by R. D. Brady
She pumped the gas and tried again. Still nothing.
She looked out her window; the water reached halfway up her door. The engine is literally flooded. The car was never going to start.
Should she stay here and wait for someone to find her? But there was no one around, and it was getting dark. To make matters worse, the skies chose that moment to open up, and rain thundered down on the roof of the car. Great.
She imagined the water level rising until it covered her car. Unrealistic or not, she still felt a panicked need to get out of the car. Besides, Steve could be up, could be looking for her. And no way in hell was she going to sit here and wait for him.
She rolled down her window, thankful that at least that worked. Raindrops stung her face as she pulled herself out through the window. She balanced on the door for a minute before lowering herself into the water below.
“God damn it.” The water reached her upper thighs, and it was freezing. She waded through it as quick as she could, but she was still damn near frozen by the time she got out of it.
She jogged in place at the side of the road, trying to stay warm as she looked around. There were no houses in sight. She wasn’t sure, but she thought she might be at the edge of the protected land, which meant that the nearest buildings would be the rental cabins about a mile down the road. Mostly they were used by vacationers, so there might not be anyone around, but at this point she’d be willing to break in if that’s what it took to get warm. She’d pay for the damages later.
A shiver tore through her, and she knew she needed to get moving. She was already beginning to feel sluggish from the cold. She started to jog down the street, waving her arms to try to increase her temperature.
She’d find a phone, call for help, and warm up. Steve would never look to find her way out here. And as long as Steve couldn’t find her, she’d be safe.
CHAPTER 78
The pain in his head was his first sensation. It passed through in waves. When it finally stopped, he opened his eyes. He was on the floor. He stared at the carpet and frowned. That wasn’t his grandmother’s carpet. He pushed himself up, and his stomach rolled with the pain in his head.
He pulled himself up to the couch, closed his eyes again, and leaned his head back. What the hell? His mind was foggy. He couldn’t remember how he’d ended up on the ground. He looked around.
“Julie?”
No answer. He saw the smashed lamp next to the chair. And the memories returned. She thinks it’s me.
Because I had Mel’s St. Christopher necklace.
Mel never took it off. Never. When Steve had found Mel, he hadn’t even noticed it was missing. But everyone knew he wore it. How the hell had it gotten in his pocket?
Steve struggled to think. Had he picked it up the morning he’d found Mel? Although he’d been in shock, he didn’t think so. After he called Declan, he’d stayed by the door, not going back to the body. Besides, he didn’t even have this jacket then.
So he hadn’t put the medal in his pocket.
Then who had?
The only people who’d had access to the jacket were his grandmother and Jack. He discounted Bess right away. Besides the fact that she didn’t have it in her, there’s no way she would physically be able to move Elise’s body or have the strength to plunge that knife into Mel.
That left Jack. Steve’s mind rebelled at the thought. Jack had been his strongest supporter all his life. It couldn’t be him.
Not all your life, a voice whispered in his mind. Only since your father died.
Grudgingly, he had to acknowledge that that was true. When he was kid, Jack had actually been horrible to him. His dad had even tried to keep them apart. He never let Jack watch Steve or let Steve go anywhere alone with Jack. At the time, Steve had thought that was just his dad being strict with him. But why had he done that?
It can’t be Jack, he thought. There was a rational explanation for all of this. It wasn’t Jack. It couldn’t be. Someone must have broken into the house. Put the medal in his pocket. It was the only explanation.
And yet, he felt a powerful need to check on Bess and make sure she was safe.
Steve stood up, and the world swam a little. He put a hand on the wall and waited for the dizziness to pass. Idly, he thought about how people said prison was so violent. But he’d been hurt more in the few days since he’d returned home than in his years of being locked up.
He walked over to the window and looked out. Julie’s car was gone. She’d probably gone to the cops. Well, at least she’d be safe. But he needed to get out of here. He didn’t know why, but something told him he needed to get moving. Things were spiraling out of control. And he needed to know his grandmother was safe.
He’d go stop by Declan’s sister’s house and just make sure Bess was all right. Before he went—where? It’s not like there were a lot of places for him to go. Declan. He’d find Declan. Declan would know what to do.
But first things first—Grandma.
He considered walking, but it would take too long, and after his last walk, he didn’t want to chance it. He needed a car. He remembered Declan telling him once, a few years ago, that he and his father were restoring a car. Steve prayed they had finished.
He walked through the kitchen in the dark and found the door to the garage. Light coming through the windows illuminated a car under a dusty tarp. Steve pulled off the tarp to reveal a black 1967 Impala. Even in the dim light, the car looked good.
Steve searched the car for keys. Nothing. Next he checked the workbench. Tools were strewn across it, and along the back of the bench were mason jars filled with nails, screws, bolts—and in the last jar, a pair of keys.
Steve grabbed the keys, then, since the power was out, manually pulled up the garage door. He hopped in the Impala and turned the key in the ignition.
The engine roared to life. He would have smiled if a steady ball of fear hadn’t been spreading through his body.
