Holly saw a spray of either water or saliva jutt out of David’s mouth, as his head veered sharply to the right.
David shook off the punch, enraged, and came at Zack. Fueled by fury, David fought Zack off, pummeling him repeatedly with both fists. Zack pulled back, attempting to lure David toward the shallows and away from Holly. He refused to budge, and instead, turned back to Holly. She recognized his intent immediately. He aimed to get a hold of her, as a means to gain control of Zack. There was no way she was going to let that happen.
He lunged for her again, easily closing the distance between them. Holly pulled back and brought her leg up and hit him hard, cracking him squarely in the chin with her knee. She knew she’d landed a lucky blow, since pulling her leg up had felt like extracting it from molasses.
David tipped his head back, worked his jaw, and when he brought his head down and refocused on her, she saw the brutal, savage fury in his eyes. He made another attempt to grab her, but Zack had reached him and grabbed him instead. Somehow, Zack had caught him unawares, and began hauling him toward the shoreline.
David floundered on his back, but finally managed to right himself, his shirt tearing under Zack’s grip. He reared back to hit the teen, but Zack ducked in time, and countered with a throw to David’s jaw. Even from a distance away, Holly heard the bone crunching blow.
Zack secured his stance in the muddy lake bottom, reared back for another punch, when suddenly, John, the Search and Rescue guy, jumped off the dock and into the water, landing only feet from the two men. He lunged forward and took a hold of Zack’s fist mid-punch. Stunned, Zack turned, lost his footing, and landed with a splash in the water.
Holly’s eyes widened in terror. Was John going after Zack?
John grabbed a hold of David’s shirt. It was like slow motion for Holly. Was John involved in the murders? Why had he prevented Zack from striking David again? She wracked her brain, struggling to make sense of John’s intervention in the fight. Was John David’s partner in the crimes, along with his father? Is that why he’d sat so still in the boat the day before, unwilling to lend a hand in the recovery effort of the bodies?
Holly’s mind reeled. She glanced around. Had Zack come alone? And then, she spotted movement above the lake, near the cabin. She saw Aaron running full-bore toward the water’s edge. Both Zack and John glanced his way.
Suddenly, David realized he had an opportunity to flee. He wrenched himself away from John and began struggling through the water toward Holly. Zack started after him, but John, who was actually bigger than Zack, forced him back, clutching his shoulders and saying something to him—something Holly could not hear. Zack nodded and pulled back, as John turned and headed after David, reaching him in time to prevent him from going to deeper water. He grabbed him by the shoulder and wheeled him around.
“How could you do it?” he demanded angrily. “How could you harm those children? All those children, you sorry son of a—?”
“John,” David cut in, attempting to sound calm and reasonable. “I didn’t do anything. You’re mistaken. Look at me, John. We’re friends. You can trust me.”
John paused briefly, staring intently into the man’s eyes. He shook his head, reared back, and brought a powerful fist against David’s cheek, adding insult to his already injured face. David struggled to get away from him, attempting to sidestep John and head for the shallow water this time.
John stepped sideways simultaneously, and raised both hands and shoved David hard in the chest, toward deeper water. David fell, went under water, and rose with a choke. John thrust another powerful blow to his chest, propelling him toward deep water again.
“Holly,” he said in measured tones when he spotted her just ahead, “swim around us. Go. Go!”
She did as she was told, swimming wide, and toward Zack. He saw her and met her halfway, helping her to shallow water. He pulled her into an embrace, plunging his hands into her hair and pulling her face against his heart. He began uttering soothing words in her ear. “I almost lost you,” he moaned softly. “I shouldn’t have left you.”
“I’m all right,” she said tremulously. “Thank God you came.”
Aaron joined them in the knee-deep water, and the threesome watched John moving toward David, his movements purposeful. His anger was palpable and they could sense he was struggling to maintain some semblance of control. “You’ll never harm another child, you sorry son of a—” he said, and then came to an abrupt stop. He was silent for several long seconds, apparently watching something in the water.
“What the—?” he murmured. “What is … that?”
Suddenly, the kids spotted Cassie’s lithe form approach David. She sliced through the water like a shark, her movements beautifully fluid, yet predatory. David saw her and cried out in terror. He spun around, toward the shore, his face rife with confusion. John awaited him on one side, Cassie on the other. He decided to take his chances with John, and began powering through the water, using his hands as rudders. He didn’t get far.
Cassie sluiced through the water, grabbed the back of his shirt, and yanked him hard beneath the surface. They could see his arms flailing and his legs pumping furiously as he struggled to escape Cassie’s hold. She pulled him toward deeper water, plunging downward so rapidly the kids knew he was swallowing water. Was she taking him to the deepest part of the reservoir? Holly wondered. Dropping his body like discarded garbage? Would authorities ever find his remains in the murky waters?
