Like Lily said, this appeared to be the first time it got this bad or at least the first time it sent her to the hospital. Typically, the first violent incident doesn’t get reported. Most likely, she has been living in this hell for years. The notes stated she didn’t have any children but did mention a miscarriage. It would be hard not to assume he had something to do with it.
I picked up the phone and dialed Lily’s mom’s number. She answered right away. “Hi, Mrs. Stevens? This is Valerie Williamson. I’m a social worker at Lawrenceville Regional Hospital. I’m just calling to let you know your daughter Lily has been admitted.”
“What happened? Is she okay? Can I talk to her?”
Her questions fired off at me faster than I could respond. “She is going to be fine. She’s resting now. She wanted me to tell you she will call you when she’s feeling up to it and she loves you.”
“Was it Earl? Did he do this to her?”
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Stevens, I really can’t release any other information at this time. But, just know Lily is safe, and she is going to be okay.” I imagined receiving such a phone call about my child, and I wished I could give her more. Being so far away must be difficult and then to not have any answers. “If you’d like, you can try calling her later, she’s on the med-surge unit.”
After hanging up the phone, I dug deeper into Lily’s chart to see if there was anything I could find. It didn’t look like she had lived in the area for long, because her records only went back three years. There were no forwarded notes or remarks as to when she arrived in Lawrenceville. It did seem suspicious the first thing her mother thought was if it had something to do with Earl. I guess a mother would know these things. A mother who gave a damn, anyway.
On my phone, I logged into my Stephanie Mills Facebook account and searched for Lily, first by the name in the chart, Laura Knight, and then Lily. Nothing came up for either name. When I entered Earl Knight in the search bar, one fatheaded man’s picture popped up. His picture resembled Larry the Cable Guy, a plaid wife-beater to boot. When I clicked on his profile, I wasn’t surprised to see forwarded posts of half-naked young women, Bud-light, and the second amendment. Your stereotypical redneck.
When I scrolled through his page, I noticed he said he was single. There were no pictures of Lily and no mention of her. He was no prize and should be grateful any woman would want to be married to him. Most of his friends were young women with semi-exposed chests. The more I dug, the more I saw just what a piece of shit he was. I didn’t need any more evidence after seeing Lily bandaged up in her bed, but there was now no room for any doubt.
He would be easy to bait. Just send him a picture of my breasts, and I’m sure he’d meet me in any back alley… well, after he’s released from jail. Men like him were a dime a dozen around here. Lawrenceville is known for its Bud-light drinking, plaid wearing, wife-beating men who think any woman who walks past them is their eye candy. That was why I was so surprised Tim was none of those things. It was apparent he was a Lawrenceville transplant.
Chapter Seven
When I walked into Lily’s room, I was surprised to see her sitting up in bed. She already looked like she was feeling better. “Hi Lily, how was your night?”
“It was okay… it’s hard to sleep when people are always coming in checking on me, but it’s nice to be feeling better. Thanks for calling my mom.”
“No problem. She’s really worried about you. I didn’t give her any information, though.”
“I know, she called me and we talked. Thank you for respecting my privacy.”
“You deserve at least that. I’m glad you two had a chance to talk.”
“Yeah, me, too. She knew it was Earl. She said she’s always wondered when he was going to hurt me. I had no idea it was that obvious.”
“Moms just know sometimes. You’re lucky to have her. Is she coming to visit?”
“No, I asked her not to. I told her I don’t want her to see me like this.” Lily’s eyes looked down. “I told her I was going to start going to a support group. She was happy to hear that.”
“Oh, I’m glad you’ll be joining us. I think you’ll love the other ladies. We’ve become our own little family.”
“That sounds like just what I need. Thanks for letting me know about it, and thanks for checking in on me.”
“We meet in a few minutes, do you want to try to come?”
“I don’t think I’m up for it just yet, but maybe next week. I think I’ll be getting out of here pretty soon.”
“Do you want me to stop by later and help get anything lined up for your discharge?”
