Cooper took a deep breath and let it escape. “We keep quiet and this will all blow past.” Striding over to the double-door entrance of the shed, he spun the dial on the combination lock. A moment later he rolled his bike inside next to his old one.
Gordy joined him inside. “What about the hard drive?”
“We bury it for now.” Cooper worked his way to the back of the shed and dumped a plastic garbage barrel filled with basketballs, footballs, bats, and street hockey sticks. “Nobody will ever find it.” Placing the hard drive at the bottom of the dark green container, he heaped the balls and gear back on top of it. Backing his way out of the shed, he stacked a sled, a couple of snow shovels, and the lawnmower in front of the barrel.
“Cooper?” his mother called. “Is that you?”
“Yeah.” Cooper’s heart jumped. He stepped past Gordy into the yard. “Right here.” His mother stood in the open doorway of the house, hugging herself in the cool October air.
“Are Hiro and Gordy with you?”
“Yeah. We were just putting my bike away.”
Gordy poked his head out of the doorway wearing a smile like a cheap mask. It did little to hide the guilty-as-sin look in his eyes. Thankfully, the shadows worked in his favor.
“Gordon,” she said. “Your mom has called here twice looking for you. I told her I thought you were heading to Frank’s for a little studying and after-dinner snack.”
Gordy’s smile went plastic, and his eyes widened. “Well, ah, we—”
“We changed our minds,” Cooper burst in. “We just biked to the park for a while, then came back here.”
The lie came out fast and smooth as though Cooper had rehearsed it a dozen times. Hiro stepped into view from the other side of the shed with her bike. Skin pale and eyes wide, she looked haunted.
“Hi Hiro,” Cooper’s mom smiled. “Are you keeping those boys out of trouble?”
“Definitely trying.”
“Good girl,” Mom said. “Keep them on their toes.”
Cooper exchanged glances with Gordy. They’d all need to be on their toes … or they’d end up flat on their backs like Frank.
“I’d better get home.” Gordy gripped the handlebars and pushed his bike toward the cedar fence. He turned and waved to Cooper’s mom. “See you, Aunt Dana.” Without a word, Hiro followed.
Cooper hustled up beside them. “Let’s take the bus tomorrow.” He wasn’t so sure riding bikes to school would be a good idea. “We can meet at the stop early.”
Hiro nodded, but looked like she was in a different world.
Cooper put a hand on Gordy’s shoulder. “Make sure Hiro gets home okay. I’d do it myself, but …” He tipped his head toward his mom.
“I don’t need a bodyguard,” Hiro said, walking faster to keep up.
“We could all use one right now,” Gordy said, hesitating as he neared the fence. “It’s safer if we stick together.” He took a deep breath and slid the bolt to unlock the gate. Looking both ways, Gordy rolled his bike out of the backyard.
Hiro waved a weak goodbye to Cooper and his mom, then disappeared into the darkness.
His mother closed the door partially and huddled behind it like she was waiting for him. Cooper’s chocolate lab nuzzled past her and wriggled out of the house. Bounding to greet him, the dog zeroed in on him like a heat-seeking missile.
“Hey, Fudge.” Cooper dropped down on one knee and braced himself. She collided into him, all wiggles and wagging tail. Cupping her head in his hands, he scratched behind her ears and under her collar. Fudge whimpered and whined happily.
When he stood and started toward the house, Fudge trotted beside him and sniffed at the hem of his shorts as if to find out where he’d been and who he’d been with. Whatever scent she picked up, it glued her to his left leg. Like some kind of tired wind-up toy, her tail slowed and finally stopped swinging altogether. Fudge prodded and poked at the pocket of his cargo shorts, but her nose never left contact with it, even as he stepped into the kitchen.
“Did you brush by a cat or something?” Mom frowned. “Look at her, she’s trembling.”
The hair around Fudge’s neck grew stiff and started rising. Cooper put one hand between her head and his pants, gently trying to push her away. She pushed harder as if drawn by an invisible magnet.
“She’s so intense, you’d think she smelled a chocolate bar in your pocket,” Mom said.
Cooper shook his leg to break Fudge free. Not chocolate. Blood. Maybe his shorts absorbed microscopic particles of Frank’s blood when he climbed over him. Now Fudge picked up on it. The scent of death. “C’mon Fudge.” He picked up her chin and leaned close to her face. “No.” Ears plastered back against the sides of her head, Fudge looked at him with deep caramel eyes. Sad, knowing eyes. Thankfully she couldn’t talk. She’d have to live by the Code of Silence too.
