Secrets of Redemption Box Set

by Michele Pariza Wacek

My vision spun around me before turning black.

  These were the exact candles in my dream.

  Chapter 22

  “Becca, what’s going on? Are you alright?”

  I blinked. I was sitting on the floor and Daphne and Mia were anxiously hovering over me.

  “I ...” I looked around. Was I dreaming again? No, the candles were right there on the floor.

  “What?” Daphne asked.

  I raised a shaky hand to point. “Those candles. That holder. I saw them in my dream.” Even though I was fully aware that the whole purpose of finally entering Aunt Charlie’s room had been to look for those damn candles, it still felt like a punch in the gut that I had actually found them.

  “Wow.” Mia stared at the candles like she thought they were going to turn into snakes and bite her. “They’re real!”

  “You know,” Daphne said, her gaze quickly ping ponging between me and the candles, like they just might sneak up on her if she wasn’t looking at them, “there could be a simple explanation for this.”

  “Like what?” I asked.

  “Like you saw them as a child.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t remember seeing them.”

  “You still could have,” Daphne said, although her tone seemed to indicate that she was trying to convince herself just as much as me. “You may not have thought it was that important so it didn’t register at the time.”

  “So you don’t think it means anything?” I asked. God, how I wished that were true, but even as the words left my lips, I knew it wasn’t.

  “One way to find out,” Mia said. “We light them and see what happens.”

  There it was again—that blackness inside that recoiled against the thought of lighting the candles. It was the same blackness I felt about coming into Aunt Charlie’s room, and when I decided to investigate what happened fifteen years ago.

  But I was stronger than what seemed to want to stop me.

  Daphne had been watching my face. “We don’t have to do this now,” she said.

  I shook my head as I straightened up. “No, I think we’ve all waited long enough. Let’s take everything downstairs.”

  Mia scooped up the candles and holder as I got myself to my feet, feeling a little wobbly.

  “Maybe some tea first,” Daphne said.

  I shot her a grateful look. “Tea would be lovely.”

  In the kitchen, Mia set up the candles in the middle of the table.

  Just like my dream.

  Daphne must have seen something in my face, because she quickly reminded me that we would have tea first. I tried to help prepare it, but she waved me off. “I think Mia and I can handle it,” she said, as Mia poked around in the cupboard for mugs.

  “It’s just so weird to think that lighting candles might have anything to do with my memory,” I mused, taking a seat at the table. I purposefully chose the same seat I had in my dream, even though the blackness inside me rebelled again.

  “Maybe we’re supposed to do a séance?” Mia offered.

  “Oh God, no,” I groaned. “No more séances.”

  “I second that,” Daphne said, picking up two of the mugs and carrying them to the table while Mia brought over the third. Daphne held one out to me, and I accepted it, taking a moment to concentrate on the warmth seeping into my cold and stiff fingers.

  “Not to rush this or anything,” Mia said. “But I do have to go to work in a couple of hours. If that’s not enough time, we could do this tomorrow or another day.”

  How I wanted to say ‘yes’ to that idea. But no, this had all gone on long enough. I was ready.

  “No, we should do it sooner rather than later,” I said. “Just give me five minutes. Maybe ten.” Enough to calm the panic swirling around inside me, I thought. I took a sip of tea, hoping that would settle things down. It didn’t work.

  Mia nodded. “Of course,” she said, trying to sound as calm as Daphne but unable to hide the wild sparkle of delight in her eyes.

  Well, at least someone was excited.

  We were all silent, sipping our tea, when Mia’s cell phone beeped, signaling a text. She glanced at it, and almost immediately, the color drained from her face, leaving her ashen.

  “What?” Daphne and I both asked.

  Mia swallowed. “It’s Brittany. She’s missing.”

  “Missing?” Daphne exclaimed. I sat frozen in my seat, horror rising inside me.

  Brittany. Chrissy’s friend. Who happened to be the spitting image of her Aunt Jessica.

