by Trisha Grace
She might think that keeping herself in the locked bedroom with her gun under the pillow was dealing with her fears. She was actually just suppressing them.
All of it was still trapped within her, fresh in her mind, which was probably why she couldn’t bring herself to speak about it, which was why she didn’t want anyone else to find out.
Though the physical torture had ended years ago, its clutches were still on her, and she was as trapped as the young Mandy Shannon was.
His heart was getting heavier with each moment spent in her room. He sighed, wishing he was with her.
He needed to make her understand that she wasn’t Mandy Shannon anymore. She no longer had to deal with monsters on her own.
“She’ll be fine,” Tyler said.
Dan managed a wry smile. “She’s all alone.”
“She’ll be fine,” Kate said softly.
“And how would you know that?” Dan said, taking a step forward toward Kate. “Because she’d survived it before?”
“Dan,” Tyler warned, but Dan had turned away and continued his rant.
“You shouldn’t have gotten angry with her. I know you got injured, but she’s been suffering through this whole thing alone. She was so upset she got you hurt—”
“Really? You’re going to blame Kate for what happened? She should’ve just told us the truth. We would’ve helped her. Then Kate wouldn’t be hurt and she wouldn’t have to do this.”
“She couldn’t ask for help! She may think that she has some legit reason, but the truth is, she just didn’t think anyone would help.”
“Then she was being stupid, wasn’t she?”
“You have no idea what she went through.”
“Again, because she didn’t want it told.”
For a moment, Dan was at a loss of words.
Another epiphany.
He had been whining about Evelyn keeping the secret, and how frustrating it was for him. He had been vexed at Evelyn for choosing to run each time he wanted more.
He had thought that whatever he was doing was enough, but as it turned out, Marianne was right. He hadn’t stepped up.
Each time she had run behind the gates of her prison, he had stood and watched her lock herself up. Then, he would complain about it like a spoiled brat thinking she was being unfair to him.
“You have no idea what she went through,” he repeated, softer this time.
He ran his hand through his hair and sighed heavily while Kate began digging into Tyler’s pocket. “What the hell are you doing?”
“When are you going to learn that Kate isn’t here for you to vent your anger on?” Tyler said, pulling Kate behind him.
Kate shook her head as she got her phone out of Tyler’s pocket and staggered a few steps back from Tyler’s manhandling.
He ignored Tyler; he wasn’t interested in getting into a fight with him. He continued staring at Kate, waiting for an answer.
“What? I thought you guys were having so much fun yelling at each other. Go ahead; be idiotic. Don’t worry, I’ll find her,” she said sarcastically and moved to sit on the couch.
“I thought you didn’t know where she was?” Dan asked, moving to sit beside her.
Kate rolled her eyes, but didn’t bother answering him.
He turned to Tyler, wondering what was going on.
“Don’t look at me. I don’t know what she’s doing.”
“I know her iTunes account. I can track her phone’s GPS through the Find my iPhone app. That was how I found her earlier.” She glanced up at Tyler and gave him a small, embarrassed smile.
“So can you tell me the full story now?”
“She didn’t tell you? By the way, her phone is switched off. You won’t be able to locate the phone.”
“You mean you didn’t know that Kate always kept Evelyn’s secret for her?”
Immediately, he was remorseful of his words. Even after all this, Kate was still guarding Evelyn’s secret. “I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t care if you told them now.”
Her head bobbed up and down while her fingers continued working on the phone. “Sorry, honey. I’ll tell you everything I know on the way home. But I don’t have the full story. Like I said, I saw her fighting with that woman, so I helped.”
“You do know that the email notification will be sent to her email when she turns on the phone,” he said as he looked at what Kate was doing.
“Dan, if you continue to treat me like some bimbo…” She paused, taking the time to glare at Dan before returning to the phone. “I know her email password, too. I just need to add her email account to my phone and set it to check every fifteen minutes. This way, there’s a higher chance of us seeing the notification before she does. Then she won’t know that we’re trying to track her through the phone.”
“So what do we do now?” he asked while Kate continued with the configuration.
“Think of the possible places she’d go,” Tyler said.
Dan turned to look at Kate, expecting her to start listing all the possible places.
“She stays home and calls me over, or comes over to look for me. That was how things were.”
Since Kate was of no help, he decided to come up with a list on his own. “She needs a place to stay, so nearby hotels?”
“I hope you’re not suggesting that we call each and every hotel,” Kate said, handing her phone over to Tyler. “Even if we do, I doubt the receptionists at the hotels will just tell us if she’s staying there.”
“You can call Detective Allen and ask him to send patrol cars to search for her.”
“Have you gone out of your mind?” Tyler asked.
He glowered, irritated at the hypocrisy of Tyler’s statement. If Kate had gone missing, he would be calling Detective Allen without a second thought.
“Guys.”
Both Tyler and Dan turned their attention to Kate. She had successfully prevented another shouting match that Dan was ready to enter.
“Everyone has a place they’ll go when they want to think, right? Where’s that place for her?” Tyler smiled at Kate and continued softly. “Take your time. I’m sure you know it.”
