Page 30 of A Sister's Secret

"This is nonsense," he snarled, the photos quivering in his grasp. "You really think I had anything to do with this?"

“Yes,” Lisa said. “You got her pregnant, and that’s why she had to leave town. Because she confronted you with this news, and you told her you’d kill her and the baby if she didn’t terminate the pregnancy. It’s all in her journal. “

“Well, she was lying. She was just a young girl. How can you believe something she scribbled in her little book at the age of 17?”

“Well, I know for a fact that she had the child. He lives with the man in Enistown with whom she fell in love when escaping your grip. For ten years, she kept to herself with her happy family until one day, you found her at the bar and asked about the child. Did she tell you there was no child? That she had terminated the pregnancy? To make sure you would stop looking for Sammy, huh? Because, if so, that’s when she lied. There’s a little boy out there with your DNA in him, enough to prove that you did actually rape her on that day she described. But she was scared you’d come after her and find him. So, when you found her hiding place, you left her with only one option. She had to leave her family. She went to hide in the mountains, in the old abandoned cabin that hardly anyone knew about. But you followed her there, and then you murdered her to keep her from telling the truth. Now, I bet you thought that would be the end of it—that your secret was safe. But it’s not. I know everything, and I’m not the only one.”

"Be careful, Lisa." The sheriff's voice dropped an octave, a dark undertone threading through his words. "Accusations like these—they're dangerous."

Lisa met his glare, unflinching in her resolve. "Not as dangerous as the truth you've been hiding. I won't let fear dictate what's right."

The air between them crackled with tension, each knowing the stakes had risen beyond their control. Yet, amid the threat and the chill of the wind, Lisa's spirit burned fiercely, a beacon of hope in the pursuit of justice for Oliver's sister.

"Is this how you keep your town safe, Jim? By silencing those who trusted you?" Lisa pressed, keeping one hand tucked out of sight inside her coat pocket. The hidden recording app on her phone was capturing every syllable with crisp clarity—a digital net silently ensnaring the truth. She had also turned on the recording device that Travis gave her, just in case something happened to the phone.

Sheriff Jim's jaw clenched, his weathered face a mask of barely restrained fury. "You know, it's not just about what's legal—it's about what's best for everyone," he said, the words slipping through his teeth like venom. "Sometimes… sacrifices must be made."

Lisa's heart thrummed in her chest, gripping onto his confession like a lifeline amidst the roiling sea of danger surrounding her. She knew she couldn't let her fear show; her children needed their mother to come home tonight.

"Michelle was no sacrifice," she replied evenly, her eyes locking onto his. "She was a person, and whatever your twisted sense of duty told you, you had no right. You killed her."

The sheriff leaned forward, his shadow looming over Lisa as if trying to swallow her whole. "I did what I had to do. And if you think you're walking out of here with that information?—"

His threat hung in the air, unfinished but understood. Lisa felt the chill of it against her skin, a stark reminder of the lengths a desperate man might go to protect himself, the length to which he had already gone.

Heart pounding, she measured each breath, each blink, knowing that her next moves would be critical. Her mind raced, plotting an escape that left no trace of her presence in this secluded spot where only the pines were witness to their deadly dance.

"Whatever happens now, the truth will come out," Lisa stated with quiet conviction, her voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through her veins.

"Be smart, Jim. Don't add my blood to your hands," she added, the implied warning clear in her tone.

With a nod so slight it was almost imperceptible, she signaled her farewell to Sheriff Jim. Turning on her heel, she walked briskly toward the door, her senses heightened to every creak of the old wooden building, every rustle of the wind outside.

“No one will believe you. You can’t prove a darn thing!” he yelled after her. “I have many friends in this town. You’re a dead woman, Lisa.”

Once outside, Lisa slipped into the shadows that clung to the side of the building, her movements deliberate and silent. She retraced her steps, cautious to avoid leaving any sign of her passing. Each footfall was placed with care, avoiding twigs and leaves that might betray her path.

She reached her car, parked a safe distance away, concealed by the thick brush. Breathing a sigh of relief, Lisa slid behind the wheel and started the engine, the soft purr a comforting sound in the oppressive silence.

As she drove away from the meeting place, each mile that passed beneath her tires, Lisa dared to hope that she had taken a crucial step toward unraveling the web of lies and bringing justice to light. But the road ahead was long, and she knew the true test of her resolve had only just begun.

Lisa sped down the winding road, her heart pounding. She could barely contain the trembling that threatened to overtake her as she maneuvered the car through the dense forest. The rearview mirror showed no signs of pursuit, but she knew better than to let her guard down.

She drove with purpose, her hands gripping the steering wheel with a strength born from fear and determination. The evidence on her phone was incendiary, a ticking bomb that could ignite at any moment, and it needed to be safeguarded. Lisa's mind raced with scenarios, each more harrowing than the last, but her resolve was unyielding.

Finally reaching a nondescript cabin, she parked the car and cut the engine. This was Travis's place—a sanctuary away from prying eyes. Travis had been there for her before, a steady presence in the turbulent sea of her past. She trusted him implicitly. She couldn’t tell him about her plans of meeting the sherriff, since he wouldn’t have let her go. But now, she could.

"Travis," Lisa whispered into her phone, her voice low and urgent, "I have something you need to hear."

"Lisa?" came the immediate response, concern lacing his tone. "Are you all right?"

"Can't talk long. Meet me at your cabin. It's about Jim."

"Understood. Be careful, Lisa."

The call ended, and for a brief moment, Lisa allowed herself to lean back against the headrest, closing her eyes. The danger was palpable, the risk all too real, but the warmth in Travis's voice reminded her that she wasn't alone.

When Travis arrived, his expression was grave. They walked into his old fishing cabin by the lake and sat down. Lisa handed him the phone without a word, watching as he listened to the recording, his brow furrowing deeper with every passing second. When it finished, he looked up at her, the weight of their situation reflected in his eyes.

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