“She needs someone.” Manny slowed and turned onto a street just outside of Grey Falls where houses were few and far between. It was half-pothole. He navigated the road as best he could, but it was still a bumpy ride.
Lights lit up the road ahead. The Luckett farm was a sprawling chunk of flat land that currently sported a corn maze, a haunted barn for the kids, and a haunted house for braver adults. Skeletons with glowing eyes, pumpkin-headed scarecrows, and zombified hands lined the road, pointing the way to our destination. Cars already filled the field being used as a parking lot.
“Courtney’s here,” Manny said, pointing out the pink van with Pets Luv Us on the side. No Mystery Machine wrap for her.
“So are a lot of people.” Which, I hoped, meant our paths wouldn’t cross. Courtney and I had a tense relationship, thanks to her insistence her rescue and my own couldn’t coexist, and I didn’t want her dislike of me to ruin the evening.
Manny parked the van, and we climbed out. I wanted to point out that no other vehicles were decorated but decided it would be petty of me. I could save that for later, once I made it through the evening.
A scream from somewhere ahead caused me to start. Laughter followed the scream, even as another shout joined the first. I could smell a fire somewhere but couldn’t see it yet. More than likely, s’mores were being served, right along with fresh from the fire hotdogs.
“I’m going to find Jon,” I said as we approached the house. Blue and orange lights flashed on the front porch, and a line of teenagers stood outside, waiting for their chance to enter. Inside, someone screamed.
“I see Ray,” Manny said, nodding toward his veterinarian co-worker, who was standing arm in arm with his wife, and my good friend, Holly Trudeau. “I’ll be over there if you need me.”
I nodded my assent. Both Amelia and Ben had already vanished, so in moments, I was a Denton alone, walking among vampires and ghosts and ghouls.
It felt like the entire town had turned out for the event, which could only be a good thing. To say the shelter was underfunded would be an understatement. Even in smaller towns like Grey Falls, the number of abandoned pets was astounding. Food, medical expenses, and all the other elements that went into keeping those animals happy, wasn’t cheap.
“Liz Denton.”
I stopped and turned at my name. “Detective Cavanaugh?”
The police detective chuckled. He was wearing a cowboy hat and chaps with two guns—toys, I hoped—at his waist. “I’m not on duty here, so call me Emmitt.”
“Emmitt,” I amended. “I’m surprised to see you here.” Though, why? I didn’t know.
Cavanaugh hooked his thumbs into his belt. “Wasn’t planning on coming but figured it might do me good to get out a bit.” He squinted up at the moon like he was staring into the sun. “Relax, you know?”
“Of course.” The last time Cavanaugh and I had spoken, it had involved a murder. Neither of us have ever been relaxed around the other, and for good reason.
“Well, I’d best let you go. Just wanted to say hi. You looked like you were on a mission.”
“I’m looking for Jon Luckett,” I said, scanning the crowd to no avail. Even if I did see, him, chances were good, with all the costumes, I wouldn’t know it.
“You looking to help out?” At my nod, he rubbed at his chin. “I think I saw him over near the fire about ten minutes ago. He was wearing a crown, so you can’t miss him.”
“That’d be Jon.” Jon Luckett didn’t just dress up like a king on Halloween; he acted like one. Daily.
“He seemed tense, and maybe a little pale, like he saw a ghost.” Cavanaugh paused. “Though, I guess that could go for all of us tonight.”
“That, it could.” I watched a pair of ghostly figures drift across the yard, toward a table filled with drinks. I noted Ben was there with a blond woman sporting what appeared to be a dragon on her shoulder. Knowing Ben, the flirting was in full swing.
“It was good to see you, Liz,” Cavanaugh said, drawing my eye back to him. “Stay out of trouble, all right?”
“I’ll try.”
He tipped his hat toward me and then sauntered off toward the drinks himself. Ben, much to my dismay, had slipped off with the blond dragon lady. That boy…
No, he’s old enough to make his own decisions. Though, I wished his decisions were sometimes a little more, I don’t know, mature.
I passed by the donations table on my way toward the fire and was happy to note the volunteers were busy. You couldn’t adopt a new pet here tonight, due to the noise. Jon had tried it a few years ago, but with the screaming and shouting, it scared the animals too badly, and that was counterproductive to finding them good homes. It was bad enough the horses and cows had to listen to it all night, but at least Jon kept them on the far end of the farm during the event.
The bonfire burned brightly, and as expected, a large group of people were standing around it, sticks poised over—and often, into—the flames. I could smell hotdogs and marshmallows, which caused my mouth to water. I hadn’t eaten before I’d left, and my stomach was letting me know it.
A quick scan of the group didn’t produce a crowned Jon Luckett, but I did see a couple I knew. They were wearing matching outfits that made them look like something out of a science fiction show. I slipped past a pair of zombies munching on burnt marshmallows to join them.
“Hey Duke. Sasha.” I nodded a greeting to each. “Have you seen Jon? I’d like to let him know I’m here and available to help out.”
Duke Billings was a large human being, as was his wife. And by big, I mean muscular, yet seeing them together now, I couldn’t help but think, cute. Both could bench press me, and yet, with the gentle way he had his arm around her, and how she was snuggling in close, they looked small, almost frail. Strange how that worked.
“Hi, Liz.” Duke glanced around the fire with a frown. “He was here a few minutes ago.”
“I saw him hurry off toward the horseshoes,” Sasha said, pulling Duke in closer, as if she thought my presence might drag him away from her. “That was about five minutes ago, I think.”
“Thanks.”
“Was there something you needed?” Duke asked. “Jon didn’t appear to be in a good mood, so I’d be careful around him.”
“I’m hoping to talk to him about increasing my role at these events,” I said. “I think I could really make a difference if given a little more responsibility.” Most years, all Jon had me do was carry around raffle tickets and point people to the donations table.
“I see.” Duke nodded as he ran a hand up and down his wife’s arm. “Well, good luck. He seemed distracted, and a little overwhelmed, so he might need you.”
I left them with a quick goodbye. I didn’t want to intrude on their time together any more than I already had. Like me, Duke had a history with Courtney, and that history often caused our paths to cross messily.
The horseshoes Sasha had referenced were not hanging above the barn door but were being used in an actual game of horseshoes. It was, of course, done up in Halloween themes, with the shoes themselves being orange and black, and the posts painted with green, glow-in-the-dark paint. A quick look at the players told me that Jon wasn’t there either.
I was about to ask a burly man, who’d just landed his horseshoes within touching distance for a modest score, when I saw the dog.
The retriever stood alone by the entrance of the corn maze, which had a rope drawn across it. A sign hung from the barrier, telling me the maze was off limits for thirty minutes, with no indication as to when that time had started. The dog’s eyes locked with mine, and then with a quiet chuff, it turned and ran into the maze.