Ten
Lisa watched Cole shut the front door behind him, and then she exhaled so heavily she thought she might pass out. She’d feigned braveness in front of her husband, so he wouldn’t worry, but the truth was she was frightened out of her mind. This couldn’t be real. This couldn’t be happening. She felt completely numb. It had been ten years. A lifetime. Plus, this was different from the past. Back then, they had never really set up a new life. They were too scared all the time to even allow themselves to make new friends or find genuine community. So it was much easier to pick up and just go without word to anyone. But they had a real life here. A life she’d grown to love—at least, as much as she could under the circumstances. It had certainly been difficult dealing with so many financial challenges. Back in Austin, they’d lived an affluent lifestyle. Money had never been an issue for them. Not only did Cole have a terrific job with a high salary, but she was also doing well as a Realtor and making a name for herself. She loved helping people find the perfect home. But neither of them felt like they could pursue opportunities here in Winter Park that might put them in the spotlight. They just couldn’t risk it. Cole had especially felt stifled by that choice. He had always been an ambitious guy, so constantly pumping the brakes on career possibilities had gradually stolen a part of his soul.
But they did it all for Jade. Their daughter was not going to understand any of this. It would be devastating to rip her out of her life with no explanation—especially on her birthday. But Lisa had no choice. One way or another, her daughter’s life as she knew it was over. She checked her watch, marking the exact time. Four minutes.
She turned, rushed up the stairs. She took several breaths, trying to stay in control. It was difficult. The growing panic felt like a roaring lion inside her. She knew she couldn’t allow the wild animal to get to the surface. Not with what she had to accomplish with Jade in such a short amount of time. She’d prayed for years that she would never have to do this. That she would never have to step into her daughter’s bedroom and destroy everything Jade thought she knew about her life. But that moment had come anyway. Still, she prayed again, and then entered Jade’s bedroom. Her daughter was curled up on her bed, back against the pillows, headphones over her ears, eyes glued to her phone. Probably texting with friends. Just like she did every other free moment. Those days were about to be over. Jade turned toward the door when she finally noticed her mom.
She took off her headphones. “Hey, is Dad home? I heard his truck. But then it sounded like he just drove off again or something.”
Lisa swallowed, ignored the question, spoke in an urgent tone. “Honey, listen to me very carefully. We must leave the house right now . You have four minutes to throw whatever you can into a bag. And then we’re driving away.”
Jade tilted her head. “What? Is this some kind of fun birthday thing?”
“No, this is very serious. I can’t explain right now. But I need you to do what I just said. We’re pulling out of the driveway in exactly four minutes.”
Jade’s face bunched up. “Mom, what are you talking about? You’re kinda scaring me. What’s wrong?”
“We’re in trouble, baby. Real trouble. People are coming here.”
“What? What people? What happened?”
She couldn’t stay calm any longer. “Jade, please! Now get moving!”
Her daughter suddenly scrambled out of the bed. “But ... what am I supposed to pack? Where are we going?”
“Whatever is valuable to you. Nothing more. Don’t worry about your clothes.”
“What do you mean, don’t worry about clothes?”
“I already have a bag of clothes packed for you.”
“What? You do? Why?”
“Give me your phone,” Lisa demanded, again ignoring Jade’s question.
“Why, Mom? You’re freaking me out so bad!”
“Please just give it to me.”
Jade reluctantly handed over her phone. “I don’t understand what’s happening!”
Lisa could see tears forming in her daughter’s eyes. She pulled Jade into her chest with both arms. “I’m sorry, baby. I know this is so confusing, and scary. But I just need you to trust me right now, okay? Trust your mom. Meet me downstairs. Please hurry!”
Lisa turned, rushed out of the bedroom, bounded down the stairs. She passed through their primary bedroom and into the main closet, where she quickly changed out of her pajama pants and into a pair of blue jeans. She was already wearing a blue sweatshirt with ASPEN stitched in white on the front from a family road trip they’d taken the previous year. She sat on a stool, tugged on socks, and then quickly laced up a pair of Nike running shoes. Then she bolted out of the bedroom and back into the kitchen. She could hear rumbling around from Jade’s bedroom upstairs. Hopefully that meant her daughter was doing as she was told. Lisa pulled open a kitchen drawer and grabbed a hammer. She put Jade’s cell phone on the counter and banged it hard with the tool. The screen shattered. Several more swings with the hammer and the phone completely broke apart.
Lisa darted from the kitchen, moved into the foyer, and peeked out a front window. She spotted car headlights coming in her direction. She stiffened, was about to scream for Jade, but then realized it was just their neighbor, Joe Henderson. He passed their home and pulled into a garage two houses down. She gave a quick thought to her neighbors. Their worlds were going to be rocked, too, when they found out the truth about who they’d been living next to all these years. She could hear them now in the days ahead, sitting in camping chairs in the Peters’ driveway across the street, while the kids all played outside—like they’d been doing for years—talking about the shock of all this.
They were living right next to us.
We had Cole and Lisa in our home all the time.
Our daughter has been best friends with Jade since second grade.
How could Cole and I fish together nearly every Saturday morning without me knowing anything about any of this?
Lisa was so lovely. I can’t believe they committed a murder.
And so on and so forth. Lisa would have no opportunity to ever tell them the truth. To convince them all of it was lies. That hurt her so much. She cared deeply about these people. They had become family. Her only family. And now it would all be shattered. Tears hit her own eyes. She quickly wiped them away, raced back to the stairs.
“Jade! Now! We have to go! Right now!”
Her daughter appeared at the top of the stairs with a black backpack over her shoulder. She’d also changed into blue jeans, tennis shoes, and a Taylor Swift sweatshirt.
“Mom, I’m shaking so much . You have to tell me what’s going on!”
“I will. But not now. Come on!”
Jade hurried down the stairs. Lisa ushered her daughter forward, through the kitchen, and toward the garage. Jade paused a moment to look down at her smashed-up phone.
“Mom, my phone—”
“You’ll get a new phone soon.”
Lisa snagged her purse from a counter in the mudroom, grabbed her car keys from a hook on the wall. She hit the garage door opener as they stepped into the garage. She could now hear police sirens not too far off. She stood still a second, listening. It sounded like multiple sirens. Could the police be going after Cole right now? Were they coming to the house? Or was it possibly unrelated to their situation? She felt her new burner phone buzz in her back jean pocket and quickly pulled it out. Her heart dropped. The text message from Cole answered her question and sent a chill straight through her. She swiftly dropped into the front seat of her green Subaru Outback.
Jade got into the passenger seat. “Mom, is that the police?”
“Yes,” Lisa admitted, starting the car.
“Are they coming here?”
“Yes, baby. Hold on!”
Lisa shifted into reverse and punched the gas down. The Subaru’s tires squealed on the concrete, rocketing backward, throwing her daughter forward into the dashboard. The car sped in reverse all the way into the street, where Lisa yanked the wheel to the right. The quickest way out of the neighborhood was behind her. But that was also, most likely, the way the police were approaching their house. So she decided to take one of the back ways out. Thinking quickly, Lisa pressed the garage door opener on her visor, sending the garage door toward the concrete, hoping it might delay the police a few extra minutes if they thought they were still inside the house. She punched the gas again.
At the next street, Lisa tugged the wheel left, causing the tires to spin like crazy on the asphalt. She then stopped and took one final peek back at their home. A place where they’d created so many family memories. The only home Jade had ever really known. When she hit the gas again, she knew it would be gone from their lives forever. Along with everything inside it. More tears hit her cheeks. The police were now on their street. Multiple vehicles. An army. Lisa pressed the gas down, said another prayer, and sped forward.
God, please help us!