document anonymously left at his doorstep the other day, he was now aware of Hank’s hidden past, a horror story.
He knew he had to save Amy from that monster before he did to her what he did to Ellen. But how?
Richard and Jane had tried everything to obtain custody of her after the investigation into Ellen’s murder went cold. They exhausted all legal recourse, but no one would let them have her. The evil, drunken lout was surprisingly well connected. This had led them to an uncharacteristic act of desperation— they tried to kidnap Amy. The kidnapping backfired, and as a result Hank had put out a restraining order on them. They weren’t allowed within a hundred feet of their only granddaughter. That was the beginning of the end for Jane. It was not the cancer that killed his wife.
It was Hank. He’s the cancer.
He’s death.
Another breeze wafted against Richard’s face as fallen oak leaves danced across Ellen’s grave.
Thinking about what he read in that police document, he feared that if he didn’t save Amy soon he would be visiting her grave too. Amy needed to know the truth about her father. She needed to know what he had done, and how his deeply hidden secrets had led to her mother’s death, and soon might lead to hers. Maybe then she would come home to him on her own.
Maybe after the light of revelation shined down on her, she would fill the void that was left by the loss of his sweet Ellen and Jane. And maybe then Richard would finally be satisfied that justice had been served.
Hank stole away his Ellen, abused her and destroyed her. He caused the cancer that took his Jane. But Richard would turn the tables.
An eye for an eye. Tooth for a tooth.
Like in the Bible.
He would bring Hank down to a crumbling ruin. Just he wait and see.
Bent on revenge, Richard turned from his daughter’s grave and made the lonely walk back to his Cadillac.
He had a long drive to make.
Chapter 30
After nearly half an hour wandering the unfamiliar woods, Layne happened upon a flowing brook. Eager to wash the blood from his naked body he took a dip in the dirty water and scrubbed every square inch of himself until not a speck of scarlet was left.
Cleansed from head to toe, he continued searching for a way out of the seemingly endless pine forest.
He knew it would be useless to try retracing his steps. He never remembered the horrible things Zero did after waking the next morning.
The memory was not Layne’s after all.
The bottoms of his bare feet hurt. He winced with each step. His headache was gone, however; forgotten in his panic.
I can’t believe you let it happen again! He remembered two years ago, Marianne Weber.
He woke up in a jail cell, charged with rape. But this is so much worse. All that fucking blood! He remembered the trial, the slap on the wrist sentence. It wouldn’t happen again, not after murder.
The spaces between the trees widened and the woods thinned. Layne sped up when he saw a weed-choked yard littered with junk, a rundown trailer, a pickup truck, and the blackened remains of a bonfire. He stopped at the edge of the woods and cringed.
The putrid stench of burned flesh assailed his nostrils, and amid the rubble he saw a burned-out skull, a rib cage, and the rest of a charred, human skeleton.
Reeling at the gruesome sight, the rancid smell, and the horrid realization of what it all meant—
Murder!
— Layne grew very sick.
Chapter 31
Amy stared at the corner where the ghost manifested last night.
Why couldn’t I hear what she had to say? Because I was afraid. What was she trying to tell me? Was she trying to warn me of something?
She wasn’t afraid anymore. She wanted the truth.
“I’m headin’ out,” her father called from the kitchen. “Remember what I told you. If you don’t come with me, you’re stayin’ home today. Don’t open the door to no one.”
Amy heard the backdoor shut. She heard the lock click. She heard nothing else.
She was alone in the
He knew he had to save Amy from that monster before he did to her what he did to Ellen. But how?
Richard and Jane had tried everything to obtain custody of her after the investigation into Ellen’s murder went cold. They exhausted all legal recourse, but no one would let them have her. The evil, drunken lout was surprisingly well connected. This had led them to an uncharacteristic act of desperation— they tried to kidnap Amy. The kidnapping backfired, and as a result Hank had put out a restraining order on them. They weren’t allowed within a hundred feet of their only granddaughter. That was the beginning of the end for Jane. It was not the cancer that killed his wife.
It was Hank. He’s the cancer.
He’s death.
Another breeze wafted against Richard’s face as fallen oak leaves danced across Ellen’s grave.
Thinking about what he read in that police document, he feared that if he didn’t save Amy soon he would be visiting her grave too. Amy needed to know the truth about her father. She needed to know what he had done, and how his deeply hidden secrets had led to her mother’s death, and soon might lead to hers. Maybe then she would come home to him on her own.
Maybe after the light of revelation shined down on her, she would fill the void that was left by the loss of his sweet Ellen and Jane. And maybe then Richard would finally be satisfied that justice had been served.
Hank stole away his Ellen, abused her and destroyed her. He caused the cancer that took his Jane. But Richard would turn the tables.
An eye for an eye. Tooth for a tooth.
Like in the Bible.
He would bring Hank down to a crumbling ruin. Just he wait and see.
Bent on revenge, Richard turned from his daughter’s grave and made the lonely walk back to his Cadillac.
He had a long drive to make.
Chapter 30
After nearly half an hour wandering the unfamiliar woods, Layne happened upon a flowing brook. Eager to wash the blood from his naked body he took a dip in the dirty water and scrubbed every square inch of himself until not a speck of scarlet was left.
Cleansed from head to toe, he continued searching for a way out of the seemingly endless pine forest.
He knew it would be useless to try retracing his steps. He never remembered the horrible things Zero did after waking the next morning.
The memory was not Layne’s after all.
The bottoms of his bare feet hurt. He winced with each step. His headache was gone, however; forgotten in his panic.
I can’t believe you let it happen again! He remembered two years ago, Marianne Weber.
He woke up in a jail cell, charged with rape. But this is so much worse. All that fucking blood! He remembered the trial, the slap on the wrist sentence. It wouldn’t happen again, not after murder.
The spaces between the trees widened and the woods thinned. Layne sped up when he saw a weed-choked yard littered with junk, a rundown trailer, a pickup truck, and the blackened remains of a bonfire. He stopped at the edge of the woods and cringed.
The putrid stench of burned flesh assailed his nostrils, and amid the rubble he saw a burned-out skull, a rib cage, and the rest of a charred, human skeleton.
Reeling at the gruesome sight, the rancid smell, and the horrid realization of what it all meant—
Murder!
— Layne grew very sick.
Chapter 31
Amy stared at the corner where the ghost manifested last night.
Why couldn’t I hear what she had to say? Because I was afraid. What was she trying to tell me? Was she trying to warn me of something?
She wasn’t afraid anymore. She wanted the truth.
“I’m headin’ out,” her father called from the kitchen. “Remember what I told you. If you don’t come with me, you’re stayin’ home today. Don’t open the door to no one.”
Amy heard the backdoor shut. She heard the lock click. She heard nothing else.
She was alone in the
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