Page 38 of The Silence of Monsters

Just as I was sliding the chain latch that was newly adhered to the door, a large hand wrapped around my mouth and a bony arm pulled me backward and trapped me against a thin chest. I tried to scream and bite. My feet kicked wildly, and I thrashed around, which caused my phone to fall to the floor. I was a city girl. I thought I was ready to fight against a sneak attack from behind, but I was regrettably unprepared.

The skeletal but shockingly strong body behind me hauled my struggling form to another locked room in the barred-off wing of the manor. The automatic lock popped open after a code was hastily entered. It sounded like it took a couple of tries to get the correct numbers. I started to see signs of life everywhere, and weirdly, I recognized Willow’s things mixed in. There were pictures lining the walls from the time when Willow met Archie to family photos taken right before my sister died. I could see her smile dim and her figure start to fade away as the time progressed. There was no way Colette would’ve kept anything of my sister’s after the fire. She wiped out everything during the remodel. I remember being heartbroken that there wasn’t so much as a trinket to pass down to Winnie from her mother.

I was dragged into an enormous bedroom that was a twin of Win’s but decorated much differently. High-tech medical equipment was pressed against the walls and was beeping rhythmically. On the bed, there was something that resembled an antique mannequin that sported all my missing stuff. My earrings. My shoes. My hairbrush sat on the nightstand, and on the mannequin’s head was my shorn hair. It looked as if someone had created a life-sized voodoo doll that bore an uncanny resemblance to me. I was so freaked out I almost threw up against the hand that was blocking my mouth. The metal ring on one of his fingers dug into my lip, and I tasted blood.

Realizing this ghost hunt was far more serious than I thought, I reached behind my head and attempted to scratch the eyes of my attacker, but I went totally still when my hands landed on something that felt like melted wax. It was lumpy but oddly smooth. I silently wondered if the person holding me captive was wearing a Halloween mask. It didn’t feel human.

I pulled frantically at the arm locked around my head and tried to remember every trick to free myself from stranger-danger. Images flashed through my mind too quickly to land on anything that might help. Just as I was about to go totally limp in the hopes my deadweight would be too much for my assailant to hold upright, I felt a sharp prick and a burning sting on the side of my neck. My whole body began to feel heavy, and my vision narrowed to pinpoints. The arm holding me abruptly let go, and I sank to the ground.

A hazy figure leaned over me. I couldn’t make out any distinct features except a familiar pair of gray eyes. The injection made my brain too fuzzy to fit the puzzle pieces together. But the last thing I heard before I slipped into a drug-addled blackout was, “Willow. I’ve missed you so much. I knew you would never leave me. Now that you’re back, we can be a family again.”

Win

“It was a strange job. Very secretive. But we got paid cash under the table, and it was easy. There were only a couple patients. One was a long-term case: a guy who’d been in a coma for years after an accident. The rumor was they kept him asleep the whole time he was at the facility because he was injured so badly. When he woke up, he couldn’t take it and had a breakdown. The other patient was an older gentleman who only lasted a week. He seemed to be all right when he arrived, but he quickly deteriorated. All I did was clean the floors and empty the trash. I can’t give you any legit medical details. Not that the doctor in charge ever shared anything with anyone but the lady paying the bills. Like I said, everything was a big secret.”

Rocco and I exchanged a look. It hadn’t taken him long to track down someone down from the medical facility who was willing to talk. He just waved a handful of money around and promised to keep anyone who came forward anonymous. A few people took the bait, and the most reliable one was sitting in the back of my SUV in a sketchy part of the city.

“Did you ever see this woman visit either of the patients?” I showed the former janitor a picture of my mother on my phone. I had to clear the message notifications from Channing before flashing the image. The man stared at the screen for several minutes before lighting up like a lightbulb.

“She didn’t visit them, but she picked up the body when the older one died. And she picked up the younger one when he finally woke up. I remember because she didn’t speak to anyone and hardly bothered to look at the doctor when he took her in to see the patient. After the guy in the coma went home the entire operation was shut down in a matter of hours. A group of scary men in suits came around and reminded everyone not to say a word about the facility. I wouldn’t have thought much of it, but the nurse who took care of the guy was murdered recently. I heard she was looking for a new job and reached out to the wrong people when she asked for proof of employment. We were supposed to disappear.” I frowned. Rocco stiffened and told me he would look into the astonishing claims. I didn’t need more proof. All the puzzle pieces were locked in place and revealed an extremely dark picture.

