Daniel was already waiting for me by the porch steps, arms crossed, leaning against the railing, looking relaxed and without a care in the world. I gritted my teeth.
“This really isn’t necessary,” I said. “I’m an adult. I should be able to check out my own house.”
He shrugged. “I’m here so I might as well.”
“This is so silly,” I muttered as I climbed the porch stairs, trying not to touch him as I passed him.
He answered me with a grin. “This isn’t a dentist appointment, you know. You don’t even have to do anything. I’ll do all the work.” That wicked gleam appeared in his eyes again, flustering me all over.
Maybe I should call his bluff and let him sleep on the porch all night.
As soon as I unlocked the door, he eased in front of me to enter the house first. “Stay here,” he instructed, as he snapped on the lights and moved through the house.
It didn’t seem like I had much choice so I focused on my breathing as I leaned against the hall closet and waited for him to finish prowling around. I was absolutely NOT going to think about that kiss.
“All clear,” he said as he came down the stairs. Oscar padded down next to him, looking extremely self-satisfied in that way only cats can.
I glared at him. Traitor. Oscar’s tail twitched. I got the sense he knew exactly what I was thinking and was amused by it.
No help there. I turned my attention to Daniel, hoping I could convince him to leave before it sunk in how alone we were. “Did you really believe there would be someone here?”
He paused at the bottom of the stairs. “Becca, in all seriousness, I have no idea. I honestly don’t know what’s going on. While I’m glad you’re trying to get your memory back, I don’t buy that what happened fifteen years ago has anything to do with what’s going on now. And it worries me that you’re so focused on the past, you may be missing the danger in the present.”
I swallowed hard, all thoughts of that kiss evaporating, leaving me feeling cold. The knots in my stomach twisted into fear. “What are you talking about?”
He sighed and ran his fingers roughly through his hair. “I’m not trying to scare you, but there are things that just aren’t adding up.”
My dreams flashed through my head. Was Chrissy in danger?
Was I?
How many more are going to die because you refuse to remember?
“What isn’t adding up?” I asked. “I mean, Pat died. Which is tragic and awful. But you keep saying there’s no evidence of foul play. And Bear is gone, but that could be totally innocent too. Maybe the kids left the gate open. What else is there?”
He pressed his lips together, like he was trying to decide how much to tell me. “Bear isn’t the only dog to disappear,” he said finally. “Other pets have gone missing. And some have been found.”
My stomach felt like it was encased in ice. I was having trouble breathing. “Isn’t finding pets a good thing?”
He lifted his head to stare into my eyes. “Not when they’ve been mutilated.”
A vision of the dead, mauled rabbit swam into my vision. I struggled to breathe.
“It’s not just pets,” he continued. “It’s other animals, too.”
“Oh God,” I said, crossing my arms to try and keep myself from freezing into a block of ice. “Who would do such a thing to a defenseless animal? That’s awful.”
“That’s the problem. Plus, we’re still getting complaints about a Peeping Tom.”
I had forgotten about the Peeping Tom. I struggled to keep myself upright.
“Now, Peeping Toms are rarely violent,” he rushed to tell me, as he took a few steps toward me. “So, I’m not saying they’re related. But ... Becca, let’s sit down.”
I nodded as he moved toward me to take my arm and lead me to the couch. His hand was so warm against my cold, clammy skin.
“Are you okay?” he asked after I plopped down, rather ungracefully.
“I’m fine,” I said. “Really. It’s just ...”
He nodded. “I know. It’s a lot to take in.” He took a deep breath. “Here’s the thing: I don’t have a lot of leads to investigate so I’m sort of running into a brick wall. Plus, some of what’s been happening could have an innocent explanation. Like, maybe Pat did just fall down the steps and it’s nothing more sinister than that. And, maybe Bear did just get out. Maybe he got hit by a car somewhere. Totally innocent. And the Peeping Tom could just be a bunch of kids who will eventually get bored and stop. Just a big nothing burger.”
“But …” I said.
“My gut is telling me differently too,” he said simply. “And I especially don’t like the fact that you’re living out here by yourself.”
“Mia is coming tomorrow,” I said. “I’ll talk to her about staying until ... until this is sorted out.”
“Good.” His dark-blue eyes locked with mine as he raised a finger to brush a lock of hair off my cheek. A bolt of heat shot through me at his touch. “I could stay tonight if you want. Sleep on the couch.”
My insides were awash with confusion. Desire, fear, wanting him to stay, wanting him to leave. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
His lips twitched up into a small smile. “I don’t mind the couch.”
“Liar. That couch is super uncomfortable.”
He laughed. “Well, it would be worth it.”
It was so hard to think. I looked away, trying to focus my thoughts. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate the offer,” I said carefully. “But ...”
He pressed a finger lightly against my mouth, making my lips tingle. “I get it,” he said. “This isn’t the time. Along with everything else going on, you’re barely out of a bad marriage.”
“Actually, I’m not even out of that marriage,” I said disgustedly. “He’s refusing to sign the divorce papers.”
