Page 85 of Unforgotten

“So ready.” With each other’s help, they got to their feet.

It was harder than she’d imagined, mainly because it felt like her limbs had gone to sleep. But at last they were both at the door and trying to get it open.

It suddenly swung out, and Scott was standing in the doorway, his expression a combination of shock and anger. “No!” he yelled and lunged at Candace.

With a cry, she stepped back, tripped, and fell onto the floor.

Scott came into the shed and kicked Candace’s leg. As she yelped, Bethanne screamed as loud as she could. Hoping against hope that someone in the woods would hear her and come running.

“Bethanne, run!” Candace shrieked. “Go!”

Instinctively, she backed away from them toward the door. But she couldn’t make herself go farther. Getting help was the right choice, but how could she leave Candace alone? “I don’t want to leave you.”

“You have to. Go!” she cried as Scott kicked her again.

When Candace cried out in pain, Bethanne flinched. Every bit of her wanted to save Candace, but she knew she was no match for Scott.

When Scott lifted Candace like a rag doll and started shaking her, Bethanne froze.

“Bethanne, go!” Candace shrieked at her.

When Scott turned to her, Bethanne knew she was out of choices. She turned and ran.Please, God! Help me!

She ran as fast as she could. She had no idea where. Allshe knew was that she was running as far away from Scott as she could and abandoning her cousin.

“Help me!” she screamed. “Anyone?”

But all she heard was the rustling of the leaves beneath her feet and the startled screech of a bird.

After all that had happened, she was alone again.

28

Jay couldn’t sit at the Hostetlers’ kitchen table waiting for news a minute longer. Right before the police left, Chief Foster had gotten Jay’s—and at least five other people’s—contact information. He’d told them that he and Officer Mulaney would be in touch as soon as there was any news. They were supposed to remain calm, keep their phones nearby, and not call the police station unless they had a good, legitimate reason.

“No offense, but you calling one of the officers every ten minutes ain’t going to give you much information and it’ll make our jobs that much harder,” Chief Foster had said.

“I understand,” Wayne had replied. Bethanne’s parents hadn’t looked as if they understood, but they did look too shell-shocked to disagree.

Jay, on the other hand, had been ready to argue, but Lott had placed a hand on his shoulder. “Now ain’t the time,” he’d said under his breath. “I know how you feel, but you have to think of the big picture—and that’s how all of us can help Bethy and Candace.”

“It makes sense, but we’ve been worried sick all night. I can’t just sit here.”

“You can if you have to.” Lott looked sympathetic, but it was obvious that he wasn’t going to side with Jay.

Then, after the cops left, Lott had taken him outside. “Look, I know what you’re feeling. A lot of questions surrounded Peter’s death, and my sister was in the thick of it. More than once I flew off the handle, but it didn’t do any good.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Looking back, I can assure you that I do. All I did was cost them valuable time. And, ultimately, make Bethanne half afraid to tell me what the sheriff said when he stopped by.”

“That was Sheriff Johnson, though. This is the police in Marion.”

“That’s true, but the sheriff and Chief Foster are working together. Then there’s Ryan, of course.”

Jay wasn’t following. “What about him?”

“Jay, have you seriously forgotten that Ryan has been spending time with Candace? This man is invested in her being found. I daresay almost as much as you are in Bethanne being found.”

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