by Alice Ayden
Cora took a deep breath and begged tears not to continue forming. “You look like your mother. Did I ever tell you I used to think you had the power of Helen of Troy? How many have you bent to your will?”
Grand Maeve smiled. “You flatter me.”
“Do you think Ausmor will recover from everything that’s happened?”
Grand Maeve put her arm around Cora and turned her around to face the rest of the house. “Look at all this grand house has survived. Wars, slavery, the horrible murder of Sadie, the insanity of Dragoo and the Stonstons.” She shuddered saying their names. “And let us not forget my own scandals.” Grand Maeve stopped to savor. “This house is a survivor. It may have been wounded, but it doesn’t hide from the shock of brutality; it embraces and surrenders to the possibility of something better.”
Cora nodded but her thoughts clung to Natalie.
Grand Maeve took Cora’s arm. “Do you know there are weeds that...” She paused and threw up her hands. “Evan would know their proper name. That grow unwanted and unwelcomed? They cloak themselves to resemble the plant they are choking the nourishment from. But if you look close, you can see the flaws.” Grand Maeve waited until her granddaughter understood, but Cora merely stared into space. “Nature is balance, Cora. Nothing is immortal and invincible. Everything has a weakness.”
Cora wanted to ask if Natalie had a flaw; then, she remembered. “When I talked with her, she almost lost it whenever I hinted she wasn’t as smart as she thought.”
Grand Maeve nodded. “Psychotic arrogance. Lovely.”
Cora thought about her interactions with Natalie. “I called her useless, irrelevant. She didn’t like that. It was like she had to force herself to calm down and not react.”
Grand Maeve threw her head back. “That’s good, Cora. See, you’ve always been stronger than you gave yourself credit. Think of everything Natalie did to you. Do you believe for one second she could have withstood it? Human predators are the weakest and most cowardly. They inflict greatly on those they fear are stronger.”
Grand Maeve squeezed Cora’s arm. “And you must continue to be strong when facing those who don’t understand. They might stew and boil and make some noise, but I have more tricks up my sleeve. I do believe the best houses, like the best people, prefer things shaken up. Why settle for ordinary and dull? The best of us thrive in spite of trauma. You’re like me, Cora.”
“Because of what Dragoo did to you?”
Grand Maeve pursed her lips. “Another story for another day. Let me just say that you and I have suffered. Weaker souls would have withered. Think of your favorite red tulips. Those brave souls drive through hard soil and burst from the frost. You are a survivor. You and Ausmor will survive the trauma and thrive in spite of it and because of it. But you must see what’s right in front of you and not wish for what isn’t.”
Cora nodded. “Not easy to do.”
Maines waltzed in the front door.
“Former Detective Samuel Maines has been hired as head of security here. He’ll keep us all safe,” Grand Maeve whispered.
“You think he’s my father, don’t you?” Cora thought she could hear Grand Maeve’s heart beat a little faster.
“She knows I’m your father,” Maines said. “Grand Maeve knows all.”
“Oh, Samuel.” Grand Maeve smiled a devilish smirk. “What good times we had.”
Maines blushed and Cora looked out the window.
Grand Maeve looked him up and down before walking away. “So gorgeous.”
Maines faced Cora. “Your grandmother…”
“Did you love my mother?”
Maines took a deep breath. “I did.”
Cora nodded. “That’s good. She deserved to be loved.”
“What she did…”
Cora held up her hand. “It wasn’t her fault. She was sick.”
“I’m sorry for so many things. I should have been there to protect you. If I had known what was happening… I thought you were better off without me. I thought you were safe. I should have—”
Cora shook her head to stop him. “You’re here now.”
“I’ll help with anything. I can take you to therapy. I can…” Maines hesitated as if not wanting to include everything. “You can ask me anything. You can talk to me about anything.”
Cora smiled. She was glad that Maines was in her life. She didn’t feel nervous or worried about the future. She trusted him. “And you’ll keep us safe.”
Lillia twirled back in.
“Look,” Lillia said. “I’m tired of this shit. You couldn’t save Rachel or Marie or the others. That’s not on you. That’s on Natalie and Johnston.”
Maines nodded.
“But if I’d only remembered…”
“It was a trauma. It was your mind’s way of protecting you when you were little when you saw your mom…” Lillia glanced at Maines. “Do you know how many others you saved?”
Cora didn’t know what Lillia meant.
“By stopping Natalie. You saved how many more that she would have killed in the future.”
Cora flinched. She’d never thought of that.
“Do not get stuck in the past. One of my friends was back and forth with her loser ass boyfriend. For years she’d dump him, and then he’d slither back.” Lillia nodded as if her explanation helped.
Cora had no idea what she was talking about.
“So, she’s all happy that he’s finally out of her life, right? Then she takes him back again. This lasts about a month. You know what happened next?”
Maines shook his head.
“He dumped her. Now, she’s all Facebook stalker and goes around in a funk because her life ended the day he walked.”
Cora didn’t see the point.
Maines’ phone vibrated. He sighed when he saw the message. “There’s one last thing I have to do.” He studied Lillia. “You are very wise.”
“Born that way.” Lillia smiled. “I’m saying, don’t get stuck in the past. Remember it. Acknowledge it. Makes amends for it. But keep it in the past.”
Chapter 47: The Devil’s Out
Natalie gazed out the window at the evergreens dancing softly in the breeze. As Dr. Vinders rambled, Natalie thoughtfully nodded as if contemplating his insight. She actually contemplated his insides torn and battered, but her face betrayed nothing as she wrote a letter.
Cora,
Dr. Vinders’ small mind cannot possibly decipher what I am. His thoughts linger on other possibilities. Other explanations. I should remind him of another who neglected to take me seriously.
