Page 136 of The Change
“I’ll see you ladies tomorrow,” Harriett told Jo and Nessa. “Get a good night’s sleep.”
Jo waited until they’d disappeared into the house, leaving her alone with Nessa. “What the hell was all of that?”
“I don’t know,” Nessa admitted. “But I think we’re gonna find out soon enough.”
The next day, the Tuesday after Labor Day, was Lucy’s first day of seventh grade. Jo dropped her off at her new middle school. The kids swarming the entrance ranged in size from munchkin to monster. Lucy fell right in between.
Lucy planted a quick kiss on her mom’s cheek. “Don’t pick me up after school,” she said. “I’ll walk home.”
“Only if you walk with a friend,” Jo insisted. “And if Dad’s notthere when you get home, make sure all the doors are locked and don’t open them for anyone. Do you know what to do if there’s a fire or the toilet overflows?”
“Mom.” Lucy opened the door. “Relax. I got this.”
Jo had no choice but to let her go.
When she arrived at the gym, Jo planned to head straight for the treadmills, but Heather called out to her as she passed the front desk. “Jo? There’s a woman on the phone who wants to speak to you.”
“Take a name and number for me, please,” Jo said. “I gotta get rid of some energy.”
“She doesn’t want to give me her name,” Heather replied. “Should I tell her you’re not in?”
Jo stopped on the stairs. “No, I’ll talk to her,” she said.
When she reached the front desk, Heather passed her the phone.
“This is Jo,” she said.
“Is he really dead!” a woman asked. The voice was oddly familiar.
“Excuse me?”
“That piece of shit Rocca. He was the one who convinced everyone Mandy ran away.”
Jo felt her knees wobble. It was Amber Welsh. “Yes,” she confirmed. “He died of a heart attack when my friends and I confronted him about his involvement with Spencer Harding.”
“Did he help that evil bastard kill Mandy?”
“It’s likely, but we don’t know for sure,” Jo answered honestly.
Amber set the phone down, and Jo could hear her sobbing in the background. “I’m sorry,” Amber said when she picked up the phone again. “I should have known he was in on it, after what he did to me.”
“To you?” Jo asked.
“Yeah, to me and at least one other girl before me. That’s how long Rocca’s been at it. I swear to God, I would be putting a bullet in that pervert right now if he wasn’t already dead.”
Jo spoke to her softly. “I don’t know if you heard, Amber, but we found Mandy’s body.”
“Yes, I did. Thank you,” Amber said. “You and your friend made good on your promise. I’m sorry I called her a witch.”
“Harriett wasn’t offended. We’ve been worried about you. Your family left town so abruptly. Are you and the boys okay? You’re not in trouble, are you?”
“No, no. In fact, I’ve stayed clean all summer, and my boys have a real house for the first time in their lives. The only thing missing is Mandy. But at least now I got some closure. I just hope my baby found peace.”
“We buried her in a beautiful spot, Amber. I’ll take you to see her whenever you like.”
“I can’t come back,” Amber told her through tears. “Not ever. That was part of the deal.”
“What deal?” Jo blurted out.
