Carrie’s tear-filled eyes glistened as she spoke, and Jordyn’s heart ached for her. “Okay, I will. Of course I will. Then what should we do?”
Carrie thought for a moment. “Just come by my house around noon.”
***
That evening, when Connor got home, Jordyn tried to read his mood. She had tried to call and warn him about their guests, but she hadn’t been able to reach him. Her family adored Connor, and he’d always done well around them, but Connor had never been much for large groups. Too many people around made him cranky, and no mental preparation did even more damage. Much to her surprise, he handled the news well, laughing and joking all through dinner.
Just past eight, after helping her put away dinner, he retired to the bedroom with Ollie, yawning enormously. Her mother helped her finish the dishes and get everything straightened up. Afterwards, they made their way into the living room, glasses of wine in hand. Her father sat snoring in the recliner.
She sank into the couch next to her mother, turning the TV on low.
“So, sweetheart, how are you feeling? How is this new place? Do you feel settled yet?”
“It’s fine.” Jordyn smiled, hoping her mother didn’t see past her lies.
“You seem very adjusted. I assumed the house was still half packed, the way you went on about the mess.”
“It is a mess.” Jordyn glanced around the cluttered living room.
“You’re a brand new mom, Jordyn. Why, this is practically spotless by new mom standards. You should’ve seen our house when you and your sister were young.”
She grinned. “Well, I don’t like clutter. It makes me feel awful. I’m just so tired.” As if on cue, she yawned.
“Well, it’d be strange if you weren’t.” Her mother smiled.
Jordyn looked to the end of the couch where her sister sat, texting. “Kate, how are you doing? I heard you moved back home.”
Kate shot an icy stare at their mother. “Of course you did.” She looked back down toward her phone. “Everything’s fine.”
“Well, I think it’s great,” Jordyn offered.
“Sure, it’s a regular party.” Her sister shrugged.
“Well, how was Ollie’s last appointment? Seven months now, right? It sure flew by. He’s just growing like a weed,” her mother said, changing the conversation quickly.
“It went great. He’s finally measuring right on track. Doctor Kendrick says he’s perfectly healthy. And perfectly hungry.” She laughed.
“How’ve you been, other than that? How’s Connor adjusting to life here? Are you all making friends?”
“Mom.” Jordyn frowned. “You sound like I’m seven. We’re fine. Everything’s fine. Bates is different, but we’re adjusting.”
“We miss you back home, that’s for sure. People ask about you all the time.”
“I miss home. We both do,” Jordyn said and was struck by the truth in her statement. Her voice hung in her throat.
“Jor?” her mother asked, sensing her distress. “What is it?”
“I’m sorry. It’s just stress. Everything still feels new.”
“It is still new, baby. You took on a whole lot of ‘new’ all at once.” She patted her daughter’s hand. “It’s working out for you, though, it seems like. Just give it time. You’ll adjust.”
Jordyn forced a smile, wanting so badly to tell her mother why she could never adjust to Bates. Instead, she was silent, staring blankly at the television screen as it buzzed.
***
The next day Jordyn bustled around the house, hurriedly making Ollie his bottle and packing his bag at the same time. Connor had left for work an hour before, and her parents were still asleep in their room. It wasn’t like them to sleep past seven, but today Jordyn was grateful. Ollie drank his bottle peacefully in her arms as she continued to throw the last few things into his diaper bag. She zipped it up, threw it over one shoulder, and walked toward the door. She slipped on her shoes beside the door, disregarding the fact that they didn’t match her outfit in the least. As Ollie drank the last of his bottle, she sat him down in his play seat, rushing toward the kitchen once again to scribble down a note for her parents.
Be back later, just going to pick up a few groceries. – Jor
She grabbed her jacket off of the back of her chair and reached for Ollie’s blanket, but stopped short when she heard a noise. She listened closer. Footsteps. Someone was awake. Ollie let out a cry.
“Ollie!” She bolted into the living room.