“Yeah, that might be a good idea. I’m not sure how it is all going to work, being home alone.”
“Lots to think about. I don’t want to overwhelm you. One step at a time. It sounds cliché, but it’s true.”
“I’m not sure I have many more in me right now.” Lily laughed as her hazel eyes caught mine.
As I walked to the conference room to meet the ladies for group, I couldn’t stop thinking about what Earl did to Lily. I can’t imagine being hurt like that by someone who was supposed to love me. I guess I was, but the pain inflicted on me just didn’t leave any scars… at least on the outside.
Maggie, Norma and Sonya were already talking when I arrived. I looked down at my watch and saw I was five minutes late. “Sorry, ladies, it seems I’m not able to tell time these days.” I found an open seat and slid into it.
“Oh, don’t be so hard on yourself, dear. We were just chatting, you didn’t miss anything.” Norma’s smile helped me believe her words.
“So, how did the family meeting go?” I turned my attention to Maggie.
Maggie pushed up a smile. “It was good. Lexi told me she has a boyfriend. She said he’s a good boy.”
I felt my right eyebrow raise. “Okay… I’m glad to hear that.” I looked over at Norma to gauge the reality of Maggie’s report, and her expressionless face stared straight ahead. “Did you ask her about the drugs you found?”
“Oh, yes. She's holding them for her boyfriend, who was holding them for a friend. Lexi told me she has no interest in drugs. She’s a good girl, she’s just been through a lot.”
I felt my eyes widen as I pushed up a fake smile and nodded my head. “Okay.”
Maggie lost her smile. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Oh, no… it’s nothing… it’s just…”
“It’s bullshit.” Sonya turned her head to look at me. “That’s the word you were looking for, right?”
“No… not exactly. I just find it hard to believe. I mean, I remember hearing something similar in some movie I’ve seen.”
“Because it’s bullshit. You really believe her, Maggie?” Sonya shook her head in disgust.
“What? You told me to give her some slack, and now you act like she’s a liar. I don’t get it, Sonya.” Maggie crossed her arms.
“Well, yeah, give her some slack, let her be a teenager, but don’t let her walk all over you. Norma, what are your thoughts?” Sonya spun around in her chair to look at Norma.
“Oh… I don’t know. I guess Lexi’s story was hard to believe, but Maggie is doing her best.” Norma put on her best fake smile and patted Maggie on the knee.
“You didn’t believe her?” Maggie turned to Norma. “You think she was lying to me? Why didn’t you say something?”
“Oh honey, I didn’t want to butt in. She was talking to you, you two… you three have been through so much, I didn’t want to get in the middle of anything.”
“No, I don’t have any idea what I’m doing. I need your help. I... I just want to do what’s best for the girls. I’ve already screwed so much up.” Maggie began to cry.
“That’s nonsense. You’re doing a great job. Lexi is just testing you. I know you’re doing your best.” Norma put her arm around Maggie and pulled her close.
“Norma’s right, Maggie. You are doing a great job, but you don’t have to do it alone. You hav
e all of us. I’m glad Lexi opened up to you. Maybe she was lying, but some of it was the truth. She trusted you enough to tell you about her boyfriend.” I gave her a sympathetic smile.
“Val’s right. We are all here for you. I’m the closest to Lexi’s age, so I can give you some inside tips.” Sonya winked. “Have you thought about inviting her boyfriend to dinner? Maybe you could get some info that way.”
“I tried that. She said he wouldn’t come, but I can ask again.” Maggie looked down at her fingernails.
“Did she tell you his name?” I leaned forward in my chair to get closer to the group.
“Yeah. She said his name was Seth. Right, Norma?”
“Seth?” The words punctured my lungs as it robbed my oxygen. “You’re sure?”
“Pretty sure.” Maggie nodded.
“Did she tell you how old he was?” The room went dark as I waited for her answer.
“No, just that he’s a little older than her.”
“Oh my God, Maggie, you can’t let her see him.”