I scrolled through to a picture of Conrad and asked, “What about this guy? Did you see him at any point?”

He nodded vigorously. “That guy was always around. He was in charge of paying us and making sure everybody kept things on the down-low. He’s a nice dude. He spent a lot of time talking to the guy in the coma. I always wondered if they were related.”

I bit back every nasty thing I wanted to say about my longtime friend and forced myself to stay on topic. “When the older gentleman was admitted, did anyone mention he had a nut allergy?” I don’t know why I asked. I couldn’t help searching for something that might redeem my mother.

The custodian laughed like I’d just told the funniest joke he ever heard. “No. We didn’t even know the patients’ names. How would we have personal information like that?” He tapped a finger against his chin. “In fact, the nurse I just mentioned, she used to bring cookies and other baked goods for the staff. Her peanut butter and chocolate cookies were a fan favorite.”

I sat in stunned silence while Rocco kicked out the informant and paid him the promised reward. Once my head of security climbed back in the SUV, he gave me a concerned look. “We don’t have to keep going, Win. We can stop right here.”

“Did I not see what was happening to my family because I didn’t want to? Doesn’t that make me as culpable as my mother?”

“How could you see what was happening at home when she purposely diverted your attention elsewhere? Those things had to happen to convince you to leave the city and come home. Your mother is playing chess, and you’re playing checkers. You’re just a pawn, and everyone else on the board protects the queen. I’ve worked with you from the start. Halliday Inc. has kept your head underwater since you took over. You’re drowning, Boss.”

I sighed as I spun my phone around in my fingers. “That’s not an excuse. I should’ve done better. Should’ve been better. Maybe if I was…”

Rocco snorted and started the SUV. “Nothing would’ve changed who Colette Halliday is. You can’t take responsibility for her actions. She was up to some shady shit long before you and Archie were part of the picture.” Our eyes met in the rearview mirror. “I think you should focus on the fact that your brother may be alive. Isn’t that excellent news?”

I hummed absently and remembered that Channing had been sending messages for the last couple of hours. I didn’t get to the first one because I was in a board meeting. The second came while my attention was on the janitor. I clicked on the text and responded to Rocco. “I thought I would give anything to have Archie back after the fire. Now, I’m not so sure. The circumstances don’t feel right. My mother is clearly hiding something. She would never let Winnie be next in line if Archie could take over. She’s always resented that Winnie is far more Harvey than Halliday.” I didn’t have a good feeling about my brother’s condition. I paused to scroll through Channing’s messages and swore in surprise when I came across the pictures of the hidden doors all over my house. “Channing found the passage from the plans you located. It looks like it drops right into the interior of the cliff from my fucking living room.” I wanted to smack myself for being so obtuse. “Why did I let my mother find the contractor when I remodeled the wing? I’ve been sleeping over more secrets than I could’ve imagined.”

I felt sick inside. And guilty.

I never should’ve questioned Winnie when she told me she was scared. It was another instance where I only saw what I wanted to see because it was easier than the alternative.

Rocco chimed in from the driver’s seat. “Tell Ms. Harvey not to go exploring on her own. There is no telling what condition those hideaways are in. They’re ancient and I doubt anyone has maintained them. With erosion and the change in weather patterns, who’s to say the ocean hasn’t eroded away the supports?”

“It’s obvious you haven’t tried to tell Channing anything. If I suggest she wait until I get there, she’ll do the opposite just to spite me.” I couldn’t hide the smile that tugged at my mouth when I thought of the stubborn redhead. She was the first person who was brave enough to openly defy me.

I nearly dropped the phone when I realized Channing was doing exactly what Rocco thought she shouldn’t. I immediately called her. It rang and rang with no answer. I texted her that I was on the way and still didn’t receive a reply. I called her again, and this time it went directly to voicemail. My stomach sank and unease settled heavily in my heart.

“Channing’s not picking up the phone. I think something is wrong. We need to reach the manor as soon as possible.”

Rocco sped up the SUV and joked, “Do you think this qualifies as an emergency and we can use the helicopter without pissing off Ms. Harvey?”

It was the fastest way to get to the Cove. I was going to use it, even if I had to make it up to Channing later.

I called my mother and became even more anxious when she didn’t pick up the call. I could tell something was wrong, and I didn’t like the direction my mind was taking me. My mother had proven she could do horrendous things, and Channing wasn’t a woman who would back down from a fight. If she pieced together that my mother was behind the fire, she was going to tear the woman apart. Especially if she learned my brother survived my mother’s scheme and Willow didn’t.

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