It’s not Jack. Grandma is fine.
But he was no longer sure if he was saying it because he believed it or because he wanted to believe it.
CHAPTER 79
Declan and Russ rolled up around the corner from Declan’s father’s house. They’d had to stop by the police station to get more weapons and officers. Declan had debated not telling Keith, but that was his pride talking. Julie’s safety had to come before anything.
Keith’s smirk had been huge. “How’s it feel, Declan, knowing you helped a murderer go free?”
Keith had insisted on running point. Declan didn’t argue. He wasn’t sure he would be able to bring himself to do what needed to be done, and he had no doubt Keith could.
“All right everybody, let’s go,” Keith said over the radio.
Russ and Declan stayed where they were. They were not part of this arrest.
Declan stared down at his hands, clenching and unclenching them. How had he been so wrong? He had never seen an inkling of any violence in Steve. Not when he was a kid, not as a teenager. He leaned his head against the window. What the hell kind of cop does that make me?
“He fooled us all,” Russ said quietly next to him.
“Not all of us,” Declan said quietly. Keith had been right this whole time.
“All clear. Suspect’s not here,” Keith growled through the radio.
Feeling more tired than Declan could ever remember, he pushed open the door and headed for the house.
The front door was wide open, as was the garage. He headed through the front door. In the living room, a table was overturned and a lamp broken on the floor. Declan brought his hand to his mouth.
Keith stomped over. “Well, your boy is gone. When this is all over, Reed, I’m having you brought up on obstruction charges. You’ve been helping that murderer ever since he got out. You don’t deserve to wear a badge.”
Declan opened his mouth to respond, then shut it. What could he say? Keith was right. He just nodded wearily as Keith grunted and stormed away.
; Russ came in from the garage holding a tarp. “Is there something usually underneath this?”
Declan nodded. “Yeah—my dad’s old car. We’ve been restoring it.”
“It’s not there.”
The fog in Declan’s brain began to clear. “And Julie’s car’s not here either. That means she could still be alive.”
Russ pulled out his radio. “All officers be on the lookout for a—” He glanced at Declan.
“A 67 black Impala, no license plate,” Declan said.
Russ repeated the description into the radio.
Keith stormed into the kitchen. “What’s with the BOLO?”
“My dad’s car is missing, and so is Julie’s. Which means Julie was alive when she left here,” Declan said.
“You don’t know that,” Keith said. “Kane could have dumped one car and come back for the other.”
“Maybe,” Declan conceded, turning for the door, “but until we find a body, I’m going to act like there’s still a chance to save her.”
CHAPTER 80
Julie stumbled down the driveway leading to the cabin park. The jogging had helped keep her warm, but she wasn’t dressed for this weather. The rain had now shifted over to freezing rain. She gritted her teeth. I have not missed fall in upstate New York.
She spied a utility phone attached to the telephone pole at the entrance of the park. She blew on her hands a few times trying to warm them up enough to grasp the locking mechanism. It still took her four tries before she was able to open it.
Finally managing it, she yanked the receiver off. It rang twice and then connected.
“Thank God. I—”
“You’ve reached the Millners Kill Police Department. All officers are busy right now. Please leave a message and we’ll get right back to you.”
Julie wanted to scream. But instead, she waited for the beep. Her words came out in a rush. “This is Julie Granger. I’m stranded out at the cabin park. I left Steve Kane unconscious at Fergal Reed’s home. He has Mel’s St. Christopher medal. There’s no doubt—” She swallowed. “Steve killed Mel. He killed all of them. Send help right away.”
She hung up the receiver and closed the box. She felt drained, and only partly because of the cold sapping her energy. She had just publicly declared Steve a murderer. It was done. There was no hiding from the truth now.
Not giving herself time to dwell, she pushed away from the pole and jogged slowly down the drive. It was probably going to take them a while to get out here. And with Dee gone…
Julie took a shuddering breath. Steve killed her too. She shoved the emotions aside. She needed to focus on making sure she was all right—and right now, that meant getting warm.
Up ahead she could see the log cabins. Each one was pretty basic: two bedrooms, a small kitchen, one bathroom, and a small living room. But in the summer they were always full of people—mostly tourists. Some even had a dock. Not surprisingly, though, no one was out here now.
Julie hurried toward the first cabin, but then remembered that she knew who owned the cabin three down. Jack Kane. She headed for his instead. He certainly wouldn’t mind if she broke in, not under these circumstances.
She pictured Jack, and felt sadness. He’d defended his brother all these years. It was going to break his heart to learn that Steve was actually the monster everybody thought he was.
Just like it had broken hers.
Jack’s cabin was locked, as expected. Julie looked around quickly to see if there was any obvious hidey hole for a key. But honestly, she was too cold for a long search. After only a minute she pulled her gun from her pocket and aimed it at the lock.
Sorry about this, Jack. She pulled the trigger twice.
