voice again. “I’m just cold, and tired, that’s all.”
“I’m not surprised. You walked that whole way back?”
“Whole way back?” She seemed frightened again, confused about what Kate was suggesting.
“I was out at River Bend Park,” she explained, still speaking gently. “I live out past that way. I’d seen on my way home that the party was happening there, and I wanted to make sure everything was all right. I saw Judd and Garth leave you behind when they roared off.”
Gemma closed her eyes and nodded. “Okay. That’s what you meant. I didn’t see you.” After a moment, she opened them again and said, “But I’m fine. Really.”
“I’m going to take you home,” Kate told her. “Is that where you’re headed?”
“Um, no, this isn’t my street. I was going to Neve’s.”
“To Neve’s?” Kate echoed blankly.
“See if she was home yet, from the after party. Just… hang out and talk and stuff, you know? I’m not sure if she ended up going out to the Sheenan ranch after the park, or what.”
Oh dear God, of course she doesn’t know. She left before it happened.
The night was such a muddle of drama and cold and sadness, Kate had lost track of the order in which everything had taken place. Gemma had run after Garth and Judd’s car before—
“Gemma, I need to tell you something.”
She didn’t even know how she managed to break the news. There was no good way to say it. Gemma took it in, silent and motionless—so motionless, it was almost as if she was afraid to move—and when Kate tried to coax a response from her, she blurted out, “I’m going to throw up,” and almost fell against the door as she opened it, before stumbling into a kneeling position on the grass and heaving.
Kate went to help her, bringing a wad of tissues from the evening bag she’d had at the prom, half a life-time ago, but Gemma waved her away. “I’m okay.”
“Please take the tissues at least.”
Gemma took them, then Kate coaxed her back into the truck. “Take your time. I’m here to help, okay? This is a terrible, terrible thing.”
Gemma nodded, dry lips pressed together. There were traces of tear-stained mascara around her eyes and her honey-blond hair hung in rat tails around her face. Her lipstick had gone long ago.
They sat some more.
Two cars came down the street. One turned into the Shepherds’ driveway, while the other parked at the curb. It was Gary Shepherd and Sheriff Pearce. Both men emerged slow and stiff from their vehicles, and Harrison put a gentle arm around Gary’s shoulders and helped him toward the house with the care of a brother. Gemma saw them and said, “That’s her dad. Has he—?”
“Yes, he’s been out there, searching.”
Annette Shepherd ran down the front steps, looking wild with suspense and grief. Harrison seemed so quiet and serious in contrast, as he spoke to her, and was that fourteen-year-old Kira in the doorway? “They must have called off the search for tonight,” Kate said. “They’ll need daylight to keep looking farther downstream.”
Gemma was silent again. She hadn’t cried yet. Kate thought she was too shocked, and she hadn’t had an easy night before this, herself. She’d had that fight with Garth and Judd, whatever it had been about, and then they’d just abandoned her in the middle of the night to walk nearly eight miles home on her own in the dark and cold. This alone must have shattered her happiness and self-belief, and now the news about her friend…
It all went too deep for tears, maybe.
“I want to go in and see them,” Gemma said, her voice sounding suddenly stronger and more resolute.
“Go in?”
“Neve… is… my friend. Her parents, her sister—I want to tell them… that I’m here for them… that I really loved her.”
It was a very young decision, and terribly, poignantly brave. Kate’s heart went out to Gemma and she said in a voice that had gone husky, suddenly, “Yes, okay, if you want to.
“I’m not surprised. You walked that whole way back?”
“Whole way back?” She seemed frightened again, confused about what Kate was suggesting.
“I was out at River Bend Park,” she explained, still speaking gently. “I live out past that way. I’d seen on my way home that the party was happening there, and I wanted to make sure everything was all right. I saw Judd and Garth leave you behind when they roared off.”
Gemma closed her eyes and nodded. “Okay. That’s what you meant. I didn’t see you.” After a moment, she opened them again and said, “But I’m fine. Really.”
“I’m going to take you home,” Kate told her. “Is that where you’re headed?”
“Um, no, this isn’t my street. I was going to Neve’s.”
“To Neve’s?” Kate echoed blankly.
“See if she was home yet, from the after party. Just… hang out and talk and stuff, you know? I’m not sure if she ended up going out to the Sheenan ranch after the park, or what.”
Oh dear God, of course she doesn’t know. She left before it happened.
The night was such a muddle of drama and cold and sadness, Kate had lost track of the order in which everything had taken place. Gemma had run after Garth and Judd’s car before—
“Gemma, I need to tell you something.”
She didn’t even know how she managed to break the news. There was no good way to say it. Gemma took it in, silent and motionless—so motionless, it was almost as if she was afraid to move—and when Kate tried to coax a response from her, she blurted out, “I’m going to throw up,” and almost fell against the door as she opened it, before stumbling into a kneeling position on the grass and heaving.
Kate went to help her, bringing a wad of tissues from the evening bag she’d had at the prom, half a life-time ago, but Gemma waved her away. “I’m okay.”
“Please take the tissues at least.”
Gemma took them, then Kate coaxed her back into the truck. “Take your time. I’m here to help, okay? This is a terrible, terrible thing.”
Gemma nodded, dry lips pressed together. There were traces of tear-stained mascara around her eyes and her honey-blond hair hung in rat tails around her face. Her lipstick had gone long ago.
They sat some more.
Two cars came down the street. One turned into the Shepherds’ driveway, while the other parked at the curb. It was Gary Shepherd and Sheriff Pearce. Both men emerged slow and stiff from their vehicles, and Harrison put a gentle arm around Gary’s shoulders and helped him toward the house with the care of a brother. Gemma saw them and said, “That’s her dad. Has he—?”
“Yes, he’s been out there, searching.”
Annette Shepherd ran down the front steps, looking wild with suspense and grief. Harrison seemed so quiet and serious in contrast, as he spoke to her, and was that fourteen-year-old Kira in the doorway? “They must have called off the search for tonight,” Kate said. “They’ll need daylight to keep looking farther downstream.”
Gemma was silent again. She hadn’t cried yet. Kate thought she was too shocked, and she hadn’t had an easy night before this, herself. She’d had that fight with Garth and Judd, whatever it had been about, and then they’d just abandoned her in the middle of the night to walk nearly eight miles home on her own in the dark and cold. This alone must have shattered her happiness and self-belief, and now the news about her friend…
It all went too deep for tears, maybe.
“I want to go in and see them,” Gemma said, her voice sounding suddenly stronger and more resolute.
“Go in?”
“Neve… is… my friend. Her parents, her sister—I want to tell them… that I’m here for them… that I really loved her.”
It was a very young decision, and terribly, poignantly brave. Kate’s heart went out to Gemma and she said in a voice that had gone husky, suddenly, “Yes, okay, if you want to.
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