Silently the group stood—Zack, Holly, and Aaron together—while John stood nearby, all as still as statures, seemingly transfixed by the now eerie quiet. The serenity didn’t last long, as suddenly, Donner approached by Marine Patrol boat, speeding toward the dock. He pulled up on the boat’s throttle, bringing it to an instant stop, and watching the group with unveiled curiosity.
“What happened here?” he demanded. “I got your message, John. And some kid called… What’s going on?”
John swallowed and then met his friend’s gaze. “He’s … gone,” he said numbly. “Something, er, someone … took him.”
Donner glanced at the kids. “What just happened here?” he asked.
It was Holly who spoke. “My … stepfather killed Cassie and … probably the little kids at the washout. I … don’t know about the rest…”
Donner sought his friend’s gaze. “John?”
He nodded in confirmation.
Donner snatched his radio off his belt. “Where is he? We’ll have to put out an APB!”
John simply shook his head in response. “He’s … out there,” he said, gesturing bemusedly toward the lake.
As if on cue, David’s lifeless body popped up like a cork, bouncing a few times on the surface, before coming to an uneasy rest a few feet from Donner’s boat.
Chapter Twenty-nine
Holly stood in the shallow water, searching for Cassie. She found it disturbing being in the water again, after watching David’s lifeless body being pulled out of it only a few hours before. But she needed to see Cassie. This time, she resolved to talk to her before she left the reservoir.
After taking a deep, shoring breath, she trudged toward deeper water, swam out, and began treading water. She glanced around her, hoping Cassie would come. And she did.
The girl remained just below the surface when she appeared, as she had done so often over the past few days. Holly was surprised by the smile on her friend’s face. “David is gone,” Holly told her.
Cassie nodded solemnly and signed. “As are my friends.”
“I know you’ll miss them. But I promise I’ll come and visit you as often as I can.”
She smiled her thanks.
“Cassie,” Holly asked, “why didn’t you take David’s body to the deepest part of the lake and leave it there? It only seems fair.”
She shook her head adamantly and signed with emphasis. “I don’t want him in my lake!”
Holly’s eyes widened. “Is he … still here? His spirit, I mean?”
<
br /> Cassie smiled reassuringly and shook her head. “No, there are no stops on the expressway to where he’s going.”
Holly sighed with relief, and then glanced up when she heard Thomas calling out to her. “Holly, I’m swimming out!”
“Thomas, are you sure?” she called back.
“I’m done being scared!” he said with conviction. “It’s time I said ‘hi’ to my sister.”
The little boy walked into the water and Holly could see he was nervous. But he had nothing to fear. Cassie would never harm him, and she certainly would never let him drown. “Don’t worry, Thomas!” Holly called. “Cassie is here to protect you.”
“I know,” he said with a smile, and then plunged into the water. His strokes were awkward as he approached, but he made it to the deeper water and began treading beside Holly. His eyes widened with wonder at the sight of his sister, so close he could touch her.
He did just that, staring with wonder as his hand simply passed through her beautiful face. “I’m sorry,” he said sadly. “I wanted to touch you, Cassie.”
She lifted her hand above the surface and Thomas raised one of his hands, bringing his fingers gently against her fingertips. After several seconds of contact, Cassie’s fingers fells like raindrops into the water. Thomas looked sad for a moment, but Cassie dipped her hands into the water and began signing again.
“Holly, tell him to never be sad. Tell him I’m here for him, and will be for as long as he needs me.”
Holly told him and he began to cry. “Really, is it true?”
“It’s true,” Holly told him. “And you never need to be afraid to swim in this water again. Cassie will never let anything happen to you here.”
Thomas met his sister’s gaze and smiled. “I love you, Cassie, and I’m going to learn to sign,” he said eagerly. “Soon I’ll be able to communicate with you!”
Cassie nodded with a smile. Suddenly, her eyes widened and she slipped into the deep water, disappearing from view. Holly glanced toward shore and saw Lieutenant Donner on the dock. “Let’s go back, Thomas,” she urged softly, wondering if he’d seen Cassie.
“But I want to talk to my sister!” he protested. “Will she come back?”
“Soon,” she promised, and then accompanied him back to the shore, where he gave a wave and headed toward his cabin.
Holly joined Donner on the dock, folding her arms around her, to stave off the chill. To her surprise, he pulled off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. They stood silently for a moment. “You’re a remarkable girl,” he said finally. “You couldn’t pay me to get in that water with a ghost. I don’t care if she is a … friendly ghost.”
Holly glanced at him in surprise. “You’ve seen her too!”
As if on cue, Cassie appeared, several yards beyond the dock. They could just make out her form below the surface, distorted by dimming light and the gently rolling waves.
He chuckled lightly. “Yeah, I’ve seen her several times when I was out fishing early in the morning. Scared the bejeebers out of me. Thought I’d lost my doggone mind.”
“There’s a lot of that going around,” Holly said bemusedly.
