totally putrid.
Eddie led us along a narrow, rutted path between two rows of graves. A few of the gravestones were draped with wilting flowers. One of the stones had a color photo of a German Shepherd printed on its front.
I brushed back my hair and wiped away drops of sweat from my forehead. It was a warm night, and there was no air here at all, not the tiniest breeze. As if the whole world was still and dead.
Toward the back of the cemetery, I saw a yellow light. I stared hard and realized it was the office building. The light was on in the front. Was Mac Stanton awake? Could he see us from there?
I stepped away from Roxie, eager to ask Eddie about the light in the office. “Mac can’t see anything from there,” Eddie said. “We’re too far away, and it’s too dark.”
He stopped at an open grave, dirt piled in a low mound at one end. The grave was about three feet deep. A shovel lay on its side beyond the mound of dirt.
Eddie turned and waited for the others to catch up. “This is perfect.”
Danny stepped up beside him. “You’re going to bury the briefcase in this grave?”
Eddie nodded. “Yeah. It won’t take long to cover it up. We’ll bury it here, then come back as soon as we know it’s safe.”
“Better be soon,” Riley muttered. “I haven’t found a summer job.”
“Yeah,” Roxie chimed in. “That hundred dollars you gave us isn’t going to go far.”
Callie remained silent, her arms crossed in front of her. She hadn’t said a word the whole drive to the cemetery.
“We’ll come back and get it as soon as we know no one is looking for it,” Eddie said. “You know I work here. So I’ll be able to keep an eye on it.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Danny said. “ You keeping an eye on it.”
“Give it a rest, Danny,” I said. “We said we’re going to trust each other, remember? Stop trying to start fights.”
He raised both hands and put this innocent, wide-eyed expression on his face.
“Eddie isn’t going anywhere,” I told him. “He isn’t going to take the money and fly off to the Bahamas.”
“Not a bad idea,” Riley joked. No one laughed.
“If you have a problem, you’ll know where to find him,” I told Danny. “So stop trying—”
I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. Who would call me after midnight?
I tugged it out and raised the screen to my face. Then I tapped to accept the call. “Sophie? What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Emmy? Where are you?” Her voice sounded tiny, frightened. “Where are you?”
Panic tightened my throat. I had to think fast. No way I could tell her where I was. “I’m … uh … with my friends. Why? What’s wrong, Sophie? Is something wrong?”
“I … sorry … sorry to bother you, but…”
“Sophie? Are you home? Is everyone okay?” My voice cracked on the word okay .
“Yeah. Fine,” she answered hesitantly. “I … was walking home from the library. I stopped at Lefty’s. You know. To see if there was anyone I know there. But the place was almost empty, and I really wasn’t hungry…”
“And? Why are you telling me this?” I demanded.
I looked up and saw the others watching me. I turned and walked a few steps down the path between the gravestones. Behind me, I could hear Eddie shoveling the dirt onto the grave.
“I think I saw it,” Sophie said. “Emmy, I think I saw it. The wolf.”
I gasped. “Huh? You saw it? Where? Where were you?”
“Walking home. By the Malcolms’ house. You know. Across from the playground.”
“The wolf was on the playground?”
“It was watching me, Emmy. It stood with its head down, and its back arched. I could see the black fur raised on its back. It followed me with its eyes. Incredible blue eyes.”
No! Could it really be the wolf from my dreams?
“What did you do, Sophie? Did you run?”
“No. I couldn’t. I was too afraid. I just stared back at it. And after a while, it slinked away.”
I suddenly felt strange. Sophie’s voice seemed
Eddie led us along a narrow, rutted path between two rows of graves. A few of the gravestones were draped with wilting flowers. One of the stones had a color photo of a German Shepherd printed on its front.
I brushed back my hair and wiped away drops of sweat from my forehead. It was a warm night, and there was no air here at all, not the tiniest breeze. As if the whole world was still and dead.
Toward the back of the cemetery, I saw a yellow light. I stared hard and realized it was the office building. The light was on in the front. Was Mac Stanton awake? Could he see us from there?
I stepped away from Roxie, eager to ask Eddie about the light in the office. “Mac can’t see anything from there,” Eddie said. “We’re too far away, and it’s too dark.”
He stopped at an open grave, dirt piled in a low mound at one end. The grave was about three feet deep. A shovel lay on its side beyond the mound of dirt.
Eddie turned and waited for the others to catch up. “This is perfect.”
Danny stepped up beside him. “You’re going to bury the briefcase in this grave?”
Eddie nodded. “Yeah. It won’t take long to cover it up. We’ll bury it here, then come back as soon as we know it’s safe.”
“Better be soon,” Riley muttered. “I haven’t found a summer job.”
“Yeah,” Roxie chimed in. “That hundred dollars you gave us isn’t going to go far.”
Callie remained silent, her arms crossed in front of her. She hadn’t said a word the whole drive to the cemetery.
“We’ll come back and get it as soon as we know no one is looking for it,” Eddie said. “You know I work here. So I’ll be able to keep an eye on it.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Danny said. “ You keeping an eye on it.”
“Give it a rest, Danny,” I said. “We said we’re going to trust each other, remember? Stop trying to start fights.”
He raised both hands and put this innocent, wide-eyed expression on his face.
“Eddie isn’t going anywhere,” I told him. “He isn’t going to take the money and fly off to the Bahamas.”
“Not a bad idea,” Riley joked. No one laughed.
“If you have a problem, you’ll know where to find him,” I told Danny. “So stop trying—”
I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. Who would call me after midnight?
I tugged it out and raised the screen to my face. Then I tapped to accept the call. “Sophie? What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Emmy? Where are you?” Her voice sounded tiny, frightened. “Where are you?”
Panic tightened my throat. I had to think fast. No way I could tell her where I was. “I’m … uh … with my friends. Why? What’s wrong, Sophie? Is something wrong?”
“I … sorry … sorry to bother you, but…”
“Sophie? Are you home? Is everyone okay?” My voice cracked on the word okay .
“Yeah. Fine,” she answered hesitantly. “I … was walking home from the library. I stopped at Lefty’s. You know. To see if there was anyone I know there. But the place was almost empty, and I really wasn’t hungry…”
“And? Why are you telling me this?” I demanded.
I looked up and saw the others watching me. I turned and walked a few steps down the path between the gravestones. Behind me, I could hear Eddie shoveling the dirt onto the grave.
“I think I saw it,” Sophie said. “Emmy, I think I saw it. The wolf.”
I gasped. “Huh? You saw it? Where? Where were you?”
“Walking home. By the Malcolms’ house. You know. Across from the playground.”
“The wolf was on the playground?”
“It was watching me, Emmy. It stood with its head down, and its back arched. I could see the black fur raised on its back. It followed me with its eyes. Incredible blue eyes.”
No! Could it really be the wolf from my dreams?
“What did you do, Sophie? Did you run?”
“No. I couldn’t. I was too afraid. I just stared back at it. And after a while, it slinked away.”
I suddenly felt strange. Sophie’s voice seemed
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