Page 66 of Hellbent

The gas pump clicked off, and Evan got back into the car to wait for Joey. Her rucksack tilted in the passenger-side foot well. Another greeting card had fallen out.

Evan leaned over and picked it up.

A cartoon of a nervous-looking turkey against a backdrop of orange and yellow leaves. Fresh concern pulled at Evan. He opened the card.

Sweet Girl,

I hope you have lots to be thankful for this Thanksgiving of your 16th year! Know that even though we’re apart, I miss you and hold you in my heart.

Xoxo, M.

Again it seemed that Joey had read the card many times. Creases, wrinkled corners, a patch of ink worn off where she’d held it.

Thanksgiving. Your 16th year.

That was troubling.

He set the card on her seat and waited.

She approached, chewing gum, and opened the door. She spotted the card, hesitated, then picked it up and climbed in slowly. She stared straight through the windshield at the air pump. She smelled like Bubblicious.

“Why are you going through my stuff?”

“It fell out of your rucksack.”

“Answer my question.”

“There are more important questions. Like who is M and how did she have your address?”

“What do you mean ‘my address’?”

“This is a Thanksgiving card. Thanksgiving was last Thursday. You were in the apartment Jack had set up for you. And Jack was in Alabama. No one should have known how to reach you.”

“No one did know how to reach me.”

“Joey, what if this is how they found your apartment?”

“Look, I promise you, it’s okay.”

“Who is M?”

Scowling, Joey grabbed her hair in a fist and pulled it high, showing the shaved side of her head.

“Joey, we have to have total trust. Or none of this works.”

She took in a lungful of air, let it out slowly. “She’s my maunt.”

“Your maunt?”

“My aunt, but more like a mom. Get it?”

“Yes.”

“She raised me until she couldn’t, okay? Then I went into the system for a lotta years. Until Van Sciver’s guy pulled me out.”

“How did she know where to send you this Thanksgiving card?”

Joey’s eyes filled with tears. It was so sudden, so unexpected that Evan’s breath tangled in his throat.