Page 107 of Above All Else
By the time I turned onto my street, my pulse pounded inmy ears, a constant thrum that drowned out the usual comfort of pulling into the driveway. Two police cars sat in front of my house, their presence like a fist to my gut.
Oh my gosh.
Something’s happened.
Is it Carter?
Is that why my parents called?
What’s happened?
My stomach swirled, and nausea boiled in my gut, burning the back of my throat. My heart clunked in my chest, threatening to give out.
Carter’s Mercedes was parked in the garage, and his parents’ sedan was parked behind him in the driveway, looking woefully out of place. I stopped the car, my breath catching in my throat.
Something’s wrong.
I got out, the cool afternoon air hitting me like a slap. My legs shook, my knees wobbling like a newborn lamb. The garage door loomed ahead of me, a yawning mouth of darkness that stretched with each step. The door creaked open, and Carter stood in the entryway, his face pale, eyes shadowed as though he hadn’t slept in days. He pressed his lips into a bloodless line. A wail sounded behind him as he stepped aside.
“Carter, what’s happening?”
A chill washed over me.
“You.” Linda launched from the couch and marched toward me, the officer trailing behind. “Did you know about this?”
Her red nose stood out against her pale features—her eyesbloodshot. She held a crinkled tissue in her hand as she pointed at me.
“What is she talking about?” Ice seeped into my bones as I glanced between everyone.
“Mom, you know she doesn’t.”
“Do we?”
“Know what? Is there something wrong with my parents? Mom’s been trying to get ahold of me for hours.”
Linda shrieked and turned to Frank, sobbing against his chest.
“Will someone tell me what the hell is going on?” Tears burned my eyes as I braced myself. “Are they dead? Is that it?”
Carter wrapped his hands around me as if the spell cast around him broke. “Have a seat, June.”
“No, just...” I broke free from his hold. “Just tell me, dammit. Tear the Band-Aid off. Are they dead or not?”
“No. They’re not.”
A whoosh of air left my lungs, and my knees gave out, falling into Carter. He wrapped his arms around me and brought me to the couch, where the police remained seated. Linda wailed, and Frank took her into the kitchen.
“June Collins?” The first officer in uniform asked.
“Yes.” My hands shook against Carter’s leg, my stomach queasy. “What is this about?”
“Your mother, Susan Collins, has been arrested in connection with the murder of Amber Morgan.”
“What?” My vision crowded in black, and the tips of myfingers tingled. A high-pitched ringing slapped my ears, drowning out the words slipping out of the officer’s moving lips.
Murder?
Amber’s murder?