Her mother stood there, holding Ollie, a shocked look on her face. “What’s the matter?”
Jordyn felt a foolish grin fill her face. “Oh. I heard him cry. I didn’t know anyone else was up yet.” She placed her hand on her chest, feeling her heart fluttering under her palm.
Her mother rolled her eyes playfully. “Darling, I’ve been up since five, reading in my room. I hadn’t heard you moving around, and I didn’t want to wake you if you were still in bed. C’mon now, I’ll fix us some breakfast.”
“Actually, I was just about to take Ollie out for a little while. There’s plenty of food in there though, just make whatever you’d like. I should be back soon.”
Her mother made her way into the kitchen. Jordyn followed her. She picked up the note before Jordyn reached the room.
“Groceries? You just said there was plenty of food! What do you need? I’ll go with you.”
“No, it’s fine, Mom, honestly. You just stay here with Dad. I won’t be long at all.”
“Well, then at least let me keep Ollie. You shouldn’t have to take him with you when you have a perfectly good sitter right here,” she insisted, smiling at her grandson.
“He likes to go. It gives him something to do. We spend so much time cooped up here. It’s nice for him to be out every once in a while.” Jordyn pressed her lips together.
Her mother didn’t seem to be listening, already sifting through the cabinets in search of something to cook. “Jordyn, it can’t be easy to shop with an infant. Just take me with you. It won’t take me long to get ready. We can make it a girl’s day. You can show me around. I can help with Ollie, help you shop. Just tell me what you need.”
Seeing there was no way out, Jordyn gave in. “Actually, you’re right. It’s hard to shop with him sometimes. Are you sure you don’t mind watching him while I run out for a bit? It won’t be long. We can go out some other time this week when I don’t have errands to run.”
“Of course I don’t mind.” She kissed Ollie on the cheek, giggling as he smiled. “Grandma doesn’t mind at all, does she, Ol Ol? Nooo,” she cooed. Ollie chewed on his fist, drool spilling over his chin.
“All right then. Just keep him here. Don’t, like, take him to the park or outside or anything. He has to stay inside,” Jordyn stressed to her mother.
“Why? Is he getting sick?”
Thinking on her feet as she grabbed her purse and sat down the diaper bag, she said, “The doctor said he may have the start of a cold. It’s been going around here. I just want to be cautious.”
Her mom looked over Ollie. “He looks fine to me. These doctors now just want to diagnose everything. A child’s nose runs and they want to call in a specialist and run eighteen tests.” She rolled her eyes. “There’s nothing wrong with this baby, Jordyn. Don’t let them worry you.”
“I know you’re right, but please, just in case. Keep him in.”
“Okay, okay. We’ll be fine. Go on now.” Her mother smiled, bouncing Ollie on her hip.
Jordyn reached out to hug her son, kissing his forehead over and over. “I love you, little man.” She turned to her mom once more. “Please be careful with him. Watch him very closely.”
Her mom looked almost offended. “You mean I shouldn’t let him go to the swimming pool alone?” She smiled at Ollie. “Well, that just ruins our afternoon, doesn’t it, Ollie?” She turned back to Jordyn. “Relax. I do have a little bit of experience, you know. We’ll be fine.”
Jordyn nodded, casting o
ne last look at her son, taking in each of his features. “Okay, I’ll be back,” she told her mother, Ollie, and herself.
Chapter Nine
When Jordyn pulled up to Carrie’s house, she drew in a sharp breath. Children’s toys still littered the yard as if a child might come out to play at any moment. The run down white house felt small and had a calming sensation to it that surprised her. As she shut off her car, the front door flung open and Carrie stepped out onto the concrete steps. Her hair was thrown back into a slick ponytail, and she had a serious look on her face.
“I was worried you wouldn’t show up,” she said.
Jordyn walked up the stairs, feeling like she was seeing an old friend. “Why wouldn’t I?” she asked.
