Page 49 of For Blood

“But who?”Morgan asked.Who had the motivation?

Motivation…

It hit her hard and fast.There was one person tied up in this who was angrier than anyone else.Somebody who had been holding a grudge.Demanding justice.

And that person was Sarah Winters.

CHAPTER TWENTY

The cold metal bench pressed against Sarah's thighs, but she barely noticed.Her gaze remained fixed on Gregory Phillips, watching his every twitch and fidget.The holding cell's fluorescent lights cast harsh shadows across his face, accentuating the worry lines etched deep into his forehead.

Sarah allowed herself a small smile.She observed Gregory's nervous energy, the way his leg bounced incessantly, how his eyes darted around the cell as if searching for an escape.Sarah, in contrast, sat perfectly still, her hands folded neatly in her lap.She felt no need to move, no urge to pace or fidget.For the first time in two decades, she felt completely in control.

The memory of her sister's lifeless body, sprawled in that church parking lot, flashed before Sarah's eyes.It was an image seared into her brain, one that had haunted her every night for twenty years.She could still smell the damp asphalt, still feel the chill of the autumn air on her skin.

But they hadn't believed her.Not the police, not the town, and certainly not the witnesses like Gregory Phillips.They had all turned away, letting doubt and fear cloud their judgment.Letting a murderer walk free.

The weight of injustice pressed down on Sarah, a familiar burden she had carried for far too long.But now, that weight felt different.It no longer threatened to crush her; instead, it fueled her resolve.

Sadie deserved better,Sarah thought, her jaw clenching.She deserved justice.And if the system wouldn't give it to her, then I would.

As if sensing her thoughts, Gregory's eyes suddenly met Sarah's.She saw the fear there, the dawning realization.Good.Let him be afraid.Let him feel a fraction of the terror Sadie must have felt in her final moments.

Sarah leaned back against the cold cell wall, a sense of calm washing over her.She had waited twenty years for this moment.Twenty years of pain, of rage, of careful planning.And now, finally, everything was falling into place.

Sarah's fingers traced the cool metal of the bench, her mind drifting to the years of futile hope that had led her to this moment.For so long, she had clung to the belief that justice would prevail, that Andrew Keller would be caught and made to answer for his crimes.But as the years stretched on, that hope had withered, leaving only a hollow ache in its wake.

She closed her eyes, remembering the day she learned of Keller's death.The news had hit her like a physical blow, stealing the air from her lungs.A car accident.A twist of fate that had robbed her of the one thing that had kept her going all these years.

She opened her eyes, fixing her gaze on Gregory once more.He had shifted uncomfortably, his eyes darting around the cell like a trapped animal.Sarah felt a flicker of satisfaction at his obvious discomfort.

The weight of the past two decades pressed down on her, years of waiting for a closure that never came.Sarah had tried everything – therapy, support groups, even moving away for a time.But nothing could fill the void left by Sadie's absence and the injustice of her murder.

As the twentieth anniversary of Sadie's death approached, Sarah had felt something shift within her.The dreams had started then, vivid and relentless.At first, they were just memories...

Sarah shook her head, pushing the thought away.She couldn't afford to get lost in those recollections now.Not when she was so close to finishing what she had started.

Sarah's gaze remained fixed on Gregory, her steady eyes never wavering as memories of the dreams washed over her.In her mind's eye, she saw Sadie as she once was—vibrant, alive, her laughter echoing through their childhood home.The image was so vivid that Sarah could almost feel the warmth of her sister's presence.

She remembered countless nights spent huddled under the covers, whispering secrets and dreams that only they shared.Their special bond, forged in the womb and strengthened through years of shared experiences, was something no one else could truly understand.

As Gregory shifted again, his discomfort pulling Sarah momentarily from her reverie, she felt a familiar ache in her chest.*Our last birthday together*, she mused, recalling the way Sadie's eyes had sparkled as they blew out the candles on their shared cake.*We should have had so many more.*

But gradually, as the anniversary of Sadie's death approached, the dreams had changed.They became more than just bittersweet memories.Sadie wasn't just a ghost of the past anymore—she was there, present and real in a way that both thrilled and terrified Sarah.

In these new dreams, Sadie spoke to her with urgency, her familiar voice tinged with a desperation that Sarah had never heard before.She guided Sarah, revealing truths that had been buried for far too long.

"They're all responsible, Sarah,"Sadie's voice echoed in her mind."Not just Keller.The ones who lied, who changed their stories, who let doubt creep in—they're just as guilty."

Sarah's eyes flickered to Gregory, who was now staring resolutely at the floor.She could see the muscle twitching in his jaw, the tension in his crossed arms.He knew.He had to know why they were here.

The weight of her sister's guidance, the conviction of her words, had become Sarah's driving force.She had always known, deep down, that the injustice went beyond just Andrew Keller.But it was Sadie who had given her the strength to act, to right the wrongs that had festered for two decades.

As she watched Gregory's growing unease, Sarah felt a sense of grim satisfaction.Soon, very soon, the truth would come to light.And when it did, no one would be able to look away again.

Sarah's eyes traced the stark lines of the holding cell, a place that should have felt confining but instead filled her with a sense of purpose.Her gaze settled on Gregory Phillips, watching as he shifted uncomfortably on the hard metal bench across from her.The silence between them was thick, charged with unspoken accusations and long-buried truths.

*How many nights did you sleep soundly while Sadie's killer walked free?* Sarah wondered, her hands resting calmly in her lap.She could almost feel Sadie's presence beside her, urging her forward, reminding her of the path that had led her here.

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