Once in the car, I pulled out my cell phone to let Trish know I was on my way over to pick up Emmett.
Her message wasn’t at all what I expected.
SO SORRY, ELLEN. MY CAR WON'T START (WEIRD ELECTRICAL PROBLEM MAYBE?) AND KEVIN IS OFF CHASING LEADS ON A LOAD OF BARNWOOD. I'M SURE EMMETT WILL BE FINE FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS. DEEP BREATHS, MY FRIEND. HAVE A GREAT TIME AND REPORT BACK!
If I believed in God, I'd suspect I was being punished for lying. Though she was probably right. Emmett would be fine.
Still, I was unaccountably anxious as I drove through Blackstone's front gates. I tried to ignore it, telling myself it was my imagination, that I was just feeling guilty. The ghost of Trish's voice told me to take deep breaths and concentrate on more pleasant things, like the lingering sensatio
