I slammed the front door behind me. Joy sat at the bar in the kitchen, eating tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. She frowned at me. “I thought you had work,” she said.
“I did,” I said. “He suspended me.”
Her eyes widened and she set down the spoon. “What? What did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything,” I said. “It was what I wanted to do that was the problem.” I got a glass out of the cabinet and went over to the fridge to fill it with water from the door. The ice cubes tumbled in and clinked against the rim. One fell to the floor. I stooped to pick it up, sighing. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“What happened to her?” Joy asked softly.
“I said I didn’t want to talk about it.” I tossed the ice cube into the sink. “I’m just... I’m so pissed.”
Joy stared into the depths of her soup. “Is it because of that Reyes woman?”
“Yeah.” She couldn’t just leave it alone. Then, it dawned on me—maybe I could use her help.
Dad had barred me from using any more department resources. I knew better than to try to reach out to any of my coworkers for aid. But Joy wasn’t on the force. Joy would have my back.
“She’s... she’s in trouble,” I told Joy, sitting down beside her at the bar. “They found some evidence. Without going too in-depth, she’s in custody now. Not just protective.”
“So, she’s going to trial,” Joy finished.
“Yeah, I guess so. As far as I know, she doesn’t have a lawyer, either.” I reached up and massaged the back of my neck, groaning. “All we have to go on—beyond the physical evidence—are Liv’s statements. And, unfortunately, mostly, I’m the only one she talked to.”
“Hmm.” Joy drummed her fingers on the bar. “What about Lyle?”
“She wants no part in this.” I didn’t know that for sure, but it was a safe assumption. She’d treated me like persona non grata and had barely even looked at me while they apprehended Liv.
“And you can’t ask anyone else because of the suspension,” Joy said.
“No,” I confirmed.
“Shit,” Joy said. I looked at her plate. She’d left the crusts of her sandwich to the side, just like always. I picked up a piece and popped it into my mouth. As I chewed, I considered my options again. “What are you thinking, then?” Joy asked. “Do you want to investigate it further? Can you even do that?”
“I don’t know,” I said, swallowing. “All I know is that I want to. I think... well, Joy, I think I need your help.”
“I’ll say,” she said.
I reached for the other crust, and she didn’t stop me. Joy knew I needed help. She knew she was the only person in the world who could see my side of the story—besides Liv herself, and Liv couldn’t help me verify her claims.
My cup of water sat undisturbed. I picked it up and sipped from it, at a loss for anything else to say or do that would make this situation feel even remotely normal.
“If you need my help,” Joy started.
I let my shoulders drop. “You already know I do.”
“I’m not sure what I can do, but... I’m still your friend, Andie. I’ll do whatever you need me to do, okay? That’s a promise.”
“This wasn’t exactly in our wedding vows,” I said. “I understand if you want to bow out.”
“Those don’t quite count anymore. Anyway, I’m in.” She offered me a smile, and it felt more genuine than others she’d given me lately. “So, what’s our plan of attack?”
That was a good question. I didn’t know.
According to Liv’s story, it was not just difficult to get into the bunker—it was illegal, full stop. I wasn’t even sure we could set foot in the forest without getting into trouble. For all I knew, Dad would be waiting there for me to show up.
“Shit,” I muttered.
Joy picked up her spoon and stuck it in the soup but let go of it instead of bringing it to her mouth. She rested her hands in her lap. “What are we trying to prove here, Andie?”
I took a deep breath. “They’re accusing her of murder, Joy. All I have to use against them are her statements, and that’s not enough.”
“We need to find physical evidence,” Joy said. “Right?”
She always knew which station my train of thought would stop at. “Yes, and if we don’t... I don’t know what will happen.”
It felt strange being so open with Joy now after we’d spent years keeping our secrets and our feelings from each other. I couldn’t help wondering if this kind of honesty might have saved our marriage. I didn’t have the time to dwell on it now, though.
“It’s dangerous,” I said. “We need to go into Dawsonville Forest. We have to find a bunker, and then we’ll go inside.” I hesitated. “A lot of it is flooded. And... radioactive.”
I left out the sirens. She could see them for herself. I’d already given her too much to consider.
I made a mental list of everything we’d need to bring so we could make sure we were ready—flashlights, snorkel or scuba gear if possible, boots, maybe some kind of weapon. I hated that I didn’t have my gun anymore. As seldom as I’d shot it, I felt comfortable around it. Safe and secure. Protected. Now, I felt wide open in the worst way possible. I had no clue what was in store for us once we got down there.
I hoped to God Liv was telling the truth. If she wasn’t—
But she was.
“Once we do this,” I said, “there’s no going back. If we get into trouble—”
“I know,” Joy said. “My mind’s made up.”
I held my tongue. “Let’s go then.”
It took almost no time to get to the bunker. Neither of us talked much on the drive over. I wasn’t sure there was anything that needed to be said.
We parked the car across the street from the chain-link fence and walked to the bunker together. Our fingers brushed, but we didn’t hold hands.
I felt disconnected from my body in the forest, like I was just floating around overhead. My heart was still with Liv, whatever she was going through.
So, we found the bunker. We found a way in, too. I didn’t know what we’d do once we were inside, but at least this was a start. A step in the right direction.
We weren’t supposed to be here. The air all but screamed it.