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But now, after that dream… I couldn’t. As close as Sheila and Amanda had been, surely she would be able to at least assure me that Amanda’s brain was intact, and that she wasnot, in fact, rocking a bullet-sized hole in her head.
Or at least, that’s what I hoped.
In reality, Sheila broke down crying as soon as I explained who I was.
“I haven’t seen her in years,” she explained in broken words, her voice laden with emotion. “The last time I talked to her, she called me so excited. She was going to move in with Asher – they were looking for homes together. And then she was just… gone.”
I frowned. “Wait a minute… moving in with Asher? She never told me that, and neither did he. It was never mentioned.”
“She definitely told me that. After not hearing from her for a week, which was unusual, I went to her place, and used my key to get in. The place was completely empty. All her furniture, everything, gone. I managed to get in touch with her landlord, and she told me that Amanda had sent in a legal document relinquishing her lease, with a check big enough to pay it out. She even sent me a copy, but that signature… it wasn’t Amanda. But that woman didn’t care, as long as she had her money.”
My frown deepened as I sat back in my chair, processing Sheila’s words. “Why would Amanda do that, though? It doesn’t make sense. I know she moved to Denver to be with Asher before… do you know where they were thinking of buying?”
“Further east. Up there with you, and Kellen. And… oh, Monica. I’m so sorry to hear about what happened to him. You two always looked so happy together, and that’s so—”
“I’m fine, Ms. Sheila,” I interrupted, not wanting to go down that road. “I mean… thank you, but… I’ll be okay. I’m just a little concerned about this thing with Amanda. It’s not like her to just… disappear like this. Do you know anyone else who might know?”
Instead of the “no” I was expecting, there was a long silence on the other end of the line, before Sheila pushed out a sigh.
“I called her mother. And that…woman… had the nerve to ask me why I was calling her about it. As if Amanda isn’t her flesh and blood.The best decision I’ve ever made was handing that thing to you the moment it was born.Can you believe she actually said that to me? About her own child?”
Yes.
Yes, I could.
Amanda had drank a little too much more than once, getting loose enough at the lips to tell me things she wouldn’t dare when she was sober. Horrible things her mother said whenever she was around, the deep insecurities Amanda felt about the woman’s obvious abhorrence of her.
Those were the moments that kept me grounded, instead of envious, of the relationship Amanda had with her aunt, who doted on her. Flawed as my mother may have been, she’d never hated me, at least not in that way. Amanda may have had a bomb auntie in her life, a role I could’ve used myself, but at least I didn’t have a mother who loathed my very existence.
“That’s really sad,” I agreed with Sheila. “And I’m going to take it to mean she hadn’t heard from her either.”
“If she had, she didn’t tell me.”
I pushed out a sigh. “Okay. This whole thing is nuts. How does somebody just disappear, and no one who knows her has any idea what happened?”
“Oh Ihavean idea of what happened. That boy happened, and he did something to her!”
I frowned. “What boy? Are you talking about Asher?!”
“I sure as hell am. I always knew something wasn’t right about him, but I couldn’t pinpoint it, and Amanda didn’t want to see it. I believe he did something to her. He killed her!”
My heart dropped. “Ms. Sheila,no. I’ve known Asher about as long as I’ve known Amanda, and I know he wouldneverhurt her. Helovedher.”
“Sure, as long as she was playing the little role he wanted, and following his orders!”
“Wait a minute –what?” I asked, sitting forward. “What does that even mean?”
“Nothing.Nothing,” she said. “Never mind. I have to go.”
“Wait, Ms. Shei—”
“Don’t call here again pretending like you were really Amanda’s friend.”
“Pretending?!” I gasped. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” Sheila hissed. “You think I don’t read on the blogs that you and your husband were having problems? And every time you start having problems with Kellen, Amanda started having a problem with Asher, sneaking off on long trips, for days at a time.”
“What thehellare you implying?”
