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But no matter what they said, I wasn’t apologizing to that worthless sack of shit, Devlin. It was time to pucker the old asshole and prepare for the worst. I straightened up and weaved between the tables to reach the back door.
When I got there I stopped, confused by the scene on the back deck. A public scolding wasn’t Dad’s style. After a moment I continued out and approached the table where I found almost my entire family eating. Mom and Dad were here, along with my brothers Case and Waylon, but not Pris or either of my brothers’ girlfriends.
“I didn’t let your mom order for you,” Dad said, explaining why my place at the table had a regular cheeseburger in front of it.
I pulled out the chair and sat. “Thanks.”
“A veggie burger now and then wouldn’t hurt any of you,” Mom interjected.
I lifted a fry to my mouth. “I’m good. I had one last month.” It was probably closer to last year.
Her pout I was used to, but I vowed to give in to her next time.
“Where’s Pris?” Case asked.
“I got a visit from Earl,” Dad said. “And this isn’t a discussion she’d be rational about.”
“Lee?” Waylon asked, voicing exactly what I hoped. He was the subject most likely to get an emotional reaction out of our sister.
I stayed quiet. If this was going to be about Pris’s boyfriend, who I’d never approved of, that was fine—and a hell of a lot better than having a fifth conversation about how I’d upset the balance in town.
“That’s right,” Dad said. “She keeps saying he’ll be back later, whenever later is.”
“So what did dickweed Earl want?” Waylon asked between bites.
Dad scowled. He’d tried unsuccessfully to get us to tone down our insults of the Pollocks. “He wanted to assure me that since we know where Lee is buried—”
“The hell we do,” Case threw in.
Dad’s glare was stern.
Mom’s voice was harsher. “Shush, and let your father finish.”
Case set his jaw. “Sorry,” was barely a whisper out of his mouth.
Dad continued. “Since one of us mentioned knowing where the body was buried, he said he was going to refocus his investigation on this family.”
“He already tried that with me,” Waylon grumbled. “And he lost.”
“This time he thinks that he can build a case by tying in more than one of us,” Dad said with a shake of his head.
“Why does he think we know?” Case asked.
Dad looked my way.
I held up a tentative hand.
“What?” Waylon bellowed. “If you knew, why didn’t you fucking say something when they were on my ass?”
“Because I don’t know shit,” I shot back. “I just made Devlin think I did. He’s such a tool.”
“Fucking dick move, if you ask me,” Waylon scoffed.
I pushed back from the table and stood, ready to leave. “Nobody’s fucking asking you, are they?”
“Sit down.” Dad’s voice was firm “We’re not done.”
I took the chair again and bit into my burger.
