Everyone in the Ghost Burial Squad looked grim, especially Chief Stone. He stood silently at the entrance, smoking one cigarette after another—so many that the ground was littered with butts.
"Hey, Ethan, can you still walk? I want to have a private chat with you. How about we grab some Dreamland BBQ together?"
"Cut back on the cigarettes, Detective Stone."
I smiled and walked over, just as Hugh Thompson approached.
"What’s up, Old Stone? Barbecue, huh? That’s my favorite—let’s all go!"
Suddenly, I saw Detective Stone shoot Hugh Thompson a cold, sharp glance.
"Thompson, if you have time to eat barbecue with me, maybe you should spend it with your wife instead. Sigh, you barely go home all year."
"You know how my wife is—she won’t forgive me anyway. Come on, let’s just eat barbecue together."
Detective Stone smiled, then shook his head.
"Oh, by the way, Thompson, give Ethan his phone back. Didn’t you take it?"