Page 74 of Little Stolen Memories

I pressed the doorbell.

I waited.

Still nothing.

I debated about what to do next and decided to jiggle the door handle, surprised to find it was unlocked. I considered my options and decided to open the door, poking my head inside as I said, “Valerie, are you here?”

If she was there, she didn’t respond, and if Ray was headed to the gym, and he came home afterward, I didn’t have long.

I had a decision to make, and I made it.

I’d just stepped inside the house when I spotted a woman coming down the hallway. She was dressed in a robe and had a towel wrapped around her head.

She saw me, and she screamed.

I didn’t blame her.

I was an intruder in her house.

As she turned and ran in the opposite direction, I shouted, “Valerie, I’m sorry I entered the house without your permission. I knocked, and I rang the doorbell. When no one came to the door, I realized it was unlocked, and I came inside. I should have waited.”

A door slammed at the end of the hall.

I remained where I was and tried again.

“My name is Georgiana Germaine. I’m a private investigator working on your son’s case. My associate, Simone, visited with you and your husband the other day. I have some followup questions, and I was hoping we could talk for a few minutes.”

I waited one minute, then two.

The bedroom door remained closed.

I wondered if she’d texted Ray, telling him I was in the house.

As much as I wanted to stay, I needed to get out of there.

“Listen, Valerie … again, I’m sorry,” I said. “I’m going to head out, but before I do, there’s one thing I want to say. I’ve learned something as I’ve been investigating this case. It’s what I came to talk to you about. When Jackson was alive, one of his classmates thought he was being abused. She tried talking to him about it, but he wouldn’t say anything. I was hoping you might know something about that. Anyway, I’m leaving now.”

My opportunity to speak to Jackson’s mother had been dashed thanks to my impulsive nature. I left the house feeling deflated, the opposite of how I’d felt that morning.

I was halfway back to my car when I heard, “Georgiana, wait.”

I turned to see Valerie standing in the doorway.

“I don’t have much time,” she said. “I can’t talk about Jackson when Ray is home.”

I got right to it. “At the cabin, I noticed some items placed around the area where Jackson died. Someone left a football. It looks new.”

“It was me. I visit as often as I can. I go to his grave too. It’s just, that spot at the cabin, it’s where he took his last breath.”

“I’m glad you honor his memory,” I said.

“If you want to speak to me, you should come inside now.”

“Does Ray know I’m here? I guess what I’m asking is, when you shut yourself in the bedroom, did you text or call anyone?”

“I didn’t.”

I had a second chance, and I was determined not to mess it up this time.

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