by Renee Marski
Clara turned to leave, but Patricia stopped her, placing her free hand on Clara's arm. "Stop her, Clara. For my girl. For Gretchen."
Clara patted Patricia's hand. "I will. I promise." Patricia nodded and settled back into her bed, a look of contentment on her face.
21. STACY’S A HOSTAGE
C lara and the deputy rode back to camp, his lights flashing and sirens blaring. Clara gripped the door of the car as he slid through town. The deputy radioed for backup, knowing that he'd be the first to reach the camp. "Do you think Maddy would hurt any of the girls?" she asked.
He didn't take his eyes off the road as he responded. "She's desperate. I think at this point she'd do just about anything."
They left town behind them and headed to the camp at a speed that made Clara gulp with worry. "She's unstable, which means we need to approach her with caution. She could have a hostage." As she said the words, Clara's phone buzzed. She answered, licking her lips. "Hello?"
"Clara, where are you?" Denise's voice rang over the line, her worry matching Clara's own.
"On my way back with the deputy. Why? What's wrong?"
"Stacy's missing. We can't find her in the house. We told all the girls they had to stay inside. We didn't even see her slip out." Denise's voice rose an octave, making Clara wince.
"She must've gone out to find Maddy. They've gotten close recently. Denise, don't go looking for her. Maddy is dangerous. The deputy will find her once we get there, okay? Stay in the house."
Denise agreed, then hung up.
Clara leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes. "She has a hostage."
The deputy's knuckles turned white on his steering wheel. "How? Who?" In that moment, Clara realized that his worry was two-fold. On the one hand, he was worried about Maddy hurting all those girls. On the other hand, he was worried about Tracy, fearing that she was the hostage Maddy had taken.
"Stacy. She and Maddy have gotten close over the last couple of weeks." She sighed. "Stacy slipped out after I left, probably to go look for Maddy."
The car picked up speed as he pushed the pedal down harder. "Then we need to find them soon."
Clara gulped and closed her eyes. "About that. Where are we going to look?"
"The clearing." He said it with so much confidence, Clara popped open an eye to look at him.
"Are you sure?"
He nodded. "I have a feeling that's where she's hiding. Not many people know about it. It's where Gretchen died. I think that's where she'll go." Clara couldn't argue with that. It seemed like everything was coming full cycle.
They pulled up to the big house and stopped inches from the front porch. Both hopped out of the car and headed toward the woods. Denise and Hannah stumbled out of the house and called after Clara. She dropped back and turned to them with her hands out. "Get back inside."
Both girls halted, panting. "What's going on?" Hannah's worried eyes looked beyond Clara to where the deputy was running around the lake.
"It's Maddy. The killer is Maddy. And we think she has Stacy. We have to get her." Clara took a deep breath. "But I need you guys to stay in the house with the campers. Keep them safe until we get back."
Hannah hesitated for a second before pulling something out of the waistband of her jeans. In her hand was a small pistol, something Clara had never seen before. "Here, take it. In case you need it."
Clara took the gun, her mouth hanging open. "Hannah, where did you get this?"
She shrugged. "I drove here remember? I have a concealed weapons license. I applied for one here in Tennessee after we got here, our first free day off. My dad got it for me for my eighteenth birthday. He's always been worried about me since Betty. I don't carry it around often but I do keep it nearby."
Clara checked it over and turned off the safety. "Thanks. I'll bring it back, promise." Hannah nodded and turned Denise back toward the house. Clara ran around the lake and headed to the clearing, annoyed that the deputy had some distance on her. If he thought he was doing this alone, he was sorely mistaken. Clara pushed through the trees, branches scratching at her arms and face and pulling at her hair. She could hear voices ahead, mumbled and low. He was there, trying to talk Maddy down. Good. She could use that distraction to get around Maddy.
Clara poked her head around a bush to take stock of the scene. The deputy stood near Maddy, both hands raised, his gun nowhere in sight. Maddy stood near the stone, her arm wrapped around Stacy's waist, a knife pressed to Stacy's neck. Clara ducked back down, then crept around the clearing, trying to get behind Maddy. As she moved, she listened to the conversation. "Come on, Maddy, you don't have to hurt her. She's your friend."
