Page 32 of We Are All Guilty Here

“Not in her actual words, but Cheyenne made a joke about how the guy was so old that he couldn’t get an erection sometimes, and then she said that she wished his penis was as big as his wallet.”

Emmy didn’t note any signs of embarrassment in Kaitlynn’s face. Taybee worked in family law. She had never shied away from using the proper words for things. “What else?”

“She said that the guy was boring, but that having sex with him was the only way they were going to get enough money to leave town.” Kaitlynn tightened her grip on Emmy’s hand. “Madison started laughing, then she said something about them staying in a suite at the Ritz-Carlton in Atlanta, then they saw me standing on the other side of the lobby and stopped talking. That was it. I’ve never really had a reason to talk to them. They weren’t in my grade. Does that help you?”

“Yes, it does. Thank you, sweetheart.” Emmy stroked back her hair again, wishing she could smooth the worry from the girl’s brow. “What about drugs? Were they using?”

“I don’t know about using, but it would make sense. I heard that Cheyenne was hooking people up, but I’m not into that. I mean, I don’t mind when people do it, but I don’t like being stoned, and alcohol tastes gross.”

Emmy hoped that never changed. “Do you know a guy who’s called the Perv?”

She shook her head. “No, ma’am. Who’s he?”

“I’ve heard that he’s a drug dealer. He’s older. Dark hair. Shows up at parties down by the Falls.”

“That place is nasty. Connor got hookworm there last month. Nobody goes anymore.”

Emmy wasn’t surprised that Jack’s information had fallen out of date over the summer break. He wasn’t being forced to make up failed classes like Cheyenne and Madison. “Can you remember anyone else hanging around the girls or the school building? Someone who didn’t belong or made you feel uncomfortable?”

“No, ma’am. I would’ve told my mom. Like, immediately.”

Emmy believed her. “What about the outlet mall?”

“Only kids go there. It’s really boring.”

Emmy didn’t tell her that she was still a kid. “I know you’ve probably talked to your friends about the disappearances. Does anybody have any theories? Are there rumors? Even crazy ones?”

“No, ma’am. That’s why everybody’s so freaked out. Nobody knows what happened. If they’re safe. If they’ll ever come home. They didn’t hang out with anybody else. They only ever had each other. And now they’re both …”

Emmy watched her lips start to tremble. She pulled the girl in for a hug. Kaitlynn buried her head in Emmy’s neck. Emmy told her, “It’s okay, sweetheart. I know this is hard right now. We’re going to find out what happened.”

Kaitlynn started to cry in earnest. Emmy rubbed her back, feeling the sharp edges of her shoulder blades sticking out like wings. Kaitlynn was taller than Cheyenne, thinner than Madison. All that Emmy could think about was the List. The arrest records of men who were six-two and -three, north of 200 pounds, and the damage they could do to a young girl’s body.

The screen door banged open. Cole bolted down the porch stairs. “Mom! We’re going to the farm! One of the horses is having a baby!”

Kaitlynn peeled away, taking out her phone, bowing her head so that her hair covered her face. Emmy let herself smile as Cole gave her a drive-by hug, his arms gripping her waist for less than two seconds before he jumped into the back seat of the Mercedes. Emmy gathered from the matching shirt and shorts that Taybee had worked her magic. His cowlick had been tamed. Both shoes were tied. Her cousin was an enchantress.

“Seat belts, y’all. Kaitlynn, stop dawdling. Hop-to.” Taybee rapped her knuckles on the hood of the Mercedes three times as she walked toward Emmy. “Hon, I forgot to tell you Aunt Millie was blowing up my phone yesterday saying she needs to talk to you about how the man she hired to work on her pond has been smoking cigarettes and attracting riff-raff. I didn’t have time to figure out her craziness, but you need to give her a call before I have to drive over there and strangle her to death. You’re okay with Cole going to the farm, right?”

Emmy laughed, because it was a bit late for the question. “I’ll tell Jonah to pick him up before supper.”

“Sure thing.” Taybee plastered a smile onto her face as she opened the car door. They both knew that Jonah would be late. If he even remembered. “Em, I’ll tell you what. You mind if Cole sleeps over? Terrell’s got a mare foaling and I know he’d love the company.”

Emmy felt the spit leave her mouth. She had never before realized how artful Taybee was at solving the Jonah problem. “Thank you.”

“Thank me when I send him back covered in horse shit and afterbirth.” Taybee started to get into the car, but she stopped to study Emmy. “Tough day ahead. You got this, lady?”

Emmy nodded. “I’ve got it.”

“Call me if you need me.”

The door closed with a richthunkas Taybee started the car. She adjusted the mirrors, moved her seat up a bit to give Cole room in the back. He started furiously waving goodbye as they reversed out of the driveway. Emmy waved back until the Mercedes turned the corner. It occurred to her that Taybee had said she was wrangling all of the kids, but she’d only had one kid in the car that wasn’t hers.

Emmy hugged her arms to her waist. Her eyes blurred with tears that she refused to let fall. She had told herself in her darkest moments that she was staying with Jonah for Cole’s sake, but what lessons was she teaching her son about women? That they could be badass strong bitches in their jobs, but the second they got home, they rolled over for whatever bullshit their husbands spewed?

“Emmy Lou?” her mother called from the kitchen door. “Your father’s on the phone.”

Emmy felt like an anvil was on her head as she walked back across the driveway. Myrna wasn’t there when she reached the kitchen, but she’d rested the receiver on top of the wall-mounted phone. The cord dangled down like a hangman’s rope. The upstairs pipes rattled. Myrna had turned on the shower.

---