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I need you to keep her from finding out Gus is there.
DEREK
Gallagher! Can you fucking help me or not?
DYLAN
In a tight spot… literally. Got situation covered. And in the future can you possibly refrain from cursing at me when I’m trying to fucking help you? I’m hiding from a scary old blond lady who is brandishing what looks like a rolled-up copy of The National Review like a baseball bat.
DYLAN
I swear to Christ if I get beaten to death by fascist trash, I will haunt this building. And you.
Derek suppressed a chuckle. A fuzzy photo came through. Gallagher obviously had one of the newest iPhone models like Derek’s younger sister had, because he was able to take a photo in near darkness. It was grainy, just like the ones Amy took of her sleeping kids. The photo showed a portion of a large black snout and a shoulder that must have been Dylan’s. His T-shirt was covered in drool. Derek squinted at the photo. There was a box behind him labeled MICHELLE’S DANCE SHIT.
DEREK
Are you in the closet?
DYLAN
I swore I never would be again, yet here I am.
Derek chuckled in spite of himself.
DYLAN
Related topic. Are there canine dentists? I think something died in your dog’s mouth.
DEREK
Where’s Karen?
DYLAN
From what I can hear, she’s been snooping through the kitchen. She opened your bedroom door, but then I heard her in the main room, so I don’t think she saw the hole in the ceiling.
DEREK
Okay.
DYLAN
Of course. You’re so welcome for this. Yes, I can really feel the gratitude.
“Snarky ass—”
“Who’s got a snarky ass?” Olive asked. “Aside from me.”
“My neighbor.”
“Dylan…?” she said in a suggestive voice.
“Yeah, he’s—” Shit, this is why lying sucked. It was never just one lie. A lie always turned into more lies. “He’s doing some of the work fixing the hole, and he’s hiding from my snooping neighbor who thinks we need to run all renovation work through the HOA.”
“That was a surprisingly detailed response. Hmm…” Olive wrinkled her nose.
“Yeah.” He kept his face neutral.