Baby Doll(59)

They sat there, occasionally talking about the past, or about Sky and all the things they’d do when this was over. But as the hours ticked by, Abby knew something was wrong with the other girls. The police should have been back by now. Her phone buzzed. A text from Wes.

I’m on my way.

Shit. Mom was to blame for this. She had to be. She’d probably called Wes in hysterics, knowing he’d ride over on his white horse to save the day.

“Something wrong?” Lily asked.

Abby smoothed Lily’s hair, remembering how they used to share a bed as kids, lying side by side when the thunderstorms rolled into town.

“It’s Wes. He wants to stop by and check on us.”

Lily’s body tensed.

“You mean check on you?”

Abby stayed silent, hoping Lily would change the subject. She didn’t.

“I always imagined Wes would wind up in New York or Boston. He hated this town. I can’t believe he’d settle for small-town life.”

“His dad got sick, and he came back. Said he wanted to be closer to family.”

“Or closer to you?” Lily asked innocently.

Was it innocent? Abby couldn’t tell. She shifted in her seat, trying to get comfortable, wishing this thing would stop pressing on her bladder.

“It’s not like that,” Abby said.

“Funny. Wes said the same thing.”

Abby was convinced that Lily would have more questions about Wes, but instead she laid her head on Abby’s shoulder and closed her eyes. Abby relaxed. Sitting beside Lily, matching the rhythm of each other’s breathing, she leaned back and let her eyes close.

Abby startled awake. Lily was still dozing beside her. How long had they been asleep? Five minutes? Two hours? It was definitely too long. Abby’s body ached all over. She stretched, careful not to wake Lily. Across the room, Wes was huddled with Sheriff Rogers and the FBI. Abby’s stomach dropped. She was skilled at reading body language, and judging from Wes’s, things were bad. Really bad. As if she could sense trouble, Lily sat upright, brushing her hair out of her face and blinking rapidly.

“What did they say? Is there news? Did they find them? Are the girls all right?” Lily asked.

“I don’t know. I just woke up,” Abby said. “I was asleep when they came back.”

Lily was on her feet, heading toward the sheriff’s office. Abby struggled to follow, her legs still half-asleep. Ahead of her, Lily burst through the office door.

“They’re okay, right?” Lily asked, her voice high-pitched. “Tell me they’re okay.”

Sheriff Rogers cleared his throat. “Shaina, the fourteen-year-old victim, was in bad shape. Beaten, dehydrated, and disoriented, but she’s alive. She’s at the hospital with her folks.”

“And Bree? How is she?”

Abby winced. Lily asked about the girl as if she knew her, as if they were family. Brace yourself, Lily, Abby thought. She could read the news in Sheriff Rogers’s eyes before he ever said a word.

“She’s…” He cleared his throat again. “She suffered a great deal of abuse. And well… she didn’t make it.”

“He killed her?” Lily whispered.

“Not exactly. I’m afraid she took her own life.”

Abby heard her sister’s pained exhale, but she couldn’t look at Lily. Abby stared down at what she could see of her feet, and willed herself not to break down.

Beside her, Lily was motionless, absorbing the news like a boxer absorbs blows to the head.

“How long did he have them?” Lily asked.

“A month or two. We’re not exactly sure.”

Lily grimaced.

“Hanson had grown bolder. Gotten overly confident. That’s probably why he screwed up, and you were able to escape.”

Lily didn’t appear to be listening.

“I want to see her. I want to see Shaina.”

What the hell was Lily saying? This was crazy. Enough was enough.

“Lily, no. We’re leaving. It’s time to go!”

“I need to see Shaina. I need to tell her I’m sorry.”

“Sorry! Why are you sorry?”

Lily ignored Abby’s question. “I’ll walk there if I have to.”

“Lily, you don’t have to walk,” Wes said. “I’ll drive you.”

Abby had almost forgotten Wes was even there. For a fleeting moment, all she wanted was to wrap her arms around him and let him hold her. She shook off that feeling, blaming her exhaustion and hormones for making her so needy. But Abby wasn’t going to let Wes be the hero. Abby took her sister’s hand in solidarity.

“I’ll go with you, Lil. We’ll do this together.”

Deep down in her gut, Abby knew this was a bad idea. That Lily had been through too much, that she’d been pushed too far. But they’d already been to hell and back. How much worse could it get?





CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE


LILY


At the hospital, Lily received a hero’s welcome from Shaina’s parents. They wrapped their arms around Lily, tearfully thanking her for her sacrifice, for helping bring their girl home. Shaina’s father Bert was a city bus driver in Philly; her mother Tina worked as a receptionist at the local Toyota dealership. They were an ordinary family, Tina kept saying over and over again, as if horrible things didn’t happen to ordinary people every single day.