“It sounds like Bob Dylan.”
I grinned. The kid knew Dylan. No wonder I liked her so much. I lowered my voice. “Shh. Let’s not let the other priests in on our little secret.”
I couldn’t see her, but I knew she was smiling. “Okay.”
“Speaking of secrets, what do you have for me today? Have you been a good little lamb?”
“My sister came back home.”
“To get you?”
“No. She got in trouble, and the police brought her home.”
Good. The police needed to be at that house. “What happened?”
“She was staying at her friend’s father’s hunting cabin up north. She drank all his liquor one night and wandered out to find a store and got lost. The police brought her home after she threw up all over the back of their car.”#p#分页标题#e#
“Did they talk to your parents?”
“They talked to Benny. I listened through my bedroom door. He lied to the police, told them she drinks all the time and runs away with boys. That she’d been that way for a while.”
Shit. “They didn’t ask any other questions?”
“Not really. There were two of them, and one knew Benny from the garage.”
“The garage?”
“Where Benny works.”
“Benny fixes cars? He’s a mechanic?”
“Yes.”
“How is your sister now?”
“She’s sad.”
“Why didn’t you come last week?”
“I couldn’t leave my sister alone. Benny was really mad at her after the police brought her home. He was drinking and yelling a lot for days.”
“Did he hurt her?”
“I think so.”
This wasn’t a game anymore. “You need to tell me. Did he or didn’t he?”
She was quiet for a long time. I’d decided that if she took off, either I was following her home or the two of us were going to finally meet face to face. The fact that I’d violated this poor little girl’s trust didn’t even matter. She could hate me and run away from the church for all I cared, so long as she was safe.
I pushed with a stern tone. “Talk to me. Did he or didn’t he hurt your sister?”
“She won’t tell me. But I saw him come out of her room in the morning, and she told me I had to lock my door at night, that he’d promised he wouldn’t bother me if she was nice to him from now on.”
Fuck. Fuck. FUCK! “We need to go to the police. I’ll go with you.”
“I need to go home now.” I could see through the lattice that she had stood.
“Wait!” I yelled.
She stilled. “Why did you come today if you don’t want my help?”
“Because it feels safe here with you.”
“You trust me?”
“Yes.”
“Then I need you to do something for me.”
“Okay.”
“Get your sister and come back here.”
“I can’t. Benny’s going to be home soon.”
“Then tomorrow. It’s Sunday. What do you usually do on Sunday?”
“Benny usually goes to work in the morning. My sister and I play music. We’re not allowed to play it when he’s home.”
“When he leaves for work, come here. I want to speak to you and your sister. Together.”
She was quiet for a while. When she finally did speak, her voice wasn’t convincing. “Okay.”
“You’ll come? And bring your sister?”
“I’ll try.”
I waited until I heard the door to the confessional and then the church open and close. It would probably take a few minutes to unlock her bike, and I knew the direction she came from.
The last thing I wanted to do was scare her when I followed her home. But if she didn’t show tomorrow, I needed to know where I was going.
Rachel
Mind-blowing sex had after effects. It was not even nine o’clock, barely halfway through my shift, and I was dragging my ass. Even that thought, though, made me smile to myself. I’m dragging my ass. The ass that Caine had his hands all over last night…and this morning.
Ava caught me daydreaming. “Oh my God. You had sex with Davis.”
“What are you talking about?”#p#分页标题#e#
She tossed her tray on the bar next to some random guy who was immediately interested in our conversation. “I can see it in your face. You’re normally all…” She waved at her face while she scrunched it up to look like she might be in pain. “…uptight looking. Now you’re not.” She slapped the back of her hand against the guy drinking his beer and asked his opinion. “Am I right? She definitely got laid.”