well, you did.”
Micah beamed. “Yeah, I did.” Then his smile slid away. “You won’t tell anyone I didn’t climb down, will you?”
Steve shook his head. “Nope. Not a soul.”
Micah’s smile returned. “Thanks. See you later.” Micah ran back down the street.
Steve watched him cross the street and go up a path four houses down. He shook his head. Cute kid . He smiled as he thought about Micah’s non-stop conversation. Well, at least not everyone in this town hates me.
CHAPTER 13
T he wind shook Declan’s car as he pulled into the parking lot at Mel’s diner. He turned off the engine, leaned on the steering wheel, and stared up at the darkening sky before turning his attention to the water in the distance. Along the shore, trees swayed violently. Water plumed in the air in angry bursts.
A feeling of dread settled in the base of his stomach. Oh, this is not going to be good.
A patron from the diner opened the door and fought the wind to
Micah slid himself carefully toward Steve. Steve reached out his hand when Micah was close and pulled him over. Micah threw his arms around Steve and hugged him tight.
Momentarily stunned, Steve went still. Then his arms closed around the trembling boy. He patted him on the back. “It’s okay. You’re all right now.”
Micah nodded into Steve’s chest but didn’t seem inclined to let Steve go.
Steve patted him on the back one more time before pulling him away. He looked into pale green eyes that stared back at him from a mixed-race face. Mocha skin and a slight slant to his eyes suggested a black and Asian heritage.
“Okay, Micah. Why don’t you hop on my back and we’ll get out of here?”
Micah carefully climbed around Steve, placed his arms around Steve’s neck, and squeezed tight.
Steve tapped Micah’s arms. “Maybe loosen up just a little bit.”
“Sorry,” Micah mumbled, and he released some of the pressure on Steve’s neck.
“Here we go.” Steve stepped down to the next branch, careful to keep his weight forward. Luckily, the wind died down just then and the climb down was uneventful. Less than two minutes later, Steve stepped onto the ground. He knelt down and Micah clambered off.
“All good,” Steve said, standing.
Micah looked up at him. “Thanks. You’re nice.”
Steve nearly laughed. If only the rest of the town were so easy to convince. He pictured everyone in town getting caught in a tree. Steve could go around and rescue them all one by one and everyone would like him again.
“You’re not so bad yourself,” Steve said.
Steve turned to go, and Micah fell in step next to him. “How come you killed that girl?”
Steve glanced down in surprise, stunned yet again. “Um, I didn’t.”
Micah nodded his head so hard Steve worried it might roll off his shoulders. “That’s what I thought. You’re too nice. My brother and his friends said you were real dangerous. Said you would kill someone as soon as look at them.”
Great. “So how come you’re talking to me?”
Micah shrugged again. “You don’t look like you killed anybody.”
“Yeah? And what do people who kill people look like?”
Micah paused for a moment. “I guess they have blood on them.”
“What if they killed the person a long time ago?”
Micah looked at him, uncertain. “I guess they look mean. And you don’t look mean.”
Steve smiled. If only the jury had thought the same way. Steve wasn’t sure what to say to the kid, so he stayed quiet. Micah didn’t seem to mind. He babbled on about the kids at school, his mom’s meatloaf, which apparently he hated, and the fact that his dad worked too much to come see him and his brother very often.
Steve stopped in front of his grandmother’s house and looked down at Micah. “So I told them that I could too climb that tree,” Micah said.
“Well, you did.”
Micah beamed. “Yeah, I did.” Then his smile slid away. “You won’t tell anyone I didn’t climb down, will you?”
Steve shook his head. “Nope. Not a soul.”
Micah’s smile returned. “Thanks. See you later.” Micah ran back down the street.
Steve watched him cross the street and go up a path four houses down. He shook his head. Cute kid . He smiled as he thought about Micah’s non-stop conversation. Well, at least not everyone in this town hates me.
CHAPTER 13
T he wind shook Declan’s car as he pulled into the parking lot at Mel’s diner. He turned off the engine, leaned on the steering wheel, and stared up at the darkening sky before turning his attention to the water in the distance. Along the shore, trees swayed violently. Water plumed in the air in angry bursts.
A feeling of dread settled in the base of his stomach. Oh, this is not going to be good.
A patron from the diner opened the door and fought the wind to
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