Page 27 of Keeping Collette

Think.

Feel.

The reality that her sister wasn’t coming back had been a constant companion with hope that maybe this time would be different. That Courtney would be the one percent that survived.

But it wasn’t.

Silent tears still tracked down her face, her sobs internal now.

Collette was conscious of Deal’s hand rubbing up and down her back. He wasn’t saying anything.

The weight of everything got too much for her, and her head dropped to his shoulder, eyelids drifting down.

There was so much she wanted to know. Like, where had she been found? What had happened to her? Had she been a victim of the serial killer, or something else?

She couldn’t voice them though. Asking those questions out loud, putting it out to the universe, gave it a finality that she had to face, but couldn’t right this second.

Collette was aware of the buzzing of Deal’s phone with either calls or texts. Things he was ignoring for her.

Taking a deep breath as she wiped away her tears, Collette pulled out of Deal’s hold, even though it was the last thing she wanted to do.

“I should go to the police and let them know she’s been found,” she announced quietly.

“They’ve already been notified.”

Collette nodded. Of course, the authorities would’ve been told, that was how Alliez operated.

But there was so much to be done now. So many things she needed to organize. A funeral. Although how long that would take to arrange was something she didn’t know. Would the police need to do an autopsy? Find out if there was any DNA on her body that could be used to find out who killed her?

She also needed to let Courtney’s school know that she wasn’t coming back. They also needed to be warned to watch their students, because whoever lured Courtney away could do it to another student. Collette was convinced that that was what happened to her sister. No way would Courtney go to that area because she wanted to.

She also had to tell her parents. They were the last people she wanted to see, but they should know what happened to their youngest child. Had they even been aware that she had been missing? Or were they too lost in their drug haze to notice they hadn’t seen their daughter for weeks?

“There’s so much to do. Where do I start?” Yet she didn’t move away from Deal; she still sat on his lap.

“I’ll help you.”

She looked up at him, shocked that he would volunteer. “You will? Why?”

Damn that was rude.

“Sorry,” she said immediately. “I-uh-yeah, just sorry.”

Deal smiled, a soft, but reassuring one, too. “No offense taken. I offered because no one should go through this alone. And you’re not alone. You’ve got me. Astrid. And everyone at Alliez. Whatever you need, we’ll help you get through this.”

What would she have done if she hadn’t gone to Astrid and begged for help?

Would Courtney have been found? Or would she be another missing person’s case? The police wouldn’t have had any idea of her last known location, because they hadn’t asked for her cell phone details.

If Courtney had been anyone other than the daughter of known drug addicts, things might have been different. The police might have reacted with more interest, and asked for her cell phone number.

In the end, she’d never know, but her sister had been found, and Collette was determined her short life would be celebrated.

“I need to see her,” she announced, and scrambled off Deal’s lap. “I need to see my sister.”

“Are you sure you want to do that?” Deal questioned, as he came to stand beside her. His fingers brushing her arm lightly.

Was she sure?