by Julie Solano
As soon as the door closes behind them I call out to my stowaway. “Time to leave, Jenna! Make the break while you have the chance!”
Jenna claws her way out of the bathroom, pulling off her scrubs and throwing them into her paper bag. “Meet you back home.”
I SLOWLY TWIRL THE LAST pill in the little tan bottle, watching it roll around in circles. How could one little tablet cause so much misery? It’s been a week since I got home, and I’m going out of my mind. I work to pull the blurry living room into focus. Damn painkillers. I should really try to get to the bathroom to relieve this nausea, but my heavy body changes my mind. At the slight movement of trying to lift myself from the couch, I groan and force the bile back down my throat. I hate feeling trapped.
The frustration of not being able to move has me crawling out of my skin. The worst part of this whole mess is having no control. I lie on the couch waiting for the side effects of my medicine to wear off. I need to get to that numb place. Helplessly, I watch Brody shuffle Kaitlyn into the kitchen. He’s had her fused to his side since I got home. He watches her every move. It’s a relief to know he’s with her in case Pistol shows up, but at the same time, it’s hard for me to watch him take on that role alone. I want to be able to jump in if he needs me. I also want to be there for Peyton. In the hospital, I promised to protect her. I hate that I’m breaking that promise. Guilt and worry eat at the back of my mind.
I still haven’t heard from Peyton or her parents. I keep trying to call the hospital, but they won’t release any updates. I wonder if I’m on a blocked list or something. I’ve got to get my mind off of it. I fiddle with the remote and surf through the channels looking for any kind of distraction. The unending flood of overplayed Christmas specials and infomercials leave my mind to wander once again. I can’t stand not being able to drive. One refill left and the pain should be gone. I can’t wait til I’m off of these stupid painkillers. I’ve got to go see Peyton. I hate not knowing if she’s okay. I hate Pistol Black. That bastard. My scattered thoughts have my head spinning. I need to get out of this place.
My eyes drift across the room. Watching Brody with his forehead glued to Kaitlyn’s is getting on my nerves. From what I’ve gathered, it’s getting on Jenna’s too. We’ve had a little adjusting to do, to get used to our “best-friend swap.” The time I’ve spent with Jenna has been good for me, though. Thank God she’s been around to help me work through my winter plans, and keep my mind straight.
Damn, my arm hurts. I stand up and stumble my way back to my bedroom to call her again. I hope she gets here soon to help me get my medicine. She told me she’d be here an hour ago, but she’s taking forever, and I’ve got to get down to the pharmacy. My thoughts begin to bounce into overdrive. Bounce. Does all pain medicine make you want to puke? Bounce. Thank God Jenna’s willing to lug my lame, helpless ass around. Bounce. I should’ve just taken both of them, cutting the dosage isn’t helping the pain. Bounce. I’d better get that medicine before Officer Marnia and the detective get here. I’m dizzy from the ping ponging thoughts. I wipe a small trickle of sweat from my brow as I pick up my phone to dial Jenna.
“Hello?”
“Hey, are you coming?”
“Sorry I’m running late. I’m out of gas, and I still can’t find my wallet.”
It seems like Jenna’s been losing a lot of stuff lately. She should probably clean her room. “Did you check under your bed? It’s probably wrapped up in your dirty underwear.” I chuckle.
“Funny. No, seriously, dude. I haven’t been able to find it since our trip.”
“Did you check your suitcase?”
“Believe me, I’ve checked everywhere. I’m getting worried. I had some stuff in there that I really need.”
“Stuff? Like your credit cards?”
“Well, yeah … and never mind. I’ll keep looking.”
“Listen, do you have enough gas to get here? I can spot you the money. I just really need to get down to Cumming’s Drug and talk to Gordy. I don’t think my medicine is working right. My thoughts are bouncing all over the place. It’s making me dizzy and sick to my stomach. I think it’s the prescription.”
“Yeah, I might roll in on fumes, but I’ll pick you up in a few. Hey, Cade, thanks. I’ll pay you back as soon as I find it.”
“No prob. Hurry!”
