Chapter 9
By the time Lareina left the grocery store, her backpack hung low, the straps straining to hold four pounds of apples, three boxes of granola bars, two boxes of crackers, a loaf of bread, twelve bananas, one jar of peanut butter, and a jar of jelly. A few blocks from the grocery store, all sound ceased except for the rumbling truck prowling the streets to carry the dead away. Across a long intersection, a sign pointed north toward Dallas, and beyond Dallas, Maibe. A right turn would lead back to Nick and Aaron. Were they pacing across the area rug, worrying about her, wondering whether she would decide to come back?
The preposterous fantasy made her laugh. As much as she never wanted to see Nick again, she’d left her extra clothes, lock picks, and gun back at the house. She tur