Daniel pressed his lips together as he nodded tightly. “Yeah, so, there’s that too. I’ll get going.”
He stood up and headed for the door. I followed, simultaneously wishing he’d stay and feeling relieved he was leaving. I felt like I should say something but my mind was blank.
He opened the door before turning to face me. “Make sure you lock up behind me.”
I made a face. “Duh.”
He almost smiled. “Keep your phone with you. If anything, and I mean anything, seems off, call me. I don’t care if you wake me up. I don’t even care if I come over here only to find that what you heard is a tree branch scraping the house. I would rather that then you not calling when you really should have.”
I nodded, wondering if maybe I should just let him stay on the couch after all. It wasn’t like we were a couple of hormone-addled teens. We really ought to be able to control ourselves.
Right?
He paused, studying my face, eyes dark with electricity, making my heart flutter. “For the record,” he said, his voice quiet yet intense, “the first time I make love to you, I have no intention of dividing my attention between you and strategizing to keep you safe. Also, for the record, I would never try to scare you as an excuse to spend the night. If we’re together that way, it will be something we both want.”
My mouth went dry. For a moment, all I could do was stare stupidly at him. “That’s ... awfully ... presumptuous, of you,” I stuttered.
His mouth slanted into a smile. “Is it?” The heat in his eyes sucked all the air out of my body, leaving me weak and breathless.
He turned to leave. “Stay safe, Becca. And don’t forget to call me.” He closed the door firmly behind him.
I tottered forward a few steps until I could reach the door and lock it. A part of me wanted to call him back, but I knew that was madness.
The last thing I needed was to start a relationship with Daniel. Not only because I wasn’t sure if I ought to be in a relationship at all rig
ht now, but because in all practicality, I didn’t need the distraction.
Not to mention I didn’t feel I could trust my judgment when it came to men.
Actually, the more I thought about it, the more I wondered if there was anything about myself that I could trust.
Why couldn’t I remember what happened the day Jessica disappeared?
How did my meeting with Daniel get changed fifteen years ago? Did I do it and not remember?
Was I being watched right now? Had someone been in my house? Killed a rabbit in my yard?
Or was it all in my head?
A disturbing pattern was definitely emerging. Either there was something truly dreadful going on, like, serial-killer dreadful, and it was still out there ... or there was something wrong with me. There was something broken in my head.
You know the evil that has been done.
I shivered. The worst part was that it didn’t really matter which scenario was true. Each was awful and I had no business starting a relationship with Daniel.
No matter how much I wanted to.
Chapter 20
“Knock, knock. Anyone home?” Mia called out from the hallway.
“In the kitchen,” I hollered back.
Mia appeared in the doorway, taking in the scene—me, sitting at the table covered with papers and a cold cup of coffee. “What’s all of this?”
“Progress,” I answered.
After a sleepless night spent tossing and turning and trying not to think about Daniel, I realized I had to do whatever it took to get my memory back. I had no idea what was actually going on, but it felt like the best, most productive thing I could do. Not having my memory made me feel like I was stuck in limbo, unable to make any decisions at all about my future—even decisions like whether or not I should stay in Redemption and, if I did, should I look for a job or start a business. It felt impossible to move forward until I put the past behind me once and for all. I was determined to remember, no matter the cost.
After getting Chrissy’s room ready for Mia, I set myself up at the kitchen table to work through all my notes. In the middle of sorting through everything, I realized what I really needed was a timeline so I would have a clear picture of where everyone was that night and, even more importantly, who was missing and when.
“Look,” I said, proudly holding up what I had been working so diligently on. “I went through and compared everyone’s stories and compiled a timeline so we can clearly see who was where, when.”
Mia pulled a chair over to examine my work.
“Does it look right to you?” I asked.
Mia didn’t answer right away as she continued to study the paper.
I started to walk her through it, using my finger to point out the lines. “What I wanted to do was trace everyone’s actions that night. So, here’s Jessica. She had the fight with Rich, which we all heard. It seems like the rest of us were in the house while Rich and Jessica were outside, but we all came in and sat at the table after the fight. I was the first one to leave after that. I went into the woods and Daniel followed me. Daniel and I fought, and he ended up leaving me and going to the front of the house to sit by Barry’s car.
“You were sick and didn’t leave the backyard. Daphne was with you most of the night except when she left you for a few minutes. She said to go back into the house—you said to follow me into the woods. But she was with you when you heard the screams, right?”
Mia nodded.
“Okay. So, we need to find out where exactly she was during that one window of time. We also don’t know where Rich was. He left when Jessica did. And then there’s Barry. Daniel said Barry was with him when he heard me scream, but where was Barry before then?”
Mia shook her head. “I don’t know.”
“And CB. He was in the house, right? You said you saw him come out after you heard the scream?”
Mia screwed up her face. “Yeah. Barry went into the house to find flashlights for us to search for you, and CB helped him find the flashlights.”
