Page 59 of Into the Dark, We Go

The sound of a throat clearing woke us. The Sheriff returned, seeming more tense than before. June moaned, stretching languidly. My neck ached from the uncomfortable position, and I was more worn out than before the nap. At that point, I didn’t care if they threw me in jail. As long as there was a bed.

"You two are done here. Get your belongings and get outta my town. We don’t need your kind around here."

"Why?" June drawled.

"Because I damn well said so!" His tired growl made us move faster. "I’m sick of you people pokin’ around, causin’ a scene, making’ my job harder."

"So, what happened to Duane?" I asked, suddenly finding some courage.

"Suicide. Now get on outta here."

Dawn had brokenwhen we came out of the station, and the gray light hurt my sleepless eyes. The sun hadn’t risen yet, but the sky was stained with an ombre of warm pastels. I shivered in my shirt.

"Ah, the long-forgotten taste of freedom," June said, as I spotted Mitchell and Nick waiting outside. Part of me was relieved to see them. I’d left the keys in the car and texted Nick where they were before the Sheriff arrived.

Nick leaned on the Dodge, scrolling through his phone. Mitchell rushed straight to June.

"You’re okay!" he exclaimed.

"Of course, I’m okay! Jeez, don’t get all mushy on me," his sister said.

But Mitch kept going, fuming, "I swear to God, I’m gonna kill them! Why the hell did they keep you all night?"

I half-feared he was really going to storm into the station and attack the Sheriff, but instead, he turned to me, jaw clenched and eyes blazing with anger.

"What the hell, Foster?"

"I—"

"You put my sister in danger! What were you thinking?"

"I wasn’t?—

"I didn’t expect that from you!"

With each shout, my frustration simmered. The sleepless night had left me raw, and the weight of everything that had been building up—anger, exhaustion, fear—finally broke through.

My temper snapped, and all my emotions came out with a tone of guttural rage.

"If you listened to me sometimes and actually drove the investigation, I wouldn’t have needed to do it my-fucking-self!"

He seemed taken aback by my outburst. "What are you even talking about?"

"I’m talking about you only focusing on Amanda and ignoring anything related to Lucas!"

"No, listen, we’re—" Mitchell started, but I interrupted him. It was his turn to swallow half-spoken words.

"No, you listen! I dropped everything to come here with you, and it would be nice to be considered for once! But all you do is ignore and disregard everyone else!"

"I’m just?—"

"Oh my god, shut up!" June yelled. "She didn’t drag me. I insisted. And don’t say a fucking word until we show you what we’ve got."

"You found something?" Mitchell was astonished.

Nick, too, now looked interested. He put his phone away and took a step closer to us.

I was still angry, so I shot back, "Yeah, but you gotta stop yelling, and can we please get away from this station first?"