Page 118 of Amnesty

I clutched her close, thinking about how all this time, evil lived right in our backyard. Did that make us all responsible? Was the entire town of Lake Loch at fault for not realizing what was happening right beneath our noses?

“I still don’t know where I came from,” Am said, drawing my attention back. “I have a feeling not even the widow knows. It’s like he just left one day, probably in a fit of rage about Sadie… and came back with me.”

And that psycho mother of his acted as if he’d brought home a dog and chained her up. Let him “keep” her.

Sick fucks. Both of them.

“It doesn’t matter where you came from,” I told her passionately. “Because you’re now where you belong.”

The door opened, and Mary Beth came in. My head snapped up so fast, my protective instincts on overdrive. Mary must have seen the wild look in my eyes; hers widened and her lips formed a small O.

“I, uh… Robbie is out of surgery,” she said, taking a step back toward the door.

Forcing myself to relax, I waved her closer. “How is he?”

“He’s stable but still in serious condition. The doctors are optimistic, but of course not promising anything. They want to give him a couple days.”

“Can we see him?” Am asked, perking up.

Mary Beth shook her head. “He’s still in recovery, heavily sedated.”

“How long?” I asked. It felt we’d been waiting here for days already.

“I’m not sure. They probably won’t let you see him until tomorrow.”

“Are the police still here?” Am wanted to know.

Mary B nodded. “They’re putting one outside his room once he’s moved. His parents are here, too.”

“Thank you,” I told her, sincere. “I really appreciate you calling me.”

She nodded and whispered, “You really think it was Sadie?”

Word got around fast. Big surprise there. Not.

“We can’t be sure,” Amnesia said, but at the very same time, I said, “Yes.”

She glanced up at me, surprised and worried. “Eddie…”

I touched her face, smiling sadly. “It’s okay, Am. I don’t want to believe it, but who else could it be?”

After hearing about Sadie being not only abused and tortured, but exposed to two freaking whack jobs for eleven years, it seemed nearly impossible for it not to rub off.

Brainwashed + Battered + Imprisoned = enough to turn anyone crazed enough to kill.

Glancing down at Amnesia, I couldn’t help but marvel at how fucking lucky she was. How fucking luckyIwas.

She could have been just like Sadie. Just like the widow. But she wasn’t. Her mind figured out the greatest defense of them all.

Amnesia.

Protecting her seemed more important than ever.

“I hope they find her,” Mary Beth said morosely. “I hope she gets the help she needs.”

“Me, too.” I agreed.

“Okay, well, if you want to go home, I can call with updates on Robbie. I really don’t think you’ll be able to see him until tomorrow at the earliest. He’s going to be in recovery the rest of the day. The police probably won’t even be able to question him.”

---