Where Petals Fall

by Melissa Foster

  Sarah put her fisted hand behind her back.

  “Sarah? Why are you out here? What have you got in your hand?”

  Sarah didn’t answer.

  “Sarah Jane? Show me what you have, please.”

  Sarah stared down at the ground. She didn’t budge.

  Ms. Coler came out of the building. “There she is. You scared the daylights out of me.” She looked at Junie, then at Sarah’s rigid stance. “Is everything okay?”

  “Mm-hm. I just want Sarah to share what she has behind her back.”

  Ms. Coler smiled. “I’ll bet I know what it is. Sarah, do you have Kayla’s earring?” she asked.

  Sarah bit her lower lip.

  “It’s okay. You’re allowed to look at it, but it does belong to Kayla, so you can’t take it home.” She turned to Junie and explained. “Kayla wasn’t here today, but her mother called to tell us that she’d lost an earring yesterday. This is a big deal because she just got her ears pierced a month ago, and this was the first time she’d worn something other than the little studs they’d pierced her with.” She turned to Sarah. “Sarah found it in the classroom, and she’s been enamored with it ever since. Now, I’m not sure, but I think Sarah here wishes she could have pierced ears. Don’t you, Sarah?”

  Sarah shook her head from side to side.

  Junie’s heart leaped. She’d responded! She grabbed Ms. Coler’s arm. “Did you see that? Sarah? You don’t want your ears pierced?”

  Again she shook her head.

  Junie laughed. “Okay, then, no ear piercing.”

  “I should say not,” Ms. Coler said. “Sarah, may I please have the earring?”

  Sarah shook her head.

  Junie crouched before Sarah, not wanting to alarm her, as she had in the car. She held on to the drawings she’d picked up in her right hand and held out her left. “Sarah, may I please see Kayla’s earring?” She reached for Sarah’s hand, flipped it over, and opened her little fingers. Within her palm lay a tiny silver hoop.

  Junie felt as though she’d been kicked in the stomach. She fell backward, holding on to the ground for support. The wind rushed out of her.

  “Junie, what is it?” Ms. Coler asked.

  Junie shook her head. “I’m okay. It’s nothing.” I’m just looking at the exact same type of earring that my missing friend was wearing when she disappeared more than twenty years ago. “It’s been a long day.”

  Chapter Forty

  Junie didn’t care if they had to put the house up for sale. She had to get another appointment with Theresa—fast. If that made her crazy, then so be it. She could no sooner navigate alone the memories that accosted her than she could figure out what was going on with her daughter. She was adrift in a sea of worries and intangibles. She’d drown without a lifeline.

  She’d left an urgent message for Theresa hours ago and had yet to hear back. When her cell phone rang, she jumped for it without looking at the caller ID.

  “Hello?”

  “Let’s go away for a few days.”

  Junie stiffened. She’d almost forgotten what she’d heard. Squirt. Why was he suddenly being so nice? What was he up to? “Um, I’m trying to reach Theresa, for Sarah,” she added quickly. “Her teacher wants me to talk to Theresa about Asperger’s.” And I can’t talk to you right now.

  “Oh, well, our court date was postponed, so I am coming home around five. Why don’t you make it a little later and I’ll go with you?”

  Junie’s jaw dropped. “You will?”

  “Yeah, I’ve been thinking. Whatever Sarah’s going through, she can’t do it alone, and you’ve just lost your dad, so—”

  Was he actually trying? Junie felt like such a bitch. How could she have thought Brian had something to do with Ellen’s disappearance?

  “I thought we’d go to Deep Creek for the weekend, get away.”

  What?

  “Hello? Junie?”

  “Yeah, I’m here,” she said quietly.

  “My family’s cabin. It’s miles away from anywhere. Just the three of us.”

  Call waiting buzzed through. “Hold on a sec,” she said, and answered the call.

  “Junie, it’s Shane. I gotta talk to you. I think I made a big mistake.”

  “Shoot, okay. Hold on a sec.”