"All my friends end up hurting me." Clara heard the sob in her voice. That was a very broken girl out there.
"Maddy, moving on with your life isn't a bad thing. Friends do it all the time. Even family does it. You have to grow up sometime."
"Why can't it just stay the same? Why can't we just spend every summer here forever?" Clara shuddered, remembering similar words being said to her before. Some people just didn't know how to let go.
"So, you kill them? How can you see them then?"
Maddy sniffed and took a deep breath. "Gretchen was here with me all this summer. I knew exactly where she was. And if Savannah stays in a coma, she won't leave here either." Maddy chuckled. "And now, with both Gretchen and Katy buried here, I'll always have them with me."
"So, you're going to kill Stacy too, is that it? Keep her here as well? You know her family won't allow that. They'll bury her back home, where she belongs. You won't get to keep her like the others."
Clara heard Stacy inhale, which propelled her faster through the underbrush.
"It doesn't matter. I'll have the others."
"But you'll be in prison. You won't get to see them." A note of desperation crept into the deputy's voice. Clara just needed him to talk a little longer.
She crept out of the underbrush, behind Maddy and Stacy. The deputy saw her, but didn't move his eyes, not wanting to give her away. He nodded his head and gave her the okay. Clara steadied the gun in both hands like her father had shown her, then aimed at Maddy. Realizing that firing the gun was probably a bad idea, she slinked forward, deciding to smash Maddy on the head instead. She raised the gun, then brought it down as hard as she could.
Maddy cried out. Her grip on Stacy's waist loosened and the knife slid down Stacy's neck before Maddy collapsed to the ground. Stacy ran from Maddy to the deputy, grabbing onto him for dear life. Clara jumped up, rushed over to Maddy, and kicked the knife out of her reach. The deputy stepped forward and placed Maddy under arrest, pulling her to her feet as he did. She winced and shook her head as blood dripped down the side of her face. Glancing around the clearing, the deputy ushered her over to the stone and sat her on it while he called for backup. Maddy glared at all of them, refusing to speak.
"I'm going to take Stacy back to the house," Clara said. The deputy nodded and gave Clara a grateful smile. She handed him Hannah's gun before heading out of the clearing. "Hannah wants that back, just FYI." He nodded, tucking it away.
As they walked back to the big house, Clara filled Stacy in on what had happened. "Patricia helped Maddy hide Gretchen's body. Maddy told her it had been an accident and Patricia believed her, wanting to believe the best about her. And she didn't want to lose sponsors for the camp. After the van accident, Patricia suspected that Maddy had done that on purpose, to hurt Savannah. Maddy knew Savannah was acting weird and Patricia assumed Savannah told Maddy that she wasn't coming back next summer."
"So, she did all this because she was angry?"
"And maybe because she felt abandoned? I don't know the psychology behind it. Maddy is a very troubled girl with a lot of issues. She's going to need a lot of help."
"Do you think they'll lock her up?" The fear hadn't left Stacy's voice, no matter how calm she tried to be.
Clara took Stacy's hand, swinging it with her own. "I think they will. She's not crazy.
She knew exactly what she was doing each time she hurt someone. She's dangerous."
"What made Patricia confess?"
"I think the guilt over Katy's death. Not that she really had a choice. She had a stab wound that she couldn't just explain away. But she blames herself. Says that if she'd turned Maddy in last summer like she should've, Katy would still be alive. It's something she'll have to live with for the rest of her life."
Stacy blew out a breath. "Man, that's tough." Clara nodded her agreement. They walked the rest of the way back to the house in silence.
When they stepped inside, a group of girls surrounded them, all asking questions at the same time. Hannah pushed her way through, with Denise and Tracy right behind her. One look at the two of them and she clapped her hands, making the campers go silent. "Okay, ladies, let's give them some space. I'm sure they'll be able to update you here shortly. Back up, please." The campers moved away, letting Hannah reach Clara and Stacy. One look at Stacy's neck and she frowned. "You've got a pretty mean gash there. Let me get you fixed up." She pulled Stacy into the kitchen, with the other girls following.
