I could only gape. Tears of anger, confusion, and fear were welling in Dallas’s eyes, smearing her thick rings of eyeliner. I wrapped my arms around her and gave a deep shuddery breath. She held me back.

“Come along, young ladies,” the officer said, an impatient note in his voice. “We’re going to the hospital to visit Michael Carter. There was some – well – suspicion involved in the accident.” The policeman looked as though he had just said something he shouldn’t have.

“What?” Dallas demanded.

The officer winced. He seemed to take Dallas very seriously – surprising, considering that she looked like she had two smudgy black eyes. “This is not the moment to inform you of the circumstances,” he said calmly. “We move move in a timely manner, ladies. Kindly come with me.”

I stared at Dallas, long and hard, and a thought seemed to pop in my head: Go.

I frowned slightly at my sister, and she nodded.

“Okay,” Dallas whispered, taking my hand. “Let’s get this show on the road.”