Ethan was furious with Erin.
‘Have you any idea how embarrassing that was, Mom? I’ve been dragged away in front of all my friends. Why are you acting all weird?’
Erin was in a foul mood and had no intention of rising to the bait. ‘Carla was assaulted tonight. There’s someone walking around out there who has killed before and I’m not having you wandering the streets while he’s loose.’
‘Carla? She’s completely mental. No wonder she was attacked.’
Erin jammed her foot on the brake, earning her the horn from the car behind. She turned to her son. ‘Excuse me?’
He had the grace to blush, fidgeting with the strap on his rucksack. ‘I didn’t mean it like that; it’s just she comes out with this mad stuff and it affects us all. Nothing’s been the same since she arrived.’
‘Carla’s seen what we were all wilfully ignoring. The killer knows it too. It’s out in the open and I’m glad about that.’ Erin pulled out into the road without looking behind her, which earned her another toot of the horn.
What she couldn’t understand was why Carla wanted the address of Viv and Albert Kantz unless she thought one of them was the next target. They were looking for a killer of women, so it must be Viv who was in danger. Viv, Erin thought, could look after herself, but what about Carla? What about Ethan? Erin could feel danger. The dead didn’t scare her at all. The diseased, the deformed, the dismembered. Not one of them gave her nightmares, but now Erin sensed something much worse. She had to remember she was a mother and Ethan was the number one priority for her.
‘Ethan. I’m taking you to your dad’s.’
‘What?’ He turned to her. ‘You can’t do that. He’s got his new girlfriend over.’
‘Tough. I’m going to find Carla and I need to know you’re safe. Pack an overnight bag.’
‘I’ve got things in the closet of my room at Dad’s.’
‘Good. We’ll go straight there.’ Erin put her foot on the accelerator. There was a smell of sulphur in the air. Someone had got hold of fireworks and let them off on a neighbour’s lawn. Erin decided the following year she and Ethan would be on vacation for the festival. She was sick to the teeth of witches, spirits and all things supernatural, whether real or imagined.
The roads became more congested as they reached the river.
Ethan said, ‘Uh-oh, something’s going on.’
In the distance she could see squad cars outside one of the big houses on the river. ‘Looks like trouble.’
‘At least no one’s throwing themselves from the bridge,’ said Ethan.
‘Yet.’ Erin leaned out of the window to harangue crowds who refused to move from the highway. ‘I think all of Jericho is out tonight.’
‘Except me.’ Ethan crossed his arms, although he appeared more relaxed with being grounded. ‘I saw your friend when I was out. I shouted hello, but he just ignored me. Funny, what’s the point of having a costume if you’re not going to wear it? He had the mask in his hand.’
Erin went cold. ‘Friend? Which friend?’