Page 108 of Poison Wood

I send the address and gun it.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Riverbend, Louisiana

Sunday, February 17, 2019

4:00 p.m. CST

Willa’s voice is in my head, saying words likechaos seekingandself-sabotage, as I wait at the gas station near the farmhouse for Johnny Adair’s Project Innocence liaison.

I’ve heard stories from victims’ families about how flashbulbs now trigger them. For the first time, I understand why.

Grant shows up twenty minutes later in an Uber. He hops out and spots me parked by one of the far pumps.

When he opens the passenger door and climbs in, I say, “Have you heard from him?”

He nods.

“Johnny’s been busy,” I say.

Grant nods again. “Yeah.”

I pull away from the gas station and head south. “So did he tell you he turned in the red coat to the police?”

“He did.”

“But he hasn’t brought the car back?” I say.

“I told him to keep it today. He’s coming to get me tomorrow, though. We need to be in Natchitoches.”

“Media’s gonna be there,” I say, turning off the main road for the neighborhood behind the farmhouse.

“We’re aware of that.”

I turn off the neighborhood road onto the muddy path.

Grant looks around. “This is interesting.”

“No way I’m taking you through the front gate. We’d be on the front page of theRiverbend Timestomorrow morning.”

“A reporter hiding from reporters.” He smiles. “I like it.”

I hop out and unlock the gate. As the heavy chain falls from the fence, something in the mud catches my eye—footprints. They lead from this side of the gate onto my father’s property then disappear into the woods. I try to keep my pulse in check. It could be Debby or my father or a neighbor or ... or I may need to call the sheriff.

I climb back in the truck, pull through, then jump out and relock the gate.

“Where are we exactly?” Grant says, surveying the woods around us.

“My father’s house.” I ease down the narrow trail.

“Ha ha,” he says. I look over at him. “Wait. You’re serious?”

We exit the woods, and I steer us into the farmhouse driveway. Debby’s truck is sitting in the garage as I pull into my dad’s space. Great.

I kill the engine and look at Grant. “Wait here.”

He gives me a look.