“I didn’t mess with it,” Colt said.
Hazard ignored him and continued to examine each item. Finally, he looked at Somers.
“It looks fine to me,” Somers said with a shrug, “but why don’t we wait until we’ve had some sleep and—”
“No. You’re right; I’m making this more difficult than it has to be.”
Somers scratched his eyebrow again. He was studying that same spot on the floor. After thirty seconds, Hazard ripped open the packaging on a swab and ran it back and forth on the inside of his cheek. He sealed it in the tube, and then he sealed the tube inside a tamper-evident envelope. He tossed the remaining swab to Colt.
“Now you.”
Colt tucked the swab inside his cheek.
“Open your mouth,” Hazard said. “Let me see.”
“You’re such a freak,” Colt said, but he pulled out the swab and opened his mouth. As far as Hazard could tell, there was nothing unusual. Hazard didn’t even know how someone might fake a DNA test, but he imagined some sort of patch held inside the mouth where the imposter tissue could be collected. He couldn’t see anything like that in Colt’s mouth. “Well?”
“Go ahead,” Hazard said.
Colt finished with the swab. He sealed it in the tube, and then he sealed it again in the envelope. He collected Hazard’s sample and swung his backpack over one shoulder. Then he took off toward the front door, his attention fixed on the bag as he juggled the samples and tried to stow everything. He had to stop twice, shifting everything around, to get it all stowed.
“Hold on,” Somers said. “Colt, where are you—”
“Not so fucking fast,” Hazard said.
Somers tried to stop him, but Hazard elbowed him aside and grabbed the backpack. He tugged on the zipper. Colt spun in a circle, trying to get the bag free.
“Give me those,” Hazard said. “I’ll send them in for testing.”
“Bruh!”
“You’re not walking out of here with those samples.” Hazard gave another yank, and the backpack came free from Colt’s grip. Hazard reached inside, found the two sealed envelopes, and extracted them. He shoved them into his back pocket. Then he tossed the cardboard packaging from the test onto the coffee table. It hit the Pepsi can, which rolled off the table and dinged softly against the floor. “I’ll expedite them.”
“You are seriously fucked up,” Colt said.
“Then you’d better hope it’s not genetic,” Hazard said with a chilly smile.
“This whole thing was a fucking mistake.”
“Yes, it was. And the test will prove it.”
Colt’s eyes were red. “Fuck you, man.”
The kid grabbed his backpack, zipped it shut, and headed for the door.
“Hold on,” Somers said again. “Where are you going?”
Colt didn’t look back. “I can take care of myself.”
“You heard him,” Hazard said. “He can take care of himself.”
Somers cast him a look, and Hazard felt his face heat. With a shake of his head, the blond man jogged after Colt and caught up with him at the door.
“Where’s your mom?”
Colt shook his head. Then, in a thick voice, he said, “She’s dead.”
“Where have you been living?”
“I’m fine. I’ve got my own thing.”
“Colt, where have you been living?”
Colt glanced away and shouldered the backpack higher. He ran his arm under his nose. “He doesn’t want me here.”
Hazard nodded. “I sure as fuck don’t.”
“Ree, Jesus,” Somers said, but he sounded tired now instead of angry. He moved slowly, bringing his hand up, resting it gently on Colt’s shoulder. The boy quivered like a wild animal. He was still staring off into the darkened front room. “Come on,” Somers said, squeezing once. “We’ve got a guest room. Have you eaten anything?”
“He can’t stay here,” Hazard said.
“See?” Colt snuffled into his sleeve again. “He hates me.”
Somers looked over the boy’s shoulder; his eyes locked with Hazard’s, and Hazard broke first. “We’ll talk about this after I get Colt settled.”
“He’s not staying, John. It’s not safe for any of us. It’s not safe for him to stay with two strange men—”
“I need you to drop this.”
“—and it’s not safe for us to have a teenage boy we don’t know sleeping in our house.”
“I’m telling you to let it go, Ree. We’re all tired. Let’s pick up tomorrow.”
“It’s not safe for Evie. It’s unbelievably irresponsible of you to endanger her by letting a stranger stay in this house.”
“Unbelievably irresponsible? Of me?”
Hazard shifted his weight.
“He’s staying, Ree.” Somers’s voice was flat. “End of discussion.”
“Fine,” Hazard said. He shot toward the kitchen and the door that led out into the garage. “Then I’m not.”
CHAPTER THREE
NOVEMBER 1
FRIDAY
5:29 AM
IN THE GARAGE, the smell of gasoline, motor oil, and old grass clippings met Hazard. The light was on, and the garage door was still up. They still hadn’t even gotten their bags out of the car. Hazard opened the trunk, pulled out his roller bag, and set it on the cement slab. He had a moment of doubling, of seeing himself as a child, running away from home because his dad had beat his ass with a belt for talking back, because running away was the scrap of power he had left.
He dragged the bag out onto the driveway, hit the garage door control, and started down the driveway as the door rattled closed. He stopped at the sidewalk. It was like running away all over again, because where the fuck was he supposed to go?
The house—his house, his and Somers’s house—was bright with lights. In other houses on the street, lights were flicking on. The sky was brightening to the east, a distressed gray like someone was taking off the black with sandpaper. No moon.
The roller bag’s wheels chittered on the cement as he followed the sidewalk. In the distance, someone still had sprinklers running, even this late in the year. Chi-chi-chi-chi-chi-chi-chirp. It was almost as good as white noise. Just enough to keep his brain from backtracking and playing the whole scene over again.
At the next house, Noah and Rebeca’s house, the front door opened. A wedge of yellow light spread across the porch, then across the lawn. A familiar, gangly outline filled the doorway.
“Hi, Emery,” Noah said.
Hazard stopped. His hand felt like lead on the roller bag.
“Want to come inside for a minute? Sounds like, um, maybe you guys are having a rough night. Morning. Whatever.”
Down the street, the sprinklers hissed and then faded into silence. Hazard flexed his fingers around the bag’s handle.