Page 36 of In Her Mind

“Can you tell us why you believed Lisa chose to run away?” Jenna asked, encouraging Ruth to delve deeper into the past.

Ruth’s hands clenched tighter. “She was unhappy, so very unhappy with our father’s rules. The house was like a prison forher soul.” Ruth paused, taking a shaky breath. “She talked about running away often enough. When she vanished, it seemed as though she’d finally done it.”

Jenna observed the sorrow etched into Ruth’s features, the quiet acceptance of a story told so many times that it had become truth, even when doubts lingered.

“Lisa never saw eye to eye with Dad,” Ruth said, her voice steadier than Jenna expected. “He ruled our lives with an iron fist, cloaked in his version of faith. Lisa... she had this spirit, you know? It chafed against his control.”

“Was that why she talked about running away?” Jenna asked, keeping her tone neutral.

“Constantly,” Ruth confirmed, nodding slowly. “It was almost predictable—when she disappeared, everyone assumed she’d followed through. But Mom...” Her gaze wavered, landing on a photograph of a much younger family on the mantle. “Mom wondered if there was more to it. I think she knew something wasn’t right, especially when we never heard from her ever again.”

“Did your father look for her?”

Ruth’s laugh was short, bitter. “No. He seemed...relieved, if anything. He even banned us from speaking her name.” She looked up, her eyes dark with old, resurfacing fears. “Just like that, she was erased.”

The air grew heavy with unspoken thoughts. Jenna leaned forward, choosing her words with care. “Ruth, do you believe your father might have harmed Lisa?”

There was a momentary shudder as Ruth confronted a possibility long locked away. Her breath hitched, and when she spoke, her voice was fragile. “I’ve wondered, in the darkest corners of my mind, if he was capable of doing something terrible. He had such anger in him...he could be violent. But I pushed those thoughts away, prayed they were just nightmares.”

“Violent how?”

“His discipline often left bruises. On us, on Mom. I wanted to believe that Lisa had escaped him, that she was out there, living free.”

Jenna studied Ruth, noting the tremble in her hands. “Did Lisa ever talk about someone special? Maybe a boyfriend?” she asked, her voice soft but insistent.

“Well... she had dreams, you know? Of love, escape,” Ruth murmured, her gaze drifting to a window where light filtered through lace curtains. “Daddy wouldn’t let us date, but I always thought maybe Lisa found someone good and kind, who gave her a reason to leave—somebody she kept secret from everybody.”

“Someone she might have run away with?” Jenna pressed gently.

Ruth nodded, biting her lip. “I wanted to believe that. To imagine her happy somewhere far from here. But now...” Her voice cracked, and she couldn’t finish the sentence.

Jake leaned forward, his expression etched with concern. “Ruth, both your parents are gone now, is that right?”

“Yes.” Ruth’s reply was hollow, the word lingering like an echo in the quiet room. “Mom passed twelve years ago—Alzheimer’s. And Daddy... he died of a heart attack in 2005.”

A silent communication passed between Jenna and Jake, their shared realization unspoken but clear. Claude Donovan had still been alive when another girl, Lauren Knox, had vanished. Jenna’s eyes locked onto Ruth’s once more. “Ruth, did you or anyone else in your family know Lauren Knox?”

“No, not really. I mean, I remember hearing the name when she disappeared, but it wasn’t someone we knew.” Ruth’s brow furrowed. “Why do you ask?”

“Lauren went missing during the time that your father was still alive,” Jake said carefully, watching for a reaction.

“Are you saying... Do you think he could be … ?” Ruth’s voice trailed off, unable to articulate the fear that seemed to grip her.

“It’s just one of the things we have to consider,” Jenna replied. “We’re trying to piece everything together.”

“Lauren Knox,” Ruth pondered, her voice tinged with recognition yet distant as if the name were a relic from another era. “I remember when she vanished. It was quite a stir around Trentville. But no,” she shook her head, “I didn’t know her personally, and I never heard either my mother or father mention her.”

Her hands wrung together as she peered into Jenna’s eyes, seeking an anchor in the tumult of her thoughts. “You don’t think... Could my father have had something to do with Lauren’s disappearance?”

Jenna observed Ruth closely — the fear in her eyes, the tremors that seemed to vibrate through her frame.

“Ruth, it’s too early for us to make any assumptions,” Jenna assured her. “There are many pieces of this puzzle we’re still putting together.” She stood up, signaling the end of the conversation. “Thank you for speaking with us. I’m genuinely sorry to bring such painful news about Lisa. We’ll keep you updated with whatever we find.”

Ruth nodded, a fragile smile attempting to break through the clouds of concern on her face. “Thank you, Sheriff Graves,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Jenna and Jake exchanged goodbyes with Ruth and stepped out of the Henderson home. Outside, the sun casts a harsh glare on the world below. Jenna slid behind the wheel of their car and Jake settled into the passenger seat, closing the door with a soft thud that seemed to punctuate the solemnity of their departure.

As Jenna turned the key in the ignition, leaving the engine to idle, she mused aloud, “Two girls, two decades apart, both mysteries unresolved.” In her mind, she added,mothers missinga daughter, a sister missing a sister.Like Piper’s disappearance, a terrible pain had lingered.

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