“Playgrounds.” Dan suddenly interjected. “Whenever we walked by one, she loved sitting on the benches to watch the children.”
“Which playground?” Tyler asked.
“Every playground. Was there one she loved in particular?” Dan stood as he asked, confident that Kate would have the answer. His initial confidence disappeared when he saw Kate playing with the angel pendant on her necklace. “You have no idea.”
Kate sighed. “I’m sorry, Dan. I know she does that, but like you said, it’s every playground.”
“It’s all right. I’ll just drive around and look for her.”
“We’ll go with you,” Kate offered.
Dan shook his head and said, “She’s upset that she got you hurt. If she finds out that you’re going around looking for her, she’ll never forgive herself.” That was when Dan saw her eyes lighting up.
“Does she know where the woman stays?” Kate asked.
“Amy?”
“Amy—I figured it was one of them. Does she know where Amy stays?” she repeated, rushing through her words.
Running through Evelyn’s account, he couldn’t recall her saying anything about that. “I don’t think so.”
“Then she should be waiting at one of the places they met. I don’t know if they have a usual meeting place, but we can try the street where I saw them.”
“And where’s that?” he asked.
Kate threw her head back and groaned. “I don’t know. I gave the driver my phone and told him to follow the GPS.”
“Mr. Sawyer took down the cab driver’s details while we were checking your wounds, just in case we needed a witness to prosecute the woman,” Tyler said as he pulled out his phone, calling Mr. Sawyer.
The moment Mr. Sawyer answered the phone, Tyler stood and signaled for them to get moving while he got the information
they needed from Mr. Sawyer. Tyler repeated the address aloud for Dan and hung up after thanking Mr. Sawyer.
Without waiting for the couple, Dan sprinted down the steps. “We’ll take separate cars in case we need to split and search for her later.”
Not having been in the neighborhood before, Dan had to rely on the GPS in his car. Slowly, he cruised around the neighborhood, keeping his eyes out for Evelyn or anyone who resembled her. It wasn't a difficult task; she’d stick out like a sore thumb in this neighborhood.
The women, either standing by or trotting down the sidewalk, were clad in provocatively scanty clothing. In comparison, the dress that Evelyn was wearing, despite barely touching her knees, would be considered highly conservative.
His speed, which would usually elicit immediate honks from impatient drivers, wasn't giving him any problem. All the drivers were taking their own sweet time driving along as they looked out at the women on display.
Dan gave a frustrated sigh as he cleared another block with no sign of Evelyn being around.
He was certain that Kate was right. After what Amy had done to Kate, there was no way Evelyn would let her off. With the growing conviction of that reasoning, Dan’s grip around the steering wheel tightened as his concern and fear escalated.
This wasn't a neighborhood where a woman should be walking alone, even if she had a gun with her.
He slowed his car further and pulled to a stop at the end of the street. Parking his car, Dan watched as car after car drove past him.
Running his hand through his hair, Dan closed his eyes and forced his over-anxious mind to calm down. He didn't know what else to do. If Evelyn wasn't here, he had no idea where she’d be.
He took his phone and sent another text.
Eve, I don’t know when you’ll see this text, but I need you to know that you don’t have to do this alone. I’m really worried. Please call me. Please let me help.
The ringing of his phone suddenly broke the silence in his car. He picked it up immediately when he saw that it was Kate calling. "Tell me you found her."
The awkward silence and the same tension resonated on the other end of the phone. "She isn't here. Maybe we should move on, drive by some playgrounds nearby, instead of circling around here. Maybe that Amy woman lives somewhere nearby."
He sighed. That was the only solution left. He nodded, completely forgetting that Kate wouldn't be able to see him.
“Dan, she’s extremely street wise and…”
He was glad that Kate let her words trail off. He knew she wanted to tell him that Evelyn had a gun, that she could protect herself, and that she’d be safe. But with how things had unfolded, Amy didn't seem like someone who would back off without a fight. "Go ahead. I'll drive another round, just to make sure.”
After another fruitless round, he decided that if she weren’t already there, she probably wouldn’t turn up regardless of the number of rounds he made.
When he was turning out of the neighborhood, he got a call from Tyler. The moment he picked up the call, Kate said, “The GPS notification came back. I’m texting you the address now. I’m going to log into the app and I’ll let you know if she moves. We’re already on the way. Look for our car.”
Thank God for best friends. He knew they were invading Evelyn’s privacy, but right now he couldn’t love Kate more.
As he drove into the familiar neighborhood, he was slightly relieved that Evelyn had sense to choose a safer neighborhood than the one they had been at.
It was the park they were at when she first picked up the call and walked away from him.
He parked his car right beside Tyler’s silver beamer and checked his phone again. If Evelyn had switched on her phone, she should have seen his messages.
Then why hasn’t she replied?
Pushing the door open, Dan stepped out and immediately noticed Joseph’s car parked behind Tyler’s. He twirled the phone in his hand, refusing to put it back into his pocket; he didn’t want to miss her call or text.
“What are you guys doing here?” he asked, getting into the back seat.
