Chapter 47
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
GRIFFIN
O fficer Langston scribbles on his notepad like he did the other night. “Did you recognize the attacker? Did she say her name or anything?”
Knox and I glance at each other. “No,” we answer at the same time.
A lie, but we need to talk to Raven. Something we plan on doing as soon as everyone is gone. I thought we had already aired out all the dirty laundry, but she’s still holding back. I don’t want to make this about me because that’s not fair, but I’m tired of the secrets.
The police lights are still blazing in front of Raven’s house, where Langston is questioning Knox and me. I think I’m going to have blue and red dots permanently etched in my retinas.
“We were able to run the prints of the man from the library,” Langston states as he flips back a few pages. “Seth Beauregard. It looks like he was a patient at Mystic River Psychiatric Hospital.”
The hairs on the back of my neck stand up, but my face remains devoid of emotion.
Langston continues the interview, unaware of the colossal piece of information. “Are you familiar with anyone there? Patients or staff?”
Knox and I shake our heads in reply.
“If you think of anything else, give me a call,” Officer Langston says as he pulls out his business card and hands it to me.
“Sure thing,” Knox replies. Langston tips the rim of his hat and strolls over to a fuming Sheriff Jackson. Langston points a finger at Jackson, then pokes him in the chest a few times, pushing Jackson backward. Jackson grits his teeth and mutters something back.
Knox says exactly what I’m thinking out loud, nodding to the sheriff. “Langston got here first again.”
Positioning myself at his side, I respond, “We need to figure out what’s keeping the sheriff so occupied. Once is a coincidence. Twice is a pattern.”
The coroner strolls by, pushing a stretcher. The lump inside the black body bag gives me chills. I’ve seen many dead bodies in my life, but Alice’s dead body will haunt me for the next few decades at least.
When Alice fell, I handed Raven off to Knox, who was still holding Noah as well, and I ran to the backyard.
I checked Alice for a pulse but found none.
When the lights from the approaching emergency vehicles illuminated Alice’s face, my body froze as my chest tightened.
I could have handled the scary-as-fuck smile, but the lights showed me why her smile was so huge and why her eyes were still open.
They were sewn that way.
I cannot imagine the type of person who would sew the corners of their mouth into a smile. Then also sew their eyelids to their brows…the contents of my stomach stirred. Knox didn’t believe me until he saw Alice’s body for himself.
A police officer with latex gloves on walks by with clear plastic bags labeled “evidence.” He takes them to Officer Langston, they have a short discussion, then Langston walks back to us.
“Have either of you ever heard of midazolam?” Officer Langston holds up one of the evidence bags. This particular one contains an empty syringe.
I answer his question with a question. “Isn’t that a sedative?”
“Yes,” he confirms. “It’s usually used intravenously like this in a hospital.”
A knot forms in my stomach.
Langston poses another question. “Do you know anyone who works in a hospital who might want to hurt Raven Henry?”
Not someone who would hurt Raven, but someone who would happily hurt Knox and me. Knox and I exchange a look. That one look validates he’s thinking the same thing I am.
Lewis Whitlock.
“No,” Knox and I answer together again.
Langston nods his head and offers his genuine appreciation. “Thanks for your help. Hopefully, we’ll be out of here soon. I’m sure y’all want to check on Raven and her son.” He sweeps his arm in the direction of the ambulance.
Raven sits with Noah in the back of an ambulance.
He woke up not long after the police arrived, which was a relief to us all.
Seeing him in the arms of a stranger lurking near an open window was enough to induce multiple heart attacks.
And when I noticed he wasn’t moving…I can’t even think about that.
And thankfully, Lucy also woke up en route to Henrick Medical Center in Abilene.
She’s staying overnight for observation per her parents’ request.
Noah has yet to be interviewed, but Officer Langston was kind enough to agree to wait. Sheriff Jackson didn’t want to follow Langston’s lead, but Langston threw his weight around and claimed jurisdiction.
Knox and I hurry over to Raven. Color has returned to her cheeks, and the terror in her eyes has left and been replaced with relief.
We stand at the open doors, waiting for the EMT to give Noah the all-clear.
He woke up before Lucy and was afraid to go to the hospital.
The EMT reluctantly agreed to do Noah’s examination here.