“Warm me up, Cooper.” Mom reached out for a hug. He was barely taller than her, which wasn’t saying much. Cooper held her tight, wishing he’d never gone out that night. Never went to Frank ‘n Stein’s. Never—
“Cooper.” His mother held him by the shoulders at arm’s length. “You’re shaking too. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he said, avoiding her eyes. “I guess it got a little chillier outside than I thought it would. I should have worn my jeans.”
“And your sweatshirt.” She rubbed his back. “October is nearly over.”
Cooper winced at the stinging flashes of pain. “I think I’ll hit the shower.” He needed to be alone. Think. Wash the blood off.
“I tried your cell.” She pointed to his cell on the counter.
“I forgot. Sorry.” She had no idea how sorry. He unplugged it from the charger and pocketed it.
“And then I started hearing sirens just before I checked outside.” She gave him one last squeeze and let him go. “Sirens tell the world something bad has happened.”
Worse than bad. The last twenty minutes had been like something out of a horror movie. More sirens wailed now. Cooper closed the door. “I’m home now, so it looks like you worried for nothing.” He slid the deadbolt in place.
She smiled. “I’m just glad you’re safe.”
Safe. He intended to stay that way.
“Uh, Mom, I lost my house key.”
“Is it up in your room?”
“Nope, I took it with me. Had it in my pocket.” He pulled his pocket inside out. “Gone.”
Mom smiled. “It’s not the first one you’ve lost. I’ll get a copy made.”
“Yeah, but somebody could use it to get in our house.”
If his mom was concerned, she didn’t show it. “You didn’t have a ring on it—no ID on it at all, right?”
Cooper shook his head. “Just the key. But I was wondering if we should get the locks changed—just in case.”
His mom straightened a hand towel hanging from the oven door handle. “We’ll be fine. I don’t think whoever finds it will try every lock in town.”
That’s exactly what he intends to do. “But just to be safe …”
Mom laughed. “Since when did you start worrying so much? That’s my department. I’ll see what Dad thinks.”
Swing and a miss. And to push it any more would draw more attention to it than he needed.
She pointed to a tray of chocolate chip cookies cooling on the counter. “I need someone to test this batch.”
He was in no mood for cookies. He wanted to turn out all the lights and be sure the deadbolts were in place on the front door. Hide. Take a shower and scrub every trace of blood, every scent of Frank’s death off him. A wave of weakness rolled over him and settled there. His mind shifted to an image of Frank’s body on the floor of his diner.
“Think I’ll take a shower first.”
She handed him a cookie anyway and leaned against the counter by the sink. “I talked to your dad on the phone while you were out. The photo shoot went well. He should be home by noon tomorrow … and he’s bringing a surprise with him.”
Cooper chewed a bit of cookie he didn’t remember putting in his mouth. Wake up and find out this whole thing had been a bad dream … that’s the kind of surprise he wanted.
She smoothed her shoulder length hair. “Something Dad has wanted for a long time.”
Cooper’s little sister ran into the kitchen. “Tell me too,” Mattie said. At six years old, she acted like the entire family revolved around her—or should.
“I’ll tell both of you after Cooper gets cleaned up.”
Mom started giving Mattie a little hint, but Cooper couldn’t focus on it. Right now every thought in his head revolved around Frank ‘n Stein’s. He only zoned-out for a minute, but apparently he missed something important. Somehow Mattie got the idea Dad was bringing home a pony. She pranced and galloped around the kitchen, pawing at the air.
Mom kissed Cooper’s forehead. “He can’t wait to show you, so do me a favor. Hurry home after school tomorrow. No snack stops at the mini-mart or Frank ‘n Stein’s.” Frank ‘n Stein’s. Cooper’s heart lurched.
His mother started to leave the kitchen with Mattie. “You won’t forget to come right home, will you?” she teased, calling over her shoulder. “I can pin a reminder note on your backpack if you think it will help.”
His backpack.
Panic clenched his stomach and twisted it. Dizziness surged through his head. Cooper grabbed the edge of the table to steady himself. His mother wouldn’t be pinning any note to his backpack. Not tonight. He’d left it under the table at Frank ‘n Stein’s. The backpack pinned him—to the scene of the crime.