I hang up the phone and hear that Mason has joined Kaitlyn and Brody in the front room. I guess I can go out there and see what’s up before Jenna gets here. I grab my wallet off the nightstand and drag myself down the hall to find Kaitlyn sitting on Brody’s lap. She’s chatting with Mason who’s perched on the couch opposite them.
“Hey ladies, sup?”
“Just kickin’ it, waiting to talk to the officers.”
Once again, Brody is cradling Kaitlyn like a doll. Watching them comfort each other hurts. I want to be able to do that for Peyton, and their constant displays of affection remind me of my broken promises. A rush of heat overtakes me, and I feel my cheeks flush red. I bitterly click my tongue and watch a confused look spread across Kaitlyn’s face. She looks at me with a furrowed brow, “You okay?”
Stop being an ass, Caden. I remind myself that I’m glad they have each other to help get through the aftermath of Pistol Black. “Yeah,” I force a half grin, then pulling my stare off of my sister. I glance over to Mason, remembering there was another person who was witness to the horror on the river. She hasn’t been around either.
“Hey, Mas! No Marissa? Doesn’t she need to be here to help with the investigation?”
“Nah, her parents wouldn’t let her out. They’ve kept her under lock and key since the Forks. They say if the police want to speak to her, they can do it at her house.”
Boy, those people sure did seem strict. It doesn’t surprise me that they didn’t let her come over, but I wonder if it’s because they think we’re at fault for what happened. “That sucks, dude. Do they blame us?”
“I don’t know. They’re just pretty uptight people. I don’t think she gets out much.”
“I get it. They don’t know us well enough to trust us.”
The room grows silent as we all look at each other not knowing what more to say.
“Well, Jenna’s coming over to take me down to the pharmacy. If we’re not home before Officer Marnia gets here, let her know we’ll be right back.”
I hear a car door close and look out the window to see Jenna down at the bottom of the driveway.
“K, ladies, she’s here. See you in a few.”
I slowly walk down the long, icy driveway to meet Jenna at the bottom. It takes me a minute to gain my footing, but the brisk air does me good. The nausea begins to subside as I make my way toward her car.
“Sorry, I’m all the way down here, didn’t want to push my luck with the gas.”
“I’ve got it covered.” I hold up my wallet. “Let’s go.”
I bend down and stuff myself inside the little VW Beetle. After thirty seconds, I’m sweating from the heater, and my rear is on fire from the seat warmer.
“Uh, Jenna, I’m dying here. Can we roll down the windows or something?”
“Sorry. I haven’t been able to warm up since that day on the river. Maybe it was the hypothermia or frostbite … I don’t know.” She shakes her head and stares out the window as a faraway look drifts across her eyes.
With the windows down, the icy breeze blasts into the car, sparking another flashback. It’s that damn image of Pistol again. He’s barreling toward us waving his hand frantically. Usually, this nightmare haunts my dreams. This is the first time I’ve had it while I’m wide awake. It looks a little different now that my eyes are open. I draw my focus to his hand, something I haven’t been able to do in my countless recurring night terrors. It’s empty. I hear gunshots, but Pistol’s hand is empty. I swore he was holding a gun. It’s that awful medicine. It’s messing with my memories now.
“Earth to Caden. Where are you, man?”
“Sorry. I just keep having th
at messed up vision of Pistol flying toward us in his truck.” I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Maybe I’m just worried because they still haven’t found him. My mind likes to play tricks on me.” I shake my head, trying to replay the image of gunless Pistol. “I hope the investigators have turned up something. I just can’t wrap my mind around it. I feel like we’re missing something here. Maybe they’ll have some kind of news for us. Let’s hurry up with that medicine so we can get back there, k?”
Just like always, the pharmacy is swamped. I tap my foot impatiently as I stand in line and wait with Jenna. As we move closer to the front, my eye catches a newsstand. “Hey, hold my place in line for a sec. I want to grab a paper. I haven’t been able to keep up with football since Thanksgiving. I’ve gotta see who’s got a shot at the Superbowl.”
I snag a paper and walk back to the line with Jenna. “Here, hold half. It’s kinda hard to do with one arm.” Jenna helps me fumble through the paper trying to get to the sports section. When a familiar image grabs my attention, I stop turning the pages.
