Page 51 of The Veteran
My pulse pounded wildly as I slowly raised my eyes to the edge of the hearth. A small, rust-colored smudge was all that was left to show where Mom had hit her head. Clinging to Kade like a lifeline, I paced over to the hole in the carpet and sunk to my knees. He dropped with me, murmuring words of comfort. I didn’t notice I was crying until a tear hit the exposed boards. I sobbed soundlessly, and Kade cradled me to his chest. I squeezed my eyes shut, glad he was here with me. In a short time, he’d become my rock. Eventually, I ran out of tears, and he helped me to my feet, keeping an arm around me for support.
I sniffed. “This is where they fought.”
He nodded. “I’m sorry.”
“Yeah.” My throat felt so tight, it was uncomfortable to speak. “Come on. I want to see the backyard.”
KADE
I’d never been superstitious, but something in the bones of this place felt wrong. If I were a spiritual man, I might think it was cursed or that too much blood had stained the floors and a sense of pain lingered in the air all these years later.
It was on the tip of my tongue to ask Sage if she was ready to face the backyard, or if she’d rather we go out front and get some air, but I knew I needed to trust her to take the lead. I nodded and let her guide me through a dining room and past a kitchen with dirty dishes in the sink as though someone had merely stepped away for a few hours. It gave me the chills.
Sage unlatched the deadbolt on the back door. The hinges creaked as she drew the door open and we both flinched, my hand leaping immediately to my gun. A couple of concrete steps went down from the doorstep to the lawn. She took them one at a time, then stopped and stared into space. I didn’t bother trying to follow her gaze because I knew she was seeing something that wasn’t there.
“I came outside,” she said quietly. “Dad had a gun.”
“That must have frightened you.”
“Yes.” She swayed, and I steadied her. “I ran behind the shed.” She retraced her steps and I kept pace with her, walking along the side of a rickety shed and around to the rear, where there were several holes in the boards. “I climbed here and looked over.” She marched to the end of the shed and gazed back into the yard. “I saw them. Baker was in the center, with Parrish and LaMond on either side. Then Getty came out of the house.”
Another tear tracked down her cheek, and she shook her head. “I ducked and got far enough away to call 911. I didn’t see anything else, but I heard them shoot his kneecap when he wouldn’t give them answers. Not long after that, the police arrived and I heard more shots. I was so scared.” Her voice cracked. “I just hid over there like a terrified child. I’ve tried to forgive myself for being a coward. I probably couldn’t have done anything to help even if I’d been brave enough to try, but I’ll always wonder.”
A heaviness weighed on my chest. I couldn’t stand the thought of what she’d been through. I hated that she felt guilty for not doing more, but I understood it because I felt the same way for failing to protect Charlotte. Logically, I knew it wasn’t my fault she’d died—it wasn’t even my friend’s fault for letting her down. The responsibility lay firmly in the hands of her rapist. But in my heart, I’d never believed it, and likewise, nothing I could say would release Sage’s sense of guilt. She was the only person who could forgive herself.
“I’m glad you survived.” It was the only thing I could think to say. “I’m sure your dad would be too. He wanted you to run. He wanted you to be safe.”
She pressed her lips together, but there was no mistaking her expression for a smile. “Sometimes I get so angry with him I can hardly breathe. If he hadn’t stolen that money, none of this would have happened. But not all of my fury is aimed at him. If I’d chosen to go to a cheaper college, or if I hadn’t hidden like a coward, who knows how things might be different.”
I had nothing to say to that so we stood in silence for several minutes until Sage released a pent-up breath and seemed to pull herself together.
“Do you want to have a look around?” she asked. “I’m sure the place has been well-searched over the years, but we might find something everyone else missed.”
“Sure.” I stuffed my hands into my pockets and followed as she strode determinedly back inside.
We worked methodically through each room in the house, picking up the things on the floor and shaking them out, checking inside drawers and the pockets of clothing, and rifling through the linen cupboard and pantry. I opened the refrigerator and an overwhelming stench of rot blasted me in the face. I gasped, my eyes watering, and scanned the shelves as quickly as possible before slamming it shut.
“How do we get to the attic and basement?” I asked after we’d searched all the obvious places.
“There’s a door to the basement beside the cupboard with the bedding in it,” Sage said. “Access to the attic is via a pull-down ladder in the living room.”
We returned to the basement door. When I tried the handle, it stuck, so I used my pocketknife to lever up open. The basement was dark, and it smelled dank.
“Are you sure you want to go down there?” Sage asked hesitantly.
“Yeah.” I withdrew my weapon. “I want you to stay here and keep guard with your gun in your hands. If anyone comes while I’m gone, shoot first and ask questions later.”
When she was in position, I switched on the flashlight app on my phone and made my way cautiously down the stairs. I circled the flashlight around me, noting with disappointment that the space was empty. I paced around the entire area anyway to see whether anything seemed to have been disturbed. It was a bust. So was the attic, and the garden shed.
“I have one last idea,” I told Sage, picking up a tool kit on the way out of the shed. In the bathroom, I disconnected the vanity piping and checked inside it, then did the same with the kitchen. Finally, I opened the toilet cistern. No sign of anything in the plumbing. “Damn.”
Sage huffed in frustration. “I have this feeling there’s something I’m not remembering, but I can’t put my finger on it. I’m sorry it’s been a wasted visit.”
I kissed her cheek. “It hasn’t been a waste. No investigation ever is. It’s just another option we’ve ruled out.”
She leaned into the shelter of my body and sighed. “Thanks for saying that. So, what now?”
“Now, we’re going to do something a bit different.”