Hannah had also insisted that they have a service for Eric as well. Regardless of what he’d done or didn’t do, he was still Ivan’s brother and deserved a proper burial.
If it weren’t for all the unanswered questions, things would be going pretty well. There was still no sign of Leah or Gemma, and both had been all over the news reports as missing. Since they didn’t find any remains in the rubble of Comfort Life Care, there was still a chance they were alive.
Sophia told Kristy that Leah’s dad was beside himself over his daughter’s disappearance. It was also the first time that Kristy had known Leah had a little boy. She’d felt so awful for the man and the little boy that she asked Sandy to find where they lived so she could check on them.
The idea didn’t sit well with Dean, but Kristy still didn’t believe that Leah had anything to do with Peyton’s death or that she was involved in any of the events afterward.
When Hannah offered to go with Kristy, Dean almost lost his mind. He only agreed they could go if he went to meet the man as well. Kristy wanted to argue, but what choice did she have. Dean would only follow her anyway.
Kristy knocked on the quaint little two story in the downtown area of St. John’s. It appeared to be an older home but upgraded. When she knocked the second time, she heard Dean grumble from behind her but before she could say anything Hannah turned and glared at him.
“Grow up,” Hannah whispered.
The door opened, and a tall, muscular man stood in a firefighter’s uniform. The only difference this guy wasn’t a regular firefighter. Kristy had seen enough of them to know that this guy was probably a supervisor or possibly the Chief.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t have time to listen to anything about your church.” The man gave them a weak smile and started to close the door.
“I worked with Leah.” Kristy practically shouted before the man closed the door.
He pulled the door slowly open and glanced over her head at Dean and then at Hannah. She could see the doubt in his eyes, but at least he didn’t slam the door.
“Where?” He asked
“At Comfort Life Care.” Kristy’s words came out in a whisper.
“What’s your name?” He still seemed skeptical.
“I’m Kristy O’Connor, and this is my boyfriend Dean Nash and his sister Hannah Humphrey.” She introduced the two.
“I know who those two are. They’ve been on the news quite a bit. I’m sorry for your loss by the way.” The man still didn’t move from the doorway.
“Look, Mr. Sellers. Kristy wanted to come by to see if you and the little boy were okay.” Dean sounded pissed. “No agenda. That’s the way she is.”
“She said you were very sweet.” He glanced at Hannah for what seemed like the tenth time. “The girl that died, she was your daughter?”
“Yes. Leah was one of her nurses.” Hannah folded her hands in front of her.
“She didn’t hurt your daughter.” His voice stayed calm, but his eyes flashed with anger.
“We don’t believe she did.” The way Dean spoke must have affected him because the man stepped back and motioned for them to come in.
“I won’t be staying. I’ve got a couple of things I need to do but call me if you need something.” Dean kissed Kristy’s cheek and then Hannah.
“I promise they are safe with me.” Mr. Sellers nodded.
“I don’t doubt that.” Dean turned and walked back to the truck.
The house inside was decorated modern and masculine with a hint of femininity in the kitchen. He led them into the kitchen and offered them something to drink.
“I’m sorry I only have coffee. Outside of that we only have water or juice. We’re a coffee bunch here.” He gave them a half smile and set the coffee pot to brew.
“Coffee is fine,” Kristy said.
“My name is Garrett, by the way.” He pulled three cups from the cupboard. “Liam is in school until two then he goes to daycare until five. The bus drops him off here.”
“I didn’t know Leah that long. I wasn’t aware she had a child until recently.” Kristy glanced at Hannah.
“Leah had a rough start to life.” His voice was sad.
“She has done well though.” Hannah’s eyes hadn’t left the back of the man, and Kristy couldn’t blame her.
“Yes, she worked hard to get her life together.” He filled the three cups and then brought them to the table. His big hands carried all three in one hand and cream and sugar in the other.
“She was in foster care for a while?” Kristy accepted the cup and poured in some milk.
