Such a Beautiful Family: A Thriller(70)

Jane had never left Whispering Pines. She was out in the woods somewhere . . . or inside her home with Hailey. She reached inside her bag for her phone. Still no service.

Panic set in. Her heart pounded, and she found it difficult to get air into her lungs.

Nora hurried down the wooden sidewalk that lined the shops, weaving around shoppers. Tears blurred her vision as she walked as fast as she could.

How could she have been so stupid? So naive to think a simple chat with Jane might help her see that she could overcome life’s obstacles and turn her life around?

Mom had told Nora that Barbara Lewitt had wanted revenge after her sister was killed. Was it possible Jane might want the same thing . . . that she didn’t just want Nora’s family for her own but wanted them dead?

Nora jumped in behind the wheel, shut the door, and hit the power button. The engine roared to life. Tires skidded on the icy road as she pulled out of the lane.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw movement—a pedestrian waiting for her to pass. Their gazes met. It was Gillian’s mom. Nora had to hurry. No time to stop and wait for her to cross. She put on the gas and sped across the road, turning into the lane heading back home.

Christmas music played on the radio as she sped up. She blindly hit the knob but only managed to turn the volume louder.

Stay focused, she told herself. Your family is in danger.

The traffic heading up the hill in the opposite lane was bumper to bumper, much heavier than it had been an hour ago. Thankful there were no cars in front of her, she put her foot on the gas just as her tire hit a slick spot on the road, her vehicle coasting long enough to make her heart rate spike. She put on the brake. Nothing happened.

Her car picked up speed. Way too fast for Nora’s liking. When she realized her foot was still on the brake and nothing was slowing her down, a brick settled in her gut.

What the hell was going on?

She pumped the brakes. It was no use. She was still picking up speed. Keeping her eyes on the road, she used her left foot to find the emergency brake and push down. The brake failed to engage, and the pedal hit the floor with a thud. “Jingle Bells” blasted around her, making her ears ring. She was sweating.

Her heart beat faster when she saw a sharp curve in the road up ahead. She slammed the palm of her hand on the horn, hoping drivers would do what they could to get out of her way. People in their cars and the trees on both sides of the road were nothing more than blurry shadows as she approached.

“No. No. No.”

Both hands on the wheel, her fingers holding tight, she yanked on the wheel right as she got to the curve. The back end of her car smashed into the back door of a car in the other lane as she turned, tires squealing. Once she made the turn and was able to right the wheels, the SUV picked up speed again. It was a straight line ahead before the stop sign, which was approaching fast. Another sharp right came after that. There would be no avoiding catastrophe if she didn’t do something quick. White light flashed before her, taking her back to another time, another day. Only this time, she was fully alert. She didn’t dare blink.

Think, Nora. Think.

Hoping for a miracle, she saw a clearing to her right, between two thick clusters of trees up ahead. Knowing she had no other choice, she waited until she arrived at the gap in trees and yanked the wheel to the right. The SUV dipped forward and then upward but kept moving. Her chest hit the steering column, the impact stealing her breath. White-hot pain filled her head as the tires hopped and skipped over the thick forest debris, slowing the vehicle, but not enough to stop the momentum.

Her fingers ached as she fought to keep a tight grip on the steering wheel, the steering column vibrating and jerking. She refused to let go. The muscles in her arms burned as she continued to try to yank the wheel uphill. Although she couldn’t see the rocky cliff, she knew it was there. Every year someone fell prey to the steep overhang, usually a hiker. At the same moment the thought came to mind, she saw a bluish sky dotted with clouds hovering over the lake.

She reached for the door handle just as the undercarriage smacked into a stump, jerking the wheel to the left and straight for the cliff.

Her time had run out.





CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Trevor sat on the dock with Grandpa while Grandma watched Dad climb under the sink to make repairs. After tucking the blanket Grandma had given him over Grandpa’s lap, Trevor sat in a chair facing Grandpa and the myriad of trees. If he looked over his shoulder, he could see the vast and shimmering lake and their new home set above the bluff. He wasn’t ready to look at the water, avoided it whenever he could, and yet he knew he would need to find a way to conquer his fear before too long.

Grandpa wasn’t yet eighty. It made Trevor sad to think that the same man who had taught him to carve wood and catch fish had a difficult time remembering who he was. Still, he wondered what Grandpa was thinking, if he was thinking at all.

It wasn’t long before he found out.

“I need to get to work,” Grandpa said.

Trevor maintained eye contact and asked, “What do you do at work, Grandpa?”

No words came. Grandpa’s eyes looked hazy, like his mind, but something was flickering inside.

Talking clearly and concisely, Trevor said, “Grandma told me you’re a lawyer. The best in the area.”

Grandpa smiled, something Trevor hadn’t seen him do in a long while. Usually he looked worried and a little lost.