“Might not have lost my mind,” he said, “but thanks to your friend, hovering above the lake like mist, I did lose my pole.”
“I’m sure Cassie would be happy to get it for you.”
“Tell her to make it sooner than later. That was my favorite pole.”
Holly grinned and called out to Cassie about the pole. Cassie rose, nodded, and rapidly signed back.
“She’ll leave it here for you later,” Holly told him. “On the dock. It may take her awhile to find it.”
Holly nodded in Cassie’s direction and watched as she slipped into the water, only to reappear a few feet from the dock this time.
“Thanks,” Donner told Cassie, taking an instinctive step back. He turned his attention back to Holly. “You’re going to have to be strong for your mother,” he said, abruptly changing the subject, and keeping one eye on Cassie. “She’s going to have a rough go for a good long while—likely going to blame herself for bringing that monster into her childrens’ lives.”
Holly conceded his words with a nod. “So you believe David and his father are responsible for all the murders then?”
He nodded. “We’ve contacted the authorities back East, where David used to live. They’ve already determined he lived within close proximity to several missing children there.”
Holly emitted a sad, weary sigh. “How did he ever manage to pass a background check in order to become a cop?”
Donner shrugged. “Psychopaths can be extremely charming. They’re adept at working the system. But, I’ve certainly asked myself the same question over and over in the last couple hours. “Hey!” he said suddenly. “By the way, what made you and your boyfriend think I was a killer? Do I seem shifty to you?”
Holly shook her head, biting back a chuckle. Laughter still felt wrong, considering what they had all been through over the past two days. “My friends were in Amboy, and saw you when John gave you a chain…”
“Oh, okay,” he said, nodding knowingly. “Chain, as in big chain, like the ones in David’s shed. Okay, yes, I understand. So you know, I had used that chain to pull John’s rig out of big muddy hole down a logging road north of here. I went off without it when we were done. He was simply returning it to me.”
Holly nodded. “Okay.” She gave a tentative smile. “If it makes you feel better, we thought John was involved too, of course.”
He only shook his head. “John’s one of the most decent men I’ve ever known,” he mused aloud. “Well, the truth is, I thought David was a great guy too…” His words trailed off and he was silent for a moment, thinking. Finally he roused himself. “Listen, about your interview with detectives tomorrow,” he said pointedly, changing the subject once again, “you’ll want to stick to your original story. Simply explain how your boyfriend was diving in the deeper water off the shelf at the washout since he’d spotted a rock, and subsequently found the body. Since you’d found the necklace by the bridge, and considering the bodies already found, you figured there might be more bodies and suggested as such. Deputies agreed, prompting a search of the area…”
“That’s exactly how Zack and I saw it,” Holly told him.
He nodded. “No need to mention any ghosts.”
“No need to mention any ghosts,” Holly agreed.
He smiled suddenly, a high voltage smile, and gave Cassie a quick glance. “‘Course, your ghost friend here is always welcome to tell me where the fish are biting.”
“I’m sure she’d be glad to,” Holly said softly. “You can always just ask her, you know.” Holly nodded toward Cassie, who rose up above the suddenly now smooth-as-glass surface. She was smiling, before she rained down upon the water in a sparkling shower of droplets.
Donner gasped, but then sighed resignedly and chuckled. “I wish she wouldn’t do that. Well, I mean, that’s not so bad—she’s kind of pretty when she does that. It’s when she opens up her mouth wide and comes at you like she’s going to eat you—boat and all—that the ticker goes into overdrive.”
Holly laughed lightly. “Cassie … does that?” She gave Cassie a curious glance and the girl ghost gave a sheepish shrug in return. “I’m sure she gets bored,” Holly said in her friend’s defense, and turned back to Donner. “I guess if you’re a ghost, there has to be some perks.”
Donner conceded the point with a shrug and a chuckle. “I guess so.”
“You should feel free to ask Cassie where the fish are biting. I know she’d enjoy visiting with you anytime. You may want to learn sign language, but, I happen to know Cassie can use all the friends she can get right now.”
“Can’t we all,” Donner muttered, and then gave a wave to Cassie when Zack suddenly appeared on the dock.
“I’ll be in touch,” Donner called to the kids as he strode to the cabin.
“Hey,” Zack said to Holly, and then not
iced Cassie. “Hi, Cassie.”
She waved back, smiled, and slipped noiselessly away.
“I’m going to miss her,” Zack said, as if the realization surprised him.
“I’m definitely going to miss her,” Holly told him. “But I’ll be back to see her soon.”
“May I come with you?” he asked, watching her hopefully.
“I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have with me,” she told him honestly.
He kissed her then, and then they turned and watched the sun begin its descent over the lake—a stunning backdrop to Cassie’s very own brand of waterworks, as she rose higher above the water than they’d ever seen before, and began to rain down upon the reservoir once again.
The End
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