Secrets of Redemption Box Set

by Michele Pariza Wacek

  “You know.”

  That’s when I did gasp. That was exactly what Chrissy had said to me when she was sleepwalking.

  You know.

  “Know what?” I asked, my voice barely audible.

  He smiled again. That empty, dark smile. “The evil that was done.”

  It was all I could do not to scream.

  What in God’s name had possessed my cousin? Chrissy at least had been asleep. CB was wide awake.

  What was happening to him?

  Was there anything I could do to save him?

  Slowly and deliberately, he reached over to hang the phone up, started to get up, then changed his mind, reaching over to pick up the phone again.

  “Oh, and cos?”

  I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t do anything but just stare wordlessly at him.

  “Don’t come back.”

  He hung the phone up, and without another word or backward glance, left the room.

  Chapter 36

  I pulled into my driveway, turned the engine off, and just sat.

  I needed a moment before facing Chrissy. I was still having trouble processing everything CB had said to me.

  How he was justifying what he did by saying he was “protecting” me ...

  How he had admitted to killing a defenseless old woman, not to mention a harmless dog ...

  How I had been the one to kill Jessica, and he wasn’t going to reveal what he had done with her body ...

  How there were even more secrets he was “protecting” me from ....

  And, probably worst of all, how there really was darkness hiding inside him … the same darkness I had seen and felt in the woods that night … and in Chrissy when she was sleepwalking.

  The evil that was done.

  The words in the mirror in the room they both slept in. Beware. It’s coming.

  Oh God. I pressed my fingers against my eyes.

  I had almost convinced myself that my memories of being in the woods fifteen years ago were tainted by the allergy medicine I had been taking. One of the side effects of that particular medicine was paranoia.

  Clearly, I had been pretty paranoid that summer.

  But I was no longer taking that allergy medicine. And I had still seen the darkness in CB.

  I shivered. What on earth was I supposed to do now? How could I go forward?

  Actually, I already knew the answer. I had to sell the house. Go back to New York with Chrissy and try and rebuild my life.

  After all, there was no way anyone was going to ever hire me here, much less support a business of mine. With no way to support myself, I didn’t have a choice. Plus, I hadn’t heard from Daphne or Mia since the day I told them what I remembered, nor had I seen much of Daniel. It seemed pretty clear that I didn’t have much of a choice.

  Luckily, my parents hadn’t rescinded their offer. In fact, if anything, my mother wanted me back in New York even more urgently.

  It was time. I needed to put all of this behind me and accept what it seemed like every sign was pointing me toward leaving Redemption for good.

  Clearly, Redemption didn’t want me here. It was time I listened.

  Never mind how heavy it made me feel every time I thought about leaving.

  A movement caught my eye, and I realized Mia was sitting on the porch swing, presumably waiting for me.

  The day I told Mia and Daphne the truth, Mia had thrown a few things into a bag and left with Daphne. At the time, I had assumed she had packed everything but later when I went upstairs, I found she had left quite a bit—her flip flops, a few tee shirts, a couple of pairs of jeans and a beautiful pair of gold hoop earrings. I even found her toothbrush and makeup in the bathroom.

  I had thought she would be back later that day to get the rest but it had been nearly a week, and there was no sign of her. I figured when she was ready, she’d be back.

  Well, I guess she was ready. While I had been expecting it, I could still feel my stomach sink.

  Of all the horrible, awful, no-good things that had happened to me in Redemption, losing my friendship with Mia and Daphne was definitely near the top of the list.

  That and Daniel.

  Well, no sense putting it off any longer. Heaving a sigh, I let myself out of the car and headed up the sidewalk. Mia watched me approach. She needed a haircut—her black hair hung in her eyes, and it wasn’t holding its usual flirty shape. There were dark bruises around her eyes, and she seemed thinner, gaunter. I wondered if grief had taken her appetite away.

  At her feet, I noticed several large bags. I nodded to them. “Seems a bit like overkill—you didn’t leave that much stuff here.”

  She half-smiled. “Got a minute?”

  “Of course.” I sat down next to her on the swing. We both stared straight ahead, watching the sky turn orange as the late afternoon crept toward dark. A robin hopped across the thick mat of grass, presumably looking for a late-afternoon snack.

  “I want to go back to school,” Mia said. “Law school.”

  Surprised, I glanced sideways at her but Mia kept her face firmly forward. “Sounds like a good plan,” I said cautiously, not entirely sure where she was going.

  “I have to start with my bachelor’s,” she said. “I didn’t do anything after high school, so I’m starting from scratch.”

  “Makes sense,” I said. Was she telling me this because I had married a couple of lawyers? Did she want me to help her in some way?

  “I figured I could attend one of those online universities. I’ve been researching them and I’ve narrowed down my choices.”

  “That’s all great. I think you should go back, and I’m totally supportive of it. But, what does this have to do with me?”

  She took a deep breath. “I don’t want to work full time anymore. I’d like to cut my hours back to half time or maybe even a little less so I can go to school full time. I’ve already missed so much and I don’t want to wait anymore. But I can’t afford rent if I do that. My dad’s house is way too small, so it would be really tight to move in with him.” She turned to face me. “I was wondering if I could live here.”

