Page 143 of What We Bury

“Could go either way,” Knox says.

“Yeah.”

“We watch him from now on.”

Knox nods.

“What about Sage?” Milo asks. “Should we tell her?”

“Has she said anything about Tyler being weird with her?” I ask Milo. “Threatening?”

Milo curls his lip. “He was there Tuesday night—at her place—acting like an ass. She said he’s been suspicious of her. Asking questions. Thinks he blames her for Brock leaving. But she didn’t say he was scaring her. Just said he was annoying.”

“Annoying isn’t dangerous.”

“Yet,” Knox mutters.

I glance around to make sure no one’s within listening distance. “Davis’s parents have been calling me almost every day this past week. The dad mostly. The mom’s started leaving messages.”

“Asking what?”

“Updates. Same questions on a loop—any news, who was the last person to see him, what about the girl he left the party with. They’re not letting it go.”

Knox grunts. “They won’t, until somebody gives them a reason to.”

“I’m going to need an official statement from Sage. Soon. Just to put a pin in it. If I have her on record saying he ghosted her like he ghosted them, then at least it looks like I’m taking their concerns seriously. If I don’t, the parents keep pushing and since they’re rich assholes, someone above me will take over and give them what they want.”

Milo’s expression sharpens. “Or I could just shut the parents up directly.”

“How?”

“Voice clone. Five minutes of Brock’s Instagram clips through a model, and Brock calls Mom and Dad himself—he’s fine, he needs space, please stop acting like his leaving is a crime.” He shrugs. “Saves you an interview. Saves Sage from sitting across a desk from you, lying for her life.”

I think about it. It’s clean. Voice-clone calls have plausibility, especially to parents desperate for any contact. And it spares Sage the official police visit, which I don’t love putting her through.

“Both,” I say. “I’ll still need a statement from Sage for the file. But you make the call to the parents ASAP. If they hear from him, they back off and the case cools. Then her statement is just paperwork.”

Milo nods. “On it.”

“I need to get out of these clothes,” I say, already reaching for my car keys. “So I’m gonna head home and shower. Then I’ll go talk to Sage. Anything else?”

They both shake their heads.

“Good. I’ll see you later.”

I get in the Audi and sit for ten seconds with my hands on the wheel. As much as I need to talk to her about Tyler and that party, I know the real reason I’m going.

I’m tired of looking at her from a distance. I need to be near her.

THIRTY-NINE

SAGE

My phone buzzes against the counter while I’m standing over the sink eating a peanut butter sandwich I don’t want, and the screen lights up with the last name I expected.

Amy:

Hey bestie. I know I’ve been the worst lately. Are you home today?