  Who disappeared, never to be seen again, fifteen years ago.

  Could this be connected to what happened to Jessica? Or just a terrible, awful coincidence?

  How many more are going to die because you refuse to remember?

  Mia nodded. “Yes. She was supposed to be home several hours ago. I don’t have any other details. People are meeting up at Aunt May’s. We should go, too.” Mia was already standing up and hunting for her purse. “You don’t mind waiting to light the candles until later, do you Becca?”

  “Absolutely not,” I said, standing up as well to gather my purse. My movements were jerky and mechanical, my brain whirling around so much that I could barely focus. I followed Mia and Daphne outside, Daphne muttering about meeting us there. She needed to go home and tell her mother first.

  Mia asked me if I wouldn’t mind driving so she could tend to the texts and calls that were blowing up her phone. I nodded, pulling my keys out of my purse, feeling like I was more robot than human. Halfway there, she slapped her hand against her forehead, remembering she had to work. I told her I didn’t mind coming to get her after her shift.

  As I drove, I tried to piece together what had happened as I listened to Mia muttering under her breath, responding to what sounded like nonstop pinging. I heard Chrissy’s name more than once, and I thought my heart might stop.

  My dream. The warning about Chrissy.

  Oh God. Was she okay? I asked Mia and got a distracted “I think so,” answer. Which didn’t make me feel much better.

  I had to park a couple blocks away from Aunt May’s, as the parking lot was packed full. It looked like the entire town was there. The sunset made me squint as we walked, reducing the steady stream of people filing into the restaurant into a line of featureless shadows. I noticed a shapeless, hunched-over mass trying to wedge her way into the door with a shopping cart. One of the shadows came out of the restaurant, and, with some effort, guided the shopping cart and the hunched- over mass away from the door.

  “Poor Maude,” Mia sighed next to me. The shadow handed her a box, probably filled with food, as Maude seemed to get more and more agitated. “This has to be confusing to her.”

  I could hear Maude yelling. “No, it’s the devil! I have to warn them. It’s happening again. Get out of my way.”

  I felt a cold shiver run down my spine, despite the heat and humidity. Maude took the food and flung herself away from the door, pushing her cart and muttering to herself again. The shadow that was now obviously a waitress watched her for a moment before going back inside.

  “Pat talked about the devil too,” I said.

  Mia glanced sideways at me. “What?”

  “The devil. That’s what Maude just said.”

  Mia shook her head. “I don’t think you should put too much stock into what Maude says. She’s probably pretty confused right now with all the people going into Aunt May’s. She’s used to it being quiet around this time of night when she gets her dinner.”

  I hoped Mia was right and Maude was just spouting gibberish … but a part of me still felt uneasy.

  “Did you figure out how Chrissy is involved yet?” I asked.

  She shook her head, going back to staring at her phone as we walked. “I’m not sure. I’m getting a lot of mixed stories. I can’t tell if she was the one who fi
gured out that Brittany was missing or if she was supposed to be with Brittany when she went missing or what.”

  “She’s okay though. Right?”

  Mia shot me a quick look. “She hasn’t disappeared, if that’s what you mean.” Her voice was gentle.

  I nodded, the fist clutching my heart easing.

  Aunt May’s was packed. Every chair was taken, and some people were sitting on the floor. Others had squeezed into booths, nearly on top of each other. More people stood at the sides of the restaurant, lined up against the walls.

  The tables were covered in coffee cups and glasses half full of soda and iced tea. A couple of waitresses gingerly picked their way around the dining room refilling cups and glasses. The diner lacked its normal aroma of food and I noticed no one seemed interested in eating. Instead, the scents of perfume mixed with the musty odor of sweat due to the sheer number of bodies that were packed into the limited space even though the air conditioning was blasting.