  I was taken aback. “You want to live here? With me? After all that’s happened?”

  Her eyes dropped. “Chrissy told me.”

  Now, I was really confused. “Chrissy told you what?”

  “About your financial situation.”

  Great. I looked back out at the robin, busily pecking away. “I’m not sure what that has to do with anything,” I said finally. “I can’t support myself here. My trust fund is gone. Well, mostly gone. I don’t see how your moving in would change all of that, especially since you’re looking to save money yourself.”

  “I’m not asking to stay for free.” She shifted so she was sitting sideways in the swing, facing me. “Figure out what you need each month to pay your bills and for food. Chrissy and I will figure out how to cover it while you get your business off the ground.”

  “Wait, Chrissy? How is Chrissy going to pay for anything?”

  Mia smiled slightly. “She has a job. In the kitchen at Aunt May’s.”

  My mouth dropped open. “Chrissy got a job? Her job is to go to high school.”

  “It’s part time, and she can work around her school hours.”

  “But ... she’s supposed to be a teenager. Have fun and all that. When she’s not studying or in therapy, of course.”

  “I think working will be good for her,” Mia said. “Give her a sense of purpose. Teach her responsibilities. Probably even better for her than therapy.”

  I frowned. “Maybe. But she shouldn’t have to worry about my financial situation. If she’s choosing to work, that money should be hers to do what she wants with.”

  Mia reached out to gently touch my hand. “She wants to help you. Let her. At least until you get on
your feet yourself. It will be good for her to feel like she’s helping.”

  A butterfly flitted across the yard, landing in the black-eyed susans that I had potted by the porch. I watched it as I thought about what Mia had said. It was true—Chrissy seemed like a different person now. She cooked meals for me, did all the shopping and errands, and had been a calmer, gentler, more supportive version of herself in general.

  I had attributed these changes to her new therapist, but maybe there was something more to it. Maybe these traits were at the core of a new transformation.

  “I don’t know,” I said. “Even if I agree to this, we still haven’t solved the problem of me ‘getting back on my feet’ as you say. I don’t see anyone here hiring me or supporting me in a business.”

  “I think you’d be surprised,” Mia said. “Look, what happened to Jessica was likely an accident. If it was your fault, then it was definitely an accident. And, if it was CB ...” her voice trailed off. “Well, you can’t be held accountable for CB’s actions. Especially since he attacked you, too.”

  In my mind’s eye, I saw Jessica falling backwards. I could hear the sickening thud as her head connected with a stump. I saw the floppy way her limbs flailed, and then, her body lying so still on the forest floor, like a broken doll.

  “And, as it was an accident,” Mia continued. “People will support you. People already support you. You’ll see.”

  “It’s just ...” I paused, wondering if I could possibly give voice to the dark thoughts swirling around my mind this past week. But, no. The time for hiding was done. I needed to not only own my troubled past, but my family’s secrets, too. “It’s still my family and I who caused all this heartbreak. CB and I were both at least somewhat involved in what happened to Jessica. And thank God Daniel found Brittany in time, or CB would have been linked to yet another tragedy. I guess what I’m saying is I don’t blame the community for thinking they would be better off if I packed up and left.”

  “Becca, you’re taking too much responsibility for what happened,” Mia said. “Lots of bad things happen in this town. You remember what Daniel told you about how this town was founded? How all the adults disappeared during the blizzard of 1888? Strange, unexplained events have been happening for years here. Look at Mad Martha and Nellie. You’re hardly to blame. And the vast majority of people here know it.”

  I was silent for a moment. “Then why do I feel like I’m still to blame?”

  Mia reached out to touch my knee. “The same reason I feel like I’m to blame, I’m guessing. We all made mistakes that night, including Jessica. Maybe it’s time for all of us to start forgiving ourselves.”

  I thought about that as I watched the orange glow spread across the sky. A warm breeze blew past us, rustling the bushes and making the pine trees sway.

  Was that what I needed to do? Forgive myself? I felt like there was a really huge list of things I needed to be held accountable for, not the least of which was refusing to remember that night for so long … for refusing to see the truth about CB.

  But rather than beating myself up, maybe learning to forgive was precisely what I needed.

  Was that even possible?

  “So, what do you think?” Mia asked. “Think you’ll stay?”

  I turned to her. She stared at me, her dark, almond-shaped eyes filled with hope and resignation, as if she was already preparing herself for me to say “no.”

  I thought about my mother, how much she was pressuring me to come back to New York.

  If I said “no” to her now, would that be it? Would she cut me off for good? It was certainly a possibility I had to consider. She didn’t understand why I wasn’t already with them. For me to tell her this wasn’t a delay … that I had decided not to come home at all ...

  I shivered, envisioning her hysterical reaction.

  I needed to face the worst-case scenario. If I couldn’t make it work here in Redemption, then I really was on my own. No security net. No nothing.

  But, if I set that fear aside, what did I really want to do? Did I want to go back to New York and try to learn to be happy being someone I wasn’t?

