Someplace she might’ve gone?”
“She said she liked to hang out at the Regency Mall sometimes. But, you know, they make you stop hanging out with most of your old friends. I used to go out to Jax Beach but my PO says I can’t do that anymore. I mean, how is hanging at the beach supposed to be a bad influence? We even have a fu—” She caught herself and cast me a sidelong glance. “Uh. A freaking curfew. It sucks.”
“Sounds like it. Was there anyone in particular Brooke wasn’t supposed to see?”
“Her boyfriend, Stefan. He got busted for drugs.”
“Do you know his last name?”
She shook her head. “Sometimes, Brooke would call him Butter.”
“Butter? Is that like calling someone honey?”
Caitlyn giggled. “No. It’s his street name. ’Cause he thinks he’s smooth as butter.” She rolled her eyes.
“I take it you don’t think he’s so smooth?”
“He’s kind of a dick.” Her eyes widened. “Sorry.”
“Hey, call it like you see it—that’s what I do.”
She nodded. “I met him a couple of times.”
“He came here?”
She shrugged. “Me and Brooke would go to the movies; he’d meet her there.”
I thought it was really stupid to risk getting in trouble to see a boy. But it wasn’t my place to point that out. “You think he’s a jerk, huh?”
“He’s a total wangster. Like he’s all bad or something because he thinks he looks like that guy on
Pretty Little Liars
—you know, the bad boy, Caleb?” She rolled her eyes again. “Like you can grow your hair out and look like Tyler Blackburn.”
I had no idea what she was talking about, but I nodded anyway. “Total wangster. Do you know where Stefan lives?”
“Somewhere off Cesery, I think.”
Cesery was a long road with access to everything from housing projects to mansions, if you crossed over into Oak Park. Not the greatest lead, but it was a start.
We were quiet as we finished our task and finally I asked, “Do you know what’s up with Brooke’s parents?”
“What do you mean?”
“They haven’t reported her missing.”
Caitlyn shrugged. “Brooke said her mom told her if she ever ran away again, she shouldn’t come back. And her stepdad said she was cut off or something.”
“So Brooke and her parents didn’t get along?”
“She said her mom was just emotional but her stepdad’s a real asshole.” She shot me a guilty grimace. “Sorry.”
“Apologize to the donkeys, not me.”
She blinked at me. “Huh?”
“You know—they’re asses and . . . never mind.”
I helped Caitlyn maneuver the can through the gate but hung around as she headed off. I had an appointment with a jackass of my own.
CHAPTER 4
I’d kept my eye on Jack-Jack while we cleaned the pen. As soon as Caitlyn was out of sight, I turned to find he’d moved away and turned his back on me.
“You’ll have to do better than that, buddy.” I slipped back through the gate and crept toward where he stood.
Here, donkey, donkey.
As I edged forward, I nudged Jack-Jack’s mind with my own.
Nothing.
He wasn’t just ignoring me, he was . . . blocking me?
“No way.”
It had taken me years to learn how to block out the intrusive buzz of the animal minds around me. Pulling a mental shield into place was tricky and took practice. I couldn’t believe a donkey could do it—not even one as smart as Jack-Jack.
I put my hand out and eased toward him. If I could get my hands on him, my connection would be stronger and I’d know for sure.
The other donkeys watched as I stalked closer to Jack-Jack. I cast out my feelers to them, thankful to find they weren’t alarmed. Donkeys could be very protective when they perceived a threat. The last thing I wanted was to be the victim of a misguided donkey stomp.
As I neared, Jack-Jack’s ears swiveled backward, listening. I was only a few feet away.
Closer. Closer . . . just before my hand connected with his rump, he trotted away.
I tried again with the same result. Each
“She said she liked to hang out at the Regency Mall sometimes. But, you know, they make you stop hanging out with most of your old friends. I used to go out to Jax Beach but my PO says I can’t do that anymore. I mean, how is hanging at the beach supposed to be a bad influence? We even have a fu—” She caught herself and cast me a sidelong glance. “Uh. A freaking curfew. It sucks.”
“Sounds like it. Was there anyone in particular Brooke wasn’t supposed to see?”
“Her boyfriend, Stefan. He got busted for drugs.”
“Do you know his last name?”
She shook her head. “Sometimes, Brooke would call him Butter.”
“Butter? Is that like calling someone honey?”
Caitlyn giggled. “No. It’s his street name. ’Cause he thinks he’s smooth as butter.” She rolled her eyes.
“I take it you don’t think he’s so smooth?”
“He’s kind of a dick.” Her eyes widened. “Sorry.”
“Hey, call it like you see it—that’s what I do.”
She nodded. “I met him a couple of times.”
“He came here?”
She shrugged. “Me and Brooke would go to the movies; he’d meet her there.”
I thought it was really stupid to risk getting in trouble to see a boy. But it wasn’t my place to point that out. “You think he’s a jerk, huh?”
“He’s a total wangster. Like he’s all bad or something because he thinks he looks like that guy on
Pretty Little Liars
—you know, the bad boy, Caleb?” She rolled her eyes again. “Like you can grow your hair out and look like Tyler Blackburn.”
I had no idea what she was talking about, but I nodded anyway. “Total wangster. Do you know where Stefan lives?”
“Somewhere off Cesery, I think.”
Cesery was a long road with access to everything from housing projects to mansions, if you crossed over into Oak Park. Not the greatest lead, but it was a start.
We were quiet as we finished our task and finally I asked, “Do you know what’s up with Brooke’s parents?”
“What do you mean?”
“They haven’t reported her missing.”
Caitlyn shrugged. “Brooke said her mom told her if she ever ran away again, she shouldn’t come back. And her stepdad said she was cut off or something.”
“So Brooke and her parents didn’t get along?”
“She said her mom was just emotional but her stepdad’s a real asshole.” She shot me a guilty grimace. “Sorry.”
“Apologize to the donkeys, not me.”
She blinked at me. “Huh?”
“You know—they’re asses and . . . never mind.”
I helped Caitlyn maneuver the can through the gate but hung around as she headed off. I had an appointment with a jackass of my own.
CHAPTER 4
I’d kept my eye on Jack-Jack while we cleaned the pen. As soon as Caitlyn was out of sight, I turned to find he’d moved away and turned his back on me.
“You’ll have to do better than that, buddy.” I slipped back through the gate and crept toward where he stood.
Here, donkey, donkey.
As I edged forward, I nudged Jack-Jack’s mind with my own.
Nothing.
He wasn’t just ignoring me, he was . . . blocking me?
“No way.”
It had taken me years to learn how to block out the intrusive buzz of the animal minds around me. Pulling a mental shield into place was tricky and took practice. I couldn’t believe a donkey could do it—not even one as smart as Jack-Jack.
I put my hand out and eased toward him. If I could get my hands on him, my connection would be stronger and I’d know for sure.
The other donkeys watched as I stalked closer to Jack-Jack. I cast out my feelers to them, thankful to find they weren’t alarmed. Donkeys could be very protective when they perceived a threat. The last thing I wanted was to be the victim of a misguided donkey stomp.
As I neared, Jack-Jack’s ears swiveled backward, listening. I was only a few feet away.
Closer. Closer . . . just before my hand connected with his rump, he trotted away.
I tried again with the same result. Each
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