Chapter 18 - THE WOMAN WHO REMEMBERED
Josie refused to leave the Blue House.
She sat on the floor of the blue bedroom, staring at the bracelet.
Rowan stood beside the window.
"Were you here when she disappeared?"
Josie nodded.
"Tell me everything."
"I already told you."
"No. You told me what you wanted to tell me."
Josie looked away.
Rowan crouched in front of her.
"Please."
Josie's eyes filled with tears.
"I remember Mom screaming."
"What was she saying?"
"She kept saying, 'You don't understand what she's capable of.'"
"About Rebecca?"
"Yes."
"Then Dad came in."
"What did he say?"
"He said, 'She's a child.'"
Rowan swallowed.
"And then?"
"Mom slapped him."
Wells stared at Josie.
"Your mother hit your father?"
"Yes."
"What happened next?"
"Mom took Rebecca upstairs."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
"Did you follow?"
Josie nodded.
"We stood outside the blue room."
"Who is 'we'?"
"Me and Dad."
"What did you hear?"
Josie closed her eyes.
"Rebecca was crying."
Rowan's voice became almost inaudible.
"What was she saying?"
"She kept asking where you were."
Rowan's eyes filled.
"Where was I?"
"Mom had locked you in your bedroom."
"Why?"
"She didn't want you to see."
"See what?"
Josie hesitated.
"Rebecca was begging Mom not to send her away."
Rowan's breathing stopped.
"Send her where?"
"I don't know."
"Josie."
"I DON'T KNOW!"
Josie collapsed into tears.
Then she whispered:
"Someone came."
"Who?"
"A man."
"What man?"
"Daniel Cross."
Rowan turned toward Wells.
"Why would a lawyer come to our house in the middle of the night?"
Josie shook her head.
"I don't know."
"What did he do?"
"He gave Mom an envelope."
"What was inside?"
"Money."
The room became silent.
Rowan whispered:
"She sold her."
Josie shook her head.
"No."
"Then what?"
"Daniel told Mom the money wasn't for Rebecca."
"What was it for?"
Josie looked directly at Rowan.
"It was for you."
Rowan's face went blank.
"What?"
"He said the money was payment for keeping you."
Wells stepped forward.
"Keeping her?"
Josie nodded.
"That's all I heard."
Rowan felt sick.
"Who wanted me?"
"I don't know."
Then Josie suddenly looked terrified.
"Wait."
"What?"
"There was something else."
"What?"
"Daniel said..."
She swallowed.
"He said Rebecca wasn't supposed to be born."
Rowan stared at her.
"Why?"
"I don't know."
"Why wasn't she supposed to be born?"
Josie shook her head.
"I don't know."
Then Wells noticed something on the floor.
A loose floorboard.
He lifted it.
Underneath was an old cassette recorder.
Rowan pressed play.
Static.
Then a woman's voice.
Their mother's voice.
“If either girl finds this, everything falls apart.”
Rowan looked at Wells.
The recording continued.
“Rebecca was never the problem.”
A pause.
Then:
“Rowan was.”
The tape clicked.
Silence.
Rowan couldn't breathe.
"Play it again."
Wells did.
Same words.
Rowan stared at the recorder.
"Why me?"
No one answered.
Then the front door slammed downstairs.
They all froze.
Footsteps approached.
Slow.
Heavy.
Someone was walking toward them.
Wells stepped in front of Rowan.
The footsteps stopped outside the blue room.
The doorknob turned.
But the door didn't open.
A man's voice came from the hallway.
"You shouldn't have listened to that."
May you like
Rowan recognized the voice.
Daniel Cross.
