House Without Lies (Lily’s House Book 1)

by Rachel Branton

  She was home, which was a stroke of luck for us, but her slightly bulging green eyes narrowed the second we mentioned Michelle. “I don’t know where she is,” Felicia said, leaning against the edge of her partially open door as if she wanted to slam it on us.

  “Please, can we just come in for a moment?” I asked. “We’re not just looking for Michelle. It’s about her daughter, Elsie.”

  Felicia’s tight mouth softened slightly. “Okay.” She pulled the door open and let us in, adjusting her messy ponytail slightly. Her hair was blond, and I wondered if Michelle’s was too.

  “Please, have a seat.” Felicia indicated the brown leather couch. “I’ll be back; I’m going to tell my husband I need a few minutes.”

  She disappeared up the nearby stairs, and I immediately popped up to examine the pictures on the wall. There were some of Felicia with a man, whom I presumed was her husband, and only one of a much younger Felicia with a thin blond woman. The photograph was slightly blurred, and I couldn’t really make out the woman’s features, but the child in her lap reminded me a lot of Elsie.

  “Think that’s her?” I asked.

  Jameson nodded. “Looks like Elsie in her lap.”

  Felicia was laughing, but the smile on Michelle’s face didn’t quite reach her eyes.

  “Elsie was four,” said Felicia from behind us.

  I started at her voice. “Is this her mother?”

  “Yeah.”

  Jameson and I returned to the couch, while Felicia dropped onto the matching loveseat. “I’ll get right to the point,” I said. “Elsie ran away from her father a couple months ago after he beat her severely, and not for the first time. I found her near a Dumpster in Phoenix, trying to forage for food. She’s been with me ever since.”

  “He beat her?” Felicia shook her head. “Oh, no.”

  “Yes, and now he’s trying to take her home, and DCS pretty much is going to hand her back to him.” I hesitated before adding. “I have reason to believe that his abuse is starting to become sexual.”

  “But you’ll fight him from taking her back, right?” Felicia said.

  “Of course. But you don’t understand. It’s her word against his, and everyone believes him.”

  “Everyone always believes Brad,” she said bitterly. “I told Michelle not to marry that jerk. He was controlling and mean. They hadn’t been married six months before he began to hit her.”

  “So she left,” I prompted.

  “Eventually. It took thirteen years too long, if you ask me.”

  “Why didn’t she take Elsie?” I tried to hold in my anger at the words.

  Felicia looked away, her eyes going to the photograph on the wall, though she couldn’t possibly see Michelle or Elsie’s faces. “She was expecting again, and she lost the baby because he hit her. She ended up in the hospital with all the blood she lost. She started taking prescription meds. I told her she needed help—that they both needed help—but the drugs made her compliant, and she didn’t care anymore. It was like she was dying right in front of me. I had it out with Brad, and then suddenly she stopped answering my calls. Or maybe she didn’t have a phone any more. I went there at least a dozen times during the day when I knew he wasn’t home. No one answered.”

  “You think she might be dead?” My words sounded too loud in the silence of the room.

  “No. Two years ago, she called me from a mall, higher than a kite. Asked me to come get her. She slept for two weeks straight, popping pills whenever she woke—prescription ones—and when those ran out, she found more. I don’t know where. I asked about Elsie, but she wouldn’t answer.” Felicia frowned, her face grim. “If Michelle had stayed with Brad, she’d be dead. I don’t doubt it. She wasn’t okay. I don’t know if she’ll ever be okay. She can’t be, or she’d never have left Elsie.”

  I clenched my hands with frustration. “Where is she now? If she could testify to any of this, we could save Elsie.”

  “Really? She’s a drug addict. I don’t see how anything she says will help.”

  “Just tell us where she is.”

  “I don’t know. I hooked her up with a place that helps people with addiction, and she calls every now and then from a payphone, still high a lot of the time. I’m sorry.” Felicia seemed sincere, but there was something odd about the way she met my gaze, as if doing so made her uncomfortable.