“Yeah, I never knew about Leah until she showed up on my step at twenty-six with a one-year-old in her arms.” He sat at the table and curled his hands around the cup.
“Her mother didn’t tell you she was pregnant?” Hannah’s voice cracked probably because the story was similar to her own.
“I met her at a bar when I was in my early twenties. We had a good time for a couple of weeks, but I went to the west coast of Newfoundland to become a firefighter.” He raised his head, and Kristy saw the same eyes that Leah had. Green with flecks of gold.
“You took her in.” Kristy took a sip of her coffee.
“She didn’t want anything from me only to introduce herself and Liam. She’d started nursing school, and Liam’s dad had flown the coop.” He smiled. “That kid wrapped me around his finger the minute he smiled at me.”
“Kids tend to do that.” Hannah’s sad smile broke Kristy’s heart.
“I was never married and never expected to have any children of my own. I got this house after my parents died and I moved in. I didn’t even use the second floor until Liam and Leah…” he dropped his head, and as if it was second nature to her, Hannah reached across the table and touched his arm.
“They’ll find her.” Hannah’s voice cracked.
“That’s what I keep telling myself.” He lifted his head and wiped his face with his hands.
“For what it’s worth, we don’t think Leah had anything to do with what happened to Peyton or the fire.” Kristy wanted to make sure he understood that.
“She wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize Liam’s well being,” Hannah interjected.
“I know that, but the truth is something was up with her for the few weeks after your daughter died.” He sighed. “She said it was that assistant to her boss.”
“Gemma?” Kristy wanted to make sure, but she already knew the answer.
“Yeah, she gave Leah a hard time from the day my daughter started working there.” Garrett sat back in the chair.
“Have the police talked to you?” Kristy asked.
“One guy dropped by and asked if I’d heard from her. He was by a couple of times, but now that I think about it, he never showed me his identification.” Garrett glanced between Kristy and Hannah.
“Was he in uniform?” Hannah asked.
“No, he was dressed in a suit.”
Kristy knew it was a long shot, but she sent a message to Sandy and asked her to send pictures of Eric and Trevor. While they waited, Garrett showed her pictures of Liam and Leah on his phone.
“I might not have known about her until she was an adult, but I love her and that little boy with all my heart. I don’t know what I’ll do if…” he stopped when Hannah grabbed his hand.
“You can’t think that.” Her eyes filled with tears because Hannah knew more than anyone how it felt to lose a child.
A few seconds later Kristy’s phone dinged with a message from Sandy. She tapped the screen and brought up the picture of Eric Humphrey first.
“Is this the man that was here?” Kristy inwardly rolled her eyes because she sounded like some television detective.
“No, but I know who that guy is.” He took the phone and stared at it for a moment.
“That’s the guy that was shot on television a few weeks back.” He glanced at Hannah. “Isn’t he your late husband’s brother?”
“Yes,” Hannah dropped her head.
“No, but he was here once. He was in foster care with Leah, and she wasn’t happy about him coming by here.” He handed Kristy back the phone.
“Did you know why?” Kristy didn’t know what she was doing, but something told her to keep probing.
“She said he was trouble but nothing more.” He sighed.
“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to throw questions at you, Mr. Sellers but I’m hoping something will help find Leah.” Kristy smiled at him, and he returned it.
“Call me Garrett, please, and I understand. I wish I could help because the truth is I don’t know how much longer Liam can take not knowing where his mommy is.” He glanced at his watch.
“I hope we aren’t keeping you.” Kristy stood up.
“No, I find I’m watching time more and more every day.” He stood up and offered them more coffee.
Hannah’s phone vibrated, and she picked it up. Something in the way her facial expression changed to confusion had the hair on the back of Kristy’s neck stand on end.
“Has he lost his mind.” Hannah handed her the phone. It was a text from Dean.
Dean: Hannah, I need you to come to your house. I found something here that you need to see.
