Revelations (Brighton Wolves #1)

by Samantha Hoffman

  Chapter Eleven

  As they pulled into the driveway and Gabe turned off the car, Gwen finally decided to tell him. The worst Gabe could think was that she was seeing things, and if he ended up believing her, it would reaffirm that she wasn’t crazy for thinking it might have been Ginny’s mystery contact. He could keep an eye out for him just like she was going to, and they would stand a better chance of finding him and forcing him to hopefully give up some answers. When Gabe went to get out of the car, Gwen grabbed his arm, stopping him.

  “Wait. There’s something I wanna tell you.” He didn’t say anything, just waited silently for her to say it. “As we were leaving the library, I noticed someone watching me. He was standing in the shade, kind of out of the way, but he was definitely waiting for us. He didn’t even look away when I met his eyes. He only left when I said your name and got your attention. He was there one second and gone the next.”

  Surprisingly, Gabe looked more disturbed than she thought he would. With a frown, he said, “Did you even consider he might be the person that took and hurt Ginny? He could have been dangerous, Gwen! Why didn’t you say something to me at the library? He could have followed us home.”

  “No, I didn’t consider it,” she admitted, looking away from him. “I thought it was more likely he was Ginny’s mystery contact that I messaged a second time.”

  He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, making it a disheveled mess. “Don’t keep things like that from me,” he said, his tone serious. “Everyone else is keeping us in the dark; I can’t take it from you, too. We have to rely on each other, and that means being honest and no holding back. If he had been there to take you and I had left you alone, not knowing he was there, you could have been gone when I got back, Gwen. You understand that, don’t you?”

  She felt the gravity of his words bearing down on her, and she was surprised to see the fear in his eyes. She hadn’t even considered the possibility it might have been someone connected to Ginny’s disappearance, or that she could have been in real danger earlier. It had been creepy, but she hadn’t gotten a sinister vibe from the guy.

  He could have been a crazy axe murderer!

  Gabe shook his head. “I know we should tell Mom and Dad about what happened, but I don’t feel like sharing information I don’t have to. If they’re going to continue keeping us in the dark, we should start doing it, too. Maybe they’ll get the hint and start opening up.” He looked over at her, his forehead wrinkled and a grimace on his face. “I’ll leave it up to you, though. You’re the one he was looking at, so you decide if we tell or keep it secret for now.”

  “Keep it secret,” she said without hesitation. “I wanna figure out who that guy was and what his intentions are, and they’re not gonna help us do that.”

  Gabe looked around. “There’s nobody here. Nobody offering their condolences or offering to help look. They still haven’t called the police.” His hands clenched the steering wheel until his knuckles were white, and she heard him grind his teeth. “I can’t believe them!” he exploded, pounding his fists on the steering wheel, making the horn go off. She jumped at the sound, but she was as angry as he was, knowing that Ginny was out there right now and her family was doing as little as possible to find her this time around.

  “We’ll call them,” she said quickly, hoping to calm Gabe down. “We’ll report her as missing, and when the police question them about not reporting her missing again, they’ll have to answer. We might help Ginny and learn something in the process.”

  Gabe nodded, digging his phone out of his pocket. “They’re gonna be so pissed when the cops show up on their front porch.” He dialed the number for the officer that had questioned them before, and they only had to wait for it to ring twice before the young officer picked up. Gabe quickly launched into things, not letting the officer get a word in until he was done. When Gabe mentioned that their family wasn’t going to report her missing, Gwen felt her stomach clench with unease.

  Would they report me missing or would they just pretend nothing was wrong and wait for me to come home on my own time?

  The thought that her own parents might not even react if she were missing had the blood boiling in her veins. She hoped that when the police arrived, her family realized that they were in the wrong and shaped up. A part of her probably should have felt guilty about calling the police without giving them any warning, but she had to put those feelings aside and focus on doing what was best for Ginny. So they waited in the driveway, leaning against the car under the shade of a tree, waiting for the police.

  Gabe insisted they wait outside, wanting to be the first ones to talk to them in case their family had some story ready to spin that made them look less negligent than they really were. The heat was nearly unbearable, and Gwen spent the time wiping sweat from every part of her body. When the police finally showed up nearly twenty minutes after Gabe had hung up, she was relieved. Reluctantly, they left the shade of the tree to meet the police officer before he could make it to the porch.