“What’s that?”
“Take a closer look, Jenna. Don’t you recognize it?”
“No way. Is that a picture of the cabins?”
“Pretty sure. Let’s see what it says.”
The headline reads, Who’s Been Sleeping in My Bed?
The unsettling thought of Goldilocks crosses my mind, as the cheesy title jumps out at me. That fairy tale always creeped me out. The only noises uttered between the two of us are gasps of shock as we read through the article. The story tells of several cabins at Forks of the Salmon that had been plagued by unexplained visitors during the week of Thanksgiving. No one was reported to be inside at the time of the break-ins. There were, however, reports of ruffled blankets, missing food and alcohol, and even a case of a broken chair. Oddly, there were no reports of stolen items of value. Investigators believe it was a homeless person looking for clothes, food, and shelter.
“See, I told you there was something in the creepy cabin. I bet it was him. So we’re not crazy after all. Just wait til I get to rub this in Brody’s and Mason’s faces. Crap dude, we could’ve been killed!”
“Yep, it’s all pretty crazy. What are the odds of those break-ins happening while we were there?” I’m finding humor in her reaction, so I decide to mess with her a little. “Maybe we should give the sheriff a heads up when we meet today. Let him know about your flying phone,” I chuckle, knowing full well it was a raccoon that spooked Jenna into throwing it. I cough the word “raccoon” into my hand, laughing.
Jenna backhands me, protesting my continued taunting. Thankfully it’s on my good arm.
We make our way up toward the register. Thank goodness, it’s Gordy. He’ll get me all straightened out.
“Aww. There’s that beautiful girl that reminds me of my own granddaughter. How are you doing today, Jenna?”
“Hey Gordy. Just bringing this lug in to talk to you about his prescription.”
“Oh, I’ve already talked to his doctor. We’ve got it all straightened out for you. Let me just go grab it.”
Between the time Gordy leaves and returns with the bag, Jenna’s already managed to give me two more noogies and a wedgie. “Take it back,” she whispers in my ear, as she tugs my underwear higher. I fake a smile as Gordy begins to speak.
“Sorry about what happened down river to you kids. I’m glad you’re doing better. These should help. Be careful, they’re pretty powerful.” He hands me the bag and looks at Jenna. “You make sure to keep him under control,” he winks.
“No problem.” she laughs, turning to me. “See, just doing my job.”
Tugging at my underwear, we continue our banter on the way out the door. “Jenna, you can be such a little pill sometimes.”
“Guess that’s why Gordy likes me so much.”
WHEN WE PULL UP AT the house, I see the police officer’s and sheriff’s vehicles are both parked in the driveway. I never thought I’d see those big, white SUV’s marked with thick, black Police lettering lining my driveway. This is so surreal. I take in a deep breath, clearing my mind. I am ready for some answers, and hopefully today is the day I will finally get them. Here we go.
When we enter the house, everyone is gathered in the living room.
I instantly recognize the toned backside of my favorite cop. She turns, and flashes her gleaming, white smile. “Good afternoon guys,” Officer Marnia greets us. She flips her long, brown ponytail over her shoulder. Damn, I’d forgotten how hot she is. I force my eyes to look at the guy standing next to her, so I can actually pay attention to what she’s saying. “I’d like to introduce you to Detective Edward Ferrara. Since this all happened outside of my jurisdiction, he’s handling the investigation. Though I am working closely with him because of my history with your case.”
The tall, muscular detective stands up to shake my hand. This guy makes the hulk look small. “Nice to meet you. I’ve already told the others they can call me Eddie. I know we’re jumping into this pretty fast. Do you kids need any time before we get started?”
Time? That’s all I’ve had for a week. I don’t want any more time. I need answers. “I think we’re good. Let’s get to it.”
Jenna and I sit down on the long couch next to Kaitlyn and Brody. My parents look fidgety and oddly uncomfortable. We kept everything from them for so long that I think they’re both still in shock at the criminal level of Pistol’s activity. Even Jenna’s, normally chipper parents, sit solemnly on the couch opposite us. The mood in here is intense, to say the least. All eleven of us anxiously crowd the unbearably quiet room, staring at each other, waiting for the officers to begin.
