Page 30 of The Lake of Lost Girls

“Maybe we can go and get those boxes now,” he suggested eagerly. I was about to answer when his phone rang. He looked at the screen. “Sorry, I need to take this.” He stood up and walked a few feet away, putting the phone to his ear.

At the same time, I felt my phone vibrating in my purse. I pulled it out, seeing Mom’s name. I needed to answer it or she would really start to panic. Guilt bloomed in my chest.

“Hey, Mom.”

“Lindsey, where are you? I’ve been trying to call you.” She sounded upset, but that was to be expected.

“I’m sorry. My phone was on silent and—”

“Your dad and I got a call from Lieutenant Higgins, the lead detective on your sister’s case.” She sounded winded, barely able to get the words out quick enough.

I stood up, needing to move.

This was it.

“I wish they’d find her body and get it over with.”

“She got the results of the DNA test.” I could hear her short, uneven breaths. Her voice whispery soft as she gulped back tears.

“Is it Jess?”

I braced myself for the affirmative. I waited. Soon, after all this time, I’d be able to say the words that everyone else dreaded, yet in some twisted way, I welcomed.

Jess would no longer be missing. She would be dead.

The air felt thick and I became dizzy.

I looked over at Ryan who was pacing back and forth. Then he stopped. He glanced at me, our eyes locking. He spoke words I couldn’t hear from this distance. His face was a mixture of emotions I couldn’t quite place.

What was going on?

“Lindsey,” Mom cried, and I sucked in a breath, “it’s not her. It’s not my baby girl.”

I didn’t know what she said next. The phone fell from my hand and I squeezed my eyes closed.

It wasn’t Jess.

There was relief. But also so much anguish.

It wasn’t Jess.

I felt Ryan beside me. He cupped my face between his hands, his eyes bright. Was he holding back tears, too?

“It’s not Jess,” I choked out.

“I know. I just heard,” Ryan said softly, pressing his forehead to mine.

I stood there for a few minutes, needing his presence, then I realized what he’d said. I took a step away from him and he dropped his hands.

“What do you mean you just heard? How do you know?”

“I have sources, remember. It comes with being a reporter for the past decade.” He was unapologetic. “That was my guy in the police department. He could lose his job telling me this stuff, but we go way back. He and I were in the same fraternity in college. You know, brotherhood and all that.” He gave me a wry smile. “He told me that the DNA reportcame in and it said with 100% certainty that the remains at Doll’s Eye Lake aren’t Jess’s.” He seemed relieved.

“Do they know who it is?” I asked.

Ryan narrowed his eyes. “It’s Tammy.”

We stared at each other, taking in the news.

---