Page 131 of Ghost Hunted

“My name isn’t Jane,” she tells me. “I don’t know who told you that, but it’s not true. I’m Billie. And I’m not suicidal.”

“Okay, Billie. So what exactly were you doing, drowning in that pool, if you weren’t trying to end your life?”

“I wasn’t drowning.” Her lower lip trembles. “I was playing a game. A hiding game.”

“Uh huh. And who were you hiding from?”

Her blush is just as splotchy as Lia’s. “My brother. Well, not my real brother. My foster brother.”

I frown. “Is he mean to you?”

“No, no,” she says hastily. “He’s not mean at all. He’s nice. At least, he’s the nicest person I know. I like him a whole lot.” Her blush deepens. “If anything, I’m sad, because he’s leaving for college soon. Devil College, I think. And he takes good care of me… some of the time. I don’t know what I’ll do without him. I just… I don’t want to go back to being forgotten. I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m speaking so much. Sometimes, I talk too much.”

I touch her shoulder gently, but she stiffens, so I quickly pull my hand away. “Okay, Billie. Maybe you could go to college too. Would you like that?”

She smiles sadly. “No, I can’t go. But it’s okay. I don’t really mind.” She draws up her legs, hugging her knees. “I’m sorry I made you jump into the pool. I wasn’t drowning. I was just… floating.”

“Right.” Out of the corner of my eye, I see Everest walking up, ready to look after my possibly suicidal daughter.

“Jane,” I say, turning to her. “I mean, Billie. Do you mind if I… if I hug you?”

She doesn’t look half as surprised as I would expect. “Okay,” she says. “Just as long as you don’t touch my feet.”

“Now, why the hell would I do that?” I ask as I pull her into a bear hug.

“No, sorry, I don’t know… I have a foot phobia.”

“Alright.” I don’t take the time to analyze those words, merely hugging her to me a lot harder than I mean to. I’m so used to loss. I’m already wondering if I’ll ever see her again.

“Okay, Billie. I’m going to look into that college thing. This is my friend Everest, and he’ll take care of you for a bit. Just until he’s sure you’re not planning to float in any more pools or hide from any more foster brothers. Okay?”

“Okay.” She nods as I turn, breaking out into a sprint to get to the car and try to make up for lost time. “Wait. Sorry! Uhm… what’s your name?”

I pause, turning back to catch a last glimpse of my daughter. “I’m Logan.”

“Logan, uhm… thank you. Thank you for the hug. And for finding me. I mean, in my hiding game.”

I give her a small, sad smile. “You’re welcome, Billie.”

_

“Don’t worry, Logan. There’s still time.”

“Now, how the hell can you possibly know that?”

I know he doesn’t, yet there’s something about his deep, warm voice that settles my nerves. It always has.

I lean into the steering wheel, my body so stiff my legs are cramping. The light drizzle from earlier has very suddenly turned into a thunderstorm, and even with the wipers on at full speed, I’m struggling to see.

It’s really fucking great timing, especially seeing as Vincent and Everest accessed some cameras that showed the bike reaching a house in the middle of the suburbs. The roads out here aren’t even asphalt. Just gravel that’s turned muddy in the rain. But with my own clothes still soaked from the pool, I’ve made up my mind to deal with the miserable wetness.

“I don’t know,” admits Damien. “I have a feeling, that’s all. But it’s a pretty good one. You’ve always been a lucky bastard.”

“Lucky isn’t exactly how I would describe myself,” I tell him bitterly. “Losing the girl I love for eighteen years… having to give up another daughter… finding out I have a third one when she’s already almost grown…”

“But you got Lia back. Piper’s safely tucked away in Oregon. And you just found Jane.”

I shake my head, unwilling to tear up once more. But I’m tired. So fucking tired.