Page 36 of Strangers She Knows

“Luna would like fireworks,” Rae said.

With awesome patience, Max said, “We don’t have any fireworks.”

“Could we shoot off guns?” Rae asked.

Kellen put down the stress ball. “Guns?”

“Isn’t that why we shoot off fireworks? Because it’s like the Revolutionary War, all shooting and stuff?” Rae was pretty glib for a kid who’d never fired a weapon.

Kellen was glad she was honestly able to say, “There were no firearms in Morgade Hall when we arrived. Right, Max?”

Max straightened up. “No. No firearms here when we arrived. Which is weird, because a big tough guy like Morgade should have firearms all over his house. And animal heads mounted on his walls.”

“Daddy, that’s gross!”

“Yeah, it is. Anyway, no firearms when we got here.” He gestured to Kellen. “Would you try to start the truck?”

“Sure.” Kellen jumped down—Luna remained comfortably relaxed on the bench—climbed into the driver’s side, turned the key in the ignition, then pushed the starter button.

The starter moaned, but the engine didn’t turn over.

“Are you sure you’re doing it right?” Max asked.

Kellen got out, walked around to the front of the truck and looked at Max. Just looked at him.

“Yeah. I guess that was stupid.” Max wiped his greasy hands on a rag. “I feel like I’m not getting anywhere with this thing. The damned truck should start!”

Kellen affectionately watched him scratch his head and smear grease on his forehead. The first time they’d come out to work on the truck, Max had aired up the low tire.

Since then, like his optimism, it had slowly been deflating.

Rae frowned darkly into the depths of the engine compartment. “Daddy, the spark plugs are groaty. What would happen if you took them out and cleaned them?”

Kellen gave Rae a nod of approval.

Max viewed his little girl with suspicion. “It’s worth a try.” He glared at Kellen.

She shrugged. She hadn’t told her. Rae had thought of that on her own.

“Okay. Smart kid.” He beamed, and asked Kellen, “Will it work?”

“Good chance.”

“Rae, hand me a spark plug socket wrench.” He started removing the spark plugs.

Rae leaned on his shoulder and watched. “Be careful getting those out. We don’t have any wires if you break them.”

Right in that drawer, wires and new spark plugs, too.

Keep your mouth shut, Kellen.

She hadn’t yet investigated the contents of the old white refrigerator. She suspected it hadn’t run for a long time, and she rather feared she’d find the first caretaker’s lunch in an advanced state of petrification.

She opened the door.

Petrified food wasn’t what she found.

It was worse than that.

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