Denise looked from Stacy to Clara. "What happened?"
Tracy glanced around, biting her lip. "And where's Maddy and Brayden?"
Clara hopped up on a barstool and rested her hands on the counter. "He's with Maddy in the clearing, waiting for an ambulance. I hit her over the head with the gun."
"Why did you do that, by the way? Why hit her instead of shoot her?" Stacy stood by the sink as Hannah wiped at the blood on her neck, a first aid kit beside her.
"I didn't want to hit you. And I'd never shot that particular gun before. What if I missed and she killed you because of it?"
"But if she'd heard you, she would've killed me anyway."
Clara smiled. "She didn't hear me, did she?" Stacy nodded, wincing as Hannah pressed a warm, wet towel to her neck. Clara continued, barely pausing to take a breath. "Maddy killed Gretchen, in a fit of rage I think. Then got Patricia to help her cover it up, claiming it was an accident. Patricia believed her, mainly because she felt responsible for her. Then the van wreck happened and Patricia started to suspect it wasn't as innocent as it looked. Katy did too, which is why Maddy took her out."
"Katy had suspicions?" Denise sat next to Clara. She took one of her hands, squeezing it.
"I think so. She may have asked Maddy some questions that led Maddy to believe so as well. So, Maddy killed her too." Clara shook her head. "Maddy didn't take responsibility for what she did to Gretchen. She just covered it up. She tried to kill Savannah. I fully believe that now. The wreck wasn't an accident."
"Why kill Savannah? She didn't know about Gretchen or suspect anything?" Denise looked from Stacy to Clara. "Did she?"
Clara shook her head. "No, she didn't suspect anything. She'd told Maddy that she wasn't coming back next summer. I'm assuming the same fit of rage that overtook Maddy when she killed Gretchen made her try to kill Savannah."
"Which means she can try to plead temporary insanity, can't she?" Stacy's voice held a note of fear that Clara hadn't noticed before.
"She could. But not for Katy's murder." All eyes turned to Clara. "Katy's murder didn't happen in a fit of rage. There was no argument beforehand. It was all premeditated. She planned to kill Katy. She was completely in her right mind when she did that."
"What happens to Patricia?" Hannah bent over Stacy, applying some gauze and tape to the gash.
Clara sighed. "She'll have to serve time. She helped hide a body. She's an accessory after the fact." Through the kitchen window, Clara watched as the deputy led Maddy from the woods and walked her toward the big house and his police car. She leaned heavily on him and shook her head from side to side. Clara stood and headed to the door. "I'm going to make sure he doesn't need help." The others nodded, letting her go.
Clara walked toward them, using her hand to shield her eyes from the sun. As she got closer, she realized something was off. Maddy was leaning on him, yes, but he also seemed to be hurt and was leaning on her. Then Clara saw it: the knife sticking out of his side. Maddy smiled at her, her eyes bright with excitement. "Come to see me off?" She cackled. The sound raised the hair on Clara's arms.
"Maddy, what did you do?"
"You think I was going to go down without a fight? Shows what you know." She shoved the deputy away from her, barely glancing at him as he stumbled, gripping his side where the knife was still embedded. She squared her shoulders and tossed her hair over one shoulder. "Looks like it's just you and me. I made him call off the ambulance. No one's coming to get me. Made him cancel the backup too." She smirked, cocking one eyebrow. "Unless you want to try?"
Clara clenched her fists. "You won't win."
Maddy laughed, her hands on her hips. "So says you. Come on, show me what you've got-"
Clara lunged at Maddy, not letting her finish her sentence. Maddy dodged, the head injury not seeming to bother her anymore. Clara landed near the deputy and looked at him with worry. His eyes were closed-whether from exhaustion or because he'd passed out, Clara didn't know. Looking at his belt, she smiled. She pulled free the can of mace and hid the canister behind her back. His gun was gone-Clara assumed tossed into the woods-but the taser was there, ready to be used. Clara yanked that out too and turned to face Maddy.
"Pretty pathetic for a sheriff's daughter," Maddy said. "Come on, try again."
