Page 63 of Only Girl Alive

“I’m a police officer,” she told her with a gentle smile.

“Are you going to shoot me?” Hannah asked.

“No. I wouldn’t hurt you. I’ve been looking for you to make sure you’re safe. I’m glad you’re here.”

“Why did you come up the stairs?” Hannah asked accusingly. It was in sharp contrast to the tiny voice from a moment before. “No one is allowed here unless Father permits it.” She took a step from the shadows but her face was still hidden. Her hands were partially covered by the full skirt of her dress.

“I saw the ladder pulled down and wanted to make sure no one was here before I closed it. I’m glad I did. Would you like to go downstairs and we can talk?” Eve’s heart beat double time.

“I don’t like your clothes or your hair.”

No, she wouldn’t like them. Women in Hannah’s world didn’t dress this way and Eve’s hair didn’t show righteousness.

“These are my work clothes.” Her thoughts were scattered as she tried to think what to say. “I wore dresses like yours when I was your age.”

Hannah took one step closer and came fully out of the shadows. The front of her hair puffed only slightly and stray wisps stood out here and there. It was her eyes that momentarily halted Eve’s thoughts. Piercing, ice blue. They were starker than the photograph. Her pupils were tiny dark pinpoints of intensity. Eve would never forget the way they looked. There was no feeling in them. Hannah was a child but her eyes said differently.

“My father liked it up here. This was his chair.” She pushed it slightly with her foot. “He won’t sit in it again.” Her left hand came up and she ran it over the top of the chair’s high back. “Did you see how God punished him?” Her head cocked to the side. She didn’t blink. She appeared curious and showed no signs of fear.

Hannah turned slightly and sat in the chair. Her skirt billowed out then flounced down. She adjusted herself to get comfortable, her back against the wooden slats. Her feet didn’t quite reach the floor. Her little black boots swung back and forth, the laces making a clicking noise when they hit the shoes.

“My father sat here.” She studied Eve’s clothes all the way down to her shoes. “I can sit here now and he won’t get mad.” She lifted her eyes to Eve’s.

How much time had passed? Clyde expected her to call when she arrived at the hotel. He would check on her soon. Her cell was in her back pocket.

“Do you want to sit down on the bed?” Hannah asked. “I think you do.”

It was an odd thing to say. A cold sweat broke out on Eve’s skin. She was allowing fear to get the best of her. Hannah would see it just as Aaron had when she was young. This child behaved like a predator. Eve was the prey.

“We should go downstairs and sit at the kitchen table. We can talk for as long as you like. How does that sound?”

“Why won’t you sit on the bed? Does God’s retribution scare you?”

“No, I’m not scared.” Eve wasn’t lying. Neither God’s retribution nor the bed bothered her. Hannah, on the other hand, terrified her, even if the reaction didn’t make sense.

“The bed is for atonement. You’re an apostate. It should be your bed.”

Okay. Eve had to gain control of her fear. From the few interactions she’d had with ten-year-olds, Hannah was nothing like them and spoke like she was much older. None of this mattered. Eve would never have an opportunity to talk to her again. Lawyers would step in and not allow her to be interviewed by law enforcement.

She took a slow steady breath then jumped slightly when her phone rang.

She pulled it quickly from her pocket, hit the speaker switch and set it to silent mode. She clicked on the answer button then tossed it on the bed. This was all done in seconds using mostly muscle memory. She barely took her gaze from Hannah.

“If you want to talk to me, I won’t speak with whoever called,” Eve said, a very slight rise in her voice. Her legs felt unsteady, her heart in her throat. Eve sat on the bed. “I’m still not sure why you’re in the attic.” She was telling Clyde her location.

“This is God’s retribution room. Do you like it on the bed?”

Eve’s dread spiked.

“It’s not very comfortable. What would you like to talk about?”

Hannah looked slightly over Eve’s shoulder at the wall. She brought her left hand up and scratched her nose then wiped the sleeve of her dress across it. It was a childish gesture but Eve couldn’t relax.

“Did you see all the blood?” Hannah asked. Her eyes appeared soulless, completely devoid of empathy.

If this was what Hannah wanted to talk about, Eve wouldn’t stop her, but the need to escape was hard to hold back.

“I saw the blood in the bedrooms,” Eve told her.

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