The EMT stumbles over his words, pushing the matter again. “We really should take him to Hendrick Medical Center with the other vic—patient.”
Noah’s eyes bulge, and the beeping of the heart monitor increases. “No! Mom, please. I don’t want to go.”
The distress on Raven’s face bites at my chest. “What if I take him to urgent care as soon as they open?”
The EMT sighs. “That should be fine, but I strongly advise taking him to the hospital.”
Noah shakes his head emphatically, and Raven gives the EMT a pleading look. The EMT unwillingly gives in to their request.
“Well, there’s not much else I can do. A good night’s sleep is the only thing left.”
“Thank you.” Raven nods as the EMT removes the wires and monitors from Noah.
When Noah is unhooked, Raven carries Noah from the ambulance and moves toward her house.
I jump in front of her, holding my hand up. “We can’t go in yet. It’s still a crime scene.”
The weight on Raven’s shoulders increases as she begins working out the problem in front of her. For as long as I live, I will carry that weight for her.
Draping my arm across her shoulders, I steer her toward mine and Knox’s house.
Knox steps forward and takes Noah from Raven’s arms. Raven doesn’t put up a fight as we lead her and Noah in our house and up the stairs.
Knox takes Noah to his own room and lays him down.
As soon as Noah’s head hits the pillow, he out like a light.
Then we guide Raven into my room. Raven lets us remove her clothes and slide one of my T-shirts over her head. It’s like she’s not really here with us. Her body is, but her mind is lost somewhere else.
Knox and I dress down to our boxers and usher Raven into my bed. Knox lies on his back, and we situate Raven in the middle, wedging her between us. I shift her onto her side, facing Knox, as I wrap myself around her from behind.
Raven breathes, amassing the gumption to answer all the questions we’re holding back. She knows we want an explanation but won’t bombard her.
“I grew up in Dallas,” she starts.
That explains the woman we ran into at the Halloween store.
“My parents were all about appearances. The perfect house, the perfect marriage, the perfect children. Walter and Georgia Kelly. I changed my last name after I was rescued in New York. I didn’t want to be connected to them anymore.”
I bite my lip to hold back my commentary.
Growing up in Texas, I’m well acquainted with people like that.
I hate them. Parents who are more concerned about how they are perceived than whether or not their children become good people.
They’re the people who treat their children more like pawns on a chessboard instead of precious souls who need love and protection.
Parents like Raven’s are a dime a dozen.
People like that shouldn’t be allowed to procreate.
Raven places her hand over mine, seeking strength, and I’ll always give it to her. I’d give her every bit of my soul. She could bleed me dry, and I’d still offer to give her my heart.
“I did everything they asked of me. Ballet, tennis, student government, debutante balls, perfect grades. I even dated the boys they wanted me to, which were always the children of business partners or people who would raise their social status.”
It’s like legal human trafficking.
I keep my breathing even. I don’t want her to feel judged by my reactions.
“When I was eight, they had my brother, Noah. I’m still not sure what made them act the way they did with him. I don’t know if he was unplanned, the product of an affair, or what. But they didn’t welcome him home.”
These people. If I didn’t already know they were dead, I’d kill them.
“And Noah wasn’t one who could be controlled. He didn’t let our parents force him into anything. They wanted a son who liked football, but he liked computers.” Raven sniffs, and Knox swipes his thumb across her cheek, wiping away her salty tears.
“I knew Walter would hit Noah. He said it was to ‘teach him a lesson’ and that he just wanted Noah to ‘become a man.’ Whatever that means. It got to a point where Noah didn’t even have to do anything wrong.
Walter would take off his belt and hunt Noah down just because he was in a bad mood.
I did everything I could to intervene. But then Walter got smart and would wait until I wasn’t home. ”
No child should feel unwanted. No child should know what pain feels like because of their parent. They’re supposed to learn by falling off their bike or accidentally touching a hot pan. Children are supposed to be cherished. I don’t have kids of my own and even I know that.
My fingers dig into my arms so hard that I wouldn’t be surprised if I have permanent indents in my skin. But again, I don’t want Raven to feel what I’m feeling, so I lean forward and press my lips to the back of her head.
“But Noah was strong. He was always stronger than me.”
“Raven…” I growl. I don’t like her talking about herself like that.