“We were just heading out to help in the search for your sorta-girlfriend when Kate called us to meet them here,” Ryan said, then he jerked his chin forward and continued. “She’s right there; at least Kate insists it’s her.”
“I’m sure. I have perfect eyesight, remember?” she said without taking her eyes off the target.
Dan looked ahead and narrowed his eyes, squinting at the silhouette standing by the playground that wasn’t far from them. Kate seemed to be right; the way the woman paced, the way she hitched her bag up on her shoulders, and above all else, the way she kept glancing over her shoulders.
Whenever they were out in the open, Evelyn would often turn her head periodically, and systematically, in all directions, as though she was scanning the area for potential danger. She never did that when they were in a place or a room filled with people. It didn’t matter if she knew the people, or if they were strangers she’d never met; crowds just seemed to ease her nerves.
Still, he had to ask, “How can you be sure? She isn’t that near to us.”
“It’s her. I can just tell. Plus, I’d recognize that bag anywhere.”
“Kate, I don’t mean to question you, but it’s just a bag,” Joseph said when he noticed Dan hesitating. “You didn’t piss her off again, did you?” Joseph shook his head when he saw Dan giving him a quick brow raise.
“I’m going to make him pay for whatever he said later. As for the bag, it’s not just a bag. I remember it because it’s a limited edition bag and I searched all over the place for it.”
“Then why are we still sitting here?” Dan asked, his hand already reaching toward the door.
Taking a quick glance over at him, Kate answered, “Ty says she looks like she’s waiting for someone.”
“Probably crazy Amy,” Ryan added.
Dan pulled the door closed again. “So you all know?”
“Kate filled us in.”
“I still think it’s better for us to wait with her, rather than stalk her like this,” Joseph said, turning to Dan for his opinion.
He sighed and nodded. “I know that’s the right thing to do, but if we all storm the playground, she’s just going to freak and it won’t be a nice scene. We should just wait it out.”
“We don’t have to storm in. We can wait for her while you and Kate go ahead. And probably Ty, since he’s never going to let Kate out of his sight ever again,” Ryan said, giving Kate his teasing smile.
Everyone laughed while Kate grinned and ran her hand down Tyler’s arm.
“Maybe, but I’d rather not risk it. If we screw up, she’s really going to disappear. I mean, right now, she probably doesn’t know that her best friend has hacked her account and tracked her phone. If she sees us, I’m pretty sure she’ll suspect something.”
He continued staring at the figure walking up and down the edge of the playground, constantly glancing over her shoulders and hitching her bag up her shoulders.
“It’ll be all right. We’re all here. No one can hurt her,” Joseph said with a pat on his back.
He smiled and nodded. “Thanks, for helping.”
“I was wrong to judge.”
He nodded again and looked out at the pacing figure. “We all were.”
Chapter Twelve
Evelyn twirled her phone in her hands, and hitched the bag higher up her shoulders as she continued pacing up and down along the edge of the playground. Pausing for a moment, she forced herself to take a deep breath.
There was no need to be nervous. This would be the last time she’d ever see Amy—exactly what she wanted right from the start, closing the books on her past, once and for all.
She was done getting hauled back into her past, living in fear of her ugly secret being exposed, and having to hide and lie to people who cared about her.
Checking the time on her phone, she glanced around at the empty park and sat on the bench that had been
waiting, for the past forty-five minutes, to serve its purpose. It wasn’t a sensible idea to be alone in the park at such late hours, but she didn’t know where else to go. She wasn’t sure how things would go down, and she didn’t want to be in public scrutiny when that happened.
With her back against the bench, she looked over her shoulder again, making sure no one else was in the vicinity. Unconsciously, she pulled the bag higher up on her shoulder, slightly comforted that her gun was right within her bag.
After another scan of the surroundings, she slipped the bag off her shoulders, placing it on her lap. She looped the handle of her bag over one of her arms and watched idly as the breeze rocked the swing back and forth.
Her mind wandered to how a childhood involving swings, picnics, and amusement parks would be like.
How would it feel to be a child, playing, laughing, and running wild across the park? How would it feel to look over at a bench and see an encouraging smile from someone who loved her more than anything in the world? How would it feel to walk over and have someone’s hand held out, ready to take her home?
Unconsciously, a teardrop slipped down the corner of her eye. She quickly brushed the tear away and lifted her chin to stop the rest of the tears from brimming over.
She closed her eyes and breathed out slowly, regaining her composure.
She rummaged about her bag and took out her cell phone. Again, she read the texts that Dan had sent. She’d already read the texts several times had been meaning to reply; she just didn’t know what to say.
Looking into the distance, her mind spaced out for a moment before she returned to her phone, her fingers skimming across the screen of the phone as if she could touch Dan through the messages.
She’d thought Dan wouldn’t want to be associated with her once he’d heard her story, and seeing his texts was giving her second thoughts about leaving.
But even if he didn’t mind her past, he wouldn’t be able to accept the future she couldn’t give him.
Her hand wrapped over her abdomen, and she clutched onto her dress.
“I was expecting you to bring reinforcements.”