The Fall of Never(45)

“There,” Gabriel said, “she’s looking better today.”

“Today? You’ve seen her before?”

“I was here the night they found her. I was helping the police search.”

“They found her that night?”

He frowned at her slightly. “What do you mean?”

“Nothing.” She shook her head, looked down at her sister. Yes, her bruises were clearing up. Who could hurt such a precious child? Who in their right mind could even fashion laying a hand upon her? “I was just under the impression that she was found the next morning. I didn’t realize they found her the same night she disappeared.”

“Oh,” he said, “not the same night. Sorry, you misunderstood. This was the next night. That’s when the police found her in the woods.”

“The next night? Like…like she’d been missing for twenty-four hours before she was found?”

“Yes. Didn’t you know that?”

“No, I didn’t.”

He looked suddenly pale. “I’m sorry, I hope I didn’t open my mouth with something…”

“No, it’s not you, nothing you said. I just didn’t realize it, that’s all.”

“Didn’t mean to upset you.”

“It’s okay,” she insisted. Thinking she felt a slight draft, she looked up from Becky and at the window, but it was closed. “No one told me that, that’s all. And she wasn’t far from the house?”

Gabriel shook his head. “Just a little way into the woods.”

“And it took twenty-four hours to locate her?” Her tone was becoming angry; there was no use hiding it. Twenty-four hours—she wasn’t stupid. She knew what that meant, knew why it had taken twenty-four hours. “Gabriel, when did they start looking for her? Do you know?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t know when they realized she was missing.”

They probably didn’t even realize it until later the next night, she thought. God damn this cold dungeon. What kind of parents don’t even realize their fifteen-year-old daughter’s been missing for an entire day? Jesus Christ, it’s not like she just traipsed off to a friend’s house or something—the nearest house is literally a half-day’s walk into town…and the nearest children on top of that?

She could feel a hot clot of anger sticking to the inside of her chest.

How do you bring children into the world and then ignore their existence?

“Kelly, are you okay?”

She looked quickly down at her hands. “Just thinking. I’m sorry. Yes, I’m okay.”

“I’m sure she’s going to be fine,” he told her, and she felt one of his hands lightly squeeze her right shoulder. “Just have to keep a positive outlook, you know what I mean?”

She forced a smile. “You’re right. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“It’s good to see you again, Gabriel.”

“Gabe,” he insisted. “And you too.”



Ten minutes later, after Gabriel Farmer left the house, Kelly slipped into the kitchen and found herself staring at the two vases of flowers.

“He certainly is a gentleman,” Glenda said, sneaking up behind her.

“He is.”

“I hope you don’t mind me saying so,” Glenda went on, “but I used to think you two would fall in love, get married, and live here in Spires your whole lives. Just like some little fairy tale. Oh, I don’t know. I suppose I’m just a hopeless romantic. But I just used to think the two of you looked so happy together. In fact, the only time I could remember you smiling—I mean really smiling—was when little Gabriel Farmer was around.”

Kelly nodded, fingered one of the flower petals. “Yes, you’re probably right.”

“A gentleman,” Glenda repeated. “And he’s handsome.”

Kelly laughed. “If you must know, he’s taking me out tonight.”

“Oh?” Glenda raised an eyebrow. “Well-well-well, now. The fairy tale has a happy ending after all?”

“It’s nothing, just two old friends.”

“Be it what it may. An old woman can dream, can’t she? Darling, I’m from a generation of lonely old housekeepers in this tiny little town and in this great big house—can’t I live my misspent youth through you?”

Kelly laughed again. “Simplicity is so often underrated. Sometimes I think I’d give anything to just fade away into the background.” And oddly enough, she realized that fading into the background was what her childhood had been all about. What had changed in her since then?

Glenda came up behind her, patted her lightly on the back. “Well, you just have a good time tonight. Get your mind off all this horrible stuff. Sometimes I think this house breeds sadness.”

Breeds sadness, Kelly thought. The notion chilled her to the center of her soul and she suddenly felt the burning need to urinate again. Without so much as another word to Glenda, she turned and darted out of the kitchen, down the hallway, and into the bathroom at the end of the hall. She slammed the door, rattling the frame. Behind her, frightened by her suddenness, Glenda stood in the kitchen doorway calling her name over and over again.