The Blood Lie Read Online Free Page B

The Blood Lie
Book: The Blood Lie Read Online Free
Author: Shirley Reva Vernick
Pages:
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is it, anyway? It gets dark so early this time of year.”
    â€œIt’s… God! It’s going on four. I had no idea. She’s been out here since—when did Ma say she sent her out?”
    â€œI don’t know. Hey, do you see any deer traps?”
    â€œOh, no,” Emaline moaned. “ Boys and girls come out to play, the moon does shine as bright as day. Come with a hoop, and come with a call, come with a good will or not at all … Daisy!”

    The girls walked on until they were dragging. “Are your feet hurting as much as mine?” Lydie asked.
    â€œThey’re burning,” Emaline said. “I’d love to dip them in the river about now…the river! Ma never lets her near the water alone, it’s so cold, and the undertows and the drop-offs, what if she accidentally…?”
    â€œNo one jumps into the river by accident, Em, not even a little kid. Calm down. You either jump or you don’t, and she knows better…hey, listen.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œ Shhh . Listen. Over there, I think, in the brambles. Footsteps.”
    â€œDaisy? Daisy?” Emaline called. Twigs and leaves crackled underfoot, but no one answered. “Daisy?”
    A raccoon waddled out into the open. It rubbed one eye and swished its plump tail, blinked, and scooted back into the brush.
    â€œIf I’d just gone straight home like I promised,” Emaline said. “If only I’d been on time. If only…”
    â€œLook, maybe Daisy’s already home,” Lydie said. “Maybe your ma whistled for us but we were too far away to hear. Maybe that’s why we can’t find her.”
    â€œSo should we—?” She straightened abruptly. “Lydie, listen. I hear something…Daisy?”
    â€œNope, just us,” came a man’s voice. Emaline’s neighbor Jed Pike and his son Emmett stepped out from a crowd of evergreens. “Your mother called us about Daisy. Afraid we haven’t had any luck so far.”
    Emaline stole an anxious glance at Lydie.
    â€œDon’t you fret now,” Mr. Pike said, stepping closer. He
smelled like cows and hay. “My nephew is out here too, and your mother had an alert put on the radio, so there’ll be others. We’ll find her. Say, you ladies have lights?”
    â€œLights?” Emaline said. “No. We didn’t think we’d be out this long. We thought we were just—”
    â€œYou might want to get something then,” he said. “The sun’ll set in another hour.”
    The girls stared at him.
    â€œGood idea,” Lydie finally said. “C’mon, Em, let’s scoot back to your house for a flashlight or a lantern.” She tugged at her cousin’s arm until Emaline finally let herself be pulled along.

    When they got to the house, Emaline couldn’t find her mother—the house was so crowded with neighbors and friends. “What are all these people doing here?” Emaline asked Lydie. “Look at all the food they brought, like for a funeral.” She looked around for Jack, but he didn’t seem to be here. Maybe he was out looking for Daisy.
    â€œWhy is everyone staring—?” Emaline said. She stopped mid-question, her legs suddenly wobbling, her head light.
    Lydie helped her onto the sofa. “Let me get you some water,” she said, lifting Emaline’s feet onto the coffee table. “Or some juice. You need something—I’ll fix you a plate.”
    â€œNo, I’d gag on it.” She leaned her head against the sofa and closed her eyes. “I’m fine, I just need a minute. Just one minute.”
    â€œMiss Durham?” came a deep voice overhead. “Emaline Durham?”

    Emaline looked up to see her Aunt Clarisse and a uniformed man hovering on the opposite side of the coffee table.
    â€œEmaline,” said the big man with the brick-red mustache. “I’m Victor Brown, state
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