Page 74 of Unforgotten

“I’m glad you’re not like me. I’m glad you’re you.”

“Right back at you. Just so you know, if we ever get free, I’ll buy you some of that perfume. Or, better yet, I’ll take you shopping and we’ll pick out your own signature scent.”

“That’ll go over real well with my mamm,” she quipped sarcastically.

“Yes, but think about Jay,” Candace teased. “He’d love it.”

In spite of their surroundings, Bethanne found herself imagining his reaction. “I don’t know if he would even notice my perfume.”

“He would.”

“Doubt it. Besides, we haven’t gotten that close.”

“I saw the two of you together at your daed’s party. He seemed to notice everything about you. But even if he doesn’t, what matters is if it makesyoufeel good.”

“I suppose you have a point.” Peeking at the covered window again, Bethanne noticed that the light was now brighter. She could see more of their surroundings too. It was a small space they were in. Barely bigger than a walk-in closet. Someone could lie down on the ground, but only just. And if they were over six feet, they probably wouldn’t be able to straighten their legs.

The ceiling was a mixture of old metal and tar paper,and some of the wood walls were so worn and rotted that it seemed a good wind would blow them down. “Where do you suppose we are?”

“I don’t know,” Candace said. “You’ve never seen this place? I thought it might be on your property.”

“Nee. Our property ends at the woods. Some Englischers lived next door for a while, but they moved away. My daed said they were renting a mobile home or something but then couldn’t pay their rent so they had to leave.”

“Who owns it, then?”

“I don’t know.” Bethanne sighed. “Honestly, I’ve never thought too much about the owners. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them. Lott was the one who liked to go walking through here when we were kids. But last night we didn’t walk for all that long, so we can’t be too far from my place.”

“Maybe it’s an old deer blind?”

“Maybe, but aren’t those usually higher off the ground?” Once a year, Lott, her daed, and a couple of other men went deer hunting after Thanksgiving. She’d never paid too much attention to the details of their trips.

“Yeah. Maybe it was a spot to get warm or something?”

Bethanne could see that. “That seems possible. Whatever it is, it’s obvious no one’s been in here for a long time.” All her fears and worst doubts rose again. If they were really in an abandoned hunter’s shack, would anyone in her family think of that? “What do you think is going to happen now?” she asked.

“I don’t know. I guess Scott will come back. I ... I’m afraid of what he might do.”

Tears pricked her eyes. “Don’t say that.”

“Bethanne, he didn’t abduct us just to leave us here. He’s going to do something. I’m just sorry that you’re involved too.”

“We’re not going to think about that. We have to get free.”

“How? Both of our hands are tied together and we’re attached.”

She hated how resigned Candace sounded. “Wiggle your elbows. Do you have any leeway at all?”

Candace shifted and moved her elbow an inch. Maybe two.

Bethanne felt the movement pull on her own wrists, but it wasn’t painful. “Do you remember when he tied us up?”

“How could I not?”

“Remember how he pushed us on the ground and started to leave but then picked up the rope on the floor?”

“I kind of remember him doing that,” Candace said. “Why?”

“What if he just saw this rope on the floor? I mean, what if it’s not brand-new? What if it’s as old as this shack?”

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