  “Wait. I’m late. Let me tell you quickly. I called Brian. I was worried about you, about what happened, so I called to tell him to be sure to take care of you, but he was pissed.”

  “You called him?” Junie realized just how worried Shane must have been. The only other time he’d taken it upon himself to call Brian was when she’d come to the bakery sick every morning—before they’d realized it was morning sickness.

  “I thought he’d be there for you, but he was furious that Katie had come to see you. I think I did something really wrong. I’m so sorry.”

  Why didn’t Brian mention the call?

  “No, you’re fine. Okay, look, I gotta run. Brian’s on the other line.” She heard Shane apologize as she clicked back over to Brian.

  “Sorry about that,” she said.

  “No problem. Was that Theresa?”

  “No.” Oh God. Junie closed her eyes and lied. “Sales call.”

  “So, why don’t you pack and I’ll pick you girls up in a bit, and if Theresa calls, we’ll go there first.”

  “Um, I think we should stay around here, in case she calls later.” I don’t want to be alone with you.

  “Don’t be silly. She won’t work on the weekend. Be ready,” he said in a tone that Junie heard as, We’re leaving when I get home. No questions asked.

  Junie panicked. What if Brian had been involved? What if he thought Katie told her something that confirmed his guilt? What if she was involved—she still wasn’t sure what had happened, and all Katie had done was cloud her memories. What if Brian knew it was her who did something to Ellen? Did she do something to Ellen? Junie thought her mind might explode, and Brian would come home and find her brains splattered all over the living room floor.

  She tried Theresa again and reached her answering machine. She picked up the phone to call her mother, then realized how stupid she’d sound, Mom, I think I hurt Ellen, or maybe Brian did. I’m afraid to be alone with him. I’m afraid to be with myself. Oh, and Sarah’s teacher wants me to ask her therapist about Asperger’s, but her therapist thinks Sarah might be selectively mute. Did I mention that she was holding the same exact earing as Ellen was wearing when she disappeared? Shoot me now.

  She threw herself down on the couch, buried her face in her hands, and decided she needed a plan. First she made a mental list of the things she had to figure out: Why was Sarah so enamored with the earring? Was it just a coincidence that it looked like Ellen’s? Why was she drawing Peter’s garden? What did I see at the creek? Was it Brian? Did I hurt Ellen?

  Then she listed a few things that were bothering her: Brian’s voice at the creek. Gray van? Ellen’s shoe? Asperger’s? Selectively mute?

  She had to work through each item to reclaim her sanity and understand what was going on—or at least that was her plan.

  Junie picked up the phone and called Katie. After listening to her gush about how sorry she was, she finally got a word in.

  “What exactly did I tell you? What did you feel you had to hide all these years?”

  Katie didn’t answer.

  “Katie, please. This is important. I need to know.”

  “Junie, you passed out today. I think I made a big mistake. I don’t think I should have said anything. I’m so sorry for unearthing something so painful. Really, it’s our secret. I promise not to bring it up again.”

  “Our secret?” What the hell? Junie wondered when they’d had the type of relationship that had secrets. “Katie, please!”

  “All I can say is that if you don’t remember, then maybe you shouldn’t remember. You get my drift?” Katie’s voice wavered.

  “Katie, listen. I need to know if I hurt Ellen. Did I hurt Ellen? Did I do something? W
hy did she disappear? Please, if you know, I need to know.”

  “I can’t do this anymore, Junie. I wish you never came back. I should have said something years ago.”

  “Said what?”

  “Why don’t you ask your husband?”

  The phone went dead.

  Chapter Forty-One

  Brian came in as Junie was changing Sarah’s clothes. She stuffed them in the bottom of the hamper, not wanting to deal with any of his snarky comments. Every nerve was on fire. Her chest tingled. She moved about the room like a firefly, unable to settle down.

  Junie sent Sarah to the living room to watch television as she carried the hamper downstairs.

  “I thought I’d throw a load in before we go,” Junie said, slipping into the laundry room.

  “Another accident?” he said.

