The Girl in Cabin 13

CHAPTER FIVE

ing it for me as I climb inside. The sharply cold air coming from outside

follows me into the car, and I shiver.

"Don't worry," he says as he gets behind the wheel and notices my

shaking. "The heat gets going fast."

"Thank you," I tell him as he turns the engine voter, and we start to-

ward the cabin. "I really appreciate this."

"Not a problem. It'll make me feel better to know you got back safely.

You've only been here a day so you can't know the town well, yet. Rat-

tkesnake Point is a little bit out there. It would be easy to get lost trying to

make your way through those woods at night."

"I'm sure it would be," I agree. We fall silent for a few seconds before I

speak again. "So, giving people rides home is a normal thing for you?"

He nods without looking at me. "I've always given the occasional ride

here and there to people who needed it, but over the last few months, it's

become a much more regular thing.'

"Why is that?" I ask.

That makes him glance my way for a few seconds before he looks

back through the windshield.

"You mean, you dion't know?"

"I don't know what?"

"I thought everybody knew about Feathered Nest and what's been

going on around here. But I guess that only makes sense. Why would you

agree to come out here when you're looking for something calm if you

did know?" he asks, almost to himself.

"You lost me somewhere," I frown. Of course I know, I just need to

keep up the act.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Now I'm the one who sounds like a lunatic. It's

just. . . Feathered Nest has built up its own reputation recently."

"Why?"

He hesitates, not seeming to want to go any further.

"Because of the disappearances," he tells me.

"What disappearances?" I ask, readying myself to absorb as much in-

formation as he'll give me.

"But I want to know," I insist.

He looks at me again, and a hint of a smile plays at his lips.

"You sure are persistent. You know that?" he asks.

"I might have been told that a time or two," I grin.

"Well, I'll tell you what. I'm not going to get into it tonight before you

go to bed. But if you'll meet me for breakfast in the morning, I'll tell you

everything."

"Is this an other one of those deals like me drinking a beer and telling

you about my brush with the law"" I ask.