Page 97 of See How They Hide

“Of course I care!”

“Andrew tried to kill himself. I don’t know if he did it because Donovan is dead, or because he didn’t want to face his past in Havenwood, and we were asking questions.”

“Idon’twant to die,” Riley said firmly.

“Good. I don’t want you to die either. There’s been too much death. I have a police sketch of the woman we suspect, and Dean saw a woman driving away with Anton. It’s not your mother. Your sketch of her is very detailed—I think I would recognize her anywhere, even without the snakes in her hair.”

“I took a class in Greek and Roman mythology,” Riley said. “It was fascinating. Maybe I was interested because my grandmother was Athena and named her daughters Calliope and Thalia. When I read about Medusa, I thought of my mother. Beautiful and deadly.” She paused. “My mother has never left Havenwood. They moved there when she was nine, and she was terrified of the Outside. I don’t think she would leave now.”

Kara pulled out her phone and brought up the image Michael had sent her, the police sketch of the woman who bribed the flower delivery driver. She showed it to Riley.

Riley sucked in her breath. “Ginger,” she said.

“The woman who nearly died in childbirth?”

Riley nodded. “She is loyal to my mother, she’s as cruel as my mother. But why would she leave her child to come here to hurt Andrew?”

“Her child is...?”

“Molly. I guess she’s eight now?”

Damn cult had children on the premises. Kara had known that, but hearing it again reminded her that there were innocents at Havenwood, and whatever they did when they found the place, they would have to take that into consideration.

She asked, “How many children were at Havenwood when you left?”

“Eighteen, I think, but we usually had one or two births a year.”

“All born there?”

“Most. All the littles. No one joined Havenwood after my grandmother died. I don’t see my mother allowing anyone new inside.”

That meant the kids knew nothing other than life in the commune. They wouldn’t trust law enforcement, and that in and of itself was problematic.

Damn damn damn.

First, they had to find the place.

“Can I look through your sketchbook again?” Kara asked. She didn’t know exactly what she was looking for, but if there was anything there, they had to go over it again and again. “Would you mind if I took pictures and sent them to my team?” The more eyes the better.

Riley handed it to her.

Kara flipped to the picture of her and Matt. She loved it.

“You can have that,” Riley said. “I shouldn’t have drawn it, but...” Her voice trailed off.

“You’re fast. You might have a future as a police sketch artist.”

Riley laughed. It was the first time Kara had heard her not only laugh, but with a smile in her voice.

Kara carefully tore out the page of her and Matt. She didn’t want to fold it—she might just frame it. Then she quickly took photos of all the people, plants, flowers, landscapes that were doodled.

“Are all these from Havenwood?”

“I guess. I didn’t really think about it. Dean told me to draw a map, which I can’t. I have no idea.”

“What about the cabin where you brought people for Thalia? You said it was old and falling apart in the mountain north of Havenwood. Do you know how far?”

Riley thought, then took back the sketch pad and started to draw. Kara watched, mesmerized by her sure, light hand as the lead bled onto the paper, as she rubbed with her fingers to shade areas, bringing out light and dark, until a structure appeared, hidden among the trees.

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