Page 94 of The Graveyard Girls (Detective Ellie Reeves #11)

NINETY-THREE

Sweetgum Lane

“Have you spoken to Dad or Mom over the years?” Tilly asked as they waited on one of her parents to answer the door.

“No. I thought about calling when I was discharged, but I couldn’t forget what Dad said to me after Ruth disappeared,” Hayden said.

“What did he say?” Tilly asked.

“That it should have been me instead of her.”

Tilly gasped. “I’m sorry, Hay. That was a horrible thing to say.”

Hayden ran his fingers through his hair. “I was mad, but maybe he was right. I should have protected Ruth.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” Tilly said.

Hayden rang the doorbell again, and Tilly glanced around the property.

The house probably sat on two acres, the lawn was manicured, a pond with a flock of geese floating across the water.

It looked so peaceful that she wondered if her parents had actually found any peace here.

Her father had always wanted a stocked pond and claimed when he retired he’d fish every day.

She pictured him doing that and emotions choked her. They’d missed so many years together.

The door opened, and Tilly held her breath as her mother appeared. Surprise, confusion, then an awkward smile. “Well, you two were the last people I expected to show up here.”

Tilly forced a smile, but Hayden shifted awkwardly. Her mother’s soft brown hair was short and wavy and tinged with gray now, her eyes still haunted with sadness.

Behind her, their father appeared dressed in a golf shirt, his jaw set firmly. “I figured they’d crawl back sometime now that town is in the news again.” He aimed a sharp look at Tilly. “Are you the one stirring it up?”

Anger destroyed Tilly’s hope of a welcoming family reunion. “That’s right, Dad. Instantly blame me like you always did. “

“Edward,” her mother snapped. “Please, let’s be civil.”

Hayden squared his shoulders. “Dad, Tilly is not responsible for any of this. If you heard the news, you’re aware two dead girls have been found in Brambletown. Those murders stirred up all the talk about Ruth.”

Pain wrenched her mother’s face.

“Well, maybe this time they’ll find that bastard Earl Bramble and make him pay,” her father snapped.

Tears filled her mother’s eyes. “But it won’t bring our precious daughter back.”

“At least then we’d have closure,” Tilly said softly. “And maybe we could all heal and move on.”

“I’ll never move on,” her mother cried. “Ruth was everything to us.”

“You have another daughter,” Hayden bit out. “But you seem to have forgotten that or that you have a son.”

“Our son was a problem,” their father said. “We dismissed him a long time ago.”

Anger heated Tilly’s voice. “He was a kid and so was I when Ruth snuck out. What happened to her wasn’t our fault and we needed you two. But you let us down.”

Hayden tugged at her arm. “Come on, sis. It was a mistake to come here.”

“Not yet.” Tilly stood her ground. “Not until Dad answers our question.” She crossed her arms. “We know you went after Ruth. What happened?”

Her father stiffened and threw back his shoulders. “You aren’t suggesting I’d hurt Ruth?”

“Just tell us what happened,” Tilly said sharply. “We deserve to know.”

Fury darkened his expression. “I did go looking for her at the park and around town and every place I could think. But I couldn’t find her.” Bitterness filled his tone. “Finally I gave up and came home. I was hoping she’d already returned on her own.”

But she hadn’t.

“Now if your little inquisition is over, you two should get out of here.”

Hurt felt like a knife digging in Tilly’s heart.

“Don’t worry, we won’t bother you again.” Hayden put his arm around Tilly’s shoulders. “You two are the ones missing out because we’re going to be a family. Without you.”

Tilly gave her parents one last look, then turned and hurried down the steps. Seconds later, she peeled down the driveway and onto the highway. Neither of them spoke as she maneuvered the mountain road back toward Brambletown.

Night had fallen with the moonless sky dulling her mood. She’d come here to learn what happened to Ruth and reunite her family.

So far she’d failed at both.

By the time they neared Brambletown, her determination had mounted. Her parents could live in their fantasy world, frozen with grief and Ruth’s ghost. She was going to get answers. Not for her parents but for her and Hayden.

Suddenly the sound of a vehicle racing up behind her broke into her thoughts then bright headlights blinded her. Tilly frowned and a minute later, the vehicle slammed into her rear bumper.

Hayden cursed and grabbed the dash, and she screamed as they careened onto the shoulder. She braked and tires screeched, then the car spun out of control and skidded. Metal crunched, glass shattered, and sparks flew as it flipped then rolled over and landed in the ditch.