“How does he expect us to get there.” Hannah sighed. “I really don’t want to go back to that house.”
“Let me see what he’s up to.” Kristy pulled out her phone.
Kristy: Hey, you do know we came to town with you, right? How are we supposed to get there? What’s up?
She waited for a few seconds and then saw him typing a response. He seemed to be typing forever, and she groaned when the bubble disappeared and reappeared a few times.
“Is everything okay?” Garrett asked.
“Besides my brother forgetting he took our transportation and wanting us to go halfway across town to go to my old house, yep.” Hannah smiled when Garrett chuckled.
“What the hell is he typing? A book?” Kristy was getting frustrated.
“If you need a drive, I can drop you off. Liam won’t be home for a couple of hours.” Garrett offered.
Dean: Kristy, I found the proof that Eric killed Ivan and Peyton. Get a cab if you have to. Just get here.
Kristy: Call John and my dad. Garrett is going to drive us over there. Don’t touch anything.
Dean: I already called them. hurry.
Kristy, Hannah, and Garrett hurried outside and hopped in Garrett’s car. He pulled out of the driveway and Hannah gave him directions to her house.
Something was bothering Kristy. It was as if something was tapping at the back of her head telling her to think. When they got stuck in traffic behind a construction detour, she touched her cousin’s number.
“Hey, Kristy,” John answered on the second ring.
“Did Dean call you?” She didn’t have time for pleasantries.
“No,” John chuckled. “Did he run away on you already?”
“He never called to tell you he found proof that Eric killed his brother and niece?” Kristy continued
“What? Shit? No.” She could hear John running across a hard floor.
“I’ll send you the texts he sent Hannah and me. Something’s wrong. You need to get to that house.” Her father said to listen to her gut, and she wasn’t questioning it this time.
“Where are you?” She heard a car door and an engine starting.
“I’m on the way there with Hannah, and Leah’s dad.” Kristy pulled the phone away from her ear when John shouted.
“Are you out of your fucking mind? Do not go near that place, Kristy. I’m warning you.” She heard the siren blaring, and he cursed.
“Don’t worry about me.” Kristy ended the call.
She read over the message Dean sent her over and over. When she finally saw it, she tapped Hannah on the shoulder and asked to see the text Dean sent her.
Again the same thing popped out.
“He called you Hannah,” Kristy said a little louder than she probably should have.
“Isn’t that her name?” Garrett glanced at Dean’s sister and then at Kristy in the rearview mirror.
“Yeah, but he calls her Han not Hannah. He doesn’t call me Kristy either.” She held up her phone to Hannah.
“What does he call you?” Garrett seemed to be catching on.
“Kitten,” Hannah and Kristy said together.
Garrett did a u-turn in the middle of Elizabeth Avenue and hit the gas again.
“What are you doing?” Kristy shouted as she grabbed on to the seat in front of her.
“I’m not taking you somewhere you could get hurt.” Garrett turned again and headed toward Parade street.
“Please, Garrett. I need to go there now.” Kristy pulled herself up close to the back of the seat.
“Garrett, it’s my brother and the man she loves.” Hannah seemed to want to go there as much as Kristy did now.
He stopped his car almost in front of the St. John’s division of the Newfoundland Police Department. It was as if he was trying to choose whether he should listen to Hannah or not.
“My cousins are police officers. My dad is the Chief. I promise you I’ll be safe.” Kristy was begging.
“Kurt O’Connor's your father?” Garrett spun around in his seat.
“Yes,” Kristy sighed.
“If anything happens to you he will beat me to death. I’ve known him for a long time.” Garrett turned to Hannah. “You both stay in the car.”
“Sure,” Kristy shook the seat. “Please, let's go.”
“I know I’m going to regret this, but God help me if it helps me find Leah it will be worth it.” Garrett slammed on his gas and Kristy flew back in the seat.
Please, God let him be okay.
