“Don’t worry,” Daniel whispered. “I’m good at disappearing.”
I looked out the window again just as a white SUV pulled up behind Aunt Carol’s car in the driveway. “Oh crap!”
“What?”
“Sheriff Wright,” I said as I watched him get out of the patrol SUV with Deputy Marsh. I could think of only one reason why they would come here. I’d almost let myself believe that we’d gotten away. “I think those hunters went to the police. You better pull that vanishing act now.”
I turned to Daniel, but he was already gone.
Chapter Twenty
SECRETS UNEARTHED
HALF A MINUTE LATER
I jogged out of my room and headed for the stairs just in time to hear Aunt Carol greet the sheriff at the door. I slowed my pace and tried to go down the stairs as casually as possible. I even threw in a yawn with a dramatic stretch for good measure.
“Kind of early for a visit,” Carol said to the sheriff. “I just got here.”
“Is this about Dad?” Charity asked. I could hear the concern in her voice.
“No, miss.” Sheriff Wright tipped his hat to them. “We’re here to ask Grace a few questions.” He glanced up and saw me descending the stairs.
“Gwacie!” Baby James said. He ran to me and practically threw himself into my arms.
I wrapped him in a bear hug but didn’t take my eyes off the sheriff and Deputy Marsh. Their presence here couldn’t be a coincidence, not with what happened last night. “Hey, little man, how was your trip?” I asked my little brother.
“Long,” James said. “I hungwy.”
“Hello, Grace.” Marsh gave me a too-friendly grin. “We looked for you at the school this morning but couldn’t find you.”
“I wasn’t feeling well,” I said. “I would have had one of my parents call the school under different circumstances.”
“Since when does the school send the police when someone plays hooky?” Aunt Carol asked. “The poor girl’s parents are both in the hospital. I think a few truancies are understandable.” Carol never did have a lot of patience, and I could tell she wanted to finish bringing in the luggage. They must have driven most of the night to get here this early in the morning.
“This isn’t about school,” Sheriff Wright said. “I need to ask you a few questions about last night.”
“last night?”
Oy, why did my voice always sound so weird when I was trying to act casual?
“We got a couple of hunters in the station this morning. They were part of yesterday’s hunt for the wolf that’s been howling so loud the whole town can hear it. The hunters claim they were on the verge of capturing it, but then they were accosted by someone who knocked them out and stole their guns. Happened a mile or so into the woods behind this neighborhood.”
“Oh, that’s too bad.” I kept my face as blank as possible. “But what do you need me for?”
“Their description of the assailant fits you to a tee,” Marsh said. “One of them claims to have recognized you.”
Charity gave me a surprised stare.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Red “lie marks” burned up my neck. Why did I have to be such a bad liar?
Carol gave a derisive chuckle. “You mean a couple of full-grown men came into your station, claiming a five-foot-two-inch stick of a teenage girl beat them up, and you didn’t laugh them right out the door? This is ridiculous. Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to get the car unpacked and Baby James down for a nap. We drove all night to get here.” She started to close the door in their faces.