Clara jumped to her feet, the taser at her side. Maddy's eyes focused on the taser. She waited for Clara to use it. Clara knew she'd have only one shot with the taser, so she had to make it count. She started to raise her arm, then turned and pulled the mace out instead and shot Maddy in the eyes with it. Clara closed her own against any back spray.
Maddy screamed, clutching at her face. She rubbed her eyes furiously, blinking rapidly to clear them. "My eyes." She glared at Clara. With the redness of her face, the sight was more funny than scary. Maddy's eyes were slits, barely able to stay open. Maddy lunged this time and took the offensive. Clara jumped back, over the deputy, her feet landing in the water. They were closer to the lake than Clara had realized, as the water lapped at her feet. She backed up some more, avoiding the jabs Maddy sent her way. "Fight me."
Clara shook her head. "No, Maddy. I don't want to fight you. I want you in custody, where you belong."Maddy screamed, charging her. Clara waited until the last second, then bent down, wrapped her arms around Maddy's waist, and pulled her into the water using a wrestling move her big brother had shown her years ago. Maddy tried to wiggle free, but couldn't. Her arms flailed, to no avail. Clara held on tight, refusing to let go.
The deputy sat up, still clutching his side. He looked at Clara, winced, and reached for his radio to call for help. The girls came charging out of the house, Hannah holding a shotgun that she pointed at Maddy. Diamond stood next to her, one of the BB guns from the shooting range tight against her shoulder. She smiled at Clara. "I considered the bow and arrow but thought this might be better."
Clara nodded her thanks and looked back at the deputy. "Some help would be nice, please," she grunted, straining to keep her hold on Maddy. Deputy Bianchi stepped up and pulled Maddy away from Clara, then spun her around, cuffing her arms behind her back. The deputy walked Maddy to his car, nodding at Tracy as he walked by. The girls ran up to Clara, all clamoring to touch her.
She glanced at Hannah's shotgun. "More gifts from your dad?"
Hannah shook her head, the shotgun pointed at the ground. "No, Katy kept this stashed in the house. She showed it to me one day, just in case. Right before she died, actually. I think she knew she wouldn't be here to protect us and wanted to make sure we could protect ourselves." She grinned at Clara. "Not that you needed much help. That was awesome."
Clara rubbed her arms, which were trembling from having to hold Maddy for so long. "I never intended to touch her at all." She looked down at the taser in her hand. "I didn't even get to use this." The other girls laughed, slapping Clara's back. They pulled her toward the house, D
iamond running ahead to put on some coffee. "Can I have a bath too, please?" The girls nodded, unable to stop smiling, glad that Clara was okay.
22. THE LAST DAY OF CAMP
D eputy Braydon stopped by the last day of camp as the bus came to pick up the campers. He stood back while the girls hugged. Patricia stood back and smiled at them. As they piled onto the bus, Diamond stopped before Clara, a hand on her hip. "I think I wanna solve murders too when I graduate."
Clara smiled, one eyebrow raised. "Oh, really?"
The girl nodded. "Yep. But I think I want to be the scientist who finds the evidence."
Clara smiled and clapped a hand on Diamond's shoulder. "And I think you'd be great at it. Keep me posted, okay? You have my email." Diamond nodded and gave Clara one last smile before running to the bus. Crystal's small face watched her out one of the windows. As the bus pulled away, the campers gave one last wave and hollered out goodbyes. Clara turned to the other girls, unable to stop smiling, her heart full. "That girl's going places."
"We could always use her at the department once she graduates." Deputy Braydon ran a hand through his hair as he smiled at the group.
Patricia stepped forward, her hands clenched in front of her. "Katy always said she was going places." She frowned, the mention of her daughter still hurting.
Clara looked at the deputy. "So, what happens now?"
"Maddy goes on trial. She's got a public defender. He's not bad but I'm not sure how much he'll be able to do for her. Gretchen's second journal? It cataloged all the fights she and Maddy had, talked about how she thought Maddy was putting a curse on her, casting evil spells on her."
Patricia wrinkled her nose. "How terrible. I taught her better than that."
"She also suspected Maddy was reading her journal, which is why she kept two. The second one never left her person, which means Maddy didn't see it until after she killed Gretchen." He looked at Patricia, his eyes hard.
