Secrets of Redemption Box Set

by Michele Pariza Wacek

“Not exactly. Just ... a little freaked out, I guess.” I seized the mug, grateful for the warmth in my now numb fingers. A part of me wanted to tell her that Chrissy had said the same thing when she had been sleepwalking, but another part of me hesitated. Could I really trust her? Why was she being so secretive?

  “What happened after that?”

  Daphne settled herself in her chair and tore off another piece of cinnamon roll. “Well, we all went back into the house. Jessica didn’t say anything more about it. Someone poured her a drink, which she gulped down.” Daphne paused, gazing thoughtfully at me. “Why didn’t Jessica end up in the hospital with alcohol poisoning that night? With the amount of drinks she had had, by all rights, she should have been sicker than a dog. Nothing about that night makes any sense.”

  I shook my head. “You’re preaching to the choir. So then what happened?”

  “I remember CB telling Jessica again that she was welcome to come to New York and stay with you. You started getting really pissed and kept trying to get CB to stop, but he kept pushing it. Kept telling you it wasn’t a big deal—wouldn’t it be fun to have Mia and Jessica in New York? Finally, you stood up and yelled at him to shut up. That he knew better and that they couldn’t stay with you because they wouldn’t be welcome.

  “It got really quiet. You turned white when you realized what you had said and you ran out of the house. Daniel got up and went after you. I think you two got into another fight outside because I thought I heard shouting. I was thinking about going after you but then Mia started talking about how she wasn’t feeling well … and at the same time, Jessica said she was going to go home and have it out with her mother. She said she was going to California no matter what and that her mom couldn’t stop her. And if she tried, maybe Jessica would just leave that night.

  “She stood up—I remember she was wobbly, but when Barry asked her if she wanted him to walk her home, she shook her head and said she was fine. She said Mia would walk her home but Mia was feeling sick and didn’t want to leave yet. Jessica said ‘Fine, I’ll just go by myself’ and stalked off. Well, stumbled off. She definitely was not steady, not to mention she was slurring her words something fierce. I wanted to go with her but Mia kept saying how sick she was. I helped Mia to the bathroom and she threw up. I stayed with her and then helped her back to the kitchen. Everyone had gone by then. Mia still didn’t look great but she wanted to try and catch up with Jessica. We went outside but didn’t get far before Mia had to stop. I helped her sit down in one of the chairs around the dying fire and then I went back into the house because I realized I forgot my purse. When I went back out Mia was so pale and sickly that I was starting to wonder if I needed to get her to the hospital. And that’s when we heard screaming. Again.”

  I felt my stomach clench. “Screaming?”

  Daphne sighed. “It was you. You were screaming.”

  “Me? What was I screaming about?”

  Daphne shook her head. “I don’t know. All I know is that suddenly Barry and Daniel were there in the backyard asking what the hell happened.”

  “Where were Barry and Daniel before that?”

  “I don’t know. I told you, I was in the house with Mia while she was sick. I thought they had left, but apparently, they hadn’t. So then, we were trying to figure out what to do—if we should form a search party or something. Barry went back into the house to find flashlights for everyone although it was one of those nights where the sky was clear and the moon was full so it was actually pretty bright. He had just brought them back out when you burst through the woods and collapsed.”

  I put my hand to my mouth. For a moment I was back in the woods, the smell of pine and decay in my nostrils, dizzy and disoriented, seeing my friends and wanting to tell them something, something very important … but then everything went black.

  “Needless to say,” Daphne continued, “all our focus turned to you and getting you to the hospital.”

  I was silent, digesting everything she said and searching my brain for even the tiniest scrap of a memory. But, other than that one brief, confused glimpse into my past when I emerged from the woods, it was a blank.

  She cocked her head and looked at me. “Any of this sounding familiar?”

  I shook my head. “Nope.”

  She sipped her coffee. “Well, maybe you were drinking more than I realized. It’s not like I was watching you the whole evening.”

