Chapter 14: Two Phones

Dexter laughed first.

"Sure," he said. "Why not? Let's all be good sports."

He pulled his black phone out of his sweater pocket and set it by his plate, face down.

The friend in the ball cap put his down next to the cider jug.

The friend in the quarter-zip hesitated, looked at Dexter, and put his down last.

Norman laid a gray flip phone on the cloth with a clack, and Hallie stacked hers on top of it.

Mom set hers beside her fork. Dad took his out of his shirt pocket and held it for a second before he let go.

"What is this for, Quinn?" Mom asked.

"I'm going to call one number," I said. "You both have it saved already."

Dad opened the manila folder and slid the top page across the table to Mom.

She looked at the number printed across the top, and then at her own phone.

"It's under Quinn," she said quietly. "It's the one I wrote into my contacts in August."

"Mine too," Dad said.

Dexter spread his hands.

"So call it. Whoever has that number, I hope he picks up and clears all this up."

His voice was warm and easy.

His other hand lay flat on the tablecloth beside his plate, and it did not move.

I touched my screen, found the number and pressed the speaker button.

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