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L

auren and Jake emerged from the woods the same way that Lauren had gone in—through the Arakawas’ yard. Mrs.

Arakawa’s white Mazda 626 wasn’t in the driveway and Lauren was glad. She didn’t want to answer any questions right now about what they’d found in the woods, or why she’d gone in alone but returned with Jake.

From the Arakawa house there was a fairly commanding view of the cul-de-sac and the houses on the street beyond. Lauren saw Jake’s bright orange Gremlin in his driveway six houses away from the cul-de-sac. A few houses past that was Lauren’s home.

There was a police car parked in front of her house, and she saw her mother standing by the mailbox talking to Officer Hendricks.

Her first thought was Great, I can hand these bags