She Heard Nothing novel · Chapter 10 of 24

Chapter 10: The Earbud

"Mrs. Pelham," I said.

My voice was steady, which surprised me.

"You sat at that gate every day this week. I saw you the first afternoon. You never came onto the field."

"I was waiting for my daughter," Marilyn said.

"You had an earbud in."

"Many people listen to music."

"She did," Lottie said suddenly, from beside me. "I walked past your car twice. You were wearing the left one, and you had your phone on the dash with the screen lit."

Marilyn's face turned toward her, slowly.

"I notice phones," Lottie said, red to the ears. "It's kind of my thing."

The chief instructor lifted Sabina's pink phone and tapped the little card marked L.

Everyone could hear him breathe in.

"This listener joined on Sunday night, before drill even started," he said. "It is still connected. It has been connected every night and most of every day since."

"That is not me," Marilyn said.

"Mrs. Pelham."

"Sabina uses that app for her music. I have no idea what she..."

"Mom," Sabina said.

She was crouched in the grass with her arms around her knees.

She did not look up.

"Mom, I showed you the link on Sunday night," she said, in a flat small voice. "I said, listen to her. I said, you'll see what she's like. And you said, thank you, sweetheart."

Marilyn closed her eyes.

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