Before She Was Found(66)

“Beth,” Officer Grady says mildly. “We’re all here to help Violet.”

“It doesn’t feel that way.” I sink back into my chair and Dr. Gideon sits across from me. Max stands in a corner, watching, biting his lip nervously.

“We are in the process of assessing Violet right now and I think it would be a good idea for her to stay with us overnight, so we can do a thorough evaluation.”

“For what?” I ask in disbelief. “I don’t understand. The EMTs thought she would be just fine.”

“I asked for the evaluation,” Officer Grady says from the doorway. “I’m concerned about Violet. She ran away from the house, she was hiding in a boxcar, Beth, and then she tried to run away again. She’s clearly afraid of something.”

“Of course,” I say. “Of course she’s afraid. Someone tried to kill her best friend. Could have killed her.” I pick up my purse from where I set it on the floor next to me and stand. “I’d like to take my daughter and go now.”

“Ms. Crow.” Dr. Gideon leans forward in her chair. “At the moment Violet truly believes that someone is after her. She says it’s Joseph Wither coming back from the dead. She knows quite a bit about his history.”

“That damn project,” I say. “But it doesn’t make sense that Violet would believe he’s real,” I protest. “Some pervert has been contacting the girls pretending to be Joseph Wither. She told me. He lured them to the train yard. Of course she thinks he’s real because he made sure of it.”

“That could be the case,” Dr. Gideon says. “But nevertheless, she’s scared. I’d like to give her some time to work through what really might have happened at the train yard.”

Realization washes over me. “You don’t think that someone pretending to be Joseph Wither attacked Cora, do you? You think that Violet did it? You think that Violet stabbed her and is blaming it on Joseph Wither.”

“No way,” I hear Max say from the corner. “No way.”

“Beth, there were only five sets of footprints in the dirt next to where Cora was found. Cora’s, the woman who found her, Violet’s.” Officer Grady sits in the third empty chair. I feel penned in. When I had the chance I should have sold every last possession we owned to get the car fixed so we could go back home to Algodon.

“Who do the other two sets belong to?” I ask weakly.

“We don’t know for sure,” Officer Grady says. “But one set is small, consistent with a child’s. The other a bit bigger. Could belong to an adult or a larger child.”

“Jordyn,” I murmur. “Jordyn Petit was there, too. Violet said that Jordyn Petit and Cora were arguing and Jordyn knocked her down. Violet said that Cora fell against the tracks and hurt her arm. Doesn’t it make sense that if Jordyn pushed Cora she could have been the one to stab her, too?”

“Mom,” Max says. “What about the jar? I left it in the waiting room.”

“What jar?” Grady asks.

“Go get it,” I tell Max. To Grady and Dr. Gideon I say, “I don’t want Violet talking to anyone without a lawyer.”

Dr. Gideon clears her throat. “My main concern is Violet. I don’t work for the police. My job is to find out what psychologically and medically might be going on with her. I want to keep her overnight, see how she does, and then we’ll go from there.”

“What if I say no,” I ask. A tear escapes and rolls down my cheek and I quickly wipe it away.

“You can’t say no,” Officer Grady says kindly but in a way I know he means business. “Believe me, the Pitch jail is the last place you want Violet. This is where you want her to be right now. Beth, she needs help.”

The name of this god-awful town alone should have been enough of an omen. I want to run from this room, grab Violet and Max and get back in the car and drive as far away from here as I can.



Case #92-10945


Direct message dated January 3, 2018,
via DarkestDoor.com


JW44:
WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN, CORA? I’VE BEEN CHECKING BACK HERE EVERY DAY. IS EVERYTHING OKAY?
Corareef12:
No. Everything is NOT okay. Everyone hates me.
JW44:
WHY? WHAT HAPPENED? HOW DID YOUR PRESENTATION GO?
Corareef12:
It was bad. You said I should include Rachel Farmer in the presentation but that was completely screwed up! She was the aunt of a classmate of mine and all it did was make her cry. Then I freaked out and told the entire class that you were real! That you and I talked. They think I’m crazy. Then I slapped Jordyn. Everyone hates me.
JW44:
YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE DONE THAT. WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE A SECRET.
Corareef12:
I know! I’m sorry. What should I do?
JW44:
THE FIRST THING YOU NEED TO DO IS TO TELL PEOPLE YOU WERE JUST JOKING ABOUT TALKING TO ME. WE COULD BOTH GET IN BIG TROUBLE. HAVE YOU TOLD ANYONE ABOUT THIS WEBSITE? THAT WE’VE BEEN SENDING MESSAGES? HAVE YOU SHOWN ANYONE THE EMAILS?
Corareef12:
I haven’t shown anyone. I promise.
JW44:
GOOD. BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE, WE WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO TALK ANYMORE. I’D HAVE TO GO AWAY FOREVER. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?
Corareef12:
I understand. I promise. I’ll never tell anyone. Please don’t go.
JW44:
FORGET ABOUT JORDYN AND VIOLET—THEY’RE OBVIOUSLY NOT TRUE FRIENDS.