Officer Marnia speaks first. “Detective Ferrara and I have reviewed my previous documentation on all criminal behavior involving Pistol. He’s up to date on the history of violence, drinking, and stalking behavior. Because they both involved physical attacks with injuries, I made sure to fill him in on the details of the assault after Kaitlyn’s swim meet in October, and the second attack at the barn dance. Those offenses give us cause to believe this may not have been an accident. Eddie has been down at the site of the accident, investigating the possibility of Pistol’s involvement with the crash being premeditated. He’s also been investigating his whereabouts.”
I can’t get the questions out fast enough. “And? Where is he? Did you find him?”
“I’m sorry to say, his whereabouts are unknown at this time. That being said, Kaitlyn, you still need to be on high alert. I don’t want you going anywhere alone.”
I watch Kaitlyn tense, as Brody tucks her under his arm. She pulls her hands through her hair, and I can see she’s terrified. “I’m so sorry guys, this is all my fault. I should’ve said something that first night when my room was trashed.”
“What are you talking about, Kaitlyn?” I hear the shock bleeding through the hurt in my mom’s voice.
Crap. We’re going to get it now. I knew we shouldn’t have kept that one a secret.
“It was after the homecoming dance. When I got home, I found my teddy bear from Pistol. Its throat was slit, and the stuffing was all over my room.”
“Don’t forget about the picture that was torn in half,” Brody cuts in.
“Or the weird text about your pajamas the next morning,” Jenna adds.
I watch the color drain from Kaitlyn’s face. Jenna and Brody have just thrown her under the bus, and she looks like she just swallowed the bitter pill of betrayal. They’re gonna get it now.
Officer Marnia lifts her perfectly sculpted eyebrows as she quizzes Kaitlyn. “Kaitlyn, do you have something more to tell me? I don’t have any of this in my reports. What’s this about a pajama text?”
“It’s nothing. I think Pistol was just trying to scare me, you know, make me think he was watching me.”
“What does that have to do with pajamas, T?” I snap, annoyed that I haven’t heard about any of the crap that happened the morning after the dance.
My siste
r grows silent, clearly not wanting to talk about this in front of all our parents.
Jenna looks sternly at Kaitlyn as she finally speaks, “If you’re not going to tell them, I will.” She looks at Officer Marnia and then to Detective Eddie. “The night after the homecoming dance, Kaitlyn got a text from Pistol telling her he liked her new pumpkin pajamas. She was freaking out because it was the first time she’d ever worn them, not to mention, he’s never seen her in pajamas before. We couldn’t figure out how the sicko knew about them. That’s all.”
“Jenna, he was probably watching me through the window.”
“Yeah, but Kaitlyn, you and I both decided that the windows and curtains were closed all night. That’s impossible.”
A new look of concern crosses the officers’ faces. Officer Marnia looks over to the detective. “That certainly throws a new monster into this case.”
“Indeed, now we’ll need to determine if Pistol’s also a peeping Tom, or if he was actually inside the premises that night. Kaitlyn, I’d like to take a look around your room just to get a look at the layout. Maybe I can get better insight into how this character operates.”
Kaitlyn breathes a deep sigh and lets it out slowly. She stands up steadily, addressing all of us, “I’m so sorry guys. I should’ve spoken up sooner.” She shakes her head back and forth continuously, “I thought it would stop. I never, in a million years, thought Pistol could go to these lengths to get back at me.” Her lips turn down and she looks as though she’s fighting back tears. Then shakily she motions to the detective, “My room is this way, sir.”
A minute later Kaitlyn returns to the living room alone. Both officers have stayed back to search her room. We all sit quietly. My eyes study the pattern of the carpet beneath my feet. I can’t imagine what’s going through her mind right now. Even I’m a nervous wreck. What if they figure out that Pistol was in her room? How did I let him get past me and creep in on my sister like that? I’m disgusted with myself that I wasn’t a better bodyguard. I look up to find the adults peering back and forth from one to another, shaking their heads. “I thought we raised them better than this,” my mom finally speaks up.