  We had to work our way through the door but when people saw Mia, they automatically made room. I strained to see if I could find Chrissy. I would feel better if I could see her with my own eyes, safe and sound, but there were too many people. I did recognize Barbara and Gina standing in a corner, Gina’s face a scowl but Barbara looking more at peace. I hoped she was finally coming to grips with her mother’s death. And was that ... Nurse Ellen? My absolute nemesis during the time I was trapped in the hospital? Obviously, she wasn’t in her nursing uniform, but was instead stuffed into tight jeans and a red halter top that showed off her expansive breasts. Her expression reflected worry and concern, but I could sense the jittery excitement beneath it, as if she couldn’t wait to share in this juicy bit of gossip.

  Daniel was standing in front of the counter, surrounded by a small group of people. A forgotten to-go cup of coffee stood on the counter. He looked like he was trying to calm the group down. I could see the strain around his eyes and wondered if he had simply stopped in for a coffee pick-me-up but was now unable to leave. His blonde hair was mussed and I could picture him running his hands through it, likely in frustration.

  An older, heavy-set woman standing in the group was particularly animated. She had short grey hair, a heavily-lined, puffy face and faded blue eyes. But underneath the weariness and folds of fat were traces of an ethereal beauty.

  Just like Jessica.

  Just like Brittany.

  She glanced over at me just then, her eyes meeting mine. I saw them widen in horror and shock. “You,” she hissed, breaking off her conversation and shoving her way toward me. “How dare you come here?”

  Hands reached out to stop her, but she swatted them away. I instinctively shrank back but the close proximity of bodies behind me prevented me from moving.

  “Haven’t you and your family done enough?” She yelled, clawing her way toward me. “This is all your fault!”

  Mia wedged her way in front of me. “Louise, stop.”

  Daniel managed to grab her from behind. “Louise, that’s enough.” His voice was firm.

  Louise railed against them. “Let go of me. How dare you? It’s her fault! Can’t you see?”

  Daniel wrestled her away from me. “Louise, this isn’t helping us find Brittany.”

  Suddenly, Louise stopped fighting and sagged against Daniel. “My baby,” she whimpered. “My beautiful baby. Jesse, Jessica and now Brittany. Why does this keep happening to my family?”

  Oh man … Jesse, too. I had forgotten about him. Her brother, who Jessica had been named after, had disappeared after they fought. No wonder she was so distraught.

  Daniel held her, patting her as the tears poured from her eyes. “I promise you, I will do everything in my power to find her.”

  As I watched Daniel comfort the older woman, I wondered how all these disappearances might be connected. On the surface it didn’t make any sense at all.

  But, underneath ... it just seemed way too coincidental.

  Why was she blaming me, though? And my family? I had only seen Brittany one time, and I wasn’t even born when her brother had disappeared. And how on earth could Aunt Charlie have anything to do with any of it?

  I really had to get my memory back. I had no idea if it would help, but it felt like the best thing I could possibly do.

  A second woman with exhausted, faded brown eyes and muddy brown hair that hung limply around her face pried Louise out of Daniel’s arms. Louise submitted, letting herself be led away. All the fight seemed to have drained out of her.

  Daniel looked over at me, raising an eyebrow. “You okay?” He mouthed. I nodded.

  He tilted his head in acknowledgment and turned to the crowd. “If I can have your attention,” he said. All the buzzing and murmuring quickly died down. “As I think you all know, Brittany Nelson is allegedly missing.”

  “Allegedly?” A balding man with thick glasses asked.

  “Yes, it appears that way,” Daniel reiterated firmly, holding up his hand to prevent other interruptions. “She was last seen driving her car, which is also missing. We have sent out an APB but for now, at least, there is no sign of foul play.”

  “Liar,” Another woman screamed. I looked at her and did a double take—yes, her hair was a darker blonde than Brittany and Jessica’s, her face was puffy and she hadn’t aged well, but there was no questioning the resemblance. She was likely Jessica’s older sister and Brittany’s mom. “She’s not answering her cell phone. She always answers her cell phone.”

  “Something could have happened to her phone,” Daniel said patiently. “She could have dropped it or the battery could have died.”

