Before She Was Found(81)

I thought about what Cora told me earlier about how Joseph Wither didn’t stay at the train yard with her. If Cora remembered this, then maybe she remembered more details, but I couldn’t just come out and tell Mara what her daughter revealed to me during our discussions. The guidelines about patient confidentiality are very clear. “The police often need to question victims several times. It’s surprising what witnesses can remember over time,” I explained.

“I know,” Mara said in resignation. “I just wish this would all go away, that none of this ever happened.” Jim Landry and the police officer approached us. Both look dazed, somber. “What is it?” Mara asked when she saw their faces. Neither spoke. “Tell me.”

“We’ve brought in another witness. Someone else who was at the train yard that night. I wanted to tell you in person,” the officer said.

Jim let out a frustrated puff of air. “Is it Violet?”

“No, a young man. Gabe Shannon. He was on surveillance footage from the train yard,” the officer explained.

“Gabe Shannon?” Mara repeated. “We’ve known the Shannons for years. I work with his mother. Gabe and Cora have gone to school together since preschool. She likes Gabe.”

“You have video? I want to see it,” Jim demanded.

“We can’t share that with you just yet,” the officer explained. “We’re still investigating.”

“The attack’s on that video, isn’t it? What about that Crow girl? She was in on it, too, right?” Jim asks.

“I can’t speak to that, but what I can say is that we’re getting to the bottom of it. But I will need to talk with Cora again. We have more questions.”

“Please not now, not today,” Mara said through her tears. “She’s sick. She has a high fever and an infection.”

“Okay,” the officer acquiesced. “But soon. It’s crucial that we talk to her. I hope Cora feels better and I’m sorry. About everything.” He walked away, and the enormity of these arrests hit me hard. Pitch is a small town. Everyone knows everyone else.

“Oh, my God,” Mara gasped. “What if it was Violet? He said that there may be more arrests. What if Violet was in on it?”

“Don’t jump to any conclusions,” I said. “I’m sure more information will be coming soon.” I thought of my recent session with Violet Crow. She seemed to be telling the truth. She appeared to be genuinely frightened.

“I can’t take this,” Mara cried. “I can’t take not knowing why they did this to her.” She turned to me. “Can you talk to her mother? Violet’s mom? Can you try and find out what she knows?”

I hesitated. “Mara, I’m not an investigator. My job is to help Cora.”

“But getting more information about what happened would help her, wouldn’t it?” Mara looked at me desperately.

“I can ask some questions but that doesn’t mean I can share what I find out with you. You understand that, right?”

“I don’t care. I just want you to help Cora. Please.”

“And how do we tell Cora that her best friends tried to kill her?” Jim hissed through clenched teeth. “How are we going to do that?”



Case #92-10945


Direct message dated March 25, 2018,
via DarkestDoor.com


JW44:
I’M SORRY I HAVEN’T WRITTEN IN SO LONG. IT JUST ISN’T SAFE. I’M SORRY YOU WERE SO WORRIED. DID YOU REALLY STAND IN FRONT OF THE WINDOW WITH YOUR SHIRT OFF? WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL. PEOPLE MAY BE WATCHING US. I THINK OF YOU ALL THE TIME. I SAW YOU THE OTHER DAY WITH YOUR FRIENDS. THEY TALK ABOUT YOU. DID YOU KNOW THAT? THEY SAY MEAN THINGS. THEY SAY THAT YOU ARE ANNOYING AND BORING. THEY SAY YOU ARE A THIEF. THEY SAY YOU LIKE GABE BUT HE THINKS YOU ARE JUST A BABY. I THOUGHT YOU’D WANT TO KNOW. I KNOW I WOULD. THEY AREN’T REALLY YOUR FRIENDS. I’M YOUR FRIEND. REMEMBER THAT, CORA.


Case #92-10945


Excerpt from the journal of Cora E. Landry


Apr. 1, 2018

It’s almost like things used to be. Violet and I sit together at lunch every day and everyone seems like they forgot about the whole Rachel Farmer disaster. Even Kaley forgave me. Mr. Dover set it up so I could talk to Kaley in private in his classroom.

I told Kaley I was really sorry. That I didn’t know about her aunt, that I didn’t mean to hurt her. Kaley said it was okay and gave me a hug. When she left I sat down in my desk and started to cry. Mr. Dover came back into the classroom, sat next to me and just waited with me until I stopped.

Things are still weird with Jordyn. I mean, she’s not totally ignoring me but whenever I say something or when Gabe talks to me she just stares at me with this look on her face like I just said the dumbest thing in the world.

On Friday, Gabe and I were goofing around after school and he put his hat on top of my head and I pretended that I was going to go home with it and we were laughing and laughing. Jordyn did not like this at all and ripped the hat off my head, pulling a chunk of my hair with it. It hurt and my eyes welled up but I didn’t cry. Gabe told Jordyn to relax and he grabbed the hat back from her and put it back on my head again.

When I told Wither about this he said, I told you so. I told you she wasn’t your friend. Then he said something that kind of scared me but also made me feel good.