“He doesn’t know,” Mo said, putting a protective arm around Nate. He didn’t react, didn’t even blink. “This can be a dangerous place. I would suggest keeping better track of your child.”

Her words were tossed off, though there was something sinister in Mo’s delivery. Becca knew when people were lying. She’d learned the tells. Swallowing hard. No direct eye contact. Shifting or closed-off body language. This woman displayed none of them. Yet Becca knew without question that this woman was lying. Still, Mo held her ground. “You should leave. My family finds your presence unsettling,” Mo said.

“That’s interesting because I’m unsettled too. That happens when someone you love goes missing,” Becca said.

Mo cocked her head. “Sometimes people get hurt because they do foolish things.”

It took everything in Becca’s power not to react, not to shout at her or lunge for her. Remember your training. She’s goading you. Testing you. Don’t let her win.

“What did Nate do? Must have been something really foolish,” Becca said, gesturing to his wounds.

For an instant, the woman’s carefully cultivated mask of Zen dropped, replaced by flared nostrils and squinty eyes. It was almost imperceptible, but Becca clocked it. Mo’s smile was soon plastered back in place. “My family is none of your business,” Mo said. There was a stillness to the group, all of them flanking her, an unnerving quiet, as though they were soldiers awaiting their general’s orders.

“No, they aren’t. Ash is. It won’t be long before the police arrive.”

The woman laughed. “You know what I’ve learned living on the streets? Law enforcement doesn’t care about us. Do you know how long we’ve been out here? Three years. And in three years, not a single police officer has approached us or moved us from these dwellings, not one social worker or county official has done a wellness check. We’re invisible, which is fine. We cultivate our own happiness in a place where misery abounds. Unfortunately, you’re here now. You’re here disrupting things and any disruption simply isn’t tolerated.”

She could see the others tensing. This was a threat. That much was clear. Becca could stay and risk angering Mo, give her the opportunity to cause Becca harm, but that wouldn’t do Ash any good. It was time to retreat, at least for now.

“I didn’t mean to disrupt your morning. Come on, Raya,” Becca said, turning back toward the safety and security of the McDonald’s.