  “I don’t see how she can help,” Felicia continued, “but if she calls, I can ask her to call you.”

  “What about you?” Jameson asked. “Would you be willing to testify against him? If you could, maybe that would stall him long enough for us to find Michelle.”

  “I can, but I never saw him hurt her. I saw bruises, that’s all. No one has ever seen him hit her. He’s really careful.”

  “Well, something set him off.” Jameson drew out the new copies he’d made of my photographs. “If we don’t do something, this is what’s in Elsie’s future.”

  Felicia gasped. “Oh, no. Oh, poor baby.”

  “Please tell us something,” I said. “What about her other relatives? Her sister? Were they close?”

  Felicia tore her gaze from the photographs of Elsie. “Michelle’s sister lives in Peoria, if you want to ask, but she’s a lot older, and they were never close. I doubt she’d contact her. Same with my brother, and our two other cousins. All much older.”

  “What about your mother?”

  “She passed away. We have an aunt, who’s in a rest home. She’s got dementia, though, and half the time she doesn’t recognize her own children.”

  Felicia had just covered all the other relatives, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to check them out. “Okay,” I said, standing abruptly, wanting to get to the next address on the list. “At least when the police and the social workers contact you, tell them the truth.”

  “They’ll be contacting me?” No missing the consternation in her voice. “But I don’t know where she is.”

  “Then I guess that’s what you tell them.”

  Felicia walked with us to the door. “You will find a way to help Elsie. You have to. They can’t let her go back to him. He”—she gave a shudder—“always made me feel he was undressing me with his eyes, you know?”

  “Unfortunately, we can’t stop him. The only thing DCS can do is visit.”

  “That’ll be enough. He won’t dare hurt her again.”

  I turned to her on the step. “Beating or molesting a child isn’t the only way to hurt them. Given your experience with Michelle, you should know there are other ways. One of my foster girls has a father who handcuffed her to her bed for weeks. At this point, Elsie’s best bet is to run away again, but it won’t be to me because I’ll be the first place the police will look. All she’ll know is that every single adult in her life failed her.”

  Tears glittered in Felicia’s eyes, making them bulge even more. “I’m sorry. I really am.”

  “You know what’s really sad?” I said. “She keeps a card her mother sent her and prays she’ll come back. But her mother isn’t coming back for her, is she? Not ever.”

  Felicia opened her mouth and closed it without saying anything. Then she tried again. “Michelle does care, but she’s too afraid of him. I think that’s why she can’t stop the drugs. And drugs change everything.”

  “I’ll tell that to Elsie.” I wouldn’t of course, but I couldn’t stand anyone giving Michelle a break, not when it came at Elsie’s expense.

  I left Jameson to give Felicia our contact information. She tried to pass back the photographs, but he didn’t take them. “In case Michelle shows up,” he said, and hurried after me.

  In the car, he didn’t start the engine right away. “If you tell me not to judge,” I muttered, “I swear, I’m going to hit you.”

  “No. I just wanted to ask which address we’re going to next.”

  We visited Michelle’s sister in Peoria, a cousin in Glendale, and two more cousins in Mesa. The two in Mesa hadn’t even heard Michelle was missing. We
left pictures of Elsie with all of them, hoping the shocking images would prompt some kind of action. They’d all heard rumors that Michelle’s husband was abusive, but none of them had tried to help her, presumably because they hadn’t any proof.

  I cried silently all the way home, and Jameson said nothing. He just held my hand.

  “Did you think something was odd about Felicia?” I recovered enough to ask him as we arrived at Tessa’s. “She seemed kind of vague, or distracted.”

  “You mean like she was hiding something? Maybe. I thought it was weird that she wasn’t wearing a wedding ring.”

  “She wasn’t?”

  “No.” He gave me a crooked grin. “Don’t tell me you don’t check these things.”

  “I guess I do, but not for women. Why would she lie about a husband?”

  He shook his head. “She looked like she’d slept in really late. She probably just never put her ring on. I hear a lot of women don’t wear them at night. But I agree there was something weird about her. She really seemed convinced that Michelle wasn’t in control of her actions.”