  The younger officer wasn’t alone this time. With him was an older one that Gwen had never dealt with. She felt a little intimidated by him, but she focused on Gabe and tried to stay calm and reserved as the older officer took the lead. Gwen picked one point on his face—his porno mustache—and focused solely on it as he began asking them questions about Ginny’s second disappearance. Gabe drifted closer to her, offering silent comfort.

  “I need you to start at the beginning,” the older officer said, clicking his pen and resting it against the notepad in his hands. His eyes found Gabe’s and refused to move, making Gabe squirm a little.

  “I’m not entirely sure what happened,” he admitted. “Ginny came home from the hospital and everyone acted like things were going to go back to normal, like nothing had happened at all. Ginny was quiet and moody, which is understandable given her situation. She spent some time with Gwen and Tiffany, but she didn’t seem interested in her parents or ours, like she wanted nothing to do with them.”

  “What happened the night she disappeared?”

  Gwen interrupted. “Ginny and I share a room while we’re in Brighton,” she said, getting his attention. “I heard this creaking noise and woke up, and Ginny was trying to sneak out the window. Before I could stop her, she was out the window and running across the yard. She disappeared into the woods, and Gabe and I went after her. We looked as long as we could, but we lost her, and almost got lost ourselves.”

  “We had a close call with a wolf,” Gabe said, taking over again. “But we made it back to the house safely and woke up everyone. They were devastated to find out Ginny was gone again, and Geoffrey and our Dad went out looking for her while everyone else stayed inside. They came back later after not finding her, and we thought they’d call the police immediately, but they didn’t. When we woke up this morning and realized they still hadn’t called, we decided to take matters into our own hands. She needs to be found before she gets hurt, and they’re not going to do it.”

  The older officer had stopped taking notes and was watching them with an expression that might have been disinterest. “You’re telling me she just took off in the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere, and nobody thought to call the police?” He looked at the younger officer and sneered. “I thought something was suspicious about this case, and it looks like I was right. Kids, I hate to tell you this, but your cousin probably ran away from home to get away from an abusive situation.”

  “You’re out of line,” the younger officer warned, giving Gwen the impression that this was a talk they’d had often before.

  Before the older officer could say anything else, the front door opened, and Grant and Geoffrey were standing on the front porch. Gwen could see the fury on her father’s face from where she stood and she could practically feel it emanating from him in waves. The officers were probably oblivious to it, but Gwen wasn’t. She had lived with her father her entire life and she could tell from the tenseness in his shoulders and t
he glint in his eyes that she and Gabe were in a lot of trouble for their stunt. But for now, he was trying to keep his mask in place and put on a show for the officers.

  Gabe pulled on Gwen’s arm, leading her into the house in an attempt to avoid the fallout for now. They had to pass by their father to make it to the door, and he turned his head to watch them go. She felt like she might be sick at the thought of what would come next, but she squared her shoulders, refusing to cower before him. The fact that she had to ever feel scared of her own father disgusted her, and she wasn’t going to let him think it was okay any longer. In the past, everyone had ignored his temper, but recently Gabe had been challenging it, and that was what she intended to do as well.

  Sandra and their mother were waiting for them in the living room, and surprisingly, they looked as angry as their father. Sandra was peeking out through the curtains, possibly trying to eavesdrop on the conversation taking place outside. Their mother was shaking her head, a frown on her face. “You two made a big mistake just now.”

  “What mistake would that be?” Gabe asked, his voice surprisingly light given the situation. “Not pretending like everything is okay when it clearly isn’t? Not acting like Ginny is dead and never coming back home? Or were you referring to us not being blind sheep anymore and taking everything you tell us at face value?”

  “Watch your tone, young man.”

  “No, you watch yours,” Gabe said. “Gwen and I are sick and tired of being kept in the dark while you guys keep your secrets, even knowing that they’re possibly putting us in harm’s way. Ginny might be missing all because of these secrets, and even though they put our lives in danger, you’re still keeping us out of the loop. I don’t understand how you can justify that. Do none of you give a damn about any of us?”

