Page 39 of My Girl

“Uncle Ned,” Penny whines.

“Shouldn’t we let it go?” he asks. “That stuff happened a long time ago.”

I gnaw on my tongue. I should tell Ned about my connection to the case, and maybe even ask him to help me retrieve evidence from the police department, but I don’t want Penny to know that Michael Hall is my father. I want this to be about the crime; that way, she’ll be more willing to help me.

But we need Ned’s approval to do this. It won’t work without him.

And I need to see Crave in the light, even if he’s still wearing a mask.

“This could really help the podcast,” I say.

“The truth deserves to be told,” Penny says.

Ned studies me, then Penny. She must be like a daughter to him. Her father—his brother—is a cop, and evenshewants to find out the truth.

Ned smiles. “All right.”

“Really?” Penny asks.

“Really,” he says. He winks at us. “I knew you two would be trouble.”

“Good things are always trouble,” I tease.

“We have a lot of planning to do,” Penny says. She turns back to me. “Let’s meet again. When do you work? I can meet you here before or after your shifts.”

We figure out tomorrow’s meeting, then Penny gives Ned a hug and bounds toward the exit. I race after Ned, tapping on his shoulder before he gets to his office. I clench my jaw until my cheeks redden, feigning embarrassment.

“Penny’s father is a police officer, right?” I ask.

“Yeah, why?” Ned says.

“Do you think your brother would let me have a DNA sample from the Michael Hall case?”

Ned’s lips pinch together.Crave is just messing with your head,my brain reasons, but I can’t help it; the words are already out there.

“I just want to make sure, you know?” I explain. “A paternity test or whatever.”

“A paternity test?”

His eyes trail off, studying the gray tile. Melancholy pulls down his lips, like he finally understands why I’m so obsessed with this case. Why I can’t let my father be a killer. Why I have to prove my mother wrong, or I’ll never forgive myself.

“And you don’t want to ask Penny?” he confirms.

I shake my head. “She doesn’t need to know about my reasons for all of this.”

His chin bobs, his eyes glossy with thought. “My brother doesn’t really do things like that, but I’ll see what I can do.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to impose,” I say, regurgitating the line I know is expected of me.

Ned takes my hand. “You deserve to know.”

I blink, emptiness creeping up my chest. I squeeze his hand back, then let my hands fall to my sides.

“You’re too kind,” I say with a flat voice.

It’s true though; Ned istookind. I never trust people who are nice. There’s always another intention they’re hiding beneath the surface. I know, because that’s what I do too. And it’s probably why I like Crave. He’s a killer. He lets his violence embrace every word and action. You know exactly what to expect. On the other hand, you never know when a nice person will turn on you.

“Anyway, I’ve got to go check on the food court,” Ned says.