Page 69 of The Sister's Curse

“Interesting.” I told her I liked Sumner and his friends for Dana’s disappearance.

“I’d love to have a warrant to dig further into that house,” Van Wert told me. “It’s an old house, and if there was foul play there, then I’d like to poke around and see what’s going on.”

I agreed that sounded like a good time, and that I’d see what I could do about getting a warrant. “In the meantime, I’ve got a car I’m sending to you after the coroner gets done with it. My gut says it’s related.”

“Looking forward to it.”

“Just beware…it’s soggy.”

“Ugh. Floaters? Tell me there’s not a floater in there.” I didn’t blame her; everyone hated floaters.

“Well…it doesn’t stink yet.”

“Terrific.”

I hung up, and stared at the car Monica was photographing. These cases were connected, but I couldn’t prove it. Not yet.

This could have been an accident. Sims seemed to want to get out of Dodge. Or it could have been suicide, because he felt the net closing in. But neither one of those explanations truly resonated in my gut.

I gazed out at the water, remembering the singing I’d heard last night, right before Sims wrecked. A chill settled over me, and I shuddered.

Did the monster in the river call Sims to his doom?

If not…maybe his death was on my shoulders, and I was the only monster here.

—

I dreaded this part of the job more than any other.

My social-worker friend, Kara, and I climbed the steps to the foster house I’d left Leah in the night before. I’d met Kara here; I’d already briefed her on the situation over the phone.

“This is a mess. But it’s a substantiated mess. Rebecca’s starting to talk. We can at least keep her and Leah safe. Maybe more. But the death of a parent…” She shook her head. “It’s hard, no matter how much your parent sucks.”

“Yeah. I feel terrible that Leah’s going through this.” I knew what it was like to have a father who died, a father who was a monster. I had to be the one to tell her.

Kara knocked on the door, and Margie and Dave answered. From our brief conversation, I could tell that Kara had called them beforehand. We all knew, except for Leah.

Leah was sitting at the kitchen table, eating Froot Loops and watching television. She was dressed in a T-shirt and joggers, looking way too young for this information.

I sat down opposite her, and Kara sat at the end of the table. Margie and Dave took seats flanking Leah.

“Hi, Leah,” I said.

“Hi.” She set her spoon down. “You’ve come to take me back, haven’t you?”

I shook my head. “No. I’ve come to tell you that something has happened. Something I’m really sorry to have to tell you.”

She met my gaze. “What is it?”

“Your stepfather was in an accident late last night.”

Her hand stilled on the spoon, and she stared at me.

“It was a very bad accident. He didn’t make it.”

One eye twitched. Margie put her hand on Leah’s shoulder.

“I’m so sorry,” I said.