Free Blackwood by Gwenda Bond

realised why this felt so strange.
      This must be what normal families were like.

7
    Marked
     
 
    Phillips slid into the sedan's passenger seat, his mom taking over the driving duties. He was happy to have a few more minutes away from Miranda – not that he wanted to leave her, but it was hard to think with her around. Deciding what to do next was proving difficult enough.
      Convincing Miranda to spend the night at his house hadn't been easy, but his mom wasn't taking no for an answer. First Phillips had proposed that he run over to get Sidekick and pack her a few things. Miranda's eyes had gone wide in horror at the prospect of him rummaging through her stuff, and she said she'd just go on her own. His mom stepped in and suggested it'd be better if Miranda stayed put, instead of pushing herself to go home so soon. She settled Miranda into the guest room with an old robe and a bunch of bath products. Then she seized the opportunity to take Phillips along with her on the errand.
      At least Miranda's house wasn't that far a drive. Still, Phillips was shocked that his mom was able to contain her curiosity until they reached the end of their cul-de-sac. Her first question came along with the turn onto the highway, one of the main drags that more or less ran the length of the island.
      "So, now you're going to tell me what's going on?" She rummaged a pack of cigarettes from her purse and tapped it on the top of the steering wheel. She glanced over and caught Phillips' frown.
      "You kept smoking?"
      "No," she said, sighing, "this would be my first one since we dropped you off in Jackson." With that, she rolled down the window and chucked the white and red package out.
      It wasn't an environmentally sound disposal method, but it was better than her smoking. Besides, no one would ticket the police chief's wife for littering. "I hope a wild animal doesn't eat those," he said.
      "It won't – they're disgusting." She reached over to brush his shoulder. "It's good to have you home, no matter what the circumstances."
      The circumstances. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't get the missing people and Miranda's dad's murder to fit together.
      "Phillips," his mom prompted, "it's not optional. You have to tell me what's going on. Why the sudden interest in Miranda Blackwood?"
      "You have a problem with her? You seemed to like her."
      "She's delightful, but that doesn't explain why you felt the need to steal my car to go see her. Or why you brought her home with you." She kept going before he could cut in. "Bringing her was absolutely the right thing. But I want to know what the deal is. It's really quiet in there?"
      She meant in his head.
      "I wouldn't go that far. But no voices, if that's what you mean…"
      "Phillips."
      "OK, one voice. I heard one voice – we stopped at the cemetery and we were at Miranda's mom's headstone and…"
      "And?"
      "And there was this one voice and it said she was the cursebearer or something."
      The one eye he could see of hers widened. "You didn't tell her?"
      "Not yet."
      "Good. That's the last thing that poor girl needs right now." She drummed her fingers on the wheel. "Where do you think the missing people are? You think it has something to do with the Blackwoods, don't you?"
      He shook his head. "No, not exactly. That's what I need to explain to her. I feel – I can't explain it. She's in danger. Her dad's murder seals it." And that weird gun. He'd bring that home too.
      "He was murdered ? Here?"
      "I know." Tourist drownings and drunken accidents, sure. Murder? Not unheard of, but rare, and almost always due to family crap gone wrong.
      "But where are all the people? Our neighbors are missing. Half my rook club is missing."
      The question sent a chill deep into his bones. Out the car window a few lights were visible through the trees along the roadside. He'd forgotten how dark the interior got at night, away from the