Page 22 of Dark Roads
“Hailey! Where are you?” Cash.
I signed out, slapping at the keys, closed the laptop, and shoved the security camera into my pocket. When I stepped out of the office, Cash was marching across the lawn, his gaze fixed on the flower bed on the other side of the yard, searching for me.
“What’s going on, buddy? Movie over already?”
He stopped, hands on hips, his bony kid’s chest bare, camouflaged shorts oversized and showing the band of his dinosaur underwear. “Why are you in Vaughn’s office?”
“I’m not. I was checking some plants behind it.”
“What plants?” He was walking toward me now, curious. I forgot you can’t lie to kids, not easily anyway. They wanted proof of anything different.
“Itchy ones. They sting.”
He stopped abruptly with his eyes wide. “Sting?”
“Yup. Stinging nettles.” I headed toward him, reached down for his hand, and swung it lightly. “Let’s see if there’s any ice cream left.”
He peered up at me, his face scrunched. “Your hand is shaking.”
“I’m excited for ice cream. Come on, race me to the house.”
CHAPTER 7
I stared blankly at the TV. Cash leaned against me, laughing at the movie as if he’d never seen it before. Then he climbed down to play with his toy cars on his racetrack and asked if I could put him to bed tonight because he liked it when I read his favorite truck book. “You make the best engine noises!” But his voice seemed to be coming from far away, and I wasn’t sure if I answered.
He was still hungry, even after the ice cream, so I got him a bag of chips, and changed the channel toSpy Kids. “Back in a minute, buddy.” I went into my bedroom and acted as if I were casually gathering a few things—phone charger, lip balm, a pair of socks—all the while hunting for Vaughn’s camera. It had to be near my bed. The dresser, window, and closet weren’t in any photos. Then I noticed the wall clock, lined up with my mattress. Of course. The asshole.
I made myself walk back out to the living room. How could I ever shower again in this house, lie down in that bed? I thought back to the times I’d spoken on the phone and FaceTimed with Amber. Did the videos have audio too? I was glad that I had hidden in the closet when I called Jonny. I wanted to talk to himnow. I had to tell him. My uncle had nakedphotosof me. What had he been doing with them? I thought about him touching himself while looking at me, and my body recoiled into the corner of the couch as Cash ran his toy trucks over the cushions.
Vaughn must have been transferring the photos the night I spied on him. Creepy guys had online forums. The dark web.My photos could be on porn sites. Men all over the world might be looking at me. Fantasizing. Masturbating. And who were all those other women?
He hadn’t taken photos—that I knew of—from the living room, but I still felt like I was being watched and kept my legs crossed and my arms over my breasts. From my spot on the couch, I glanced around. What would the camera look like? It could be hidden in anything. I was scared that somehow, just by how I walked or acted, he would realize I knew his secret. Should I take a chance, get the laptop and take it to the police?
I didn’t have a car. Cash would follow me outside.
Vaughn would kill me.
When Lana came home, I thought I could escape for a while, but where could I go? She was in a rush as she dumped her purse onto the counter and said, “Can you help with dinner?” She opened the fridge and passed me vegetables.
I chopped. I ripped lettuce. Behind me, my aunt moved around the kitchen. How could she not know that Vaughn was a creep? Wasn’t she suspicious of him atall? She’d even reminded me to keep the bathroom window open. I felt sick with hurt. Like she had betrayed me.
The salad was finished. Lana glanced at it with a smile. “You’re an angel.” She asked me to strain the noodles, and explained how she made the sauce, pointed out the spices. I frowned at the bubbling liquid and fought back tears when I realized she was being motherly and passing on her recipe. Lana scooped spaghetti sauce onto a bowl of steaming pasta and passed it to me.
“Ta-da!”
I held the bowl, staring down at the food. My throat was so tight I couldn’t imagine trying to swallow a single mouthful. “I’m not really all that hungry.”
She gave me a look. “What have you eaten today?”
My thoughts fumbled.HadI eaten? The morning felt like years ago. The day was a void. Cash yelled, “She didn’t eat anything! Not even ice cream!”
I smiled weakly and set the bowl on the table, moved back to the kitchen to help Lana serve the rest. I might be able to get through it. I’d watch TV later and pretend to fall asleep on the couch. I’d send Jonny a message and meet him somewhere tomorrow. Vaughn was supposed to be working late, but then I heard the truck and turned to look out the front window.
“Can you give this to Cash?” Lana was holding out another bowl.
“Vaughn’s home.” I almost choked on the words. Did he know I’d found the photos? What was he going to do?
“Oh, good! He must have finished early.” She made a small motion with the bowl to get my attention. I took it and set it hard onto the wood table in front of Cash, who was playing a video game on his tablet. He looked up, startled, but I was already turning away. I’d go to the bathroom, say that my stomach cramps were back.
