Swipe

You’re welcome to join if you’d like.”
    “Thanks, Mr. Langly,” Dane yelled. “I’ll think about it.”
    Mr. Langly stepped back inside Logan’s room, and in the tin can he held to his ear, Logan could hear his father’s voice say, “Boy’s growing up faster than I know what to do with him . . .”
    Logan’s hands shook almost too much for him to hold on to the tree. In one clumsy motion he knocked the hoverdisk from its branch and tore the tin can from its fishing line.
    “You got it!” Dane whispered, trying to be cautious after lying to Logan’s dad. “Good job!”
    Logan climbed to a safe height and jumped the rest of the way down the tree and onto the sidewalk.
    “What’ve you got there?” Dane asked. Logan was holding the can. “You okay, dude? You look like you’re gonna faint.”
    Logan felt that way too, weak in the knees. He had to sit down.
    Dane put his hand on Logan’s shoulder and said, “Look, it was a close call with your dad, but it wasn’t that close. He’s not even angry.”
    Logan was grateful for the alibi, as the last thing he wanted to do right now was explain to Dane what he’d just found. “You’re right,” he said. “I’m just being stupid.”
    At that moment, two girls appeared together down the sidewalk. When they came a little closer, Logan could see that they were, in fact, Hailey and Erin. Erin was holding her iguana tightly in both hands, and speaking loudly and excitedly to Hailey though she wasn’t yet close enough for Logan to hear the words.
    “Yo, girls!” Dane called out. “Hey, over here!”
    Hailey turned and smiled upon seeing Dane and Logan. Erin smiled too.
    “What’s up?” Dane asked when they’d come a little closer.
    “Just out for a stroll,” Hailey said.
    “I lost my iguana.” Erin held him up.
    Dane cleared his throat, and Logan snapped out of his daze.
    “Oh! Dane! This is Erin,” he said. “Erin, this is my friend Dane.”
    Dane nodded approvingly at Logan and waved to Erin.
    “Hi,” Erin said.
    Logan managed a thin smile. “I didn’t know you two knew each other.”
    “Just met,” Hailey said.
    Erin laughed. “Playing kick the can, I see?” She gestured with Iggy to the can Logan was holding.
    “Yeah, what is that?” Dane asked Logan.
    “It’s nothing,” Logan lied.
    Dane pointed up. “You find it in the tree?”
    “Uh . . .”
    “Dude, it was prob’ly a bird’s nest or something! And you stole it!”
    “Shut up, Dane,” Logan said, rolling his eyes. “It wasn’t a bird’s nest.” He hesitated. “Actually . . . it was attached to that twine you found.”
    Dane frowned. “Why?”
    “It was, uh . . . it was picking up the sounds in my room.” Logan felt himself go white as he said it.
    “So you did have an experiment going!” Dane said.
    Logan laughed distantly. “Yeah . . .” He chuckled. “Works better than you’d think.”
    But right as he lied, Erin caught Logan’s eye. She read the look on his face. And suddenly many pieces of some grand puzzle clicked into place.
    Could it be? Could Logan really be Peck’s next victim? Could this be what all the “haunting” stories had been about last night? Could that be the explanation behind this tin can too?
    Erin’s eyes went wide. Without thinking, she hoisted Iggy up onto her shoulder and steadied him with one hand. With her other, she took Logan’s, her touch surging through him. “Listen,” she said. “There’s something I need to show you,” and the two of them turned.
    “Dude, where are you going?” Dane looked at Logan pleadingly, stealing a short glance at Hailey. “I thought we were gonna eat dinner or something.”
    “Dinner can wait,” Erin said.
    “No, it can’t,” Dane said. “Logan, not cool!” But Logan was already gone, dragging wildly behind Erin as she pulled him down the road.
    “Peck,” Erin whispered once they’d run some feet away.
    “What are you talking about?” Logan said. “What’s going on? Who’s Peck?”
    “I think you’re lying about that tin can being yours. But I think everything else you’ve said to me has been the truth.”
    Logan was starting to breathe heavily. “You’re right, but— Erin, what is this about? Who’s Peck? Where have I heard that name before?”

    Back by the tree, Dane looked at Hailey. She smiled apologetically.
    “So,” Dane said.
    “Hi,” Hailey said.
    The two of them shrugged. And they made their way home.
    8
    Erin shuffled through boxes in her