I tapped the paper. “So, these are the holes. We know Rich saw me with Jessica, but did anyone else? And was anyone with us? Rich, Barry and Daphne are all unaccounted for when Jessica and I were both in the woods. Why? What were they doing?”
Mia glanced at me, her brow furrowed in concern. “You don’t really believe Daphne had ...”
The doorbell rang, interrupting her and making me jump.
“Are you expecting someone?” Mia asked.
I shook my head, wondering if it was Daniel. Just the thought made my pulse start to race.
Mia slid out of her chair. “I’ll go see who it is.”
“You don’t have to,” I called out, but she was already out of the kitchen. Well, maybe it was for the best. If she was going to live here for a while, the sooner she made herself at home, the better.
I was wishing I had chosen to take a shower after cleaning this morning instead of sitting here in a stained tee shirt and old shorts with my hair pulled back in a hasty, messy ponytail when Daphne walked in.
“Why have you been ignoring me?” She asked, a bit breathless. She too had her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail, and behind her red frames, her eyes were angry.
Startled, I could only stare at her, my mouth hanging open. Not only had I not been expecting to see her, but I certainly hadn’t expected to see her angry. Come to think of it, I wasn’t sure if I had ever seen Daphne mad before.
Mia peeked around, mouthing “sorry” at me. “I’ll leave you two alone while I get settled,” she announced, and quickly disappeared. A part of me wished I could disappear with her.
Daphne put her hands on her hips and glared at me. “I’m waiting.”
I stared down into my coffee cup, searching for the right words. She was right to be upset with me. I should have reached out before now.
Picking up my coffee cup, I got up from the table. “Do you want some coffee?”
“Not particularly.”
I headed to the coffee pot. “Tea? Water?”
“Becca, I’m serious. Why have you been ignoring me?”
I dumped out the cold coffee and refilled my cup before turning to face her. “There’s ... an inconsistency.”
Daphne’s face went blank. “An inconsistency? What are you talking about?”
I opened up the fridge for cream. “When you were telling me the story of the night Jessica disappeared, you said you went back into the house to get your purse. But Mia said you went into the woods.”
“I don’t understand. Why were you asking Mia about that night? Did you not believe me?”
I shook my head. “No, it wasn’t that at all. Here, let me show you.” I went back to my seat at the table and showed her my timeline. “I’m trying to get my memory back of that night, so I started asking everyone what they remembered to see if something someone said would spark anything in me.”
Daphne stepped closer, so she could peer down at the papers spread out on the table. Her lips moved as a finger traced over the scribblings. “Did it work?”
I slumped over. “Not yet. But what it did is show me all of these holes. See?” I started tracing timelines with my finger. “Where was Barry? Or Rich?”
“Or me?”
I looked at her steadily. “Or you.”
She met my gaze unflinchingly. “Do you really think I had something to do with Jessica disappearing?”
“No! No, of course not. But it is … peculiar that there’s an inconsistency in your story at a crucial part of the timeline.”
“So, why didn’t you ask me about this sooner?”
I found myself looking away, unable to meet her eyes. I busied myself reaching for my coffee. “I didn’t understand why you would lie to me and ... I guess I was afraid ...” In that moment, I realized that was the true reason why I hadn’t wa
nted to confront Daphne.
Fear.
And how much I didn’t want to admit it.
“You were afraid? Of what?”
I couldn’t say it. What if by saying it, I somehow breathed life into it … made it come true?
Daphne didn’t wait for my answer.
“So, if I told you I was trying to protect you, what would you say?”
It felt like the kitchen had flipped on its side. I was having trouble breathing. Oh God. Why was she protecting me? What had she seen that night?
“From what?” I asked, my voice barely louder than a whisper.
She nodded unhappily and rubbed her forehead. “In retrospect, it seems a little silly.”
Silly? That wasn’t what I expected her to say. “I don’t understand.”
“It’s just ... I guess I didn’t want to hurt your feelings or make you feel bad.”
“Why would I feel bad?”
She sighed again. “Let me start from the beginning. So yes, I left Mia in the backyard to go find you. You clearly weren’t having a good night. You were fighting with Daniel, and you yelled at CB. And, remember, you hadn’t been acting all that ... sane.”
I remembered. I had been convinced I was being haunted by our resident ghost, Mad Martha. “Plus, we had just had that séance,” I added.
“Yeah, that too. So I went after you. But I didn’t find you. I found Rich instead.” She swallowed. “He was so angry. It wasn’t really clear who he was angry at or why. He kept saying over and over, ‘That bitch. I’ll show her.’” She lifted her hands helplessly. “Honestly, at the time, I had assumed he was talking about Jessica. I thought he had caught up to her and they had continued their fight. I tried to calm him down, bring him back to the house. He started to come back with me but then he just took off. I went after him, but he was moving too fast and I didn’t want to leave Mia alone for too long. So, I headed back.”
I reached for my coffee, wondering what on earth I had said that night that was so bad that Rich would still be so upset with me all these years later. “When did you realize he was talking about me?”
Secrets of Redemption Box Set Page 51