Part 37: Like a Good Neighbor

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Previously in the Vines Inquiry— Harlow pulled on her encyclopedic knowledge of horror movies to renew her determination and carried on towards the foyer. Even so, the sounds of hungry cougars got closer. Meanwhile, Frank broke through the wall and was spat out into the manor’s foyer only to be reunited with Blevin. Both of the boys were injured, but they could still hear the Call coming from the parlor. As they tried to get the locked doors open, the cougars circled in.

That is until something smashed through the front of the manor…

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The station wagon—certified pre-owned and well-maintained thanks to a bartering arrangement with the local garage—idled, wobbling on a rickety foundation of broken doors, torn rugs and the remnants of Rosalind’s display table. The largest chunk was jammed into the front-left tire well, looking like a giant had taken a bite out of the ancestral marble circle.

The cougar had disappeared, but a smear of red evidence on the front bumper closed that case mighty quick. 

“Jesus…” said Frank again.

“I’m not sure you should be saying ‘Jesus’ anymore, Frank.” Blevin winced. “Just cause, you know, all of this.” 

Frank stood and stamped his foot, crunching a decorative pine cone beneath it. “What is going on?!”

The car honked twice in answer as the passenger side window rolled down. 

“Frank, where the hell is my daughter?”