Page 174 of 1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Forty-Two

“We’re not saying you do. Hm, tea actuallysounds good. I’m just going to go check to make sure I reset the alarmafter coming in. I’m almost certain I did, but I was so happy to see you.”

Angela gave her a smile and walked out of the room,wondering why the tiny scratch she’d received was making her feel unbalanced.

She quickly put through a call to Jackson.

He answered on the first ring.

“You okay?” he asked quickly.

“Fine, but I’d like you to get Patrick out here. I can’tplace anything specific, and she may just be chatty and nervous, but... DebbieNolan knows something, and she’s acting kind of odd. And... wow.”

“Wow, what?”

“I scratched my hand getting some cups out of the cupboard.It’s nothing. Just a scratch. But something seems off, and...”

There seemed to be a sudden wall of strange static in herears.

And then...

Nothing.

Chapter 10

“Angela! Angela!”

There was no response. Jackson ended the call and triedringing her again.

No reply.

“What’s wrong?” Brodie asked him.

“Angela. Her line went dead.”

“In the safe house? That’s not really—”

“Debbie Nolan,” Jackson said. “Angela said something seemedoff and that she scratched herself on something. Brodie, I need you to stayhere. I’m getting Patrick and going back to the safe house. Don’t trust anyonebut the Krewe, and don’t get close to anyone. I’m going to get Mark and Colleenand Red over here. I really don’t trust any of these other people. Patrick saidevery interview has been strange. But I need to get to Angela.”

“Go. I’ve got this,” Brodie told him.

Jackson ran out of the cemetery, calling Patrick as he did.He wasn’t quite sure where Patrick was in the woods, but the man managed to getto him just as he reached his car, which was parked close, outside the cemeterywall.

And he’d come with Brybo.

“Angela said something was off with the way Debbie wastalking. She couldn’t put her finger on what it was. She also said shescratched herself on something in the cupboard, and she sounded strange. Whatthe hell, Patrick? Could Debbie be the one behind all this?” he asked as theman and dog crawled into the car.

“Could she be? Yes. And if anyone could pull off somethingin a safe house, it would be the one staying there.”

“But you can’t get out without an alarm going off if—”

“Jackson. Your phone. That sounds like the warning alarm isgoing off at the safe house.”

Jackson pulled out his cell.

And swore softly. There had been no carthere. Debbie hadn’t brought one. He had dropped Angela off in his. But theyhad gotten Officer Whittaker out of Debbie’s house.

They could get Angela out, too.

And Debbie Nolan clearly had help.