  “You’re probably right,” I said, but something felt off. I just couldn’t figure out what.

  She glanced at the clock. “Oh, it’s getting late. Better be off.” She stood up to give me a hug. “So, what are you going to do with yourself now that CB is gone?”

  I groaned. “Are you kidding? I’ve got errands, laundry, cleaning. Oh my God, the cleaning. The bathroom is a total disaster. I swear, CB needs a full-time maid following behind him at all times. Even his room is a mess. How can his room be such a mess when he was just sleeping there? And the weeds are out of control. On top of that, I have to figure out how to make Pat’s tea.”

  Daphne grinned. “I take it Pat called.”

  “That she did.”

  She started heading toward the front door. “So, is this the first step in taking over for Charlie?”

  I sighed. “I don’t know what it is. But I do know that Pat’s not going to give up until she has her tea, so I’m going to see if I can figure it out.”

  “Good luck with that,” Daphne said as she waved goodbye. I really needed to get up and get started on my day but instead, I stayed put and thought about everything Daphne had told me.

  How did I get so wasted I had to have my stomach pumped?

  If I wasn’t that drunk earlier in the evening, why couldn’t I remember?

  And why was I screaming in the woods?

  What happened to me that night?

  No answers came to me. Rather, I felt a bit queasy.

  I probably had too many cinnamon rolls.

  Or maybe you don’t want to remember.

  I pushed that little voice down quickly, forcing myself to my feet to start cleaning up.

  Chapter 6

  Something about Daphne’s story bothered me. I kept turning it over and over in my mind as I cleaned up the kitchen and took a quick shower.

  No matter which way I looked at it, I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what it was. Nor could I shake the feeling.

  Driving to the store, I decided to take a quick detour at Aunt May’s Diner. Mia would likely be there, and I might be able to ask her what she remembered from that night. Even if she was working, we could make a plan to meet later.

  I parked on the side of the road and got out. The humidity was already high and climbing—I could feel the sweat starting to build under my tee shirt. Thank God for air conditioning.

  A homemade poster tacked to a street lamp fluttered in the faint breeze, catching my eye. It had a black and white picture of a beautiful golden retriever sitting with two laughing kids, a boy and a girl, draped over him. It read: “Reward! My name is Bear and I’m very friendly. Have you seen me? I’m lost, and my family really misses me.” Bear gazed out at me from the paper, mouth open, as if he were actually smiling for the camera. He had been missing for a few days.

  Staring at the poster reminded me that I hadn’t seen Oscar in a while. Actually, now that I thought about it, it’d been at least a week. Since before CB showed up. I hoped he was okay.

  “Have you seen Bear?” asked a voice behind me. I whirled around. Daniel was there, leaning against a park bench, arms crossed, looking cool and comfortable despite the rising heat and humidity. With sunglasses covering his eyes and his face carefully expressionless, I couldn’t get a read on his mood.

  “I wish,” I said. “I would love to return him to his family.”

  “Yeah. Missing pets are sad,” Daniel said. He nodded to the poster. “Th
e family forgot to lock the doggy door a couple of nights ago and he got into the yard. They heard him barking out there, but since it’s fenced in, they thought he’d be fine and would eventually come back in on his own. Unfortunately, one of the kids left the fence open, and he got out.”

  I wondered why he was telling me all of this. “That’s a shame. Do you know the family?”

  Daniel adjusted his glasses and re-crossed his arms. I found myself wishing I could see his eyes. “Not personally. They called me to report it. Unfortunately, there’s not much we can do for a lost dog. The kids are devastated.”

  “I bet they are.” I turned back to the poster. It was such a happy picture. I hoped he was okay.

  He paused. “So, you don’t know anything about it.”

  I jerked back around, a sudden pang of unforeseen guilt twisting in my gut. “Why would you ask me that?” My voice was sharper than I intended. Where was he going with this? God, I wished I could see his eyes. And where the heck was the guilt coming from? “Of course I don’t know anything about a missing dog.”