  I sighed. “She probably isn’t.”

  “What are we going to do?”

  “I can’t run, not with all the girls.”

  “No.”

  “I guess I’ll take the girls home. I might be able to hide Elsie on the roof for a few days, if they come for her. I can’t do that at Tessa’s. Maybe we’ll find Michelle by then.”

  “You could go to jail.”

  “That’s a risk I’m going to have to take.”

  “Come on.” He took my hand, and we went inside.

  Our plans changed again when Bea called before we were ready to leave Tessa’s to let us know the police had interviewed my neighbors and tracked the address information I’d listed with Teen Remake. “I’m really sorry,” she said, “are you there now?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, they’re on their way over. I had to tell them she was with you. Please, just turn her over, and I swear I’ll do my best for her.” Bea used a falsely bright voice, and I knew it was for my benefit.

  “They’re coming right now?” I asked.

  “Actually, they’re probably already there. Or nearly.”

  My eyes met Elsie’s, and she started to shake her head. “No, no,” she whispered.

  I hung up the phone and hugged her tightly while the other girls peppered me with questions. “Honey, we’re going to figure things out,” I told Elsie. “Somehow. You’re strong. You can get through this.” I sank down to the couch, pulling her with me. “I want you to do exactly what he says. No backtalk, nothing.”

  “He’ll still get mad. He even yells at the TV.”

  How can I possibly let her go?

  I couldn’t. I was getting her out of there now. “Come on! Let’s go, girls. Just leave everything. We’ll get it later.”

  “Lily, no,” Tessa said.

  “They can’t take her if they can’t find her.”

  “You’ll go to jail.”

  “I don’t care.”

  We were halfway across the room when the doorbell rang. Tessa sprinted ahead of us and looked through the peephole. “It’s the police. I have to open it.”

  “I’ll talk to them,” Jameson said.

  Ignoring them, I gripped Elsie’s shoulders. “Be strong,” I whispered. “I will do everything to get you out of there. I promise.” It felt like a lie. Hadn’t I already done everything?

  Tears streamed down her face. “I know.”

  “We’re looking for Lily Crawford and Elsie Reynolds,” I heard an officer say at the door. “Are they here?”

  Elsie fumbled in her backpack and pulled out her mother’s letter. “Keep this for me. He’ll throw it away. I’ll get it later.”

  “Okay.” What else could I say? It was her most precious possession, and she was entrusting it to me. “You have my number memorized, right? You need me, you call. Even if you just want to talk. Borrow a phone from the neighbors or anyone you can. Do whatever you need to do.”

  “I’ll try.”

  “Elsie?” A blond-haired woman with the two officers came toward us. “I need you to come with me, honey. Everything’s going to be all right.”

  I wanted to scream that it wouldn’t be all right, but I didn’t want to scare Elsie or the other girls.

  One by one, the girls hugged Elsie and whispered encouragement. Jameson hugged her too, and his devastated expression resembled my own.

  Elsie put her hand in the woman’s and looked back as they left. Wearing her pink backpack and with the stuffed wolf I’d bought her clutched to her chest, she looked so young and defenseless. Her eyes grabbed onto my heart and took it with her.

  16

  “There’s got to be something we can do,” Ruth said as we sat around our apartment moping the next day. I nodded. “We’ll go see her. He can’t stop us from visiting.”

  “My father could,” Halla said darkly. “He stopped everyone.” She looked as if she hadn’t slept at all, which she probably hadn’t, worrying she’d be the next one the police came for.

  Saffron appeared ready to burst into angry tears. Of all the girls, she hadn’t been there to say goodbye, and it bothered her. “We won’t take no for an answer.”

  It was all talk. I knew it, if they didn’t. We would try, but ultimately that angry man would control the situation.

  “She’ll run away again. I know she will,” Zoey said. “That’s what I would do.” The other girls murmured in assent.

  “If she can,” Halla muttered.

