“Hello?” It was her dad. I wasn’t sure if that was better or worse than talking to her mom and for a moment I froze. “Hello?”
“Hi.” I cleared my throat. “This is Alissa.”
There was a pause. “Hello, Alissa.” I heard Hannah’s mom hissing something in the background, but plowed ahead.
“I was just wondering if you’ve heard from Hannah again.”
“Yes, every night. She’s calling from a prepaid phone, but says she is okay. Thanks for your concern.”
“Do you believe her?”
He was silent a long moment before answering. “Alissa, our daughter has been having a hard time since we moved here and frankly, I don’t think her relationship with you made things any easier. She’s eighteen and if she thinks being on her own in Chicago for a few weeks is what she needs, then I have to respect that.” Again, her mom hissed things in the background I couldn’t hear. “I’m sure she’ll contact you when she’s ready. Good-bye.”
He was gone before I could say anything. I sighed and set the phone down. How could they be so calm when their daughter was missing? Even if they thought she was fine in Chicago, that would still make her far away and alone. At least I knew the cops would have no reason to believe my story that Hannah was being held by the same man who took Lana.
“Alissa, dinner!” Mom called from downstairs.
I groaned, hefting myself to my feet. I wanted to eat dinner with my parents about as much as I wanted to cut off my own arm. I’d hidden in my room since getting back from the cemetery, but I knew I wasn’t going to be able to fake sick for another day.
“How are you feeling?” Mom put her hand to my forehead as I entered the kitchen.
“Better.” I shrugged.
“You look awfully pale.” Dad frowned as he set his plate down.
“I’ll be okay.” I forced a smile before going to fill my plate at the stove. The salmon filets made my stomach roll, but I took half of one on some rice with vegetables. I wished it was another of Dad’s pasta nights.
Dinner was a pretty silent affair. Dad asked Mom a few questions about her day and I ate as fast as I could, hoping to get out of there. By the time we were clearing the table, I felt good about getting through a dinner without fighting. Dad took a glass of wine to the living room and I began loading the dishes into the dishwasher as Mom poured herself one.
“So, who sent the flowers?” She leaned against the counter.
I held in a groan. I’d forgotten to throw them away when I got back from the cemetery. I looked around the kitchen, but they weren’t there. “Where did you put them?”
“In the living room where we can all enjoy them.”
“Just throw them out.” I continued loading the dishes, trying to hurry.
“Who sent them?”
“No one.” I looked up at her. “Can you just drop it for once?”
Mom bristled. “No, I will not drop it. As your mother, I have a right to know.”
“The card wasn’t signed.” I turned back to the dishes. “I really don’t know.”
“Was it Hannah?” Mom asked.
I sighed. “I really don’t think so.” I wished they were from Hannah.
“Nick?”
I dropped the bowl I’d just picked up. It crashed against the stainless steel sink, but didn’t break. “No, Mom, it wasn’t Nick.” I tried to push past her. She could finish the dishes alone. I wasn’t in the mood.
She stopped me with a hand on my arm. “Alissa Ray, what is your problem?”
I twisted away from her hand. “This is my problem. You always pushing and poking me about Nick. The flowers aren’t from Nick and even if they were it wouldn’t change the fact that I don’t like Nick. Get it, Mom? I don’t like Nick or any other guy, for that matter. Can you get that through your head?”
Anger blazed to life in her eyes. “Well, excuse me for wanting what is best for my daughter.”
“You don’t care what’s best for me. Hannah was best for me and before you found out what was going on between us you loved her almost as much as I did. Then because she is my girlfriend you act like she is this awful person. You want me to do what’s best for you. You want me to marry a rich man so I can afford to join the country club since you’ve never been able to.”
Mom’s face was livid and I knew I’d gone too far.
“How dare you say that I’m pushing you to do things that I haven’t been able to do? Is it a sin for a mother to want a better life for her child?”