  He shrugged. “You’re here. You stopped. You’re studying the poster. Most people who haven’t seen the dog in the poster keep walking.”

  “I was ... “ Why was I feeling so defensive about this? What was wrong with me? “There’s a stray cat that’s been hanging out around my house. I was just thinking it’s been awhile since I’ve seen him.” Man, that sounded lame.

  Daniel didn’t immediately answer. He just stood there, studying me. I felt myself wanting to fidget or look away, but I forced myself to hold his gaze. “Bear isn’t the only dog. A few pets have gone missing recently.”

  “And I’m somehow behind it?” I snapped.

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “Then why are you telling me?”

  Daniel straightened, pushing himself away from the park bench. “Just letting you know. Maybe you should keep an eye on your cat. If you see him again.”

  The sweat that dripped down my back and chest felt like it had turned to ice. I shivered. “What about your Peeping Tom? Did you catch him yet? Maybe he’s the one behind all of this.”

  “We’re still investigating.”

  “I see. Thanks for letting me know, Officer.” I started to walk past him.

  “Is CB still here?”

  I whirled back to him. “What? Now you think CB has something to do with this?”

  He shrugged. “Just being friendly. Why, do you think he does?”

  “No, I don’t think CB had anything to do with this. He can’t even touch a raw chicken breast without major hysterics and hand washing.”

  His lips almost curved into a smile. “I probably should have figured that out myself.”

  He was closer than I expected, and I instinctively wanted to take a step back—to put some space between us. There was an intensity about the way he was watching me that took my breath away, even though I still couldn’t see his eyes. It was all I could do to keep myself from ripping the glasses off his face.

  He sucked in his breath. “Becca,” he said, his voice trailing off at the end. Everything seemed to stop—even my breathing.

  We stared at each other, the electricity humming between us. Then, a moist, humid breeze blew against my face, and just like that, the spell was broken.

  He took a step back and cleared his throat while I raised a hand to push the hair out of my face. “I was just going to say, it’s not the first time we’ve had dogs and cats disappear in this town.”

  The sun dipped behind a cloud, casting a dark shadow over where we stood. I shivered, my sweat feeling cold and clammy. “What do you mean?” I asked, hating the quaver in my voice.

  His cell phone buzzed. He took another step back, pulling his phone out of his pocket. “Just ... be careful, Becca. Keep an eye on your cat.” He strode away, leaving me bewildered by the entire conversation.

  What the hell was that supposed to mean? Not the first time that pets had disappeared?

  I took a deep breath to collect my scattered thoughts. Oh, that’s right, I was heading to Aunt May’s to ask Mia what she remembered about the night Jessica disappeared. I resumed my trek toward the diner.

  It suddenly occurred to me that maybe I should also ask Daniel for his version of what happened. I’d be very interested to know what we had argued about.

  I had almost reached Aunt May’s when a muttering bundle of colorful rags pushing a shopping cart materialized from the alley in front of me. I stopped short, my heart speeding up.

  Maude, the homeless woman. The last time I had seen her had been in front of the grocery store where I had, for all practical purposes, attacked her.

  What do you know? Why am I in danger?

  As it turned out, I had been in danger, although I hadn’t understood how bad it really was at the time.

  Maude shuffled across the street, head down, ignoring me. I watched her thoughtfully. I had been so sure about what I thought I had heard her say that day.

  But it must have all been in my head. It wasn’t possible that a strange-but-harmless homeless woman would know more about my situation than I did.

  As if she had heard my thoughts, Maude stopped in the middle of the street. She raised her head and slowly turned it, until she was staring me straight in the eye.

  Her mouth opened.

  “You know.” Her voice was a hiss, like the crackle of lighting before a summer storm.

  I swallowed and quickly turned away, the hair on the back of my neck standing on end. The sun went behind the cloud, and just like that, it was no longer hot and humid.