  Saffron’s chin went up. “Maybe we should help her.”

  I had to say something to turn things around before they made it worse. “One good thing happened yesterday,” I said. The girls looked at me hopefully, as I continued, “I went to see Ruth’s mom last week, and I found out—” Belatedly, I realized that I should probably be talking to Ruth alone. “Ruth, maybe I should tell you first.”

  “No, no. Go ahead. What’d she say?”

  I chose my words carefully. I didn’t want her to feel rejected, but I didn’t want her to run back there either. “She has new boyfriend, and in talking to her, it became apparent that while she could use your hand keeping the house tidy, it wouldn’t be good for you to live with him.”

  “He’s a creep, isn’t he?”

  “Yeah, but that’s good because now it’s official. You can stay with me.”

  Her mouth dropped. “Really? Why didn’t you tell me when you went to see her?”

  “I didn’t want to get your hopes up.”

  She hugged me tightly. “I can go to school?”

  “Yes. Oh, yes.”

  Zoey rolled her eyes. “You’ll be hating it soon enough.” The girls laughed.

  “What about finding a new place to live?” Saffron asked. “They won’t let you keep three foster kids here, will they?”

  Bianca’s brow furrowed. “But if we move, Elsie won’t know where to find us.”

  We were back where we began. Was Elsie already with her father? Probably. Was he behaving himself? Had he hit her for leaving? “She has my phone number, so she can call. But Saffron’s right that I had better get started on finding a new apartment. Why don’t you help me?”

  Taking my laptop, I sat on the couch with the girls crowded around me. I had to go pick up groceries from Payden in an hour, at the very latest. What would I tell him? He’d be as upset as the rest of us.

  “I don’t like any of these apartments,” Ruth said after fifteen minutes of searching. “Not one of them will let us have a dog.”

  “I guess we’ll have to do without a dog for a while,” I said.

  “Wait, wait, wait!” Saffron looked up from her phone. “Oh, you’re not going to believe this.” We all stared, eager to hear more. “Halla,” Saffron continued, “your dad just sent three of the girls who posted on his blog a private message threatening them. Said he’d blow their heads off and bury them in the woods if they didn’t stop posting o
n Facebook. Is he a total idiot?”

  “When he’s mad, yes.” Halla leaned over to look at Saffron’s phone. “Once when I was eight, he told me he’d cut me into little pieces and flush me down the toilet if I ever disobeyed him again. Then he brought in his chainsaw and kept it in the upstairs bathroom. I had nightmares for a year.”

  “Tell them to forward the messages to you,” I said. “I need them.”

  “Why?” Halla asked.

  “Because we’re going to send them to the newspapers.” And to Bea at DCS.

  The excitement of the messages occupied us until even after we went to Payden’s store for the expired groceries. I felt guilty at being grateful for the distraction, and a little disloyal to Elsie. But I wasn’t giving up. I called Bea four times, and got her answering machine.

  Jameson came over, bringing food and videos, but no one was in the mood, and the girls ended up going to sleep early. I didn’t blame them.

  The strange call came after Jameson left, from a blocked number. “Hello?” I asked.

  A breath and then nothing.

  “Who is this? Elsie?”

  No answer. The line was dead.

  Monday crawled into Tuesday and even more slowly into Wednesday. There was no news about Elsie. I called the number Reynolds had listed on his flyer about Elsie, but the number was no longer working. After three more calls to Bea, she finally rang back and told me to stop, that she’d let me know if they had news about Elsie’s mother, or if the caseworker discovered something unusual at the home visit scheduled for the first of next week.

  I tried to busy myself looking for another part-time job, but the offerings were slim, especially since I’d have to give the job up when I started school again in the fall. If I didn’t have a full tuition scholarship, I might not go back at all because I still didn’t know what I should graduate in. Besides, with all the girls home, I was busy finding them activities—anything but computer games or television all day. If I had to work another job, I didn’t know what they’d do. So far we’d learned how to cook three different dishes, and Makay had taken them grocery shopping with coupons.