Page 28 of When You're Forgotten

“Hello?”he called softly, though he already suspected there's be no answer.

He approached the curtain and realized there was a shape beneath it—a still form.Prickles of dread skittered over his skin.Kneeling, he gently lifted the curtain’s edge.The color drained from his face as he recognized the motionless features of Catherine Penrose.Her eyes stared wide and lifeless, mouth parted in a silent gasp, and her skin felt chill to the touch.In her hand, rigid with apparent rigor mortis, she clutched a letter opener, a dark stain of dried blood marking its handle.

Finn swallowed hard, pressing two fingers to her throat.The pulse was non-existent, and her body had begun the early signs of stiffening.Whatever had happened to her must have occurred hours ago.The pose—her arm half-raised as if in defense—spoke of terror or a final desperate attempt to fend someone off.

“Damn,” he whispered, his voice shaking.Another grim end within these cursed walls.Another dead Penrose sibling, not even days apart from James’s own suspicious demise.He carefully lowered the curtain back over Catherine’s torso, a muted wave of sorrow coursing through him.

Stepping back, he inhaled a steadying breath.“Focus,” he told himself.He might need to check around the room for clues, but first he had to calm the hysterical woman in the corridor and ensure no immediate threat lurked.If the killer was still inside, they could be anywhere.

He ducked out of the room, wiping clammy sweat from his brow.At the far end of the hallway, Amelia held Jenna in a loose embrace, murmuring soothing words.Jenna stared at Finn, tears brimming anew as she read the truth in his expression.

“Is it—Catherine?”Jenna managed in a trembling voice.

Finn inclined his head gravely.“Yes.I’m… I’m sorry.She’s gone.”

Jenna released a stifled sob, half-collapsing against Amelia’s shoulder.“Oh God… oh God.I knew it.I saw the door open and—” Her words dissolved into anguished crying.

Amelia bit her lip, sadness darkening her eyes.“We have to call the police.Inspector Thomas Lloyd should be notified.Now it really looks like something sinister is going on.”

Finn nodded, fists clenched at his sides in a mix of anger and dread.“Agreed.I’ll phone him immediately.”He glanced at Jenna, whose sobs had subsided to ragged gasps.Despite his sympathy for her distress, part of him felt a cold suspicion coiling: how had she come upon Catherine’s body so fast?Could this have been a set-up?

But he pushed those thoughts aside—nothing in Jenna’s hysterical state suggested cunning.“Amelia, can you stay with her for a minute?”he asked gently.“She’s traumatized.”

Amelia nodded, one arm around Jenna.“I will.”Then she flicked a questioning glance at Finn.“What did it look like… in there?”

Finn inhaled, choosing words carefully.“There’s a letter opener in Catherine’s hand, a curtain pulled down over her.She must have tried to defend herself.Or someone staged it like that.It’s not fresh, though—her body’s cold.She’s been dead for a while, presumably.”

Amelia closed her eyes momentarily, fighting back a wave of shock.“So maybe that scream we heard was Jenna’s discovering the body, not Catherine.Catherine could’ve been killed hours ago.”

Jenna whimpered, her face buried in Amelia’s blouse, and Amelia’s hold tightened in a gesture of comfort.

Finn stepped away, taking out his phone.The corridor's overhead lights buzzed slightly, adding to the surreal, tension-laden atmosphere.He scrolled to Inspector Thomas Lloyd's number.Pressing the dial, he raised the phone to his ear.The ring sounded painfully loud in the hush.The seconds dragged.Finally, Lloyd's voice answered, somewhat breathless.

“Inspector Lloyd here,” he said, as though he’d been rushing.

Finn steadied his voice.“Detective Inspector, it’s Finn Wright at Brynmor Hall.”

Lloyd’s tone sharpened with concern.“Is everything all right?”

“We just found Catherine Penrose.”Finn paused, grappling with how best to phrase it.“She’s deceased, and it looks suspicious, like… like a possible homicide.We need more backup here.It’s not safe.This is the second Penrose sibling dead under strange circumstances, and I don’t want a third.”

A moment of static-laced silence passed before Lloyd responded in a grim voice, “I’ll gather some officers immediately.Stay at the scene, don’t let anyone tamper with evidence.I’m on my way.”

Finn ended the call, pocketing his phone, and rubbed a hand over his face.His thoughts tangled: James’s possibly forced heart attack, an intruder rummaging for secrets, and now Catherine found dead with a letter opener in her cold hand.A wave of frustration rose.He wanted to chase the masked intruder down, force out confessions.But he had only the immediate facts: Catherine was gone, and the killer could still be among them.

He returned to where Amelia crouched with Jenna.The younger woman’s sobs had eased slightly, though tears continued to streak her cheeks.Her gaze flicked to Finn’s phone.

“Did you speak to the police?”Jenna asked, voice small.

Finn nodded.“Inspector Lloyd is coming with a team.We’ll keep the area sealed off.”He forced his posture straighter, adopting a professional calm that felt hollow.“Jenna, I know this is painful, but can you tell us what you saw or heard?”

She swallowed, trembling.“I was heading to find Catherine because we… we’d had an argument earlier this morning.I wanted to make peace, you know?”Her lips quivered.“But when I got here, the door was partly open, I… heard no noise, so I peeked in and— and that’s when I saw her.Lying there under that curtain.I… I screamed and ran.”

Amelia nodded, expression compassionate.“And you ended up in the corridor.That’s when we found you?”

Jenna closed her eyes.“I’ve never seen a dead body before.Not like that.Oh God, Catherine…” She pressed her knuckles to her mouth, stifling another sob.“We didn’t get along, but I never wanted this.”

Amelia patted her shoulder, exchanging a look with Finn.Finn offered a faint nod, sensing nothing contrived in Jenna’s distress.“Listen, you should probably go to your room or somewhere safe.We can help you get there, and the police will be here soon to talk with you.”

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