“What’s the matter? Do you know him?” Maggie asked.
“Yes, …he’s… he’s… he was Jane’s boyfriend.”
“Wait… you think Lexi hooked up with Jane’s man? That’s totally messed up.” Sonya leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. “I think you’re losing it, Val… there is probably more than one Seth in this town.”
“I know… but… I know it’s him. He’s dangerous.” I pushed the hair out of my face.
“How can you be sure?” Sonya tilted her head.
“The bottle you showed me last week… the one you found in Lexi’s bag… the letters on the bottle were Ja… as in Jane.” My mouth went dry as I tried to swallow the panic brewing inside of me.
“Still could be a coincidence.” Sonya looked around the circle.
Maggie’s hand was on her mouth. “You think it’s him?”
“I don’t know.” I shook my head. “But what are the chances? He’s not safe. You have to do everything you can to keep her away from him.”
Norma let out a sigh. “Oh, dear. This complicates things. Don’t worry Maggie, I’ll take care of it.”
“How? How are you going to stop her?” Maggie asked.
“Let me just talk to her, maybe she’ll listen to me. I’m an old lady… maybe she’ll take me seriously.”
“I think it’s a good idea. Let Norma talk to her, maybe she’ll listen. Or, I can talk to her. You know, I’m the cool one.” Sonya joked in an attempt to lighten the mood in the room.
“I don’t know. I’m scared now. What if he hurts her? What if they’re having sex?” The color drained from Maggie’s face.
“Don’t let your mind go there, Maggie. We are here to help. We’re all behind you.” I knew I had to come up with a way to kill Seth even sooner. Maggie was right, what if they were having sex and he gets Lexi pregnant? That’s way more than either she or Maggie can handle right now.
My thoughts raced as I tried to focus on a murder method. The voices in the room turned to a hum as I closed my eyes and tried to pull up the different ways used on the episodes of Snapped I’ve watched. Like the list from earlier, all that came were stabbings and shooting. Over and over guns and knives. I wasn’t ready for either.
And then it hit me. I knew what I could do. It would be the perfect murder, with no trail of evidence back to me. I felt my lips curl up into a smile as my eyes popped open. “Don’t worry, Maggie. Lexi will be just fine.”
Chapter Eight
The adrenaline ran through my body as the stones crunched under my tires. It was just warm enough to have my windows down. The melody of chickadees and robins brought a familiarity with them. It felt like any other early spring day in Vermont, except it wasn’t. Today would be anything but ordinary.
When I arrived at my destination, I put my Toyota Corolla in park. I turned the key in the ignition, my keychains and keys jingled as I pulled them out. A deep breath expelled from my lungs as I looked at my reflection in the rearview mirror. This is for Lexi. It was the only way I would be able to go through with it. Saving myself was just an added bonus.
With my tote bag full of supplies over my shoulder, I closed the car door behind me and walked the same path I had just weeks before. A quick scan around the yard didn’t yield any potential witnesses. It appeared the building’s occupants were out enjoying one of the first beautiful days of the season. April 5th was a day close to my heart, the day I brought life into this world, now it would be the day I took one out. I hadn’t planned it this way.
The urgency to finish the job intensified as soon as I knew he was the one hurting Lexi. At sixteen, she had her whole life ahead of her. I couldn’t stand by and watch him turn her into another Carmen. No, he had to be stopped once and for all. My first impressions were usually always right, I knew there was something off about him, and now I knew what it was. He was a predator. Latching on to vulnerable, young girls and victimizing them. Done with one and on to the next. Now was the time to extinguish him. Put an end to his relentless abuse of power.
My knuckles hit the door and I stood back to wait for him to let me in. My heart raced as I waited for him. When he didn’t answer, I knocked again, harder this time. “Seth, it’s Val. I have something for you.”
Still, no answer. My nerve was wavering as the seconds passed. With a balled fist, I pounded on the door. “Seth, come on, I have your money, let me in.” I turned the flaking metal knob in my hand. The door creaked opened. “Seth?”
