away—the not-so-subtle fragrance of pot smoke and stale beer. He sports a winning smile as he staggers into the kitchen. Has he any idea what happened to his wife?
“There’s my big girl,” he says, arms wide.
I rush over and wrap my arms around his waist, and my hands search for the keys in his pocket. Raisin sees what I’m doing and runs upstairs. Despite the fact that I’m angry at my dad, it still feels good to be enveloped in his arms. I smell the familiar scent of oil paint, and it momentarily comforts me. Will I ever get over this stupid, crazy love for him?
It brings back memories of Willow horsing around with her father in the surf. The easy way he picked her up and wrestled with her. It reminds me of being a little girl and having a huge crush on my dad, telling everyone how I was going to one day marry him.
My phone pings. The scent of alcohol on his body practically suffocates me. I peek around his waist and glance at my phone. It’s Willow, and she’s messaging me her location.
I guide Dad into the living room and down onto the couch. He’s more intoxicated than I thought. I turn on the TV. Grab him a cold beer. Then stash it back in the fridge because Dad’s passed out, and because I remember that Raisin is still home. Raisin! What will happen if his sugar levels change? Should I chance leaving him here alone with my passed-out dad?
“Raisin!” I shout until he comes downstairs. “You have to take care of yourself if something happens.”
“I can just wake Dad up. He’ll take care of me.”
“No, it’s time to be a big boy. You know how to test yourself and what to take. I’ve seen you do it.”
“Dad knows what to do.”
“You have to face reality, Raisin. We’re not Dad’s main priority anymore. Maybe we never were. He’d rather smoke pot and drink beer than care for us.”
“Don’t say those bad things about him.”
“It’s true, and you know it.”
“I saw you take Dad’s keys. Where are you going?” he says.
I don’t answer, because I’m already bolting upstairs to grab the gun out of my mother’s safe. She doesn’t think I know the combination, but I do. When I return downstairs, I notice that Raisin is gone. Where did he go? It doesn’t much matter now, because I need to go and find Willow.
“Katie?” Dad opens his eyes and wakes up.
“What, Dad?”
“I hate to tell you this,” he slurs, “but your mother’s been in an accident.”
“I know.”
“Don’t worry, though. She’s all right.”
“Why didn’t you go to the hospital and drive her home?”
“Your grandmother said she’d do it.”
“So where did you go afterward?”
“I stopped at Sully’s for a quick beer.” He closes his eyes.
“Jerk,” I mutter under my breath.
Then I leave the house and get inside his truck. Stick the keys in the ignition and drive away.
PART THREE
KARL
THE NAME STAYED WITH HIM AS HE DROVE BACK TO THE STATION. HE felt wired, uneasy, irritable. His intuition sensed that something big was about to break. No sooner had he parked in the station’s lot than a call came in. Years ago, Shepherd’s Bay had switched to a regional dispatch to save money, so now 911 calls went straight there. The regional dispatchers had no clue about the crazy street patterns of Shepherd’s Bay.
A disturbance at the McCallister home. He headed back the same way he’d just come. Now what could be happening? He switched on the lights and siren and raced to the disturbance. Upon arriving at the residence, he noticed a group of people standing in the street and watching whatever seemed to be happening. Karl got out of the vehicle and pushed his way through the crowd. There he saw Beckett standing, with a baseball bat, next to a bloodied and battered Julian. About ten feet away stood Drew, also battered and bruised. A large gash on his head oozed blood, and he appeared unsteady on his feet while shouting at father and son. He had recklessly parked his old pickup on the McCallisters’ property and, in doing so, had made deep trenches in the near-perfect lawn.
“Why’d you assholes have to move here and ruin everything?” Drew slurred. “Even worse, you hurt Katie.”
Karl walked over to Drew and tried to calm him down, but the boy pushed him away. Left with no other choice, Karl shoved him to the lawn and cuffed him. Drew put up no