  “She was supposed to be home,” the woman shrieked. A man, maybe her husband, was holding her back. “She was supposed to be home hours ago. You don’t understand. Brittany knows. She always tells us when she’ll be home. And if she’s going to be late, she calls or texts. She would never do this to us.” She collapsed against the man and started sobbing uncontrollably.

  “Jillian, I know that,” Daniel said softly. “That’s why we’re taking this as seriously as we are. We have started searching for her but chances are very good she’ll be walking through your door with a perfectly innocent explanation as to what happened any time now.”

  Louise put her arm around Jillian. Standing next to each other like that, I could see the family resemblance. Jillian bit down on her knuckle, clearly trying to calm herself. “We just tried her cell again and it’s going right to voicemail. She’s not with her friends. And we were having a party tonight for Bobby’s birthday. She knew this. She wouldn’t be late getting home. She was supposed to help get everything set up.”

  “How do you know she’s not at the house now?” Daniel asked.

  “Tom’s there,” Louise answered. “I just checked with him. There’s no sign of her.”

  Daniel pulled out a notebook and jotted down a few notes. “You said she wasn’t with her friends. How do you know that?”

  “Because we called them.”

  Daniel looked up from his notebook and glanced around the restaurant. “Is that how everyone knew to come here?”

  “Of course,” another woman said, sitting at a table with a huddled-over and miserable-looking sixteen-year-old, presumably one of Brittany’s friends. “We want to help.”

  “What can we do?” The balding man asked. “Should we divide up to search the area?”

  “What about dogs?” asked a third voice, coming from the back. “When are the search and rescue teams coming?”

  Daniel held his hands up. “Hold on. It’s a little too soon to form search parties. Besides, it’s going to be dark soon.”

  “Exactly,” the bald man said. “We need to get out and start now. Isn’t the first few hours the most important? I don’t mind searching in the dark one bit.”

  “No, it’s too difficult to search in the dark,” Daniel sa
id. “You could do more harm than good. Someone could get hurt or lost. And the chance of finding something is low.”

  “But, isn’t there something we can do?” the woman with the teenager asked.

  “Honestly? Go home,” Daniel said simply. “It’s possible Brittany may show up or call one of you. Keep your eyes open and if you see or hear anything suspicious, let us know immediately. If any of you have any other information, even if you don’t think it’s relevant, tell us now. I’d rather have too much information than miss something important. We’ll keep the family informed and if we need additional help from the community, we’ll definitely let you know. Okay?”

  It was clear that no one was terribly happy with Daniel’s instructions. The energy in the room drooped immediately as disappointed community members began collecting their things and pulling out money to pay for their drinks. Daniel reached over to squeeze Louise’s shoulder, and then Jillian’s, while offering a few words of comfort. Next to him, one of the waitresses handed him that cup of coffee he had been after.

  “Excuse me,” a loud voice interrupted the murmurs, breaking the relative calm like a giant clap of thunder. “Excuse me. Let me through.”

  I looked over to see Margot, Chrissy’s foster mom, shoving her way through the crowd. What was she doing here?

  The crowd parted slightly, and I saw why she was struggling so much. She was dragging Chrissy behind her. Thank God! Chrissy was okay.

  She forced her way past me, not seeing me, and beelined straight to Daniel. “I’m done,” she announced, jerking Chrissy forward and into Daniel. “You take her.”

  It was then that I noticed the knapsack and duffle bag Chrissy was carrying—the same two bags she had left my house with after Stefan was arrested. My relief at seeing her alive and healthy quickly turned to uneasiness. What was going on?

  Chrissy didn’t protest or fight. She kept her head down as Margot manhandled her. Daniel reached out to catch Chrissy’s arm. “What are you talking about?”

  Margot took a step back, putting her hands on her hips. I noticed how silent the diner had gotten as everyone stopped what they were doing to watch this new exchange. “She’s bad news. I took her in as a favor but now I’m done.”