Page 116 of The House Beyond the Dunes

“Jeb overdosed right after he was released from prison. He had his freedom, and he tossed it away.”

“I think he killed himself,” he says. “Dying was Jeb’s way of ensuring he never screwed up Kyle’s life again.”

“Jeb or Zeke didn’t screw up Kyle’s life.”

“Both came damn close.” He shakes his head. “All three brothers are gone, so whatever Kyle knew or didn’t know about Jeb or Zeke really doesn’t matter now. Let it go, Lane. It’s all in the past now.”

The topic is closed for him. But if there was a second man, and he escaped the law, there will be no justice for Stevie, or any other girl hurt by them.

The rain begins to fall faster, and the droplets grow thicker and heavier.

“What was her name?” I ask. “The girl Jeb kidnapped and raped. She has a name.”

“I don’t know.”

“How can you not know? You must have heard her name during the trial.”

“There was no trial. DNA proved Jeb did what he did, the cops arrested Jeb at his job in Nags Head, and he confessed.” The rain grows heavier. My hair and coat are getting soaked. “Go inside, Lane. Wait out the storm.”

I walk up the stairs. Under the porch cover, I strip off my soaked jacket and kick off my shoes.

As I step inside, the black skies open, and the wind picks up. Pelting rain hits the roof and echoes in the house. Inside, I lock the door. From the downstairs bath, I grab a towel and dry off as I move toward the kitchen.

I flip on the lights and scroll through the pictures that I took at the woodland house. “What the hell happened in that house, in this house?”

Bad things.The words echo in my head and sound so real I could swear someone is behind me.

I grab a water bottle from the refrigerator and drink almost half before my thirst feels even partly quenched. As I glance at my phone, I fish Detective Becker’s card from my back pocket. I dial his number.

He answers on the second ring. “Detective Becker.”

“This is Lane.”

“Lane. Everything all right?”

“I don’t know.” I sit on the living room couch. “I’ve found things while I’ve been here.”

“What kind of things?” His voice is deep, intense.

Why am I trusting this guy? I barely know him. He says he’s a cop, but do I really know that? The temptation to run and hide is real, but I stand my ground. “The house near Kyle’s beachfront property in the woods.”

“The one that belonged to his brother.”

“Yes.”

“I drove by it. I know where it is.”

I shove fingers through my damp hair. “I broke in and looked around.”

Fuckrolls softly out on a breath. “Why did you do that?”

Adrenaline is still pumping through my body, tightening muscles and stretching nerves. How can I explain my intense need to see the inside of that house? “A feeling.”

Silence stretches between us. “What did you see?”

“The first time I only looked in the window.”

“The first time.” Each word has a sharp edge. “Okay.”

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