The lock shattered. She quickly opened the door and then shut it behind her. The inside wasn’t much warmer than the outside, but at least it was dry and out of the wind and rain. She made her way to the wood stove and tossed in some logs and kindling. She grabbed the box of matches from the mantel and lit the fire with shaking fingers.
As soon as the kindling caught, Julie placed her hands as close as she could without getting burned. Her hands began to tingle, and then she felt pinpricks of pain as the warmth seeped in.
“Oh, thank you,” Julie breathed out.
CHAPTER 81
He had followed her at a distance and had watched her spin out. He’d held back as she’d slowly made her way to the cabins. It was as if the stars had aligned. What could be more perfect than for me to find you so easily? This was meant to be.
From his car, he watched her shoot out the lock on his door. My, my, aren’t you resourceful. She went inside and shut the door behind her. A few minutes later, a warm glow came from the window.
The rest of the shore remained dark. No one was out here tonight. No one would probably be out here for days. Primary residences would take precedence over these cabins.
His chest felt tight as he watched that glow beckoning him forward. This was right. She was setting the stage for him. This is how it should have been all along. After all, she was the one who knew him best. She should know all parts of him.
He watched the cabin for another few minutes, wanting her to feel safe. He smiled as he imagined the night to come. Finally, after all this time, she was his for the taking.
He stepped out of the car.
CHAPTER 82
Julie warmed her hands. The tremors had subsided a little. She wasn’t warm yet, but she was getting there. She looked around. Jack had decorated a little. There was a plaid blanket thrown over the back of a green futon. Two leather armchairs flanked the wood stove. He’d had new kitchen cabinets put in and had made the space larger by getting rid of one of the bedrooms.
Julie was surprised. It was fancier than she remembered most of the cabins being. Maybe he spends a lot of time here.
She glanced over at the bedroom. If there is a God, there will be some spare clothes in there.
Pulling the blanket from the couch around her, she walked over to the bedroom and flipped on the switch by the door. Nothing happened.
Of course. She’d forgotten the power was out. She doubled back to the kitchen and scrounged through the cabinets for a flashlight. Finding one under the sink, she turned it on. Light pierced the dim room.
Retracing her steps, she walked back to the bedroom. The light from the flashlight led the way. There was a queen-sized bed with a log bed frame, one side table, and a lamp.
Her head whipped around as something banged against the side of the house, and her heart thundered. She froze, listening, but there were no further noises.
Just a branch, she told herself, but fear still raced through her. She had to mentally shove away an image of Steve creeping around the outside of the house. He’s not here. He won’t find me.
She ran her light across the bedroom. There was no bedding, which wasn’t surprising, seeing as it was the off season. There was a double closet across from the bed. He must have added that; most of these cabins had only one narrow closet.
Feeling a little creeped out by the quiet, she slid open the closet and shined her light inside. An old pair of waders sat on the floor, but no clothes. Disappointment flashed through her.
She moved to the other side and slid the door open. A jacket hung there. She pulled it out and placed it on the bed.
But there was nothing else. Damn.
Then she noticed the closet had a high shelf. She reached up and felt around. Nothing. She stretched on her tiptoes and felt the edge of a wooden box.
Stretching as much as she could, she eased the box toward her slowly, only her fingertips at first catching it. As soon as she could reach her whole hand around it, she pulled it down.
The box was about ten inches by eight, with an intricate design carved into the lid. The design looked familiar, but she couldn’t remember where she’d seen it before. She could hear stuff sliding around inside. She tucked it under her arm, grabbed the jacket, and headed into the living room.
S
he knew she was snooping, but curiosity had won her over. Jack kept nothing in this cabin except this little box. And besides, there was nothing else here to distract her except her increasingly horror movie-esque thoughts.
She sat on the floor next to the stove, the plaid blanket over her legs and the jacket resting over her shoulders. She pulled the box into her lap and traced the design. Recognition was at the edge of her consciousness, but it was just out of reach.
She felt a moment of guilt. She was invading Jack’s privacy. But something urged her to open the box. Slowly she opened the lid.
Inside was an odd assortment of jewelry, watches, and buttons. What on earth? Why would Jack keep all this random stuff?
She pushed through the collection, unable to make any sense of it. Then something familiar caught her eye.
Her hand stilled. No. It can’t be.
In the box was a small charm—half a heart, with the word “sister” engraved on it.
Julie’s world tilted. She had given this charm to Simone two years before her death, and Simone had put it on her charm bracelet. She had been wearing the bracelet when she’d been killed; it had broken, its charms scattered across the room. This half heart was the only charm they had never found.
Why does Jack have it?
She looked over the rest of the knick-knacks in the box. Her jaw fell open as a horrible thought crossed her mind. No. It’s not possible. Her mind scrambled to come up with another explanation for this box of mementos—mementos that included Simone’s charm.
The only reason she’d turned against Steve was because he’d had Mel’s medal in his jacket pocket. But Jack would also have had access to Steve’s jacket.
What if they had gotten the time of death right? Then Steve had been locked up at the time of Mel’s attack. He couldn’t be responsible.
