“What‟s the matter?” Stephanie asked.
Zack shook his head. “Nothing.”
He watched as the man crossed the gym to talk with the police chief. Emily and the other kid trailed behind him, their short
legs trotting to keep up. Chief Hunter frowned and glanced at Zack, apparently asking a question. Zack‟s throat tightened. He
hadn‟t done anything wrong. But his creeping feeling of unease grew.
The mayor was still talking. “Fifteen-minute intermission,” Zack heard, and “selling cookies in the lobby to support
community programs.”
He turned to Stephanie, trying desperately to ignore whatever was going on at the front of the room. “You want a cookie?”
“Give it up, dude,” Todd said. “She doesn‟t put out for cookies.”
“I might consider it.” Stephanie smiled up at Zack. “But not for anything less than chocolate chip.”
Zack jerked to his feet. “I‟ll see what they‟ve got.”
A piping treble pierced the hum of the crowd. “I don‟t want to stay here.”
Emily.
Zack froze.
“I want to go home.” His little sister‟s wail rose to the rafters.
“I‟ve got to go,” Zack said.
“But you just got here,” Stephanie objected.
“I know. I‟m sorry.” He gestured toward the front of the gym, where Emily stood dwarfed by two big men. Two strangers.
“It‟s my sister.”
“The little black girl?” Hailey asked.
Doug snorted. “You‟d rather make out with your sister than Stephanie? Man, that‟s sick.”
Zack flushed, frustrated, furious. But he couldn‟t ignore the edge of panic in Emily‟s voice.
“I‟m sorry,” he repeated, and went to his sister‟s rescue, a loser after all.
“You need to stay here,” the tall man was saying as Zack approached. “Half the island is here. Along with your wife.”
“Don‟t tell me how to do my job,” the police chief said. “You can‟t walk into an unknown situation without backup.”
“I have no choice.”
“Where‟s Morgan?”
“I wish to God I knew.”
“Zack!” Emily ran and clung to him.
He put a hand on his little sister‟s shoulder, speaking over her head to the tall guy. “Morgan‟s staying at the inn. Maybe
you could find him there.”
The man appraised him. “You‟re his son.”
“Yes, sir. What‟s going on?”
“I was going to watch the movie with Nick,” Emily said. “But now Nick‟s dad is leaving, and he wants me to stay here, and
I don‟t know the lady who‟s watching us.” Her lower lip trembled dangerously. “And I want to go home.”
“I can take her home,” Zack said.
The police chief rubbed his jaw. “It would be better if you both stayed put for now.”
“Why?” A sick ball formed in his gut. “Is it our mom? Is she okay?”
“I‟m sure she‟s fine,” Chief Hunter said.
“I‟m leaving,” the other man announced. “I need to find the breach in the wards.”
The cop nodded. “Maggie will watch the kids.”
Em‟s grip tightened on Zack‟s leg. “Zack?” Her voice rose.
Zack looked from his sister to the two adults, both alert, calm, grim. In charge. Next to them, he felt young and awkward.
He didn‟t have a clue what was going on. But he couldn‟t stand here and do nothing.
“I can watch them,” he said. “Em and . . .” Her friend. He didn‟t know the kid‟s name.
Chief Hunter looked at him sharply. Zack wondered if he would object.
Like lifting lobsters disqualified Zack as a baby-sitter.
He thrust out his jaw. “Emily‟s my sister. I‟m responsible for her.”