“It is if that kid doesn’t want anything to do with it. You pushed me to being friends with Madison so that I’d be friends with the right people and get into the stupid country club. Even when I wasn’t sure that I wanted to be friends with those kids you told me I needed them to be happy.”
“Whoa, what’s going on in here?” Dad entered the kitchen.
“Your daughter is being ungrateful for every opportunity we’ve ever given her is what’s going on.”
“She wants me to be someone I’m not.” My eyes met Dad’s, pleading for him to see my side of it.
“I want you to be happy.”
“Then let me be happy.” I jumped up and down in frustration, fully realizing it made me look like a two-year-old throwing a tantrum, but unable to stop myself. “Let me find a girl I love and then marry her. If it makes you feel better, I’ll try to make sure she’s rich so we can still join that damn country club.”
Mom snorted and took a large gulp of her wine. “That will never happen. Mark my words, if you continue down this path it will bring you nothing but heartbreak because people are going to judge you and they will never accept you.”
“Linda!” Dad’s expression was shocked. “Are you even listening to yourself right now? This is our daughter you’re talking to.”
“No, it’s fine, Dad. At least she’s finally saying what she wants to say instead of beating around the bush about it.” I turned to Mom. “Anything else you want to say about how horrible I am?”
Looking ashamed, Mom turned away. “No.”
“Good. Honestly? Fuck you and your small-mindedness.”
“Alissa.” Dad’s tone was a warning to cut my losses and leave. “I think we’re done here.”
“I think you’re right.” I turned and left the room, taking the stairs two at a time to my room. I slammed the door and threw myself on the bed.
I buried my face in the pillow, crying for all I was worth. I could not handle Mom’s subtle attempts to turn me straight with everything else that was going on. I’d never said the F-word to her before and even though I was still beyond pissed at her, I felt awful for saying it.
I was still crying when there was a small knock on my door. When I didn’t answer, I heard the door open anyway. I kept my face buried even as the bed shifted under someone’s weight. A soft hand rested on my back.
“I’m sorry,” Mom whispered. “I don’t think you’re horrible.”
I sniffed in response, refusing to look at her.
“I know I’ve been stubborn about all of this. I’m sorry I wasn’t nicer to Hannah after I knew you two were dating. You’re right, I really did like her before that.”
“Alissa?” I finally looked up at Dad’s voice. He stood in the doorway to my room. “We’re going to make an appointment with that therapist we talked about.”
“I don’t need therapy.” I sniffed and wiped my tears away, sitting up. “That isn’t fair.”
“It’s going to be for all of us.” Dad stepped into the room. “I think that would help us right now. Okay?”
I took a deep, shuddering breath, looking from him to Mom. She nodded encouragingly. “Yeah, okay.”
“That’s my girl.” Dad leaned down and kissed my forehead. He took Mom’s hand. “Come on, let’s finish that glass of wine.”
Mom took my hand as she stood, squeezing before pulling away. I watched them leave and close my door softly behind them. I fought the urge to run after them and tell them everythin
g. I might have done it if my phone hadn’t buzzed right at that moment.
The text came from a blocked ID. I frowned, expecting to see some sort of spam. Instead, I found a text.
The park is a place for secrets at night. Alone.
Chapter Thirty-four
I crept down the stairs with a practiced silence borne from a childhood of sneaking cookies and teen years sneaking out. It was still early enough that my parents might not question me going out, but I didn’t want to have to explain myself with lies. Not to mention after that fight they might not want me leaving at all. In the living room, the TV droned on with the volume a bit too loud, just the way Dad liked it.
I shoved my feet into sneakers and pulled my keys from the hook by the door, clasping a hand around them before they could jingle. I edged open the front door and slipped out when it was just wide enough. I pulled it closed with a soft click and darted down the driveway. As I jogged out of sight of the house, I allowed myself the small victorious smile I always got when I’d successfully sneaked out. It didn’t last long. Soon, I realized I was heading into a dark park alone and no one knew where I was.
