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Show 33. VI Garth had never seen JD in such a state before. Here was a solid, stable kid, not given to hallucinations or trumped-up stories. Then what in the hell was going on? JD had been terrified. By a UFO, he'd said. Worse, he now had the notion that he'd been inside it. It was too unlikely for Garth. But how could he account for JD going to pieces the way he did? They had sat at the table another hour, going over everything again, trying to find plausible explanations. "I think you should report it," Garth said when JD finally stood to leave. Garth hitched his thumbs in his belt and studied the floor, thinking. "The Air Force used to collect data, but they don't anymore. Maybe a local report, here in Red Butte, to the police . . ." "They'd laugh their heads off," JD said. He looked discouraged enough as it was. "Maybe not. If someone else saw something and reported it, confirming your sighting, you know, it would give you some peace of mind." "What would I . . . how would I go about it?" Garth ran his hand over his beard and ended up stroking his sideburns. He looked pretty grubby to be calling on Mike Butzow the way he was, but he wondered if JD should wait. "I don't think you should put it off. Do you want me to go with you . . . right now? You'll feel better." "Yeah, would you?" JD looked relieved. "Let me grab my coat and make a phone call. Kay was expecting me to come over." "No, wait, Garth, I don't have to do this tonight." "No sweat. I'll just tell her I can't make it. I'll explain later." It was raining by the time JD pulled up to the squat brick building on the outskirts of town. The two windows flanking the door read State Highway Patrol on one side and Red Butte Police on the other. Garth |