Page 129 of One Killer Night

Unknown:I don’t think Mommy would approve.

Our eyes meet and I blink. “My father.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Goldie

“See?” Evie smiles at me from across the long picnic table. “This isn’t so bad, admit it.”

I roll my eyes with a grin as I gather some more beads for the friendship bracelet I’ve been working on for the last ten minutes. She’s right, in that this camp is not at all what I expected. Who would’ve ever dreamed up that I’d be stringing little beads that look like teeth onto red elastic so I could commemorate my time with jewelry that’ll look like it’s eating my wrist.

“I’m not sure what your definition of ‘so bad’ is,” I say, holding up my chomplette, as I’ve decided to call it. “But yeah, this isn’t great.” She laughs, and I chuckle too. “But let me guess, this has something to do with a scary movie about a dentist?”

She taps her nose as she says, “Ding, ding, ding.”

The girl next to her, wearing makeup like a porcelain doll, gets excited and joins our conversation, rambling off a list of her favorites.

“So obviously we start withLittle Shop of Horrors...”

I zone out immediately, or the hopes of my teeth ever being cleaned again would be useless. But my sister falls into the conversation effortlessly, which makes me smile. I place my chomplette on the table and push it her way because I don’t really want it.

A guy walks by as I’m looking around, wondering if it’s too soon to diss my sister and go back to the cabin, which makes me do a double take.

My eyes pop open because he’s wearing a Thrills-n-Kills T-shirt. I reach out and touch his forearm.

“Hey, you wouldn’t happen to know a guy who works for them”—I point to his shirt—“who took all the cell phones when we came here, would you?”

He shakes his head. “We never confiscated phones.”

My eyes narrow before I realize he’s talking about for the guests. “No, I mean for the special effects team that was here earlier during the week. We missed the bus back, and I was hoping he sent our phones up? Or you can get them.”

“Ohhh, you’re talking about Jerry.”

I smile, my hope blooming, only for it to be snuffed out.

“No, he stays back. This stuff spooks him too much. Sorry, but you can use mine if you need to make a call. Or there’s a landline in the office.”

I smile, shaking my head. “No, thank you. I appreciate it.”

Fuck. Even if I wanted to call someone, I haven’t memorized a phone number since I was in first grade and had to remember my parents’ number.

“Hey,” I breathe out, interrupting my sister’s conversation. “I’m gonna grab something to eat.”

She nods as I throw a leg over the bench and walk toward the cafeteria, but when I get there, the doors are closed. I pull on the handle, but it doesn’t budge.

“What the heck?” I whisper as I step in closer to the window adjacent to the door and shield my eyes so I can see better through the glass.

It looks empty, but as I strain to see, I suddenly hear, “Whatcha doing?”

My whole body jerks as I half turn around and throw my hands out like I’m an old-timey boxer. Jesus.

“Whoa there, I come in peace,” he teases.

I laugh, lowering my arms as Remus smiles back at me.

I dust off my pants as a method of calming down before I hitch a finger over my shoulder.

“I was just looking for a snack.”