Luckily, the ones that Crystal hadn’t stolen were still there, with Mrs. Kennedy’s cell number right on the front. She scratched the number down on a piece of tape she pulled from the roll on the register. “Howard?” she said. Howard, like a dog, came wagging his tail over to her. “I need you to keep an eye on my friend, Gracy. Her mother will be here to pick her up soon. And if anybody asks, you didn’t see who dropped her off. Do you understand?” Howard looked terrified, but he blinked hard and nodded. “Of course,” he said. If she asked him to rob a goddamned bank, he probably would. “Miss Grace,” she said, kneeling down next to Gracy, who had already torn into a Butterfinger, “your mommy will be here soon, okay?” She thought about telling her not to say anything about who had taken her, but she knew there was no way that would work. She could imagine it already, “That girl at Walgreens picked me up at school and took me for a long, long drive. We went to McDonald’s too.”
