Page 63 of A Deceitful Pact

“That's how we interview suspects, you're not a suspect,” I assure her.

“My name is Riley Hale, I'm the sheriff here in Clearwater Creek. What would you like me to call you?”

“Lily,” she answers, with a snuffle.

“Okay, Lily. My deputy tells me he picked you up near the woods. Can you remember how you got there?” I move the cup of water that's on the desk closer to her.

“I was running.” She picks up the glass and shakes it all the way to her mouth. “I had to leave them behind. I had to get away.” She uses both hands to place her cup back down, causing the blanket to slip off her shoulders. When I slide it back on for her, she flinches.

“I’m sorry.” I hold my hands up, so she knows I’m respecting her space.

“You said ‘the others,’ have you been held with other people?”

“Yes.” She starts crying.

“Okay, okay, Lily, you’re safe now, and I’m gonna do everything I can to find the people you were with so they can be safe too. For me to do that, I need you to tell me everything you can. Even the smallest detail can be important.”

“I was still drugged.” She shakes her head. “The last one must have thought I was dead because he didn’t tie me back up. I saw some light, and when I realized I could feel my feet, I ran.”

“You were being kept in the dark?”

“Most of the time.” She nods.

“And when you escaped… when you ran toward the light, what was the first thing you remember seeing?” I try to get an idea of where these other people could be.

“I can’t remember, they keep us drugged. Everything was so blurry. I just focused on running and praying they weren’t coming after me. I can’t go back.” She shakes her head frantically.

“Lily. Lily, listen to me, you arenevergoing back. I won’t let that happen.” I get a sick feeling in my stomach when I realize what this is. Jack was closing in tight on the Gendrys before he died; he was uncovering more and more of what they were involved in. I know because I studied all his files before the Bureau took them. I know what they do, I just had no idea they did it so close to their home.

“If I got you a map, do you think you could show me where you were, could you trace your steps back?” I tell myself to calm down when I realize how fast I’m talking.

“Maybe, I don’t know. But if they find me, they’ll kill me. They killed Jodie and Cleo.” She starts sobbing, and as much as I want to comfort her, I don’t want to make her scared again

“No one is going to kill you, you got away. You survived,” I assure her. “Let me get you seen by someone, we can check your injuries, and bandage your wounds.” I’m assuming the blood that's smeared on the floor has come from the soles of her feet.

“I can’t go to hospital, they’ll find me if I do. I shouldn’t even be here. Nowhere is safe.”

“Lily, this is exactly where you should be. I can have a doctor come and look at you, right here. I understand that you're scared and that you don’t know who to trust, but Ipromiseyou can trust me.”

She breaks into tears, and this time, when I comfort her, she doesn’t flinch; she lets me hold her.

* * *

I leave Lily by herself and go in search of Hayden. I find him sitting with Harriet in reception, and when he sees me, he rises to his feet and follows me into my office.

“Who else knows about the girl being here?” I waste no time, I just made the girl a promise, and I’m going to have to take a few risks to ensure I can keep it.

“No one except you, me, and Harriet. I called you straight away.”

“That’s good.” I nod, trying to form a plan in my head. “I know it goes against procedure, but I don’t want you to file anything yet.”

“Sure,” Hayden agrees, and I like that he doesn’t question me. I’m sure this isn’t the first time he’s broken the rules.

“So what do we do with her in the meantime?” he asks, and I can’t believe what I’m about to say.

“I need you to call Jamie Sullivan and ask him if he knows somewhere safe. We need to hide her.” I watch Hayden’s curiosity turn to shock. “This is important. This is how we bring the Gendrys down, but they have people higher than us. The second that girl gets logged on the system, we risk turning her back over to them,” I explain.

“Wait, you think the Gendrys are behind all this?” His reaction proves that his little organisation has no idea who they are dealing with.

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