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Laura grabbed her suitcase out of the back. She didn’t look back as she walked toward the airport. Cassie was glad. Tears were falling down her cheeks now. This was the happiest, most fulfilled she’d felt in a while, but that made the pain of separation hurt that much more. If Laura turned back now, Cassie was afraid she’d never let her go.
Instead, she looked in the rearview mirror. Sebastian was staring back at her.
“You ready?”
He didn’t answer, but Cassie knew he was. As soon as they had crossed back into Georgia, he’d appeared in the backseat. He knew Cassie’s next stop after the airport was Orchard Hills, the psychiatric ward where Sherry Miller was living out the rest of her days.
It wasn’t far from the airport, and Cassie was walking up to the front of the building within twenty minutes. Her palms were sweaty, but she didn’t hesitate to pull the door open and walk right up to the front desk. She was so close to the truth, she could reach out and touch it.
The older woman behind the desk smiled as she looked up at her. “Good morning. What can I do for you today?”
“I’m here to visit Sherry Miller.”
“Are you a member of her family?”
“No.” This was the part Cassie wasn’t sure would work. “I knew her when I was a little g
irl. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her, and I was hoping I could talk to her.”
The woman’s smile was sad. “Ms. Miller isn’t in the best of health, dear. There’s a good chance she won’t remember you.”
“I figured there was a chance of that. Would it be okay if I tried?”
“Let me go see how she’s feeling today first, okay?”
Cassie nodded and watched as the woman disappeared through a set of double doors. Five minutes later, she returned with a smile on her face. “I can take you back to her.”
“Thank you so much.” Cassie’s heart fluttered at the same time her stomach dropped. “Could you tell me a bit of what she’s like these days?”
“She’s quiet.” The woman held the door open for her. “But she’ll get talking when she wants to. She’s heavily medicated, so she suffers from a little brain fog. She’s had a rough life.”
“I’m aware of her arrest record. Is she ever violent?”
“Oh no, not at all. She gets frustrated some days, but she couldn’t hurt a fly. She spends most of her days in bed or sitting in front of the window in a wheelchair, watching the birds in the trees.”
“Is her memory okay?”
“Sometimes.” They reached the end of the hall and entered a recreation room. It had a few chairs, a couple couches, and several TVs. “She’s better at remembering the past than she is recent events, so you might have some luck.”
“Thank you.” Cassie spotted a woman in a wheelchair by the window. “Is that her?”
“Yes, ma’am. We have some orderlies wandering around here. Just grab one of them if you need anything, okay?”
Cassie nodded and watched as the woman retreated through the double doors. Cassie’s feet stuck to the ground. From here, Sherry Miller looked like someone’s sweet grandmother with her short, curly gray hair, her large glasses, and the two blankets that covered her legs. A large sweatshirt hid her frame.
As much as she tried, Cassie couldn’t convince herself this woman and the monster she saw in the woods were the same person. She knew a little of what Sherry had done in the time between then and now, but there were so many unanswered questions. She knew she was tied to Sebastian, that Sebastian was tied to Sarah, and that Sarah was tied to the man who’d been arrested for a singular kidnapping, despite being a suspect in multiple cases.
Cassie approached the older woman. When she looked up, Cassie saw just enough light in her eyes to determine that perhaps today was one of her good days. She sat down in a chair next to her.
“Sherry Miller?”
“Yes.” The woman looked at Cassie for a few seconds. “Who are you?”
“My name is Cassie Quinn.” She took a deep breath. “I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions.”
42
The woman stared at Cassie for a full minute. “Who are you?”