Without your amnesia, Cora, you know what I am. You know I’m coming. You just don’t know what’s coming. I chose you because I need to break things, and you can be broken so easily and put back together.
See you soon.
“Nice letter,” Maines said looking over Natalie’s shoulder.
Natalie hid her surprise for a few seconds before reverting back to her overly confident self. “Detective Maines.” She handed him the letter. “Care to give this to your daughter?”
Maines waved his hand. “No need for useless pleasantries.” He looked at Dr. Vinders. “The doc here won’t mind your true self.”
Natalie smirked. “To what do I owe this pleas—”
Maines shoved Natalie to the wall and placed his entire arm across her throat.
Dr. Vinders jumped out of his seat and watched.
Natalie didn’t squirm. She didn’t struggle. She only smiled.
This made Maines squeeze harder. “I won’t kill you because I want you to suffer. You’re done hurting Cora and everyone else. I’m going to find out what the hell you really are and everything you’ve done.”
Natalie’s face reddened, and her eyes fluttered.
Maines let her go.
“You can’t stop me. I can do anything I want.” Natalie looked at Dr. Vinders. “You think this place can keep me? Surely you knew I anticipated this. I planned for this. You think—”
A few orderlies entered the room.
Natalie looked at Dr. Vinders. “You’re scared of me, aren’t you?”
The doctor nodded. “Any sane person would be terrified of you.”
Maines smiled. “The doc agrees with me about the dangers you pose.” He dangled a key in front of her.
Natalie’s confidence dipped a bit before she studied Maines. “Didn’t give you enough credit.”
Natalie glanced at the doctor as he readied a syringe. “Am I about to have a nice nap? Don’t worry, doc. By the time I wake up, I’ll think of another way.”
The doctor glanced at Maines.
“She had the key. She was going to escape and find your family.”
The doctor stared at Natalie. “What?”
“I just loved the fact that your granddaughter, Natalie, was so sweet and innocent. Won’t be when I’m done with her.”
The doctor quickly dug into his lab coat for his phone and fumbled trying to dial.
Maines put his hands on the doctor’s shoulders. “She’s safe. Your entire family is in protective custody.”
Natalie studied Maines and smiled. “You’re going to do it, aren’t you? I didn’t think you had it in you.”
The orderlies threw Natalie onto her bed and tightly yanked the restraints around her arms and legs. She couldn’t budge from their vice grips, but she tried. When she realized what was happening, she withdrew her protests and glared at everyone in the room. It wasn’t an angry glare. It was more a steady and calm focus. Maines figured behind her stare, Natalie’s brain filtered various scenarios of revenge. “I’ll have a nice rest in a far away facility. Plenty of time to plan.”
“You’ll be doped to the point where you won’t remember your own name. Lillia was right.” Maines waited until Natalie focused on him entirely. “You’re really not as good as you think you are.”
“I know of a place.” The doctor said. “I’ll call in a favor.”
“Full security?”
The doctor nodded. “It’s where they send people they really want to disappear from society.”
“I’ll take full responsibility for her care,” Maines said. “And should she somehow go missing…”
Natalie smiled.
The doctor hesitated. “As long as she can’t hurt anyone else, and as long as I don’t know about it.”
Maines relaxed a little that she was in custody, but that nagging feeling kept haunting him of what else was planned. “You made a vital mistake.”
Natalie’s expression told Maines she was trying to work things out. She tried to think three steps ahead but was already four steps behind.
“You made sure nothing could connect you to the crimes which means you’re not on anyone’s radar. You have no family. No friends.”
“Which means I can keep her under this sedation for as long as necessary. This patient has expressed suicidal thoughts.” Dr. Vinders pushed the syringe into Natalie’s arm. “She has also directly threatened others with elaborate plans to harm them which means she poses a significant risk to society.”
Maines thought about his mistakes but heard Lillia’s advice to Cora. ‘Don’t get stuck in the past. Remember it. Acknowledge it. Makes amends for it. But keep it in the past.’ He knew eventually he would kill Natalie, but at least for now she was contained.
Maines leaned close to her and stared into her eyes. “You’ll be the Natalie you created in the cellar. You won’t be looked for. You won’t be missed.”
Natalie shrugged. “I like it when I inspire people to do their worst. What will you do without me?” Her eyes fluttered as she fought her last moments of consciousness. “By the time I was ten, I had killed more than Jack the Ripper.”
###
Thank you so much for reading!
Previously published as Malum/Missing 6. Past Abandon has been completely rewritten and extensively updated so much that it is officially considered a “new” book. Very few chapters were left untouched. Characters have also been renamed or rewritten or removed. Since writing Malum in 2010-2012, I have learned so much about not only the writing process but the publishing process. I will be forever grateful to the readers who took their time to provide constructive feedback, and I really took all of those comments to heart when I rewrote. I hope you enjoy the finished product, and thank you for giving me a chance.
If you enjoyed Past Abandon, and feel inclined, please consider a review on Amazon. If you are less than enthusiastic about the book, thank you for giving me a chance, and I hope to entice you next time.
Alice Ayden
Also by Alice Ayden
Historical Fiction/Regency
The Lettered Affair 1
The Lettered Affair 2
The Lettered Affair 3
The Lettered Affair 4
Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
Past Abandon
Children’s
Dare to Bee: Bees are the Keys
Adult Coloring Book
Word Search Coloring Book
Word Search
Word Search: Geography
Word Search: Birds
Word Search: Dogs
Word Search: Cats
Word Search: Christmas
Word Puzzles
Jane Austen Puzzlers
Word Scramble
All About Dogs
Large Print Word Search Series
All About Dogs
All About Cats
All About Movies
All About USA
All About Birds 1
All About Birds 2
All About Christmas
All About The Bible
All About Animals
Christmas Grab Bag
Large Print Word Scramble
All About Dogs