Page 130 of The River We Remember

“You don’t need to apologize, Angie. And don’t worry, I’ll find them.”

But he didn’t. He drove every street in Jewel and saw no sign of the boys. Then Hank Evans raised him on the cruiser’s radio.

“Base to Unit One. Brody, are you there? Over.”

“Unit One here. What’s up, Hank?”

“Got a call from Velma Creasy. Scott Madison and Del Wolfe were out at the hollow. They had a gun, made some threats.”

“What kind of threats?”

“Not sure exactly.”

“Are the boys still there?”

“Negative. They took off on a motor scooter.”

“Did Velma have any idea where they were headed?”

“Another negative.”

“Thanks, Hank. Things quiet there?”

“As the grave.”

Brody swung his cruiser in a wide arc and headed east across the Alabaster.

The old woman answered the door. She wore a ratty sweater that was the same dismal gray as her hair. Her face was white and pinched, her eyes dark and penetrating.

“Yes,” she said. “They were here.”

“What did they want, Velma?”

Her right brow curled up like an inchworm. “My son.”

“They’re looking for Tyler?”

“Hunting Tyler more like it. They took off on Del’s motorbike.”

“I was told they had a gun.”

“You bet they did.”

“Where’d they get it?”

“My son likes guns. He keeps them in his little trailer over there.”

“Do you know where your son is?”

“My guess? Standing in the doorway to hell.”

“Is he still in Black Earth County?”

“I don’t know.”

“For his sake and the sake of the boys, if you know, tell me.”

“I don’t. And that’s God’s truth.”