consciousness none of them could see. Except Kerri. She knew how he felt—
Stop thinking. She turned away from him.
VOLUNTEERS SIGN IN HERE said a hand-lettered poster over a table manned by two middle-aged guys in brown uniforms. The one who took their names gave instructions rapid-fire. “Down that path.” He pointed to a hiking trail leading into the woods. “When you get to where the ribbons stop, that’s where you search. Three teams of two—no, wait, there are five of you.”
“I’ll go,” said an unexpected voice. Kerri Ellen turned to find Burke by her side. “We’re not doing any good here.”
The officer only glanced at him, curt. “Three teams of two. Spread out about six feet apart and post these.” He handed the girl in front three ribbons. “Go due east.” He handed her three compasses. “You should be almost shoulder to shoulder. Look all around, up, down, sideways, not just in front. If you find anything at all, a cigarette butt, a tire mark, a footprint, don’t touch it. Shove one of these into the ground nearby.” He gave her a few stakes of raw wood with orange plastic stapled to the top. “Then go on. When you get to the highway, turn around and come back, due west. Keep looking in case you missed something the first time. When you get back where you started, leave the ribbons, and report here to me. Be safe and stay with your buddies. We don’t need another missing person right now. Any questions?” He scanned their faces, but jolted to a halt when he saw Kerri Ellen, and his voice changed completely. “Aren’t you the Spangler girl?”
Kerri Ellen hadn’t expected this. She managed only to nod.
The cop took a deep breath. “Young lady, I’m sorry about your sister,” he said softly. “I want you to know that we law officers haven’t forgotten about her. Not a day goes by that we don’t follow up or try to think of a new angle, a way to find her.”
Something bleak and true in his gray gaze enabled Kerri to say, “Every night we light a candle for her. In a lantern outside the door. Like, to bring her home.”
The policeman just nodded. “Whatever it takes to keep going, huh? You’re brave to be here today.”
Kerri Ellen couldn’t acknowledge.
“Well, good luck.”
Dismissed, walking back the graveled hiking trail, Kerri studied the blue ribbons tied to tree trunks and felt her friends eyeing her. Out-of-towners, they didn’t know, and she wasn’t going to explain. No one said anything until they reached the end of the ribbons, and then they spoke only to pair off. Kerri found herself teamed, just her luck, with Burke.
He stood there. Lost in an abyss of self, trying to peer out at a world that made no sense; she knew. She tied their blue ribbon around a shagbark hickory. They headed into the woods.
“Ow. Briars,” complained one of the girls as they picked their way through the thorny edge.
Suddenly Burke broke his silence to call, “Bethany!”
Kerri Ellen stiffened.
Only echoes answered from between the trunks of tall pines. The gray-green twilight beneath the trees felt familiar. This place reminded Kerri of the woods near Grandpa’s hunting cabin, two little girls calling and giggling and playing hidey-hole. Forests were full of good places to hide, always. Blinking around her at boulders, deadfalls, dying saplings draped in kudzu vine, Kerri felt as if—
Kimmi?
Right here, somewhere—
STOP it , she scolded herself. Stop. Feeling. Don’t. Think. Instead, she started scanning. Up, down, sideward. Between trees, behind rocks, under fallen trunks.
“Bethany!” Burke called.
Kerri bit her lip.
The skinny boy with fat glasses asked, “Burke, weren’t you the last one who saw her?”
“Right.” In a sinking voice, waterlogged. “I was babysitting her.”
“You were watching a movie or something?”
“Right.”
“What was your sister doing?”
Who did this nerd think he was? Heaving a fallen branch out of her way with more than
Stop thinking. She turned away from him.
VOLUNTEERS SIGN IN HERE said a hand-lettered poster over a table manned by two middle-aged guys in brown uniforms. The one who took their names gave instructions rapid-fire. “Down that path.” He pointed to a hiking trail leading into the woods. “When you get to where the ribbons stop, that’s where you search. Three teams of two—no, wait, there are five of you.”
“I’ll go,” said an unexpected voice. Kerri Ellen turned to find Burke by her side. “We’re not doing any good here.”
The officer only glanced at him, curt. “Three teams of two. Spread out about six feet apart and post these.” He handed the girl in front three ribbons. “Go due east.” He handed her three compasses. “You should be almost shoulder to shoulder. Look all around, up, down, sideways, not just in front. If you find anything at all, a cigarette butt, a tire mark, a footprint, don’t touch it. Shove one of these into the ground nearby.” He gave her a few stakes of raw wood with orange plastic stapled to the top. “Then go on. When you get to the highway, turn around and come back, due west. Keep looking in case you missed something the first time. When you get back where you started, leave the ribbons, and report here to me. Be safe and stay with your buddies. We don’t need another missing person right now. Any questions?” He scanned their faces, but jolted to a halt when he saw Kerri Ellen, and his voice changed completely. “Aren’t you the Spangler girl?”
Kerri Ellen hadn’t expected this. She managed only to nod.
The cop took a deep breath. “Young lady, I’m sorry about your sister,” he said softly. “I want you to know that we law officers haven’t forgotten about her. Not a day goes by that we don’t follow up or try to think of a new angle, a way to find her.”
Something bleak and true in his gray gaze enabled Kerri to say, “Every night we light a candle for her. In a lantern outside the door. Like, to bring her home.”
The policeman just nodded. “Whatever it takes to keep going, huh? You’re brave to be here today.”
Kerri Ellen couldn’t acknowledge.
“Well, good luck.”
Dismissed, walking back the graveled hiking trail, Kerri studied the blue ribbons tied to tree trunks and felt her friends eyeing her. Out-of-towners, they didn’t know, and she wasn’t going to explain. No one said anything until they reached the end of the ribbons, and then they spoke only to pair off. Kerri found herself teamed, just her luck, with Burke.
He stood there. Lost in an abyss of self, trying to peer out at a world that made no sense; she knew. She tied their blue ribbon around a shagbark hickory. They headed into the woods.
“Ow. Briars,” complained one of the girls as they picked their way through the thorny edge.
Suddenly Burke broke his silence to call, “Bethany!”
Kerri Ellen stiffened.
Only echoes answered from between the trunks of tall pines. The gray-green twilight beneath the trees felt familiar. This place reminded Kerri of the woods near Grandpa’s hunting cabin, two little girls calling and giggling and playing hidey-hole. Forests were full of good places to hide, always. Blinking around her at boulders, deadfalls, dying saplings draped in kudzu vine, Kerri felt as if—
Kimmi?
Right here, somewhere—
STOP it , she scolded herself. Stop. Feeling. Don’t. Think. Instead, she started scanning. Up, down, sideward. Between trees, behind rocks, under fallen trunks.
“Bethany!” Burke called.
Kerri bit her lip.
The skinny boy with fat glasses asked, “Burke, weren’t you the last one who saw her?”
“Right.” In a sinking voice, waterlogged. “I was babysitting her.”
“You were watching a movie or something?”
“Right.”
“What was your sister doing?”
Who did this nerd think he was? Heaving a fallen branch out of her way with more than
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