Home Before Dark by Susan Wiggs

to defend her from the hazards of a carload of friends.
    â€œI’m Officer McKnight, ma’am. I need to review somethings in the accident report,” he said. He told her more than he asked her, and they put together the likely scenario. Lila had sneaked out to join Heath Walker in his Jeep. They’d picked up the other kids and gone hill-hopping. Luz found herself squirming as Officer McKnight delved into her private struggles with Lila. The falling grades, the increasing truancy rate, the inscrutable silences, the bursts of shouting when frustration overwhelmed them. The beer and pot. How long had that been going on? For the life of her, Luz couldn’t say.
    She gazed helplessly into the highway patrolman’s world-weary eyes. “I love my daughter. I never saw this coming. I never knew she was…that she would sneak out and drink beer and smoke weed.”
    His walkie-talkie burbled and growled, and he excused himself. Luz glanced at her watch—5:30 a.m. Lord, where had the night gone? And where the hell was Ian?
    Luz stepped out into the waiting area, digging into her purse for change. She plugged a few coins in the pay phone and dialed.
    Jessie picked up in the middle of the first ring. “How is she?”
    â€œShe’s okay,” Luz said hastily, trying to spare her sister the gut-tearing horror of the unknown. “A few cuts and bruises. They’re releasing her as soon as— I actually don’t know what we’re waiting for. I couldn’t get hold of Ian, but I left a message. I’m sure he’s on his way from Huntsville.” She hated how that sounded, as though she couldn’t find her husband and was making excuses for him.
    â€œWhat happened?” Jessie asked.
    Luz took a deep breath. She felt unexpectedly defensive as she twisted the silver phone cord around her index finger. “She sneaked out last night.”
    A long, tense hesitation hummed across the line. Luz couldn’t read her sister’s silence. Taking a deep breath, she went on, “She met up with some other kids, and they went hill-hopping.” Luz shifted the phone from one ear to the other and wiped her sweaty palm on her pant leg, then proceeded to describe the latest fad activity to her sister. As she spoke, she pictured Heath’s Jeep flying through the air, strewingchildren among the scrub oaks and tumbleweeds along the way. “Apparently it’s a new extreme sport.”
    Another hesitation. Then Jessie said, “That’s not exactly new.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    â€œRemember that El Dorado I had when I was sixteen?”
    â€œVaguely.” She recalled an old green heap, one window stuck in the down position, rockabilly music blaring from a tinny radio. Then she recalled they’d had it towed to the salvage yard after Jessie drove it clunking home, its right front tire in shreds and the front end damaged beyond repair.
    A chill prickled over her skin. “Are you saying—”
    â€œRidgetop Road, on the way to the quarry, right? Seven Hills? I guess stupidity must be a family trait. So you’re sure Lila is okay.”
    â€œYes. Shaken.” Luz decided not to say anything about the drinking.
    â€œWhat about the boy?”
    â€œHow did you know there was a boy? I didn’t mention any boy.”
    â€œThere’s always a boy involved in something like this, isn’t there? You said she met up with some other kids.”
    â€œShe did. There were three boys and three girls in the car.”
    â€œOh, God.” Jessie sounded nauseous. “So is everyone okay?”
    â€œI don’t think so. One of them was taken to Brackenridge. I think—” She turned into the little nook of the pay phone and pressed herself against the wall, trying to disappear. “I’m afraid he’s in bad shape, but nobody’s talking. I’m scared for Lila. Afraid of how she’ll cope when all this