‘We were good people. Every tree always had some bad apples. But when someone threatened to cut down our tree. Well…we can’t just let that happen.’

“Someone’s coming!” Murphy exclaimed. Poking my head above the dashboard, I looked on in anticipation. A blue sedan.

“It’s Madeline, calm down!” I responded. Murphy reemeeged from the shadows of our older SUV to meet the headlights on the road as the sedan came to a stop across the road. Madeline quickly turned her car off and walked over to us.

“Is it done?” She asked quickly, her voice still as shaky as it was back at the house.

“Should be any moment now.” I retorted, subtly nodding towards the treeline next to the road.

“This won’t come back on us, right?” She asked. Her eyes began darting around the treeline and then to the back of the SUV.

“Madeline. Listen to me. The storm will be here in two days. This whole area is going to be washed out to sea. If he isn’t found before then, he sure won’t be found after.” My remark was cold, but I eye contact. I was sure we had done everything right in preventing the cops from tying this body to our family. Madeline stopped her shaking as her eyes began to fill with tears again. I held her close in my embrace, trying to shush away her fears and worries. My sister never was one to have a strong constitution for these things. Murphy rolled his eyes and walked a few feet away, drawing a cigarette from his back pocket. As he reached in his other pocket he felt…nothing? He tapped his back pockets. His shirt pocket. All empty! His mouth went wide enough to drop the cigarette from his mouth. He turned back to me and I could see it in his eyes. We were screwed now.