years ago, but that had been settled. Ever since, the lakes had been lulled to sleep.
She jogged on, listening for shots. She could smell the coming frost. The sun vanished. The air in the woods was perfectly still and their breath hung behind them like judgmental ghosts.
"When did this happen?" Ellie asked.
"George just noticed," Dee said.
"Was it there yesterday?"
"I dunno. We were in town."
"We've got to work on your powers of observation."
They ran in silence from there, feet swishing through the damp leaves. The limbs were growing bare and Ellie was growing sick of all this rushing back and forth. It had reached the point where it made sense to invite George and Quinn to live with her and Dee. At least that way, when trouble came calling, Ellie wouldn't have to put on her shoes.
"What's so funny?" Dee said.
"Family."
The run took as long as always. As they jogged toward the Tolbert house, two silhouettes emerged onto the front porch, guns glinting in the moonlight of the cloud-patched sky.
"It's us," Ellie called.
"Hell." George lowered his gun. "I thought the bandits were back for the rest."
"Wasn't bandits," Quinn muttered. "It was Sam Chase."
Ellie stopped in front of the stoop, pressing her hand to the stitch in her side. "You didn't confront him, did you?"
"Dee wouldn't let me."
"That's because I raised her to use her brain. Sam isn't stupid enough to steal two bins of wheat from his own neighbor."
Quinn laughed harshly. "Sam is stupid enough to eat the plate when he runs out of dinner."
"We'll see who's right in the morning. When men are 85% less likely to answer a knock with a shotgun blast." Ellie climbed the first step and leaned on her knee. "Now how about you two Southern gentlemen get out of the way so I can get a drink of water?"
The Tolbert men shot up their eyebrows and fell over each other to vacate the stairs and bring her some water. George had a fire going in the living room, and after the five-mile run, the home felt stiflingly warm. Ellie glugged down a full glass of water, refilled it herself, and went out back to cool down. The others followed, settling into the lawn chairs.
"Have you seen anyone around here lately?" she said.
George shook his head. "Just your midnight skulker."
"When was the last time you saw the wheat?"
"Yesterday. Morning." He leaned forward with a frown. "Do you mean to lead this investigation?"
"Do you have a problem with that?"
"It's my farm. My business."
Ellie took a long drink to stop herself from saying something stupid. "No offense, George, but you and your son keep running into trouble. I think a third party is the best chance to put a stop to it."
"Just like you did with the Chase boy?"
"Has there been another incident? Then don't question my work."
She'd spoken with more vehemence than she'd meant to and for a moment the night was so quiet they could hear the lake lapping the dark shore.
"I'll go with her, Dad," Quinn said.
Ellie raised a brow. "Not to see Sam."
"If it isn't him, I mean."
George rubbed his jaw. He normally kept it clean shaven but white bristles showed in the candlelight. "It would be nice to have a Tolbert represented in the field."
"You're kind of young, aren't you?" Ellie said.
Quinn laughed in a careless way that did not bode well for a long and happy life. "I'm nineteen. In the old days, nineteen-year-olds were sent to war."
"The old days? You mean like 2007?"
"Before the plague. When everything was safe and kids had to be sealed away from anything that could hurt them."
Ellie glared into her water glass. "The army knew it's best to train killers from an early age."
"It's a new world," George declared. "Time for my boy to learn how to navigate it. Think you're the best person for the job, Ellie? Then you're the best one to show Quinn the ropes."
Ellie bristled, but she forced herself to take a mental step back. Quinn meant to marry her daughter. Some day—a day that would come much sooner than Ellie had
She jogged on, listening for shots. She could smell the coming frost. The sun vanished. The air in the woods was perfectly still and their breath hung behind them like judgmental ghosts.
"When did this happen?" Ellie asked.
"George just noticed," Dee said.
"Was it there yesterday?"
"I dunno. We were in town."
"We've got to work on your powers of observation."
They ran in silence from there, feet swishing through the damp leaves. The limbs were growing bare and Ellie was growing sick of all this rushing back and forth. It had reached the point where it made sense to invite George and Quinn to live with her and Dee. At least that way, when trouble came calling, Ellie wouldn't have to put on her shoes.
"What's so funny?" Dee said.
"Family."
The run took as long as always. As they jogged toward the Tolbert house, two silhouettes emerged onto the front porch, guns glinting in the moonlight of the cloud-patched sky.
"It's us," Ellie called.
"Hell." George lowered his gun. "I thought the bandits were back for the rest."
"Wasn't bandits," Quinn muttered. "It was Sam Chase."
Ellie stopped in front of the stoop, pressing her hand to the stitch in her side. "You didn't confront him, did you?"
"Dee wouldn't let me."
"That's because I raised her to use her brain. Sam isn't stupid enough to steal two bins of wheat from his own neighbor."
Quinn laughed harshly. "Sam is stupid enough to eat the plate when he runs out of dinner."
"We'll see who's right in the morning. When men are 85% less likely to answer a knock with a shotgun blast." Ellie climbed the first step and leaned on her knee. "Now how about you two Southern gentlemen get out of the way so I can get a drink of water?"
The Tolbert men shot up their eyebrows and fell over each other to vacate the stairs and bring her some water. George had a fire going in the living room, and after the five-mile run, the home felt stiflingly warm. Ellie glugged down a full glass of water, refilled it herself, and went out back to cool down. The others followed, settling into the lawn chairs.
"Have you seen anyone around here lately?" she said.
George shook his head. "Just your midnight skulker."
"When was the last time you saw the wheat?"
"Yesterday. Morning." He leaned forward with a frown. "Do you mean to lead this investigation?"
"Do you have a problem with that?"
"It's my farm. My business."
Ellie took a long drink to stop herself from saying something stupid. "No offense, George, but you and your son keep running into trouble. I think a third party is the best chance to put a stop to it."
"Just like you did with the Chase boy?"
"Has there been another incident? Then don't question my work."
She'd spoken with more vehemence than she'd meant to and for a moment the night was so quiet they could hear the lake lapping the dark shore.
"I'll go with her, Dad," Quinn said.
Ellie raised a brow. "Not to see Sam."
"If it isn't him, I mean."
George rubbed his jaw. He normally kept it clean shaven but white bristles showed in the candlelight. "It would be nice to have a Tolbert represented in the field."
"You're kind of young, aren't you?" Ellie said.
Quinn laughed in a careless way that did not bode well for a long and happy life. "I'm nineteen. In the old days, nineteen-year-olds were sent to war."
"The old days? You mean like 2007?"
"Before the plague. When everything was safe and kids had to be sealed away from anything that could hurt them."
Ellie glared into her water glass. "The army knew it's best to train killers from an early age."
"It's a new world," George declared. "Time for my boy to learn how to navigate it. Think you're the best person for the job, Ellie? Then you're the best one to show Quinn the ropes."
Ellie bristled, but she forced herself to take a mental step back. Quinn meant to marry her daughter. Some day—a day that would come much sooner than Ellie had
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