  What happened to your good mood? “No, I just don’t want to come home to dirty laundry. How was your day?” Tell me about Shane.

  “Uneventful.”

  Liar. “Sorry about court.”

  “No big deal. We’ll get the guy off. They’re just buying time. How about your day?” he asked.

  “Uneventful.” Call me on it. Come on, please.

  “That’s good, I guess.”

  The air between them was charged with negative electricity. Junie heard every word Brian said as a taunt, every omission of his conversation with Shane as an admission of guilt of some kind, a threat to her safety, only she didn’t know why. She’d never been afraid of Brian before, and she hoped she was being foolish now, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something had changed. His personality was forced, his kindness feigned. Katie’s words echoed in her head. Ask your husband.

  Brian’s cell phone rang. He answered it, moving swiftly into the other room. Junie strained to listen.

  “Now? I can’t. We’re…busy.”

  She breathed in slow, quiet breaths.

  “Right now? Damn it. Why do you do this? What’s so important that I have to leave right this instant?”

  Silence. Brian paced. “Shit. Fine. One hour.”

  Junie heard him coming back and she quickly picked up Sarah’s drawings, as if she’d been leafing through them.

  “I gotta go out.” Brian looked up, his eyes stuck on the drawings.

  “Okay.” Good. That gives me time to think. “Where are you going?” She took a chance. “Maybe we should postpone the trip.”

  “Naw. I’ll be back early enough to go. Just meeting a client at the office, exchanging files.”

  Junie followed his stare. “Sarah drew these at school. Didn’t she do a great job?” She held on to a thread of hope that even now Brian would show some enthusiasm toward Sarah’s efforts. “I think she’s really coming along.”

  Brian took the stack of drawings and looked through them. He began to breathe harder, his chest lifting and falling with each measured breath. He snapped his eyes toward Sarah, who sat silently on the couch, blanket in her lap, thumb in her mouth.

  “Nothing special there,” he said as he opened the door. “Be ready in two hours.”

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Junie sprang into action. She called Clara, thankful that she could come right over. She sat down with Sarah and asked her why she liked Kayla’s earring so much. Sarah didn’t answer. Junie tried a few more lines of questioning, but finally gave up when Clara arrived.

  “Thank you for coming over so quickly. I’ll be back soon.” Junie snagged her keys and headed out to her car before she could get wrangled into small talk. Ask your husband. She’d ask him, all right, but not in front of her daughter.

  The wind whistled through the telephone lines. Junie put her head down and steeled herself against the rush of fear that ran through her. She had to be stronger than her childish insecurities. It’s only wind, she told herself, and headed toward Brian’s office.

  The roads were empty as she neared his office parking lot. Brian’s car was nowhere to be found. Junie was not surprised. She picked up her cell phone and called him.

  “Yeah,” he snapped.

  Junie listened for background noise. “Hey, um…can you bring me one of those folders that Stacy has, you know, the accordion ones? I want to coordinate some of the articles I pulled up about the things Theresa has brought up.”

  Brian didn’t answer. Junie smirked.

  “She’s not here.”

  “Well, I figured that. She keeps them in her right drawer. She showed me last time I was there.”

  “I’ll see if I can find it. I gotta run.” Brian ended the call.

  Junie heard a train in the background. A frickin’ train? Junie could think of only one place that Brian could be, but why would he drive halfway to her parents’ house at this time of night? She pulled out her cell phone and called Clara, who agreed to stay with Sarah for an extra hour and a half; then she lead-footed it to the highway.

  Junie pulled off the exit when she passed the train station, thinking of Sarah’s high-pitched voice calling out choo-choo! each time they passed the station and how much the missing choo-choo! alert had saddened her when they’d driven by the other day. She had no idea what she was doing, or why she felt compelled to chase down her husband, but Katie’s words echoed in her head. She pulled down the darkened street to the illuminated station, feeling like a derelict. What the hell did she expect to find? She had no clue. Some tawdry meeting with a thug? Another woman? Junie suddenly felt sick to her stomach.

