Page 93 of Did You See Evie

“What other choice to you have?”

Is Melinda really considering hurting Evie? And now me? She can’t possibly consider doing us harm to protect herself. Then again, I think with a shudder, people have committed violence over far less. She’s desperate, which puts us both in a terrifying position.

Above us, we hear footsteps.

Someone else is inside the house.

FORTY-SEVEN

All our heads jerk up to the ceiling, listening. Moments later, a voice calls out. “Hello?”

Melinda raises her fist as though she’s about to strike Evie. I lunge forward, but before I can reach her, she holds a finger up to her mouth, threatening me into silence.

“You said no one knew you were here,” she spits at me.

“They don’t,” I whisper.

Melinda is standing so close to Evie, I’m afraid to do anything that might anger her. If she were to attack Evie, I’m not confident I could do enough to help with my arm fastened to the pole.

More footsteps shuffle overhead. I listen closely.

“Cass, are you here?” the person calls. “Your car is parked outside.”

“Nadia?” I say, under my breath.

“Who is Nadia?” Melinda asks me.

“She’s my friend. She’s been helping me try to find Evie.”

“How did she know you were here?”

“I don’t know,” I say. And in this moment I don’t care. All that matters is there is someone on the other side of that basement door who is willing to help.

“Cass?” I hear Nadia call again. It sounds as though she’s getting closer to the basement door.

Melinda darts to the same closet where Evie found the box full of pictures. It puts enough space between them that I’m confident she’s safe, but I only have a split second to react.

“Nadia!” I scream, my chest afire with adrenaline and anxiety. “We’re in the basement.”

Melinda emerges from the closet with a roll of duct tape in her hands. I imagine she’d planned on using it to keep us quiet, but it’s too late. I’m about to shout again when she comes charging at me, fury in her eyes.

“Nadia! Call the pol?—”

Before I can finish, Melinda Terry is on me, her hands closing around my throat. It’s too difficult to defend myself with my left hand tied. My back rams into the metal pole behind me as she keeps charging, threatening me into silence.

Melinda’s face suddenly goes still and her grip around my throat loosens. She reaches instead for the back of her head, right before falling to the floor.

“Cass?” I hear Nadia calling from upstairs. I can hear the desperate jangling of the doorknob. “The basement is locked. Are you okay?”

“Yes,” I call to her, “but hurry.”

In front of me Evie is still holding the painted rock in her hand, ready to strike again. There’s a smear of blood on the paperweight’s surface.

“I had to do it,” Evie asks, her eyes still staring at Melinda’s body on the ground. She’s breathing heavily, almost on the verge of hyperventilating.

I step forward, taking the weapon out of Evie’s hands. “It’s okay, Evie.”

“Do you think she’s… I mean, did I…”