“He’ll come back, Maisy. Any minute we’ll see him sauntering across that yard like he owns the place.”

Then I saw Telly’s truck rushing down the middle of the circle. He roared into the yard and he drove right over the grass. His horn honked a bunch of times. Then his door flew open and he exploded into the yard.

“What the hell is going on?” he yelled.

Chicken went and stood behind Gloria, and I went and stood behind Chicken.

“I don’t know, Telly. Like I told you on the phone, he just disappeared.” She was calm as could be.

“Jesus. That was a rough storm last night. Why would a kid take off in that?”

“Other than him being upset with you? I got no idea. He doesn’t have my temperament, that’s for sure. How about we go inside. Or do you want the world knowing our business?”

“The world don’t care, Glow.”

Then Gloria pointed up the driveway, and when I looked I saw Mrs. Spooner out on her front step. She waved. I was going to wave back, but Gloria grabbed my hand and pulled me into the house. Telly followed us as we went to the kitchen. “You think he went out this way?” He touched the sliding doors.

“Certain of it. Had to mop up water this morning.”

In spots the door screen was sewed up with black thread. Other spots were just holes. A breeze came in that smelled like clover and wet grass.

He had his back to us. “Were you two at each other again?”

“Theodore Janes. Don’t even try to turn this around on me. There wasn’t a cross word between us. Was there, Bids?”

I shook my head.

He looked at his watch and tapped it hard. “Which way’d he go?”

“That’s the thing. We don’t know. Maisy was asleep, right? Tell your dad what happened. About the extra show in Telly’s chair?”

When he turned and got close to me, I could see hairs under his nose. They stuck out through his skin. I didn’t like his mustache being gone.

“What happened, Maisy?” He touched my shoulder like Gloria had done. But his hand was soft and cold.

“I don’t know,” I said.

“You’re going to have to do better than that, miss.” Gloria pointed her finger at me. “We’re not joking around. This is serious. Your brother could be lost or hurt.”

Telly said, “We’re not mad, Bids. We just want to find Row.”

I thought about seeing Rowan through the door. I thought about his wet shirt falling off his bones. I thought about the trees far away when the yellow lightning glowed. He ran so fast I don’t think he touched the ground. Then when the sky flashed again I saw the woods swallow him in one greedy gulp.