Page 107 of Right in Front of You

CARTER

“Fuck.”

He had her. I didn’t know how and where, but I knew that he had her, and if I didn’t get to her, he’d kill her. Fowler wasn’t in jail. I should have waited out in that field until the police came and dragged his sorry ass out of that trench. I should have ensured that he was behind bars. But now that he had Molly and I’d roughed him up, I could only imagine his fury. He wouldn’t be afraid of anything, and a man without fear could be a dangerous beast.

“Let me know if there’s anything else I can do,” my brother said to me before hanging up.

“Will do. Thanks.”

Following my gut, I pressed harder on the gas. Molly had to be in Hope Bay. I didn’t know how, but I knew that the closer I got to Hope Bay, the more I could feel her.

I parked by the cemetery, about a hundred or so yards away, and jogged my way through the dusk to Daisy’s grave. I dug behind her headstone and retrieved the gun I’d bought years ago, when I’d wanted to take my life.

Carter, I heard. Be careful.

“Daisy? Where’s Molly?”

Hurry.

I turned toward where I knew I could climb over the cemetery wall and ran. I ran, cutting through the dark night, as fast as I could. Once I cleared the wall, then the foothill, and had a full view of the building, I stopped, rested my hands on my knees, steadying my breaths, and silently prayed for guidance. My gaze lifted to the sky and followed the first star, then down where it came to rest on top of the tall trees in the distance, where I knew Daisy’s grave was. I stared, waiting for another sign from her. She’d helped me in the past, when my life was in danger. Would she help me now?

A gust of wind picked up, bending the trees back and forth, reminding me of when I had danced with Daisy that last day at the fall fair, before the tornado struck. And then it all calmed down. A ghostly shape appeared from within the swaying trees and walked toward me. Except she was also floating.

I pulled my hand over my eyes to clear them. And she was gone. Then I blinked, and she was there again, now standing in front of me, her ghost form smoothing her hand over my cheek. I leaned into it and asked in my mind, Help me. Please help me find her.

“This is it baby. This is where your life took a turn in the past and will take a turn in the future. Be careful,” she whispered. I imagined her warm breath on my face and closed my eyes.

“What do you mean by that?”

“You need to be smart today. Very smart, Carter. Don’t jump to conclusions and don’t act on your emotions. Now go. She needs you.”

“Go where?” I asked.

Daisy pointed behind me, to Molly’s house, then disappeared. I swear I felt a gentle push at my back as I started walking. Or maybe it was just the wind. The closer I got to the house, the more I quickened my hasty jog. The feeling of dread bubbled furiously in my stomach.

Staying underneath the windows, I snuck around to the back. All lights were turned off, or maybe Fowler was just being that careful. The place seemed quiet; in fact, too quiet. Molly’s mom rarely left the house and should have been home.

I peeked through each window, but all the drapes were shut. Faint light squeezed through between the window frame and the curtain. When I reached the back door, I hesitated. What if her mom thought I was an intruder? I didn’t want to freak her out. But an unknown force guided my hand to the doorknob and I turned it, gently opening the door.

When I heard the voices from within, I stopped and with the door slightly ajar, I placed my back against the outside wall, listening.

“Isn’t it nice to have a family reunion?” Molly’s father spoke up.

Shit!

It would take a lot of patience not to barge in there and beat the crap out of him, or even kill him. I clenched my jaw and tightened my sore fists. Standing still in the same spot, I listened.

“Come on, Ron. Let the girls go. It’s me you want. I’m the one who broke our agreement.”

Doctor Burke? What agreement?

“Bullshit. You have no fucking clue what I want, Burke.”

“Is it money? We can get you money. How much do you need?”

“Not everything is about money, but I did take that stash you had under the third board in the floor of your empty apartment.”

It looked like Molly’s place wasn’t the only one that Fowler broke into.

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