My pace faltered, but I thought of Hannah again and my resolve hardened. If I could save her by doing exactly what this sicko wanted, then I would do anything. I hurried through the dark streets between my house and the park, leaves crunching underfoot. It wasn’t a long walk, but the crisp breeze blowing through my thin sweatshirt made it feel longer. I should have grabbed a jacket.
I found the park empty. I’d been sure there would be someone else there. Maybe a couple sitting on a bench, or a few middle school kids loitering at the pavilion. Instead, there wasn’t so much as someone walking through with their dog. The playground loomed in the darkness. It was a sprawling wooden one. I’d played on it plenty as a kid, but that wasn’t why I headed toward it. I’d sneaked out to meet Lana here before.
I remembered that night as I made my way toward the playground. We lay there giggling in the darkness, alternating between making out and talking. It was another memory of our short time together. I wondered again how I could have been so horrible to Lana when we were caught. Would she still be alive if I’d been brave enough to admit the truth?
I circled the playground, eyeing it warily. It was as empty as the rest of the park. I climbed the net ladder to the tower, knowing that I needed to check Lana’s secret hiding place. I half-expected to find someone hiding in the wooden tower, but it was empty.
For a moment, I stood at the center of the tower, making a slow circle as I tried to remember where the knot was and how the hell Lana got up to it. When I thought I spotted it, I carefully climbed up. I wasn’t near as graceful as Lana, but I made it. I slipped my fingers into the hole and I felt something.
I climbed back down holding a small vial half full with liquid. Leaning out the window, I read the bottle. ‘Drink Me’ was typed across the label. Feeling like Alice in Wonderland, I pried the small cork free and sniffed. There was no scent to the liquid.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” I looked around again. I still seemed to be alone.
I considered smashing the bottle to the ground. Drinking whatever was in the bottle was probably the stupidest idea in the whole world, but then I thought of Hannah. If drinking it would help get her back, how could I not? I held it up.
“I’m drinking it,” I called into the night. I felt a bit dumb. I tilted my head back, draining the small contents of the bottle and swallowing.
I set the vial down on the windowsill and stood, waiting for something to happen. I half-expected the bottle to be poison, but after a few quiet minutes, I was still standing. That did little to soothe my nerves. Slowly, I left the tower, crossing a bridge that rattled under my feet and heading for the swings. I slid down the fireman’s pole, giddiness filling me.
By the time I sat on a swing, I knew I’d been drugged. A strange happiness wiggled in my gut, begging me to laugh without knowing why. The feeling was unsettling. I clutched the chains of the swing, shutting my eyes and resting my head against a chain. My heart seemed to be pounding through my chest and each breath felt like work.
“You’re freaking yourself out,” I said to break the silence. “Calm down. If he wanted you dead, it would have been poison. This is something else.”
My eyes snapped open at a clatter from the playground. Someone dressed in black ran across the bridge I’d crossed moments before, heading away from me. I bolted after them, climbing the stairs and running across the bridge. The vial was gone from the windowsill of Lana’s tower. Gravel crunched below as someone ran under the tower. I leaned out, trying to catch sight of them. From the other side of the playground, I heard laughter.
“Hello?” I called. I hoped that maybe it was just kids playing. No one answered. My heart hammered harder, though that hardly seemed possible.
Running feet echoed across the playground and I spun toward the sound, catching sight of someone ducking into a tower. A moment later, gravel crunched and I turned to see a swing still swaying as if someone had just left it. I closed my eyes. The sounds were too much. I was in the middle of a nightmare. Someone laughed again and my knees buckled. I slid down to rest in a corner of the tower, eyes squeezed tightly shut as the playground sounds grew louder in my head.
I put my hands over my ears, willing the noises to stop. I heard gravel crunch, then laughter, feet on boards, gravel crunching, gravel crunching, running, laughing, crunching.
