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“That’s true.” Bobbi frowned and chewed on her bottom lip. “In that case… where did he go next? That could be where Kinsey ended up.”
Erin returned her attention to the location data on the phone. I peered over her shoulder again. “What does it say?”
“After he left your house, he traveled north and arrived at 6400 Pacific Avenue at 12:13 a.m.”
My head jerked back as a fierce chill gripped me. I lifted my eyes to meet Bobbi’s gaze. She looked as shocked as I felt.
“Are you sure that’s what it says?” she asked, turning her attention to Erin. Her voice nearly cracked as she spoke.
“Yes, I’m positive. Why?” Erin replied, staring back at her with wide eyes. “Do you guys know that address?”
“Yes.” I curled my hands by my sides and swallowed hard, heart beating so fast that it felt like it was about to combust. “That’s Cerina’s house.”
12
Kinsey
“Wake up, Kinsey. We’re back.”
Nora Vincent’s voice woke me from the fitful sleep I’d fallen into a few hours ago. I rubbed my eyes and sat up to look at her. She was standing by the dungeon door, accompanied by Mr. Blythe.
Her eyes flitted around the small space, eventually coming to rest on the note I’d written and left on the end of the cot. “Ah, fantastic. You finally wrote the letter,” she said, lips curving into a sinister smile. “Good girl.”
I swallowed hard and gritted my teeth, dropping my gaze from her face. She knew I had no choice but to write the note as she commanded.
After dropping that bombshell about Cerina on me the other day, she’d promptly left the room without another word. Just a meaningful glance at the pen and notepad next to me. I knew what that look implied.Write the note or I’ll hurt your mother.
Now that I knew she was capable of brutally murdering her own daughter, I didn’t doubt for a second that she’d put her money where her mouth was and hurt my mom if I refused to follow her orders. So, with a heavy heart, I swallowed my pride and picked up the pen.
In the end, I took her advice and stuck to the basics. The fake suicide note read:
To my loved ones,
I’m sorry about what I did to Cerina. Sorry about everything. I’ve hurt so many people and I can’t take the guilt and pain anymore. Please try to forgive me. I love you.
Kinsey
Nora picked up the note and scanned it. “Very good,” she said. She glanced over at Mr. Blythe. “Matthew, did you bring the waterproof baggies?”
He patted his pocket. “In here.”
“What do you need waterproof bags for?” I asked in a tremulous voice.
Nora gestured upward. “The weather forecast says it’s going to rain very soon, and it’ll keep raining on and off for the next couple of days,” she said. “It’s the perfect time to take you to the bluffs, because no one will be walking around that area while it’s storming. But we can’t have your note getting washed away, obviously, so we’ll put it in the baggie and stick a rock on top of it to hold it in place.”
A bolt of terror shot through me, sending chills down my spine. “You’re doing it today?”
“Yes, darling. I explained the details the other day, didn’t I?” she asked, brows crinkling. Before I could reply, she went on. “Matthew will take you to the bluffs near his house. Then he’ll push you off.”
“Not too hard, because we need to make it seem as if you jumped,” Mr. Blythe cut in. “So it’ll just be a little push. You’ll go sailing over the edge, and then… goodbye.”
“It should be quick and painless. Most jumpers die instantly.” Nora smiled again, thin lips stretching over her perfect white teeth. “Someone will find you tomorrow morning, most likely. Or perhaps the next day. They’ll also find the note near the scene. The police will rule it as a suicide, and then the world will return to normal for everyone. Well, mostly everyone.”
I gave her a withering look. “You don’t think the investigators will find it suspicious that I have a head injury?”
“Hm?” Nora tilted her chin to the side. “What do you mean?”
“She’s talking about Thursday night,” Mr. Blythe said. “I had to hit her to subdue her and get her into my car.”
