Page 77 of Kept in the Dark

Because there was a killer lurking in the shadows.

And she needed to find him before he found her.

Sara was tense as they headed to Thomas Smith’s house. All of them were eager to talk to the man who may hold the answers they were looking for.

“Do you think Thomas has anything that could help?” Sara said from the back seat.

“I think he’s a good start. Donna moved out of state and I couldn’t get Jake to return my phone calls so Thomas is who we’re talking to first.” Trey paused as he switched lanes on the highway. “I also want to know why he was never a witness at the trial.”

“I’ll be surprised if he remembers anything from that night. He was far worse an addict than I was.”

Carter said, “Since he’s gone to rehab and is sober, maybe he wants to get something off his chest. You know, the twelve steps or whatever.”

Sara didn’t say anything else. Her mother taught her what every mother taught their children: if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Problem was, Sara never listened to that advice. This would be a rare occasion when she did.

She just didn’t believe Thomas was actually sober, despite what he had told Trey when Trey spoke to him last night. Apparently he was married with a kid, which was even more bizarre. He always seemed too much of a free spirit to settle down. Not to mention he didn’t know how to be faithful to save his life.

She began tapping her foot the closer they got to his house, a nervous gesture she’d gotten from her addiction. Would she be pulled back into that life when she saw Thomas again? Would he be able to help her?

Sara heard the sirens before she saw the flashing lights coming behind them. She silently gasped for air and steadied herself against the window. She took deep breaths in and out. Though logically she knew the sirens weren’t for her, her body recalled the distress she’d been in as the police hauled her away, screaming for her father to help her, only for him to ignore her pleas.

Trey directed his truck into the other lane, making space for the police cruiser to pass them. Traffic was slow and now she knew why. There was likely an accident up ahead, making their hour drive just a little longer.

Once at Thomas’ house, the five of them walked up the driveway and knocked. A ‘welcome’ wreath hung on the door, a nod to Mrs. Thomas Smith. A little pink tricycle was parked in the yard.

According to Trey, Thomas had gotten clean when his parents sent him to rehab. Sara was curious how that happened because his family hardly had two nickels to rub together. After getting clean, he started working at that same facility for some time, which is where he met his wife.

By all accounts, Thomas seemed to be thriving.

And Sara wanted to scream at the unfairness of it all. She should be the one thriving but instead, she jumps at the sound of police sirens and can never seem to relax because she’s too paranoid.

Thomas opened the door and greeted them and Sara took in a sharp breath. He looked the same, but healthier now. Older too. He had gained a little weight and was clean shaven, wearing a button down and trousers with a tie. If you didn’t know about his past, you would never guess he used to be into the drug scene.

“Do you mind if we talk out here?” Thomas asked.

Trey nodded and Thomas closed the door behind him. Hailey and Sara stood behind Trey, and Gavin and Carter stood behind them.

He took in the five of them, uneasy. Then his eyes met Sara’s. “Hi, Sara.”

“Hi,” she said, shifting a bit. Her legs felt unsteady, but Gavin put an arm around her waist. She wanted to protest, to pull away from him, but she found she couldn’t. She wasn’t certain she could stand without him, something she wasn’t sure if she loved or hated.

“Thanks for talking to us,” Trey said. “There’s a lot that doesn’t make sense and people either don’t know anything or aren’t willing to tell us what they do know.”

Thomas ran a hand through his hair as he picked at his arm. Like Sara, it was a tick from his drug use, no doubt. He said, “I figured it’s the least I can do.”

He looked back to Sara and gave a soft smile. It was clear he felt guilty about what had happened that night. Not that Sara cared about his feelings. She hoped the guilt ate him alive.

“Why don’t you start by telling me what you remember,” Trey said.

Thomas shook his head. “Not much. I was pretty drunk and high. I definitely shouldn’t have been driving. I remember Sara coming to my house with Donna earlier.” He looked at Sara. “You were really upset about Chase. We all started drinking and doing coke and other drugs.”

Thomas looked around to make sure no one was around to hear him. “At some point we went to the corner store and then I took Sara home. I don’t remember a lot of details, just flashes of memories. Like when Donna was videotaping or when the clerk came out and said something to us.”

“What happened next?”

Thomas thought for a moment. “We, uh…we ended up taking Sara home, but I don't remember why because we were going to go back to my house again.”

“I was pretty hysterical while we were at the store. I wouldn’t stop crying so I’m assuming you just didn’t want to deal with it,” Sara said, her cheeks flush.

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