I kicked it open the rest of the way, my hand holding my tote bag tight against me. Once in, I shut the door behind me. “Seth, it’s Val. I have your money. Seth?” Each step led me further into his apartment, for the first time, past the kitchen. I turned the corner to enter the living room. A gasp stung my throat. “Oh my god.” Frozen in my tracks, I knew I needed to get out of there.
Seth was in the recliner facing the TV, his feet up, and his head slumped down. “Seth?” Careful not to touch anything, I kicked his chair. He was dead. Someone had beat me to it. A mix of relief and panic swirled around in my stomach. What if they were still here? I took a step backward, with my hand over my mouth, and surveyed the area. Nothing looked out of place, no more than usual. The volume on the TV drowned out any outside sounds.
Once my thoughts slowed down, I walked back through the apartment. With the sleeve of my cardigan, I opened the door and shut it behind me. I rubbed my sweater over the outside knob and used my shoulder to brush off any marks the knocking might have left. Back in my car, I pulled my cell phone out of my purse and dialed Tim. After the first ring, I ended the call. He can’t know I was here.
With my car back on the dirt road, I tried to figure out who might have done the dirty work for me. I was surprised by the lingering tinge of disappointment. I was also grateful the job was completed without getting his blood on my hands.
The list of potential killers grew as I thought about the number of people Seth had probably wronged in his lifetime. How long before someone noticed he was missing from society? A heavy weight settled on my shoulders when I pictured Lexi finding him. I hit my hand on the steering wheel. “Fuck.” What if she loved him, and this was how she would always remember him? I couldn’t be held responsible for causing her any more pain.
I pulled my car on to the side of the road to think about my options. I knew calling the police wasn’t one of them. I didn’t kill him, but I had planned on it. I didn’t want to risk anything tracing me back to him, or Jane.
I closed my eyes as I tried to develop a plan. All I could picture was Lexi. I’d have to call it in. A payphone would be the safest way. I remember seeing one in town, but I couldn’t place it for my life. I pulled back on the road and began my search. The days of having a payphone on every corner were over, it was just pure luck; there was still one left in town. As I got closer to the center of town, it came back to me. It was at Lawrenceville Pizza. Perfect.
With a roll of my eyes, I turned my ca
r around at the convenience store and headed back down Main Street. As I drove past the park bench where I last saw Jane, I thought about her last moments, and Carmen, and now Seth. An overwhelming sadness filled me as I imagined who they could have been, had things been different. So many wasted lives, and for what?
I dialed 911, cleared my throat, and tried to disguise my voice. “I’d like to request a welfare check at 156 Wildflower Avenue, apartment 3. My uh… friend didn’t show up for work, and no one has been able to reach him. He has a history of depression.” The last piece added to express urgency.
The woman on the other end of the line asked for my information. I’ve made plenty of these calls before for work and almost slipped as I fell back into the social worker role. I considered giving a false name but decided to remain anonymous. After hanging up, I wasn’t confident they took me seriously, but there was nothing left to do except wait.
Back in my car, I heard the ringing as I opened the door. I bent down and picked up my phone before getting in. “Hey, Tim.”
“Hi. I saw I missed a call from you.”
“Oh, I… ah… just wanted to tell you how much I love you.”
“Well, that’s a nice surprise. I love you, too. It’s been a crazy day.”
“Yeah, same here.” Nervous laughter slipped out.
“Must be the full moon. Oh, I got to go, just got a call on the radio. I love you.”
I wanted to ask more about the call but knew he wouldn’t be able to tell me. Fingers crossed he was headed to Wildflower Avenue. I turned up the volume as Tom Petty’s Greatest Hits CD played on the stereo. I was hopeful the music would wash away some of the day’s stress. The image of Seth’s dead body flashed before my eyes as I sat in the parking lot. If my timing was off, I could have been dead in that apartment, too.
Confidentiality Page 4