Carrie shrugged, leading her through the door. As they entered the living room, which was surprisingly pristine compared to the outside of the house, Jordyn saw two other women sitting around the coffee table, each with a mug of what must have been coffee in their hands.
The younger of the two, a pretty brunette with chin-length brown hair and piercing blue eyes, stood and smiled. “Hi, I’m Erin.”
The older one, with graying red hair down to her shoulders and brown eyes that sunk into her face, spoke next though she didn’t stand. “I’m Allison, Allie.”
“I’m Jordyn.” She smiled at them both, shaking Erin’s hand. “It’s really nice to meet you.”
Carrie spoke up. “They want to help us, Jordyn. They want to help us end whatever is happening here, no matter the cost. These girls are my best friends. You can trust them.”
“No matter the cost?” Jordyn asked, not liking the way those words felt on her tongue.
“It’s only a problem if you have children,” Erin said, “which is why we’re safe. We don’t. My fiancé and I aren’t going to have kids. Not here anyway, not unless this is all over.”
“And my daughter, Anna, was killed here almost ten years ago. She was one of the first victims when this all started,” Allie said.
“So, you see.” Carrie sat down, gesturing for Jordyn to do the same. “We’re all safe. They can’t hurt us.”
“Unless they decide to start killing adults too, the damn cowards. In which case, they have a fight ahead of them like they’ve never dreamed of,” Allie said with a fierceness in between sips of coffee. She had a harshness about her that made Jordyn believe she could’ve single-handedly taken on anyone and anything that came her way.
“So, if we’re going to end this, really end it, where do we start?” Erin asked. All eyes fell on Jordyn.
“Well, at the beginning, right?” Jordyn asked, taking a seat. “Allie, you said that your daughter was one of the first…” She paused, trying to think of the right word to use.
“To be murdered,” Allie said firmly, pain evident in her eyes. “Don’t bother with the niceties, honey. My daughter was murdered in cold blood, and I don’t give a shit what these quack cops have to say about it.”
“So, if she was one of the first that means Bates hasn’t always been this way? You remember when it started?”
“Oh no, Bates was never like this when I was a kid growing up here. My whole family grew up here, never even thought about leaving. This place used to be so fun. Everyone was so friendly, so connected to each other. We had parades and festivals and street parties. Most of the kids nowadays don’t even know what those are. Nearly the whole town would all go to the beach as a group. Just miles of Bates families together. This whole town was like one big family. You couldn’t ask for a friendlier place, for better people…” She trailed off, a small smile fading from her face.
“How could that all change?” Jordyn asked, trying to picture this side of Bates, a side she’d never dreamed could’ve existed.
“I don’t remember much, but it was sudden. Seems like it all changed overnight, almost. One minute everything was fine, and then just like that,” she paused, her hand clutching her chest, “babies started dying. In the beginning, we all banded together, asking questions, trying to help. But eventually it all stopped. People in Bates, they’re scared, you know? Scared of whoever is doing this, scared of who’ll be next. No one knows who they can trust, so it’s best that we all don’t trust anyone. We all walk past people who used to be like family without even making eye contact. Bates is a town full of pain and suffering and loss and those of us left living, well, we ain’t doing much living at all.”
Jordyn felt chills trailing over her as she listened to Allie speak. Her eyes closed, as if she were thinking. Allie sighed. “I suppose folks just figured it would eventually end. By the time we realized we were wrong it was too late.”
“Some people leave,” Erin said softly. Allie cast her an angry glance.
“What?” she asked. “They do. The Tate family—they left. The Wilsons left after their twins were killed.”
“No good can come from leaving Bates,” Allie said hastily.
“So, do you remember the first child to die? How it happened?” Jordyn asked.
Allie frowned. “No, I don’t guess I do. I know it was about eleven years ago, but I don’t remember who it was or how they were killed. Besides, even if I did remember, back when it all started, before we realized what was happening it’s hard to tell which deaths were murders and which were just horrible accidents.”
“So you think some of the deaths were truly accidents?”