Silence.
Chapter Thirty-five
I woke up cold on a hard wood floor. Panic roiled through me and I shoved myself to my feet. Dizzy, I rested a hand on a wooden windowsill, closing my eyes until the dizziness passed. When I opened my eyes again, relief filled me. I was still in the tower.
Fumbling in my pocket, I pulled out my cell phone and groaned. It was nearly midnight and I had fifteen missed calls. I was going to be in so much trouble. As I stumbled out of the tower, I spotted the piece of paper on the floor where I had been. It fluttered in the gentle breeze. With a sick feeling, I reached for the paper, knowing it would be a journal entry. It had been under me, which meant the killer had touched me or at least been damn close.
I didn’t bother reading it, just shoved it in my pocket and started home. Ironically, I felt safer than I had in days. I’d been practically dead to the world. He could have done whatever he wanted to me but he didn’t. I walked home without looking around to see if I was being stalked. The muttered memories of laughter and a black-clad figure played in my head. I tried to sort what might have been real from what might have been hallucination. It all felt like a dream and my head was still fuzzy from whatever had been in the vial.
My head cleared to razor edged focus as I neared my house. Flashing lights colored the night red and blue. I jerked to a stop, shaking my head.
“No, no, no.” I looked around, scared I was being followed again. “You did this,” I said to the darkness. “I didn’t go to the police. This doesn’t count. I won’t say anything.”
I walked the last block to my house. Fear for Hannah’s safety was a tight knot in my gut. No one was outside, but I was sure more than a few neighbors were watching from their windows as I dragged myself through the front door.
“Alissa?” Dad called as I shut the door behind me.
Wincing, I walked into the living room. Mom and Dad were standing up. There were tears on Mom’s face. To my surprise, Jake was there as well, resting on the edge of the couch. Mom wrapped me in a hug.
“Where were you?” Mom pulled away, shaking me. “We went up to bed and you were gone.” She hugged me again.
I watched over her shoulder as Jake stood, looking awkward in this private moment. Mom finally let me go and Dad crushed me to his chest.
“I just needed to get out for a walk,” I said when Dad finally let me go. “After earlier.”
“We were afraid something had happened. It’s been hours.” Dad ran a hand through his thinning hair. “Damn it, Aliss
a. What were you thinking going out without even telling us?”
“I’m sorry.” I started to take off my hoodie, but felt the note in its pocket and stopped. “I really didn’t mean to be out so late. I was in the park thinking things over and must have dozed off.”
“I’ll be on my way, Mr. and Mrs. Reeves.” Jake slipped by us. His eyes met mine as he passed and I looked away. I prayed his being here wouldn’t get Hannah killed.
“Yeah, of course.” Dad followed him to the door. “Thank you so much for coming. Sorry for the false alarm.”
“Not a problem. None of us want to see another girl missing.”
“Do not ever pull a stunt like this again, do you hear me?” Mom sat on the edge of the couch and put her head in her hands. I sank down beside her as Dad shut the door.
“I hear you.” I leaned back. Every muscle in my body ached and I wanted to be in bed.
“I thought things were getting better.” Dad strode back into the room. “I get that this year hasn’t been the easiest for you, but I thought tonight we made some progress as a family.”
“We did. I never meant to be out so late, honestly. I just slipped out to get some fresh air and time got away from me. It won’t happen again.”
“Damn right, it won’t. You don’t leave this house without telling us ever. Am I clear?” Dad stood over me, hands on his hips.
“Yes.” I nodded and got to my feet. “Is it okay if I go to bed?”
Dad sighed. “Yeah, go ahead.” When I tried to pass, he pulled me into a hug. “Damn it, I thought you’d taken off like Hannah.”
The fear in his voice broke my heart and I hugged him back just as tightly. “I’d never do that to you.” I held in a shudder. What if whoever was out there wanted to kill me? Dad wouldn’t know what to do with himself if I disappeared.
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