Baby Doll(17)

Eve had wondered if she would ever be whole again, but her devastation was nothing compared to Abby’s. Her girls were a pair. Abby was the leader, six minutes older and bossy as hell. Lily happily accepted Abby’s role as commander in chief. But Eve soon realized that Lily was the glue that held them together. Without Lily, the light in Abby vanished. Lily was Abby’s light.

But now, after all these years, here they were, arm in arm. All Eve wanted to do was shut everyone out and hold on to her girls. She wanted to hold on to her grandbaby and swear that no one would ever hurt them again. But things were moving too fast for that. One second Eve was standing on her porch with Lily; the next she was sitting next to Sheriff Rogers in his police cruiser.

Tommy. That’s how she knew him. They hadn’t been in the same room in over seven years. There were new lines around his eyes, his temples were graying, but other than that he hadn’t aged. How was that possible when she looked years older?

Before everything with Lily happened, Tommy had been a complete stranger. Eve didn’t even know his name. In fact, she was pretty certain she’d voted for his opponent in his first election. But she’d grown close to him in the weeks and months after Lily vanished. He’d been tireless in leading the search, assuring her they were doing everything they could, keeping her calm and listening to her desperate ramblings when Dave simply wouldn’t do it anymore. After three weeks with no sign of Lily, he was the only one who had the courage to tell her the truth.

“I’m sorry, Eve,” he’d said, her house dangerously quiet. “We’re calling off the search. You have to accept the fact that Lily isn’t coming home.” This gruff, tobacco-chewing, deer-hunting man had broken down when he told her. She’d kissed him then, needing someone to hold her and tell her that things were going to be okay, even if she knew they never would.

It had been complete and total stupidity on her part to fall in love with him, but Lily’s disappearance made her reckless in a way that she’d never been before. She’d pursued him with a single-minded determination. For three months, their affair continued. In seedy motel rooms, Eve’s SUV, Tommy’s patrol car—any place they could steal away. It was Dave’s sudden heart attack that ended things for good.

“We can’t do this anymore,” Tommy said after the funeral. Eve knew he had a family, but she didn’t care. She loved him. But Tommy had made up his mind.

“It’s not who we are, Evie. We’re good people.”

Eve wasn’t good. Or maybe she’d been good once. All she cared about was how he made her feel. She’d begged him not to leave her. He’d kissed her one last time, and then he disappeared from her life.

Eve told herself it didn’t matter that he didn’t want her. She was free. She focused on work and keeping Abby out of trouble, which was often a full-time job. She had one-night stands when she was feeling lonely, but she never got close to anyone, never let anyone in. She hadn’t thought about Tommy until this very second, but now she found herself seized with an overwhelming urge to kiss him. How inappropriate, she thought. How awful. Eve looked out the window, hating herself for being so self-absorbed, for even thinking about him.

She felt his hand on her knee, squeezing gently as if to say he was here for her. Eve had never been more grateful for his kindness. Once they were all in the car, Tommy surveyed Lily in his rearview mirror.

“Lily, can you tell me where we’re going?” Tommy asked.

Lily was staring out at the neighbors, who had gathered to watch the scene with unabashed curiosity. Eve’s face flushed with embarrassment, knowing the neighbors were probably gossiping about what new tragedy had struck the Risers.

“The high school. We’re going to the high school.”

Abby gasped. Eve didn’t even think. She grabbed Tommy’s hand and squeezed it, feeling the bile rising up in her throat. She racked her brain for a list of suspects, but no one came to mind. It was a stranger. It had to be. All these years, she’d comforted herself by thinking some nameless monster had snatched her daughter away. Was it possible that it was someone they knew? Someone they trusted?

She leaned her head against the cold glass window, fighting her urge to ask Lily more questions. They drove through town in silence, arriving at the entrance of the high school in less than ten minutes. Tommy turned off the engine, waiting for Lily to speak, to give them a name. Eve could tell he was on edge. He was a man used to being in charge, used to having the necessary information to properly assess a situation. Lily had denied him that, and her actions didn’t sit well with him. Eve didn’t blame Tommy. She wanted answers too.

“We need a name, Lily,” he said. “Whoever kept you prisoner, he’s disturbed. We have to be prepared and—”

“He’s only disturbed behind closed doors,” Lily said.

“We need to do our job…”

Lily remained unmoved.

“I said I’d take you to him. And I will.”

She climbed out of the car. Tommy muttered a curse under his breath. But there was no stopping Lily. Eve had seen that same expression on her daughter’s face when Lily stood in the kitchen clutching that knife. Nothing anyone could say was going to stop her. All they could do was follow along.





CHAPTER TEN


LILY


Everything looks exactly the same. That was Lily’s first thought when they’d pulled up at the entrance of Lancaster Day School. The American flag flying high above the building, the red brick and stucco and large airy open windows were all so… ordinary.