Page 23

22

A WEB OF SECRETS

DIYA

M y fingers trembled as I put the letter back down.

They looked creased, dirty, and some were taped together at torn parts… he had been reading them repeatedly and torturing himself.

The words were sharp and shattered… broken and bruised. Riley’s pain and growing desperation echoed in her every word.

Doctor T had promised her a lot of things and betrayed her. He stole her letters and kept her trapped in this hell.

“Her words seem like the ramblings of someone completely lost, but she’s aware of it all, and yet she couldn’t…”

I never knew Riley, and my heart broke for her. He was her best friend, and she… even when she was broken, she trusted only him; she wanted only him.

Knowing he had failed her, it would have killed him. No wonder he was here.

He deserved to do this, to see this to the end. For Riley, but also for himself.

My eyes widened when I read another one. Riley mentioned something about lavender. Millie said the same when she had her panic attack.

I frowned.

“Asher, take a look at this.” I showed him the letter. “Millie said something about lavenders too,” I said with a frown. “I… something is wrong.”

“What?”

“I don’t know.” I frowned. “We’ll find out.”

“I’ve waited a long time for this, Diya. I lived with guilt and…” He stopped. He always stopped himself short whenever he talked about Riley.

“Tell me. I just want to listen to you, Ash.”

“I’ve been working hard to hide all this darkness inside me, and I don’t like it when it seeps through the cracks. I hate it more when you see it so clearly.”

“You can survive this, Asher. Let me help. I can save you.” I saw myself in him, the desperation, the pain, the need for something to hold on to even when everything was falling apart. “Darkness isn’t such a good place to lose yourself. It’s cruel and painful.”

I wished someone had saved me, saved us. I would have loved to live a simple life, without the blood-stained memories.

A laugh escaped him, strained and jagged, as if the sound was dragged deep out of some empty part within him.

“I have lived in darkness since the day I saw Riley, her body battered, her skin torn, her eyes empty. It’s too late for me now,” he said.

“I’m sorry you had to see her like that.”

“I’m not. If I hadn’t seen it, I would have just believed the lies too, and she would’ve died for nothing.” His shoulders fell. “It’s unfair.”

“It is, and the one who did that to her deserves to die, cruelly. I’ll help you end him.”

“I know. I trust you more than I trust myself.”

“And I trust you, Asher.”

“You do?” His eyes were wide, vulnerable as they met mine.

“Yes, I do.”

Saying the words aloud was like handing him the keys to a fortress I wasn’t even sure I was ready to leave. But maybe I should. I had stayed in for too long.

I had always been wary of people. Waiting, looking for their masks to come apart. And yet here I was choosing trust, choosing him.

That fucking terrifies me.

That young, broken girl in me whimpered. She liked it better with the walls high. She was afraid of being vulnerable, being without any defense in front of a man.

It’s okay, Diya. We’ll survive. He won’t break us.

And she believed me.

I believed him.

After Asher left, I did another search on the Bricks brothers. There were a lot of articles about Vincent and Mayor Bricks, but there was nothing much about Jonah.

I closed the laptop just as Sarah showed up for her session. After Sarah’s session was over, I headed down the hall to Stanley’s office and knocked lightly on the door.

“Doctor Stanley?”

He looked up from his laptop. “Come in. Everything alright, Doctor Sharma?”

“I just need some information,” I said, stepping in. “Did Jonah Bricks stop by to see you?”

Stanley gave a short nod. “Yeah, he did.”

“What was the reason for his visit?”

He shifted slightly in his chair. “He’s my patient. You know I can’t go into detail about that.”

“Of course,” I said quickly. “I understand.”

There was a pause before he looked at me more directly. “Why are you asking?”

I hesitated, then shrugged. “Just… curious, I guess.”

Thanking Doctor Stanley, I walked out, wondering about Jonah Bricks, and the other Bricks brothers.

Something didn’t sit well with me whenever I thought of him, and I trusted my instincts.

“I’ll find out.”

“Hi, Diya. Leaving?” Asher asked as I walked out of the door later that evening after the dinner was over. “Should I come to the cottage tonight?”

“It’s better if you don’t. For now,” I said, looking around the quiet place.

“I want to be with you.”

