Read Online The Grim Reaper's Dance by Judy Clemens - Free Book Online
Authors: Judy Clemens
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cops .”
“Sheryl…” Bailey sounded irritated.
“Don’t Sheryl me. You… She…” Sheryl shoved the sliding door open and barged out.
Bailey sighed. “Terry—”
“I’m on it.” He jumped up and followed Sheryl out the door.
“I’m sorry,” Casey said. “I didn’t mean to cause trouble.”
Bailey waved a hand. “Not your fault. Sheryl doesn’t exactly like strangers, or any adults, really.”
“Yeah,” Johnny said. “Especially after last week, when—.”
The others looked at him sharply and he jerked back, as if they’d slapped him. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to say anything.”
“Stay here.” Bailey wouldn’t let go of Casey’s pants. “Nobody will find you.”
“But Sheryl—”
“—will be fine. We’ll take care of her. Believe me, the last thing Sheryl wants is to call the cops.”
“We’ll bring you stuff,” Martin said. “Clothes and food and a sleeping bag. Stay as long as you want.”
“But won’t someone find me?”
“No one ever comes out here except us,” Bailey said. “I should know. We own this shed and all twelve hundred acres around it.”
“But—”
“You’re safe here. Even when these fields get harvested no one bothers with the shed.”
Casey glanced over at Death, who was humming along with the present song, eyes closed. Big help there. She really didn’t want to leave the area. She wanted to stay close, within range of Evan’s truck, close to where she knew Owen Dixon and Randy Westing—Blond Guy and Gun Man—were. Unless they’d already run off.
“You are hiding, aren’t you?” Terry and Sheryl were back inside, Terry inquisitive, Sheryl lurking behind him.
Casey considered Terry, and his question. “I am.”
“Why?” Terry didn’t look angry, or scared. Just…curious.
Casey looked at Death again, and this time got a little shrug, like what did she have to lose? And really…not much. But these kids? They did, whoever they were. Knowing too much could only get them in trouble.
“I just need some time,” Casey said. “I was in a…a bad situation.”
Sheryl shook her hair out of her face. “Killing somebody would do that.”
“ Sheryl ,” Bailey said, her voice sharp. “She didn’t kill anybody.”
Sheryl stared at the far corner of the shed.
“I promise,” Casey said, looking right at Sheryl. “I didn’t kill the truck driver. I just need a place to stay. Just for a little while. If what Bailey says is true, no one will even know I’m here.”
“It is true,” Bailey said. “But you know, there are…places you can go. No one will know where you are. He won’t know where you are.”
He ? “Um,” Casey said. “Who won’t?”
“You know,” Bailey said. “Whoever it is that you’re running from. Your boyfriend? Husband?”
“No,” Casey said, “that’s not it, I—”
“We can’t get mixed up with this,” Sheryl said. “With her . Whoever she really is.”
Terry nodded. “Sheryl’s right.”
“No, she’s not,” Martin said. “Sheryl means she can’t get mixed up in it.”
“ Martin !” Terry looked shocked.
“What? Just because Sheryl’s—” He stopped, glancing at Casey. “Look, it doesn’t mean the rest of us can’t do anything. Sheryl can stay out of it.”
Sheryl gasped. “That’s not fair!”
“We’ll keep you safe,” Bailey said to Casey. “I promise. You can stay here as long as you want.”
Casey gave a short laugh under her breath. It was Bailey’s own little group of night owls Bailey should be protecting. Casey didn’t exactly have a good record of late. She should tell Bailey to get the hell away from her while she and her friends still had a chance to survive unscathed.
“Thanks,” she said instead. “I would love to stay.”
Chapter Seven
“Cute kids.” The guitar was gone, but Death still hummed the last tune from Martin’s iPod.
“Cute and confusing,” Casey said. “Who ever heard of kids who sneak out to eat baked
“Sheryl…” Bailey sounded irritated.
“Don’t Sheryl me. You… She…” Sheryl shoved the sliding door open and barged out.
Bailey sighed. “Terry—”
“I’m on it.” He jumped up and followed Sheryl out the door.
“I’m sorry,” Casey said. “I didn’t mean to cause trouble.”
Bailey waved a hand. “Not your fault. Sheryl doesn’t exactly like strangers, or any adults, really.”
“Yeah,” Johnny said. “Especially after last week, when—.”
The others looked at him sharply and he jerked back, as if they’d slapped him. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to say anything.”
“Stay here.” Bailey wouldn’t let go of Casey’s pants. “Nobody will find you.”
“But Sheryl—”
“—will be fine. We’ll take care of her. Believe me, the last thing Sheryl wants is to call the cops.”
“We’ll bring you stuff,” Martin said. “Clothes and food and a sleeping bag. Stay as long as you want.”
“But won’t someone find me?”
“No one ever comes out here except us,” Bailey said. “I should know. We own this shed and all twelve hundred acres around it.”
“But—”
“You’re safe here. Even when these fields get harvested no one bothers with the shed.”
Casey glanced over at Death, who was humming along with the present song, eyes closed. Big help there. She really didn’t want to leave the area. She wanted to stay close, within range of Evan’s truck, close to where she knew Owen Dixon and Randy Westing—Blond Guy and Gun Man—were. Unless they’d already run off.
“You are hiding, aren’t you?” Terry and Sheryl were back inside, Terry inquisitive, Sheryl lurking behind him.
Casey considered Terry, and his question. “I am.”
“Why?” Terry didn’t look angry, or scared. Just…curious.
Casey looked at Death again, and this time got a little shrug, like what did she have to lose? And really…not much. But these kids? They did, whoever they were. Knowing too much could only get them in trouble.
“I just need some time,” Casey said. “I was in a…a bad situation.”
Sheryl shook her hair out of her face. “Killing somebody would do that.”
“ Sheryl ,” Bailey said, her voice sharp. “She didn’t kill anybody.”
Sheryl stared at the far corner of the shed.
“I promise,” Casey said, looking right at Sheryl. “I didn’t kill the truck driver. I just need a place to stay. Just for a little while. If what Bailey says is true, no one will even know I’m here.”
“It is true,” Bailey said. “But you know, there are…places you can go. No one will know where you are. He won’t know where you are.”
He ? “Um,” Casey said. “Who won’t?”
“You know,” Bailey said. “Whoever it is that you’re running from. Your boyfriend? Husband?”
“No,” Casey said, “that’s not it, I—”
“We can’t get mixed up with this,” Sheryl said. “With her . Whoever she really is.”
Terry nodded. “Sheryl’s right.”
“No, she’s not,” Martin said. “Sheryl means she can’t get mixed up in it.”
“ Martin !” Terry looked shocked.
“What? Just because Sheryl’s—” He stopped, glancing at Casey. “Look, it doesn’t mean the rest of us can’t do anything. Sheryl can stay out of it.”
Sheryl gasped. “That’s not fair!”
“We’ll keep you safe,” Bailey said to Casey. “I promise. You can stay here as long as you want.”
Casey gave a short laugh under her breath. It was Bailey’s own little group of night owls Bailey should be protecting. Casey didn’t exactly have a good record of late. She should tell Bailey to get the hell away from her while she and her friends still had a chance to survive unscathed.
“Thanks,” she said instead. “I would love to stay.”
Chapter Seven
“Cute kids.” The guitar was gone, but Death still hummed the last tune from Martin’s iPod.
“Cute and confusing,” Casey said. “Who ever heard of kids who sneak out to eat baked
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