"What're they doin'?" Guthrie asked me, gripping the steering wheel and looking at the rearview mirror, trying to see for himself.

"Just standing there. Talking," I said, scooting so I was on my knees looking backward.

"Crazy," Guthrie muttered.

"I'm worried about them going back to town-" I began.

"What happened before? Did Crane and Brian catch up with those guys?" he asked.

"Yeah, they did," I said, still watching, even though I could no longer see anything.

"So who got the worst end of it?" Guthrie demanded.

"I don't know," I admitted. "I was outside. I couldn't see anything. I tried looking in a window, but I still couldn't. I didn't see the other guys up close

afterwards-but Crane and Brian looked alright, except Crane had a couple cuts on his cheek-the fat guy's shirt was ripped." I gave up and switched from

sitting on my knees to my behind, facing forward with a sigh.

"They've probably high-tailed it out of Murphys," Guthrie said.

"I don't know," I said, worriedly. "One of them, Chess, he was hollaring at Brian and Crane as we drove off," I said.

"What was he sayin'?"

"Something about seeing Brian later, I think. And he was calling Jill a bitch."

"Well. She kind of is one," Guthrie said.

"Yeah," I said, as the house came into sight. "Adam's gonna freak," I said.

"Who are those guys, anyway?" Guthrie asked. "I mean-how does she know them?"

"I don't know," I said, again. "She just acts like she's friendly with them, at least with the skinny one-Leo. But then she told me how

dangerous he is-and the fat one is mad because she went with Crane and Brian-the whole thing is wierd."

By now we were pulling up to the house, and the porch screen door opened immediately, and Adam came out, followed by Clare, and Hannah, too.

He obviously could tell there'd been a toss-up, what with me returning with Guthrie, and without Brian and Crane.

He was down the porch steps fast. "Where is everybody?" he demanded.

"Daniel wanted to go to town and catch up with those guys himself," Guthrie was saying. "And Brian and Crane went with him."

"Jill, too?" Hannah asked, standing on the last step.

"Yeah," Guthrie said.

"What happened when you got to town?" Adam was asking me. "Where'd you find Jill at?"

I explained quickly that we'd found the truck those guys were driving parked at the Rusty Bucket, and that Crane and Brian had gone in,

looking for Jill. And, then, how I'd been in the truck when Jill came walking up with the one called Leo, and how she'd gone inside then, too. By now Evan

and Nancy had come out and joined us.

"She told me that Leo's the one you have to watch out for," I finished, my words in a rush. "He has a knife in his boot-"

At that, Clare visibly paied, and sucked in her breath. "Oh, no," she said. She looked so shook that I was sorry I'd said it.

"Jiil tell you that?" Adam asked me.

"No. I saw it-sticking out," I said.

"Let's go," Evan said, impatiently. "We aren't gonna leave them in town knowin' what's happening." He was looking at Adam, and

Adam's looked as though he was still trying to think things thru.

"I think we should call the sheriff," Hannah was saying. "Tell them to go-wherever you saw them at last-Harlie?"

"The Rusty Bucket," I supplied.

"Alright, let's do that," Hannah said, reaching out to put her hand on Adam's arm.

"I'm scared, Adam," Clare said, bright spots of color on her cheeks. "I don't want Brian or anybody else hurt-or in trouble-"

"Who are these guys, anyway?" Nancy asked, looking at me. "Did Jill explain any of that?"

I shook my head. "She just said-she told Brian that they're not her friends-"

"What are they doing here?" Clare fretted.

I'd never seen Clare so nervous acting before. I guess it was maybe due to her being pregnant and everything.

I shrugged. "She didn't say that, either. Why they're here, I mean."

"Adam?" Hannah prompted, looking at him. I guess we were all sort of looking at Adam. Waiting.

"Go on and call the sheriff's department," Adam told Hannah. "Tell them something might be happening there at the bar." He gave Clare a

glance. "It's gonna be alright," he told Clare.

"Are we goin'?" Evan demanded.

"Adam-" Hannah began to protest.

"We'll go. It'll be fine," he told Hannah. "Go on in and call the sheriff to give them a heads-up."

"Alright," Hannah said, sounding reluctant, and she and Clare started inside.

I remembered then just what Brian had told me twice to say. "Brian said they'd be right along," I reported, watching Adam's face.

That brought Clare to an abrupt halt. She turned back and said, sounding furious, "Be right along! I can't believe Brian is being this foolish! All

because Jill doesn't know the difference between what's good for her and what's not! If he and Crane got her out of there, then he should have come right home!"

"He wanted to," Guthrie offered up. "But he didn't want Daniel goin' in there by himself-"

"Daniel should have more sense, too," Clare said, and stalked towards the house. Hannah gave Adam and all of us a worried, regretful look, and then

followed Clare.

"That girl," Nancy said, darkly. None of us had to guess at just who 'that girl' was. "I don't blame Clare at all-this is all Jill's fault. I'd like to

take her out behind the barn myself and pound some sense into her head. If she wasn't pregnant, I would!"

Evan slipped his arm around Nancy's waist, and I thought he looked sort of admiring of Nancy's bluster.

"Pregnant or not, once everybody's home safe and sound, I don't think we need to have any more fisticuffs today," Adam said to Nancy,

giving her a very, very slight smile. "Alright?"

"I'll behave myself," Nancy told him, with a roll of her eyes, and her own slight smile. "No matter how hard it is."

"So-let's go, huh?" Evan prompted, looking impatient again.

"Yeah," Adam said. Evan gave Nancy a quick kiss on the cheek, and headed towards his truck.

Adam looked at Guthrie and Nancy and I. "You three go help keep things calm in there, alright?" he told us.

"Will do," Nancy said, and started towards the house herself.

Guthrie and I, meanwhile, stood where we were, looking at Adam.

"Don't look so worried," Adam said. He gave me sort of a wink. "We'll be right along," he said, lightly, repeating what Brian had

said.

"It's not funny, Adam," I couldn't help saying. "Those guys are scary-there's something in his eyes-the one Jill says is Leo. He's really a bad

guy."

"Believe me, sugar, I'm not amused by any of this," Adam said. "Go on, and do your chores, and help Hannah, alright?"

I already knew what he'd say, but as he was walking away, I asked it, anyway.

"Can I go with you?" I asked.

"Absolutely not," Adam answered, without turning around to look back at me.

seven