  Cold and clammy, I sped up my pace, wanting nothing more than to duck inside the diner and put as much distance as possible between me and Maude. Please don’t turn the cart around. Please don’t chase after me.

  I reached the door of Aunt May’s and pushed it open, darting a quick glance over my shoulder to see if Maude was following me, but she had resumed crossing the street, head down, the shopping cart clattering on the uneven asphalt.

  I had to be imagining this. I had to be. There was no other explanation—nothing else that made sense. I had to get my act together.

  Aunt May’s was half-empty, probably because it was that “in-between” time–a little too late for breakfast and a little too early for the lunch rush. Mia was wiping down a table, her black hair stuck to her forehead and sweat beading down her face. She beamed when she saw me. “Becca! Are you here to eat, or do you want coffee to go?”

  “Actually neither. I was hoping to talk to you.”

  “Oh, well, you’re in luck! It’s a good time for my break. Do you want to sit here or go somewhere else?”

  “Here’s fine.”

  She led me to a table in the back. “Want anything?”

  “Coffee would be good.”

  “Any food?”

  I shook my head. “I’m still full from breakfast—Daphne brought me homemade cinnamon rolls this morning. I ate way too many.”

  She snapped her towel at me. “Lucky you. She makes great cinnamon rolls. Do you mind if I eat?”

  “God, no. Eat. Please.”

  She disappeared into the kitchen for a moment before returning with the coffee pot in one hand and a BLT and fries in the other.

  She poured us both a cup of coffee and plopped down with a loud sigh. “I’ve been working a lot of doubles. It seems like everyone else is off on a summer adventure.”

  “Do you have any plans?”

  She grabbed the ketchup bottle and started squeezing it on her plate. “I should. I need a vacation.” She dipped a fry in ketchup and started munching. “So, what’s up?”

  “I know this may sound like it’s coming out of left field, but I was wondering if you could answer a few questions about the night Jessica disappeared.”

  She paused, still holdin
g the fry in the air. “Why do you want to know about that?”

  I shrugged, busying myself by adding cream and sugar to my coffee. “I don’t know. I guess ... well, I still don’t remember that night. And I’d like to. I was wondering if hearing you talk about it might spark something in me.”

  “Yeah, I can totally see that.” She leaned back in the booth and gestured to her plate. “Do you mind? I don’t get a super long break and I don’t want to miss eating.”

  I shook my head and waved for her to continue. She picked up the sandwich and ate a few bites. “What do you want to know?” she asked, in between mouthfuls of food.

  “Well, to start, what was going on between Jessica and Rich?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Oh God, that was a trip. Let’s see. Jessica wanted me to go outside with her, but then CB ran into me and spilled my drink all over my shirt. I was so pissed. It was a brand-new shirt. I was going to take it to California with me. And the punch was red, remember? My shirt was this beautiful cream color … why I wore it to a teenage drinking party, I do not know. “ She shook her head. “To his credit, CB was super apologetic about it and offered to buy me a new one. I went into the bathroom to try and salvage it. Anyway, while I was in there, that’s when all the commotion started outside.”

  “That was when the fight started.”

  Mia nodded. “I, along with everyone else, rushed outside to see what was going on. But since I wasn’t there when it started, I don’t actually know what it was about. Jessica didn’t have a chance to tell me and Rich refuses to talk about it, at least to me. But if I had to guess, he probably made some sort of move on her. His crush on her was the worst-kept secret in Redemption and he had been trying to talk her out of going for, well, probably since she first started talking about it. If I had to guess what happened that night, I would say Rich sided with Jessica’s mother, and told her so. And, of course, Jessica went berserk.”

  “Why ‘of course’? I mean, it makes sense she would get angry at Rich for siding with her mom, but go berserk? It just seems over the top, doesn’t it?”

  Mia took another bite of food. “Well, yeah,” she said while chewing. “It was because of the dreams.”