“Before The List, yes,” she said, her eyes hollow. “There’s nothing accidental about that list. Just like there weren’t giant rocks under the tree my daughter climbed, just like those limbs weren’t ever falling apart, until there were.”
Erin patted Allie’s arm, and they smiled at each other.
“But in a town this small, there couldn’t have been that many deaths until this started. If we look through old obituary records, surely we’ll see a pattern,” Jordyn insisted.
“No,” Carrie exclaimed.
Erin and Allie shook their heads in agreement.
“The only way we’ll find records is online or at the library. Either way, they’ll know. It’s just too risky,” Carrie said firmly.
“Seriously?” Jordyn asked. “You can’t honestly believe they can be everywhere.” She looked around. No one smiled. “In our computers? Our phones? Come on.”
The three women stared at her grimly.
“Do you think these parents all just walk out in broad daylight and start screaming things to piss off these psychos? Do you really think any of us would be that stupid?” Allie asked.
Jordyn’s throat tingled when she saw the sadness in her eyes. “Of course not. I just…”
“Two months before my daughter was murdered, I was on the phone with my cousin. She lives up in Colorado. I told her what was happening here. My best friend Margo had just lost her sixteen-year-old son, Max. I was complaining. I think I’d just started to realize something wasn’t right. That was when the first list came out. At the time, it only had four names on it. My Anna was number two. Less than a month later, she was gone. At the bottom of the list was a note, ‘No more questions, or this continues’. It only took them two months to go through that list and post a new one. From then on, it’s been six. Six names every six months.”
“So you’re saying we can’t research this? Why would you even want to meet then? What good will it do?” Jordyn’s temperature rose suddenly.
“Sweetheart, calm yourself. We’re only looking out for you, after all. Carrie tells us you have a little one,” Allie said softly.
“Yes.” Jordyn nodded.
“You cannot go home and research. No phones. No Internet. No talking to anyone who is not in the room right now.” She gestured to Carrie, Erin, and herself. “Do you understand?”
“Yes, I do, but then what? What option does that even leave us?” She turned to face Carrie directly. “Why even ask me to come just to say that we don’t have a way to figure anything out?”
Carrie frowned. “I never said that. We actually do have an idea.”
“Okay.” Jordyn willed her to go on.
Carrie looked to the other girls and took a breath. “We were thinking that there’s one place we would go to get our answers. It’s a place where no one will ask any questions.”
The room was silent, anticipation looming.
Finally, Carrie spoke. Her smile was small, but empowered. “After all, no one will question why a grieving mother would visit her daughter’s grave.”
***
As the women arrived at the cemetery, they all climbed out of Carrie’s SUV slowly, their shoes crunching on the gravel beneath their feet. They glanced around. Carrie held a small bouquet of flowers to put on Kinley and Rebecca’s graves. The women huddled close, surrounded by the cool winter air.
On the ride over, the women had filled Jordyn in on the plan. Since Bates had only one public cemetery, and families had plots here going back several generations, it would be easy enough for the girls to search for children who had died in the early 2000s. The first child to have been killed would be the only one they would research, and only when they were sure it would be the answer. Jordyn had told the group that she could even ask her parents to research it, once they were far away from Bates.
It all seemed a bit foolish to Jordyn, to take this much precaution, but she hesitantly reminded herself of the evening Connor had received the text message as a warning. It was evident to her that the women were not going to discuss the precautions regardless, and so she let it be.
As they approached Kinley’s grave, Jordyn heard Carrie let out a sob. She knelt down in front of the gray tombstone, her pale white hands looking sickly as they traced over her daughter’s name in the stone. She placed the flowers in a vase, taking away a bouquet of older ones. She then began pulling up weeds and picking up pieces of trash that had made their way onto her daughter’s grave. The others bent down to help. Jordyn stuffed a few pieces into her jacket pocket.
“Could you guys give me a minute, please?” Carrie asked, a little louder than necessary.
The List (The Carolina Killer Files Book 2) Page 8