AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What happened to Hank?”
“One day, he took us on a trip. He asked me to put the kids to sleep, so I did. Then we all went camping in the woods.”
Cassie didn’t have to ask what happened next, but she felt compelled to anyway. “They didn’t wake up, did they?”
“They were so peaceful. Always happier when they were asleep.”
Someone cleared their throat behind Cassie. She turned to see a muscular man holding a tray with a sandwich and a bowl of fruit. “Sorry to interrupt, but Ms. Miller needs to eat her lunch now.”
“That’s okay. Can I have one more minute with her?”
The man nodded and stepped just out of earshot. Cassie turned back to Sherry. She still had so many questions—how she escaped Hank, if she knew the names of the other kids who’d been kidnapped, what happened to the kids who weren’t put to sleep—but she only had time for one more.
“Do you remember where you went camping? Was the drive very long?”
“We didn’t drive. We walked.” Sherry smiled. “The kids were so excited. They weren’t usually allowed in the backyard. They’re so easy to entertain at that age.”
Cassie took a deep breath. She was caught between pity and anguish. “Thank you for talking to me, Sherry. I appreciate it.”
Sherry smiled and looked for the man with the tray. He walked over and handed it to her, then wheeled her over to a table. Cassie had learned so much, and yet there were so many gaps in the story. But she knew what had happened to Sebastian, and she knew what had happened to Sarah. She had gotten some semblance of closure. She stopped the recorder.
Cassie now had enough information to hand over to the police. It would be up to them to close this case, to ensure Henry Fitzpatrick rotted in jail for the rest of his life. Cassie wasn’t sure what would happen to Sherry, given her condition. After Hank’s manipulation and years of convincing herself she was trying to help them, Sherry Miller couldn’t fully understand what Hank had made her do when she was at the lowest point in her life. And it would be up to a judge to decide if she should spend the rest of her life living with the consequences of her actions.
What mattered most now was finding the bodies of the kids she’d put to sleep. Maybe Cassie would finally be able to tell Mrs. Lennox where her little girl was buried.
43
Cassie held herself together until she reached her car. But as soon as she shut the door behind her, the tears flowed with abandon. There was no controlling them, and she cried until she had no more tears left.
Twenty-five years after her best friend had disappeared, Cassie had answers, not only about Sarah but about herself.
Her subconscious had tried to convince her it was her fault Sarah died. Cassie hadn’t understood how much that had been weighing her down until she realized it was pure coincidence Sarah had been taken. If they had been staying at Cassie’s house that night, she or her sister could’ve been the next victim.
It should’ve been Cassie, but it wasn’t. And she’d never be able to apologize to Sarah for that.
Cassie dried her eyes. She put her car into drive. Savannah was a blur as she drove through the city. Purpose kept her from crying again. There was no guarantee they’d recover Sarah’s body, but that didn’t mean Cassie couldn’t pay her respects at her gravesite, even if it was empty.
When Cassie pulled into the graveyard parking lot, she let her sadness wash over her again. But this time it felt different. Instead of guilt or anger or pain, it felt like grief. Mourning. She finally had some answers, and soon enough, maybe the rest of the world would, too.
Cassie dialed David’s phone number. It immediately went to voicemail. Part of her was relieved. Her knowledge weighed her down, but she wasn’t ready to relive it. Maybe that could wait until tomorrow.
“Hey, it’s me. Sorry to keep bugging you, but I talked to someone today who I think may have information about what happened to Sarah and some of the other kids who went missing around the same time as her. When you have a chance, call me back. I think we can finally give those families the answers they deserve.”
Cassie tucked her phone in her pocket and pushed open the car door, despite the heaviness of her limbs. It felt as though weights had been tied around her ankles, but she dragged herself through the gate and down the left path. She had visited Sarah’s grave when she was younger, and even though it had been years, she knew right where to find it.
The gravestone was made of pink granite. Despite the clouds in the sky, it still sparkled with the kind of joy Sarah had brought into her life. How different would everything have been if Sarah were still alive? Would Cassie be the person she was? Would she have been attacked by Novak? Would she have ever lost her abilities? Would she be helping people the way she was today?
Questions like that did her no good, but they were hard to ignore.
Cassie bent down and pressed a hand against Sarah’s engraved name. The graves around Sarah’s sang to her like a symphony of bones, but Sarah’s voice wasn’t amongst them. Until they found her body, she’d remain silent forever.
When Cassie stood, she saw Sebastian standing a few feet away. The other spirits made a wide berth around them, as though they knew the significance of this moment. Part of her wished Sarah could’ve been there, but Sebastian held a special place in her heart, too. She would never forget him, and she hoped he would never forget her.
“Thank you.” Her voice was a whisper, but they didn’t need words to communicate. “For your help. For Sarah. You can rest now.”
For the first time since she had met him, Sebastian smiled. It was just a quirk of his lips, but it was unmistakable. As he faded, the image was burned into her mind. She would remember his smile for the rest of her life, and it would bring her comfort and hope.
Cassie’s phone vibrated in her pocket. She wanted to live in the moment for a few minutes longer, but when she saw it was Harris, something deep in the pit of her stomach told her to answer.