“I know, but… you should be careful for a while.”

He gave me a disgruntled look and then nodded.

“Good night, Ash.”

“Good night, Diya. Dream of me.”

“I will.” Smiling, I walked away.

It took me a few minutes to reach the cottage. I closed the door and took a bath before doing some more research on Duskwood Park, and Millie’s case. There were very few records, and I didn’t find anything else connecting Millie’s case to Riley.

Millie was still alive. Perhaps I was just reaching.

When I was done with research, I called Trina. By now, it was a habit—I always talked with either Trina or Layne, whenever I could.

“Hey Dee, is Lay already there?”

“No,” I said. “I told her not to come.”

“You know you can’t talk her out of it. Just let her come. I’m worried too. If it wasn’t for the restaurant, I’d be there already.” She sighed. “Did you find anything more?”

I told her about the letters and the monster in the woods.

“This man sounds smart, Dee. Be careful. I know you want to help Asher, but…”

“I’m smarter,” I said with a smile.

“I know you are, but it’s his territory. You’re new there. He knows things you don’t.”

“You’re right, but I have Asher for that.”

There was a long pause. “You shouldn’t have gotten involved.”

“I couldn’t just watch, Trina. It was horrible, what happened to her.”

“But he tried to kill you.”

“We decided to move on,” I said with a shrug.

“What else?” she asked. “Did you… sleep with him?”

“I… I did, but it was only…”

She sighed, long and really loud. “There’s Dex, and then there’s this monster in the woods, whatever he was, and as if it’s not enough, you’re fucking the man who tried to kill you.”

“Well, you and Layne did tell me I should...” I trailed off, and she scoffed.

“You should have picked the sheriff. He’s the safest option, but I understand. The heart wants what it wants.”

“The pussy,” I corrected, making her laugh.

“You’re an idiot. Just don’t get into trouble until Layne gets there.”

“I won’t. You know… he’s kind of an asshole, but he’s just as overprotective as the two of you.”

“That makes me feel a little less worried,” Trina said.

After talking for another ten minutes, we said goodbye.

Taking Riley’s letters out of my bag, I read them again and again until I fell asleep, her words marked on my skin.

I dreamed of the man in the woods, his horns twisted up until it cut the skies.

He told me to shut up when I cried.

I screamed louder.

The next morning, I opened the cottage door and cursed when I saw a dead rat sitting on my front step.

Declan was back with a dead rodent.

“So original,” I muttered.

I tore a note off and quickly scribbled, “This is childish for both of us, Dex.”

I pinned the note on the rat’s tail, left it there for Declan, and walked toward Hollowhaven.

Asher was already waiting for me. He handed me a sandwich when I walked in.

“Thank you,” I said. “Get ready. We’re going to Duskwood Park.”

“Today?” he asked, looking curious. “Now?”

“Yes. I’ll be back in a few.”

I walked to Doctor Stanley’s office after I finished my coffee and sandwich.

“Yes, Doctor Sharma?”

“Doctor Stanley, I’m thinking about taking Asher Maddox outside the hospital. I want to know your opinion?”

“Asher is stable, and not a risk, but do you think he can cope with the outside world already?”

“I think it’s time. He’s been responding well to the sessions, and like you said, he is stable enough for the next step. EMDR is helping, but I think he needs exposure. He needs to get out in the real world.”

“EMDR has its limits. He might not be ready to face everything,” Doctor Stanley said, tapping his pen against his file. “But you’re his doctor, and you know him the best.” Doctor Stanley paused, crossing his arms. “You’re confident this will work?”

I nodded.

“Then do what you think is right for him.”

Thanking the doctor, I went straight to my office. I filled out the patient release form, and filed it. If it was NY, I would have to jump through a lot of hoops for this, but Hollowhaven was not St. Anthony’s.

After informing Becca and delegating my sessions to Camille, I went in search of Asher, and found him sitting next to Millie, talking. Millie stopped when she saw me; gave me a half wave. She seemed comfortable with him, and it looked like she had already forgotten about what happened yesterday.

“Are you ready for an adventure?” I motioned him to follow me.