  Or did I want to stay here and see if I could stand on my own two feet?

  “I’ll help you with your bags,” I said.

  Mia’s eyes widened just before her face lit up with a wide grin. “Yes! I was so hoping you would stay!”

  I reached over to pick one of her bags before a thought struck me. “You know,” I said. “You’ll be in CB’s old room.”

  “I figured.”

  “It’s the same room Chrissy was in when she was sleepwalking,” I said, watching her carefully. “The same room where Mad Martha killed herself and Nellie.”

  Mia shrugged. “Remember, we had that room spiritually cleansed. The shaman said the evil was gone.”

  I thought about the darkness I saw hiding behind CB’s eyes. Somehow, I wasn’t sure if that was true.

  “But ...” I started to protest. The last thing I wanted was to put Mia in any danger.

  “Oh please,” Mia rolled her eyes. “Really. It’s all good. I’ve slept there before, and it was fine. Besides, I’m ready to see a ghost, too! I’m tired of you and Daphne getting to have all the fun.” She winked at me as she scooped up her bags and headed into the house.

  I hoped she was right.

  Chapter 37

  The doorbell rang. “I’ll get it,” Mia called out.

  I was in the kitchen ‘helping’ Chrissy with dinner. Really, I had only set the table and poured a glass of wine.

  It had only been a few days since Mia had moved back in, but in a way (a good way), it already seemed like the three of us had lived together for years. Almost seamlessly, our routines meshed and, for the most part, it felt like we were family.

  In a way, we were.

  Mia came into the kitchen, her face blank. “It’s for you,” she said to me.

  “Who is it?” I wasn’t expecting anyone. For that matter, I still hadn’t left the house or even answered the phone. Despite Mia’s assurances that most people didn’t have a problem with me staying, I didn’t want to risk running into the ones who did.

  Mia’s face didn’t change. “See for yourself.”

  Oh, that didn’t sound good. I shot her a look, which she ignored, and picked up my wine. I didn’t know what to expect. Was it someone upset with me? Someone who wanted to apologize? A journalist? That last thought sent a shiver up my spine.

  It was none of those. It was Rich and Barry.

  I blinked several times, wondering if I was dreaming. Barry grinned when he saw me, but it was a “watered-down” version of his normal smile. Rich stared at the ground.

  “Are you two lost?” I asked. I couldn’t even imagine what they were doing on my porch—unless they had come to convince me to leave. Oh, now that I thought about it, that was probably precisely what they wanted. I took a step back and grasped the door, ready to slam it closed if things got ugly.

  Barry’s smile looked tired. “Got a minute?”

  I cocked my head. “Depends.”

  He held his hands up. “We’re not here to give you a hard time. Honest. But, can we talk? Just for a few minutes.” Rich still wasn’t looking at me, focused instead on his shoe.

  I paused. Neither one of them seemed on the verge of yelling, and Mia was just in the kitchen. If I was going to live here, I was going to run into them. I might as well hear what they had to say.

  I stepped outside, closing the door behind me. “Okay, what is it you want to talk about?”

  Barry glanced at Rich. “We owe you an apology.”

  An apology? Barry must have seen the confusion on my face, because he kept talking. “For CB.”

  “I … don’t understand. If anything, I should apologize to you.”

  “You don’t understand.” Rich finally s
poke, but he still wouldn’t look at me. “We should have figured it out.”

  Now I was completely baffled. “Figured what out?”

  Barry and Rich glanced at each other. “That there was something off with CB,” Barry said.

  My eyes widened. “What?”

  Barry sighed. “I thought he just had a crush on Jessica. But, looking back, it did border on stalkerish.”

  “Obsessive,” Rich said.

  “But,” Barry continued. “What was worse was that he blamed you.”

  “Hold on,” I said, putting a hand to my head. I was having trouble processing. “I don’t understand. Blamed me for what?”

  Barry glanced at Rich, looking ashamed. “He said you had a problem with Jessica.”

  “You were jealous of her,” Rich said. “And that was why he had to keep an eye on Jessica. Because he was afraid you were going to do something to hurt her.”

  Oh my God. I took a step back, my mouth round with horror. “He said … he actually said I would hurt …”

  “He didn’t actually say that,” Barry interrupted. “It was more implied.”

  “Strongly implied,” Rich said darkly.

  The wheels were whirling in my head. “So, that night, when I was so upset about them coming to New York …”

  Barry nodded unhappily. “We thought it was because you were jealous of her.”

  “Plus, you had been acting weird near the end,” Rich said. “I know now it was the paranoia from the allergy medicine but you were being weird, which fed into what he was saying.”

  “And, when I came out of the woods and there was no sign of her …” my voice trailed off.

  Rich finally met my eyes. “I’m so sorry, Becca,” he said quietly, his dark brown eyes full of sadness and grief. “I truly thought you did something to her. I wasn’t sure what. I thought maybe you just talked her into leaving or led her somewhere and then something happened to her or something … I didn’t know, but I was so mad at myself for leaving you two alone in the woods that night.”