Lance's stomach flipped and flopped while they drove downtown. The sun dared to make and appearance that day. After four days of overcast skies and constant snowfall, the sight gave the teen a little hope for better days.
The presence stayed quiet for the morning. Lance and his mom danced around the incident with the red-eyed creature. To which he said, "It was adrenaline and instinct."
Abigail shot him a sideways glance, "I know you, Lance, and that wasn't you. Your eyes were yellow..." She trailed off, "We had just been through an accident, and I hadn't slept in days. Just don't scare me like that again."
He saw an opportunity to change the subject, "You look good today, mom." Jaxson said. He offered her a smile and stuffed bacon in his mouth. His metabolism had increased since the accident.
Abigail looked nervous, "Lance, are you sure about this? What if your friends see you? I know your father's affair..." her knuckles slowly faded to white on the steering wheel.
"What was dad expecting? A parade? Clinton Hogstead caught him kissing his elephant of an assistant." Lance crossed his arms. "Everyone in my class saw it. I didn't know until someone told me to check the Twitter feed."
"I thought you zoomers spent your whole lives on social media."
"I've never been a fan. I have a couple of accounts I check here and there, but mostly I prefer to speak in person" Lance offered another smile, "You're happy and not drinking yourself to death anymore. That's all that matters."
Abigail ruffled her son's hair and loosened her grip on the wheel. Her phone dinged. She stole a glance at it. "Rachel will meet up with us at the Papa Panda's."
Before they exited the vehicle, Abigail checked her face in the compact mirror and fixed her makeup. "I hope this goes well."
***
Nothing could've prepared Jaxson for how beautiful Rachel Moreno was. Her long black hair and graceful movements captivated the males around her. She embraced Abigail and kissed her on the cheek. She smiled and turned to Lance.
"You must be Lance. I've heard a lot about you..." She trailed off and glared at Abigail, "Does he even know you're out of the closet?"
"We started to have the discussion, but the accident cut it short," Lance said. "As long as she's happy, I don't care."
"We'll get to know each other when I have more time," Valencia gestured to an empty booth. "Three nights, three bodies, the mayor is putting pressure on the chief."
Abigail took a seat next to Rachel and playfully shoved her. "No shop talk. You'll scare him..."
"Your singing scares me. Rachel's job sounds interesting." Lance hid his grin behind a menu.
"I am not that bad," Abigail said. "I could argue there are worse people."
Lance pressed play on a video. Abigail appeared onscreen, hairbrush microphone in hand. Her offkey warble caused people to fall out of their seats with laughter. "What song are you singing?"
"Fireflies. Don't you recognize it?" Abigail shot her son a dirty look.
"You need to sing the right words, Mi Amor," Rachel said. She giggled and gave Abigail a soft peck on the lips. "I don't think anyone knows what song it is." She winked at Lance.
Most kids his age tended to get angsty about divorce and new lovers. The Ryder family fell apart years before affairs and lawyers. It came down to who was still around. Jaxson saw a chance to be a family again.
Eager to learn more about his mother's significant other, Lance asked, "So what about the case?"
Rachel leaned forward and whispered, "It's straight out of a horror story. Three recovering alcoholics who recently broke their sobriety. The killer left them in an alley outside a bar, with their stomach drained and all their bones removed."
"Why are we talking about this before we eat?" Abigail scowled at first, and then the sour expression faded to a bright smile. She hugged Rachel and held Lance's hand. "This is the..." her phone rang.
Rachel pushed her purse over to her. "Answer it. I know you want to."
"I'll be right back," Abigail rose from the table, and Rachel watched her walk away.
"So, do you have an interest in law enforcement?" Rachel asked.
Lance hadn't thought about it before. He took a sip of the soda. He leaned, "Can I tell you a secret?"
"Are you sure you don't want to tell your mom?" Rachel seemed taken aback by the question.
"I need to test the question on someone who isn't her." Lance took a deep breath. "Did she tell you about the orb on the highway?"
"Yes, she did."
"Did she tell you about the x-rays?"
"No."
Lance pulled his phone out and showed her. "Ever since the accident, I've felt another presence at the back of my mind. When the red-eyed creature attacked, it took over..."
"I see..." Rachel trailed off when Abigail returned to the table.
"Work needs me. Can you keep an eye on Lance today?" Abigail tucked her phone into her purse and gave Rachel the puppy dog face.
Rachel's mouth opened, and she winced, "I have witnesses to question today." She turned to Lance. "Are you okay with that?"
"I could use the distraction," he said. "I want us to be friends, for my mom's sake." Lance smiled at his mom.
Abigail kissed them both on the cheek, "I'll be home soon."
Lance and Rachel ate in silence. Once the last morsel of food left the plate, Rachel threw her napkin down. "When do you plan on telling your mother about what's going on with you?"
"When I have a better idea of what's going on," Lance said. "Mom has a habit of freaking out. The best way to avoid trouble is to have information on the subject."
"I'll keep that in mind for the future."
"Can you tell me anything else about your case?"
Rachel leaned forward and made sure no one else listened. "Can you keep a secret?"
"Of course," Lance said.
"Witnesses heard a loud whistle. A thick fog rolled in. Then a few minutes later, the victims were found dead. I'm worried because your mom is a recovering alcoholic."
Lance clenched his fist. "You and I will keep her safe." He frowned, "Once I figure out what's going on with me."