  She took one quick spin through the parking lot, then headed back toward home, admonishing herself for acting like the star of a reality show. Who does this?

  She waited for the light before the ramp to change, wishing she had a cup of coffee. She spotted a Dunkin’ Donuts up ahead and decided to whip into the drive-through. She waited behind a blue Jetta full of teenagers, listening to them hoot and holler at one another. She debated parking and ordering inside. She glanced through the front window, and her heart skipped a beat. Brian sat across from Peter, his face red, pinched. His jaw was set in a hard line.

  Shit. Junie pulled out of the line and into a dark corner of the parking lot, watching them through the glass.

  Peter leaned forward, his elbows on the table, his hands outstretched and flailing, as if he were describing something. He brought them together beneath his chin and closed his mouth, watching Brian.

  Brian stared down at the table. He ran his hand through his hair, then turned away.

  Junie slumped down in the car. What the hell was going on? How long had he been lying to Junie about his father? Was the whole thing a put-on? Were they pretending to be cold toward each other? At least he wasn’t with another women, she reasoned.

  Junie had had enough crap for one day. She dialed Brian’s number and watched as he withdrew his cell phone, looked at the display, then pushed a button. She was instantly sent to voice mail.

  There had to be a good reason for this. He’d said he was meeting a client, and the other day he’d said that he and his father were working on a case together, but she didn’t see any files. Maybe she’d confront them while they both sat together. Now.

  She couldn’t move. She jumped when her phone rang. Clara.

  “Hi, Junie. I’m sorry to bother you.”

  Junie could hear Sarah screaming, out of control, in the background.

  “What happened? What’s wrong?” Oh God, please let her be okay.

  She listened as Clara described her daughter moving from one houseplant to the next, spoon in hand, digging in the pots. She’d asked Sarah what she was looking for, but Sarah hadn’t answered, and she’d finally taken each plant and put it out of reach on top of the refrigerator. Sarah now stood before the refrigerator, screaming.

  Junie started the car and took one last glance into the Dunkin’ Donuts. They were gone. She scanned the empty parking lot. Shit.

  Clara left only minutes before Brian came in the front door.

  “Junie?” he called.

  Junie lay listening to Brian
look for her, her arm wrapped protectively around her sleeping daughter. Clara had let Sarah cry herself to sleep, something that Junie had never been good at, but at that moment she was supremely thankful for it. Sarah’s curtains were closed, and by the time Brian found his way upstairs, Junie had decided to take the easy way out and avoid a confrontation. She pretended she was sleeping. No Deep Creek, no confrontations.

  With her eyes closed, she listened to him breathing heavily in the doorway.

  “Junie,” he whispered.

  She lay still.

  “Damn it.”

  She listened to him walk away.

  So much for her plan. Now what? She’d sleep with Sarah. That much was decided. She snuggled in to her daughter’s side, feeling torn. What had Sarah been doing, digging in the plants? Why was she so upset over not being able to reach them? Why was she enthralled with Kayla’s earring, and what the hell was Brian doing with Peter in the middle of the night? Junie thought her head would spin all night long, but when she rolled over on her back, it took only a few minutes for her to fall into a deep sleep.

  Chapter Forty-Three

  The house phone rang. Junie looked over at Sarah, sleeping peacefully beside her, and was thankful that they’d decided not to hook up a landline in the bedroom. She climbed over Sarah’s sleeping body and made her way downstairs to the kitchen.

  “Hello?” she said sleepily. The clock above the stove read 6:00 a.m.

  “Junie, hi. It’s Peter.”

  “Peter? Hi, how are you?”

  “I’m good. Listen, I need to talk to you. Is there some time later today we can meet?”

  The urgency in his voice woke Junie up. “Is everything okay?”

  “Come on, Junie. It’s time to go. We need to get on the road.” Brian stood behind Junie, his arms crossed.

  Junie looked at the telephone, then back up at Brian, deciding if she should tell him that Peter was on the phone. Or maybe he already knew?