Page 36 of Back In the Shadows

“What is it?”

“The clue said ‘some ghosts never leave. Some rooms remember everything.”

“Yeah, and?” I asked impatiently.

“What if they’re talking about the kitchen in your childhood home? The one you lived in before you moved in with me and my family.”

I shot him an inquisitive look. “What about it?”

“For being a genius, you’re kind of dense sometimes.” Dope’s voice was filled with exasperation. “Dude, your parents were brutally murdered in that kitchen. If the walls had eyes, they would remember everything. And the ghost … it’s haunted you and Sebastian your entire life.”

“How the hell did you get all of that?” Kip asked.

I was glad Kip spoke up because I was wondering the same thing.

Dope rocked back and forth on his heels. “Since the first phone call with the caller asking for Death, I suspected this was all about him … not Sebastian and someone pissed about the society helping them escape. I mean, I could still be wrong, but I don’t think so. Then, once Death read the new note, it started to make sense.” He tapped the side of his head. “Death, one room changed your entire life. Nothing has had that kind of impact on youagain … until Ella, but she’s the good part of all of that.”

“Keep going,” Ryan said.

The excitement in Dope’s gaze dwindled as we just stared at him.

“Okay, I can tell you think I’m reaching for anything concrete, and maybe I am, but it’s literally the best hope we have.” Dope turned to me. “We need to go to your childhood house, especially the kitchen. I suspect your next clue is there.”

A heavy knot formed in my gut at the mention of returning to that scene. I’d worked hard to block out that home and everything that had happened there. Now I was about to rip that nightmare open again.

“Ryan and I will go. Kip and Dope, you stay here with Cami and keep looking into any other ideas.”

“Got it.” Dope hurried down the stairs.

Kip ran his hand through his hair, hope in his expression. “I think he’s on to something. Let us know what you find at the old place.”

“Ryan, you up for a walk into my personal hell?”

“Let’s go.” Ryan patted my back as he passed by me.

Only time would tell if Dope was right, and I had a sickening feeling there was very little of it left.

The flighton my plane from New York to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where my childhood home was located seemed like an eternity instead of only three-and-a-half hours. Once we landed, I sent the plane back to New York in case there was an emergency, and I needed to get the twins to safety.

The old neighborhood was another forty-two minutes from the airport, but Ryan offered to drive the rental car, a black Camry, which blended in well enough with the other cars onthe road. When I grew irritated that he was driving the speed limit, he reminded me that being pulled over could be very problematic for me. He had a point. The FBI was trying to solve the Portland serial killer puzzle, and I couldn’t take a chance on one of them getting too close to me. I couldn’t risk some cop having a gut feeling something was wrong and sticking his nose where it didn’t belong.

My blood boiled as I reluctantly returned to Minnesota, a place that held nothing but fucked-up memories. I hadn’t been back since I’d moved away. There wasn’t any reason to … until now. The thought of stepping foot in the place that stole my childhood and parents ripped me apart like a dog with a stuffed toy, but it was the only hope I had at saving Ella.

My heart skipped a beat with worry for her safety. Had that son of a bitch hurt her? The mere notion of another man laying a hand on her ignited a blazing fury within me, sending electric currents of rage pulsing through every fiber of my being.

“I wish we knew what the hell we were looking for,” Ryan said.

“It’s not like this guy has been forthcoming other than the fact that he has Ella. I suppose we will figure it out when we get there.”

Ryan glanced at me, then his attention returned to the road. “Going back to the house has got to be fucked up, man.”

My brow arched. “I wouldn’t know. I haven’t returned since leaving for college.”

“Not sure I’d want to go back either.” He paused before he continued. “We’re almost there.”

I stared out of the passenger-side window as the houses grew more familiar. Young seedlings that had just started to grow when I’d lived there were now huge oak and maple trees. Cars lined the streets next to the sidewalk, and a few dogs safely ran alongside the Camry behind their chain-link fences.

“It used to not be so busy. Dope and I used to walk up the middle of the street at night.” I rubbed my jawline, my fingertips tingling with my anxiety.

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