Chapter Twelve #3
She turned her cheek to look at the verandah floodlights illuminating the faces of Caleb and his team, now huddled together, and felt a shiver run down her spine.
Here, in this unassuming backyard, the past was clawing its way into the present, demanding to be heard and reconciled.
For her, it was as though the very earth was echoing her own hidden yearnings—for resolution, for answers, for an end to the haunting void left by her sister’s disappearance.
And as she lay there, her bright blue eyes darkened by the weight of memories, she realised that this broken pipe was the beginning of a journey both dreaded and longed for—one that would lead her down a path towards long-buried secrets and a truth that had been waiting to be uncovered.
Was her mother working from the other side, using her ghostly powers to shed light, finally?
Was Skye with her, telling Claire where she was buried?
Was that why she’d been feeling as if someone was following her? The very thought made her tremble.
Numbly, with Donna and Rhonda’s help, she sat up, unable to tear her eyes away from where the remains of her beloved sister lay wrapped up now.
Her mind was reeling with emotions and memories, all jumbled together in a chaotic mess.
She draped her arms around her knees, trying to shield herself from the chill of reality that was settling into her chest. Silhouetted against the bright floodlights, Caleb’s figure stood strong and resolute.
As if sensing her gaze on him, he turned to face her.
They exchanged a glance that conveyed a shared understanding—partners in pursuit of an eerie truth—and his resolute expression told her what she ached to hear.
We’ll find out what happened to her. I promise you.
Tears pricked as she acknowledged him with a tiny nod.
She desperately wanted to believe there was still a chance for justice and closure amid this tragedy, given that the evidence, if any, was now fourteen years old.
Despite the overwhelming sorrow that threatened to consume her, a small flicker of hope remained within her heart like a stubborn flame refusing to be extinguished.
She hoped they’d find a way to deliver Skye her overdue justice.
‘Thank you,’ she whispered, the two words barely audible over the sound of her heart breaking yet again.
‘I’ve got you,’ he mouthed back, before turning his attention back to the man he’d called Boston earlier.
The scene before her was surreal—a haunting display that had thrust her back into the darkest chapter of her life.
Who was the man her mother had been having an affair with?
And was he Skye’s father? If he was, did he have something to do with her disapp…
death? Her thoughts tangled with possibilities, fear and a resolve to push forward, knowing the next day would bring them closer to the truth or deeper into the realm of the unknown.
This was a murder investigation now. And that meant more manpower. Her sister was no longer a cold case.
Rhonda, her weathered face etched with concern, returned from inside and placed a cup of tea into her hands then sat and wrapped a supportive arm around her shoulders. Donna, her red-rimmed eyes brimming with empathy, hovered nearby with a box of tissues.
‘We’re so sorry, love,’ Rhonda murmured, her voice a soothing balm against the sharp edges of grief. ‘Please know we’re here for you.’
With each comforting squeeze from Rhonda’s hand, more recollections of Skye flooded her mind—laughter that echoed in her blue eyes and a bond she’d believed could never be broken.
She wiped her eyes and tightly clutched the tissue Donna had handed her.
Beneath her sorrow simmered a rising rage at whoever had stolen Skye from their lives.
Who could do such a monstrous thing to a sweetly innocent young girl?
Pure evil, that’s who.
Through the veil of her emotions, she caught a glimpse of a stooped figure standing apart from the hub of activity, just over the back fence.
He was the same man she’d seen hovering over her mother’s casket, mumbling words she hadn’t been able to hear.
She suddenly knew who he was. Standing beneath the fluorescent light of his back patio, her old primary school teacher and former neighbour William Keller watched on.
She remembered him as being the same age as her parents, but now, in his fifties, he looked like an elderly man.
Squinting, she honed in on him, noting the way his lips were pressed tightly.
He’d always been so kind at school, but now something about him gave her the creeps.
Or maybe it was the scene before her that was contributing to that sensation?
‘Will pretty much keeps to himself since he took early retirement from teaching, and even more so after losing his mother last year to a stroke. He never married. Never had kids,’ Rhonda said, following Nyah’s gaze, responding as if having just read her mind.
‘But he’s always eager to help if we need a man’s hands around the place, you know, gardening and the like. ’
‘He’s acting odd,’ Nyah said, more to herself. ‘Do you think he knows something?’ She turned to Rhonda, eyes widening.
‘Oh no, he may be a little eccentric, but I can’t imagine him having anything to do with this…’ She trailed off, the slightest bit of uncertainty furrowing her brow.
Was this suspicious behaviour, or the reticence of a solitary man?
So William Keller had never married, had no children, and his life seemed to be a closed book to the outside world.
She wondered where his brother was now, and whether Nate Keller still lived in Wildstone, in the same house as William, or if he’d moved away.
‘Does Nate still live there, too?’ It didn’t hurt to ask.
‘No, he’s married with two children. They live on the other side of town, out near Caleb, actually.’
‘Oh, okay, well, I really hope we find answers,’ Nyah whispered as she watched William turn around, then head back inside his house.
‘I’m sure we will,’ Donna added softly, her words drifting. ‘You’ve got Caleb on your side, and we all know he won’t rest until this is solved, once and for all.’
Indeed, Caleb’s presence was a constant comfort, and his determination a beacon of hope.
She had no doubt he’d uncover the truth—no matter how deeply it was buried.
As for her, once she’d gathered enough strength, she needed to call her dad and tell him the awful news.
As for the news about her mother having an affair, that would have to wait.
This was enough to deal with, for all of them.
In the distance, the mournful cry of a curlew pierced through the air, its sorrowful wail echoing the intense ache in her heart.
Stealing a breath, she knew one thing for certain—the road to justice was going to be paved with both hurdles and pain, and she was ready to traverse it until the very end.
No matter what.