Shelly stopped us when we were by the door. “Doctor Sharma, do you need any help? You can take someone with you if you—”

“I’ll be fine,” I said, patting my bag, and she gave me an understanding smile as we walked away.

When we were finally in my car, Asher turned to look at me with a frown. “The bag… why did you show Shelly your bag?”

I pulled out the syringe with one hand. “Sleep medication. It’s the procedure.”

After an hour and half of driving, we were finally at the park. There was an old signboard that said the area was off-limits and trespassers will be punished.

Parking the car well out of range of sight, we entered the Duskwood Park. It was dark even in the morning. It reminded me of the woods behind Hollowhaven.

“Here. Go right.”

The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and pine, mingling with the faint tang of decay from the underbrush. Sunlight cut through the dense canopy overhead, creating patches of light on the forest floor, fighting against the darkness.

“We used to come here when I was little, with Riley’s family. My mom would make cheese sandwiches, and Riley’s mom would make chocolate pudding. Riley and I, we used to play here.”

I almost stumbled and fell when I heard Asher’s voice, soft and reminiscing. I missed my mother and father. I was eleven when they both died. I could still vaguely recollect the sounds of distorted conversations and laughter. My mother and father loved me very much, until…

I remembered his voice, soft and kind, reading me stories. I remembered her laughter, the curve of her smile, the way she talked with the plants she grew in her garden. I loved them, and they loved me.

After that, I moved from foster home to foster home, until I ended up with Martha and Max, and met Layne and Trina. It was hell, but it wasn’t a complete hell. My sisters were like an oasis in a burning desert.

“What? You look surprised. I wasn’t always a monster, you know. I had a mother too.”

“You aren’t a monster now,” I whispered, turning to look at him. “What was she like?”

“She’d have loved you, Diya Sharma. She had always been strong, loyal, and kind.”

“I’m sure she’d have hated me if she had met me.”

“No. You’re brave, strong, loyal. You want to save her son, and that alone would have been enough for her to love you.”

There was no deception in his eyes. Only the truth. I wondered how our lives would have been, had my parents lived, had his mother lived… had Riley lived.

“Oh, yes, you’re also stubborn, nosy, and murderous, but you’re amazing, Diya Sharma.”

“And you’re smooth as fuck, Maddox,” I said with a scoff as he took my hand in his, threading his fingers with mine.

We walked until we reached the stream.

“So, why is the park closed again?” I asked, looking around the vast place.

“Poachers, smugglers.”

We walked through the winding paths, following the stream.

Tall trees swallowed the sunlight, bathing the place in darkness, burying the sins, and providing shelter for the sinners.

“It would have been easier for him to do what he did after the park became protected,” I said, studying the woods that stretched before us. “Fuck. I was fucking right.”

“What is it?” Asher asked, turning toward me. “You okay?”

“I am,” I whispered, pulling out the folded paper from my bag. “Take a look at this,” I said, showing him Millie’s dark sketch.

“What am I looking at? The girl?” Asher asked, his eyes narrowed as he studied the faceless girl. I shook my head.

“No, the background. Do you notice this?” I pointed to the picture where a cabin was. It was almost hidden behind a tree, and a broken swing hung from a branch. “The cabin. I was right.”

“Oh,” he said, staring at the cottage.

I wished it wasn’t that, but I knew. Deep in my aching bones, I knew.

“Millie was the first victim,” I whispered, clenching the paper tighter in my hand. “I think she was.”

Asher glared at the picture as if he wished he could burn it, burn the evidence of the cruelty.

“Most serial killers prefer to do it alone,” I whispered. That was why this made no sense. “I can’t understand him. Why did he—”

Layne and I killed together sometimes, but we weren’t an organization.

This was.

A secret arrangement with other men, who catered to a single man or even many men.

Pulled together by their horrible secrets.

Doctor T to Hannigan to Rip… There were still too many people in the mix.

We jogged toward the hunting cabin, hidden deep in the shadow of towering trees. Its weathered wood was darkened by time, the boards uneven and splintered in places.

Even though it was so old, it still looked well-maintained.

“Long hair. Petite, porcelain skin. Kind eyes. Is that how Riley looks?”

“Did you see her photo or something?” Asher asked, eyes narrowed.

“No. I described Millie, Asher. It’s the pattern.”