  “Of course we do!” Karen shouted, getting off the couch. “We’re trying to do what’s best for you kids, even if you don’t see it. The less you know the better. You have to trust us, please.”

  “It’s too late to earn our trust,” Gabe said, shaking his head. “You should have been upfront about things from the beginning, like a real family would have been.”

  The use of the words ‘real family’ made Karen cringe, and Gwen felt a twinge of guilt knowing they were causing their mother any kind of pain. Her eyes were sad and her shoulders slumped, making her look smaller than usual. “We are a real family, Gabe.”

  “We’re not acting like it,” he said quietly, his temper fading now that he’d gotten everything off his chest. “I guess I should say you’re not, cause Gwen and I sure as hell are. We’re actually supporting each other at a time like this instead of keeping secrets from one another and fighting all the damn time.”

  “And I’m so proud of you for that,” Karen said, reaching out for him. Gwen thought he might pull away, but he remained rooted to the spot, allowing their mother to caress his face. “I know things are confusing, and I know you’re angry, but you have to have faith in us. We all love you two and Ginny, more than you could ever know. We’re doing everything we can to bring her home and keep you all safe. Please trust us.”

  For just a second, Gwen hesitated, wondering if she and Gabe had jumped the gun. Karen’s pleas sounded so sincere she wondered if she and Gabe had really messed things up. Was it possible they were actually trying to bring Ginny home instead of acting like everything was okay? She and Gabe hadn’t seen them do much of anything, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything. They could have been in the middle of a situation they didn’t understand, one their parents were doing their best to manage behind the scenes in order to spare their children.

  The front door slammed open and Grant marched in, grabbing Gabe by the shoulder and hauling him around until they were face to face, their noses nearly touching. Karen opened her mouth to object, but Grant silenced her with a scathing look that had her sitting back on the couch. “Do you have any idea what you two have done?” their father asked, his voice a low hiss. “The police think we’re abusing Ginny because of you!”

  “Were you?” Gabe asked, his mouth twisted into a snarl. Gwen gasped as Gabe slapped their father’s hand away, taking a quick step back and out of arm’s reach. “Ever since we found out Ginny was gone, you’ve been acting like a stranger. All of you have! You’re keeping secrets and we’re seeing a side of you all we didn’t even know existed. How do we know you weren’t abusing her? It seems like Gwen and I are the only ones trying to do what’s best for Ginny. You’re the ones getting in the way, not us.”

  Gabe shouldered his way past their father, ignoring everyone else as he made his way to the front door. Gwen was right behind him, catching the door before it shut and bounding down the steps after him. She wasn’t sure where Gabe was going, but she wanted to be with him regardless. It would just be suffocating in the house with everyone on edge and at their throats, and she didn’t think she had the heart to put up with it right now. She was surprised when Gabe walked right past the car and kept going, but it only took her a minute to realize where he was going.

  He slowed down when he finally realized that she was with him, and together they walked down to the creek that ran through their aunt and uncle’s property. They had spent so much time playing in that creek as children, and it had always been a comforting place for them to go when they needed to get away. It was far enough away from the house to get some privacy, but close enough to be safe. Gwen thought about the last time she had sat on the creek bank—the day Ginny had gotten her first kiss from a boy in town and he’d never spoken to her again. The two of them had stayed by the creek for hours, until it got dark and Sandra called them back inside.

  “We did the right thing, didn’t we?”

  “Of course we did,” he said. “The police know she’s missing again, and they’re out searching these woods right now. They’ll find her in no time.”

  “They’re so mad at us though,” she said, looking down at the dirty water near her feet. She stepped out of her boots, nudging them off to the side and submerging her feet in the cool water. She startled a crayfish and watched as it scurried away, hiding under a nearby rock.

  “Let them be,” Gabe said stubbornly. “They’re in the wrong, not us. What we did wasn’t exactly pleasant, but it was necessary to make sure Ginny comes home safe and sound. And hopefully this time she’ll stay safe and sound.” He went silent for a moment, taking a seat beside her on the bank. Gwen could tell something was bothering him, and she nudged him with her elbow. He sighed, looking over at her. “Was I out of line asking if they were abusing her? I didn’t really mean it.”