Chapter 25
Dean was pissed, and the fact that his head hurt like a son of a bitch wasn’t helping his mood. His arms and legs were duct taped to a fucking chair, and the smell in the room made him gag.
He didn’t have to look to know what the smell was. There was a decomposing body in the corner of the room covered with an old blanket. The only thing he could see was the feet. Small feet that told him he was probably looking at Leah’s body.
Dean came to the house because of a text from a possible buyer for the house. Vince told him about three who were extremely interested, and Dean told Vince to have them call to set up a time to view the house.
When he walked inside, the smell hit him right away, but it was faint. At first, he thought it was a dead animal that had gotten inside and died. He sent a text to the buyer to rearrange the viewing. The guy returned a message to say he would reschedule.
Dean checked upstairs for the smell, but it wasn’t as strong. As he made his way down to the basement something hit him from behind and the next thing he knew he was duct taped to a chair with a decaying body not twenty feet from him.
“Hey, whoever you are, when I get out of this chair, I’m going to beat you to death with it,” Dean shouted and then gagged because he could actually taste the foul odor.
He heard feet shuffle around over his head and tried to move the chair, but it wouldn’t budge. He glanced down at the floor and cursed because the bastard secured the chair to the floor.
Dean squirmed, pulled and tugged at his arms but as able-bodied, as he was the duct tape seemed to be stronger. He dropped his head back and roared in frustration.
He was thankful the girls hadn’t come with him because that would have made things a hell of a lot worse. The shuffling again and then a whimper. He listened. Quiet. Dean almost convinced himself he imagined it when he heard a female cry out.
“Please, let me go back to my son.” The female cried. “I promise I won’t say anything.”
Dean listened, but he didn’t hear the other person, but the voice sounded familiar, and he let out a huge breath when he realized it was Leah. There was one problem. He couldn’t do a thing to help.
“I did every
thing you asked. I helped you put her downstairs, and you said you would let me go.” Leah’s voice was frantic. “No. No, please. Don’t bring me down there.”
Dean saw the light from the top of the basement stairs, but he couldn’t turn to see who was coming down. He was facing the wall, and he wasn’t able to see that far.
“Please, don’t do this.” Leah’s voice was more of a screech than a cry.
“Leave her alone,” Dean shouted and rocked violently in the chair which was no use.
“Oh, I’m not going to hurt her. I’m going to leave her here to die. Just like you.” The voice didn’t sound familiar, but it did sound purposely altered so Dean wouldn’t recognize it.
“Who the fuck are you?” Dean shouted.
“You open your mouth and tell him who I am I will make your last few days on this earth pure hell. Remember, I can get your kid like that.” Dean heard fingers snapping and Leah whimper.
For a few minutes all he heard was the sound of Leah crying and what he figured was more duct tape securing Leah to something.
“Now I have company coming so do be quiet, or I'll have to use this on your mouths.” Dean heard the clomp of the man stomping up the stairs and then the door close.
Dean lived in the house long enough to know exactly where the guy was when he walked around upstairs. He closed his eyes and tried to visualize each room above him and concentrate on the guy's feet stomping across the floor. He listened for the creaky click of the front door knob.
Leah softly sobbed while Dean listened to the movements of the unknown man upstairs. The man seemed to know the house well enough that he was not hurrying around.
“I’m sorry,” Leah whispered.
“Shhh,” Dean warned because for all he knew the guy was waiting for them to start talking.
Then he heard it. The familiar text tone of his phone and it was the one that he used for Kristy. Hopefully, this guy didn’t pay attention to it but when Dean heard the sinister chuckle from him, he knew. The second ping had his heart racing and his blood about to boil.
The clomping continued toward the front door and then the click. Thank God for old houses. Dean waited, but it was completely quiet. The guy was gone, but Dean wasn’t about to sit in the basement and let this guy hurt Kristy.
Hidden Betrayal (O'Connor Girls Book 1) Page 23