Toby looked straight into Marcus's eyes, his tear-streaked face tightening with a heavy, confusing grief.
"My mom said you were there when they buried him. But the grave was empty,"
the boy cried out. The words hung in the chilly air, shattering Marcus’s world in an instant.
”The words hung in the chilly air, shattering Marcus’s world in an instant.
A Ghost from the Past
Marcus felt as though the ground had vanished beneath his boots. Toby’s father was Leo, Marcus’s childhood best friend and former riding partner. Five years ago, Marcus had been told that Leo perished in a devastating fiery crash on a remote mountain highway. The authorities had handed down a closed casket, claiming the remains were unidentifiable, and Marcus had stood by Leo's widow, Sarah, as they laid the empty casket to rest. Or so he thought.
"Toby," Marcus said, his hands shaking as he held the boy's shoulders. "Where is your mother?"
"She's inside," Toby whimpered, pointing toward the small, rundown house bordering the yard. "She told me not to talk to anyone, but we need money for rent, and she was crying. I thought... I thought someone who loved motorcycles would buy Dad's last toy."