  “I’m sure they know that,” Gwen said, putting her hand on his shoulder. “We’re all stressed out and saying things we don’t really mean. Geoffrey and Sandra know we love them and would never insinuate that they were abusive towards Ginny.” She looked around, taking in the peaceful woods that surrounded them. “You know, we still don’t know why she took off again.”

  “We don’t know much of anything,” Gabe pointed out. “We don’t know what made Dad and Uncle Geoffrey hate each other, we don’t know what really happened the night Ginny went missing, we don’t know how she got hurt before that night, we don’t know who that guy was that was watching you earlier, we don’t know why everyone is acting so secretive…the only thing we do know is that we don’t know anything.”

  They were both silent for a moment, enjoying the cool water and the quiet peacefulness of the creek. Finally, Gwen said, “It’s kind of weird, isn’t it? You always think these kinds of things will never happen to your family, that it’s something reserved for big cities and strangers who have no impact on your life. But it does, it happens all the time, no matter where you go. Before this happened, I never would have guessed that Ginny would be the one to get into any kind of trouble. Honestly, I thought it would be you if it was anyone.”

  He snorted. “Not a chance. If it was anyone in the family, I thought it would have been you. You’re way too trusting when it comes to people
. It’s something Mom, Dad, and I have all worried about in the past. You’re the kind of person that goes with a stranger because they tell you your family is hurt or something.”

  She gasped, offended that her entire family thought she was that painfully naïve. Reaching over, she smacked him gently on the shoulder. She was too trusting, that much she couldn’t deny, but she wasn’t stupid enough to go off with a stranger because she thought her family might be in some kind of danger or trouble! She wasn’t just offended at his words though, she was more than a little hurt by them. Did Gabe and her parents think she was stupid?

  He bumped her shoulder with his. “Hey,” he said softly. “Being trusting can be a good thing. You see the good in people, something not everyone can do. You just happen to see the good when there isn’t always some, and that can be a problem later in life. Being naïve or even optimistic isn’t the same as being stupid. Far from it. So try not to take it so personally, Gwen. A lot of people would kill for the kind of blind optimism and hope you have.”

  “I don’t feel very hopeful,” she muttered. “I haven’t since we set foot in Brighton. With everything going on, it’s making it hard to even think there’s a happy ending to this.” She looked at the shallow creek, so peaceful and slow moving, and she wished that Ginny were right there beside them, dipping her toes in the water. “What do you think is gonna happen after this is all over?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, tragedies like this normally bring families closer together, right? Do you think there’s any chance of Dad and Uncle Geoffrey reconciling their differences and us having a normal family? It’d be nice if we could move back to Brighton and stay here all year round. Ginny’s gonna need all kinds of support, and we could give it to her.”

  He sighed. “It’d be nice,” Gabe admitted, “but I wouldn’t get your hopes up. It doesn’t look like Dad and Uncle Geoffrey are ready to forgive each other anytime soon. You’ll have to wait until after you graduate next year to move down here. I’m sure Aunt Sandra would be happy to take you in and give you a place to stay while you get on your feet. I’d come down with you, too. I miss this place.”

  “Mom would be lonely.”

  “That’d be her fault,” he said, shrugging. He looked around and took a deep breath. “We’ve been gone long enough. We should probably head back to the house.”

  “Not yet,” Gwen said, getting to her feet. “I wanna stay out a little longer. Please?” she begged.

  “Alright, we’ll take a quick walk down the creek, but we have to be back soon. We wanna prove a point to them, not terrify them into thinking we’re missing, too.”

  They put their shoes back on and started to walk. Gwen looked from the creek to the trees to the cattails that sprouted from the muddy creek bank. Her hand reached out and gently drifted across them, stroking their fuzzy tails. She wanted to stay out here all night and might have if the situation was different. The thought of going back inside where she knew an angry family was waiting for her wasn’t a pleasant one, but the peacefulness of the creek welcomed her. God, how she missed this.

  She and Gabe walked along the creek, but she found herself getting ahead of him. She could have slowed down, but she was enjoying the solitude. It wasn’t long until she was lost in her own little world, imagining much happier times that she couldn’t wait to repeat. As she reached a bend in the creek, something caught her attention, and she stopped dead in her tracks. There was something lying on the other side of the creek. It was dirty, wet, and nearly covered in mud, but there was no mistaking what it was.

  A body.