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Gayle’s anger wilted slightly, her hand dipping slightly with the gun, her grip on Sarah loosening slightly.
“I know you were a good mother,” Mrs.Lundy continued. “You almost died trying to save Piper. But right now, you’re frightening Sarah.”
“She’s right,” Ellie said. “You don’t want to scare Sarah or hurt her. If you do, you’re hurting part of Piper.”
One Hundred Forty-One
You’re hurting Piper. Hurting Piper. Hurting Piper.
No… she wouldneverhurt Piper. She lived and breathed for her child. She wanted her back so badly that the fierce hollow void in her chest could never ever be filled. Not unless Piper was with her.
“Please, let Sarah go,” the other woman pleaded. “She’s just a little girl and she’s been through so much already. She fought for her life and is terrified now. I know you don’t want to hurt her.”
You’re hurting Piper. Hurting Piper.
Gayle looked down at the little girl, whose freckled cheeks were soaked in tears, and her stomach rose to her throat. The fear in Sarah’s eyes tore at her. She heard her whimpering and glanced around at the detective and the FBI agent and the police officer. She was cornered.
Silas was right. So was this woman. Sarah was not her child. Not her Piper. Neither was Ava or Kaylee or Becky. They had pieces of Piper, but it wasn’t the same.
They would never love her as their mommy, just like Piper would never have loved some stranger who’d stolen her.
Closing her eyes for a brief second, the pain ripped at her as if some invisible force was shredding her heart. Then the wind ruffled her hair and a snowflake landed on her nose, and she could see Piper running in the snow, twirling around, catching snowflakes on her tongue then dropping to the ground, waving her arms, making snow angels. Her laughter tinkled in the air. Her bright eyes glittered like Christmas lights.
Then Gayle opened her eyes and realized it was all in her mind. The little girl she was holding wasn’t smiling or laughing. She wanted her mommy.
“Gayle,” the detective said. “Each of these children’s families love their daughters just like you loved Piper. Please don’t put them through the same kind of pain you’re feeling.”
For weeks and months after she’d lost her daughter, Gayle couldn’t believe she was gone. She’d searched the faces of every child on the street looking for her. She’d become so depressed that Silas insisted she see a grief counselor. When that didn’t seem to help and she insisted on knowing who received Piper’s organs, finally Silas relented and learned that Kaylee had received Piper’s heart. After all, the heart was the essence of life.
At first she’d just driven to the little girl’s house and watched her play. Watched her from afar. She’d thought that would be enough. Seeing her heart breathing life into another child.
Then one day Kaylee had kicked a ball into the street and she’d caught it and handed it back to her. The moment she’d looked into the girl’s eyes, she’d felt a connection and knew Kaylee belonged with her. She’d become obsessed with having her.
Now she saw the little girl clinging to the police officer, tears tracking her cheeks, and realized the depth of what she’d done.
“Gayle, please, let’s end this,” the detective said as she inched toward her.
“Please,” Sarah’s mother said softly. Compassion softened Mrs.Lundy’s eyes and hacked at Gayle’s anger. “I’m sorry,” she murmured. “I… I’m so sorry.”
She stooped down in front of Sarah and wiped at her cheeks with her thumb. “I’m sorry I scared, you, honey.” She patted her shoulder then released her. “Go back to your mommy.”
Sarah turned and ran, and her mother raced forward, scooped her in her arms and pressed her head against her shoulder. The father wrapped his arm around both of them and ushered them up the drive and onto the porch.
“Gayle?” Detective Reeves said. “Please give me the gun now.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the officer and that agent carrying Kaylee and Ava from the van and running over to a police car.
“You killed Renee, didn’t you?” the detective asked. “You poisoned her soda at the prison.”
Gayle nodded, remembering the day she’d overheard Renee and her sister talking about Renee’s drinking.
“I heard the sisters talking about AA one day at the park,” she said, the confession pouring out of her. “Then I thought, why does she get to have a daughter when she was drinking and my baby got taken away? It wasn’t fair.” She swiped at the snowflakes on her face. “She didn’t deserve to raise my Piper. So I decided to join AA and get to know Renee.”
“But then you kidnapped her daughter and framed her by telling the officer at the beach that Renee was drinking. You drugged her water bottle, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” she murmured, “while they were collecting seashells.”
“I don’t understand, though,” the detective continued. “She was in jail, why kill her?”
