Page 38 of Sweet Like a Psycho (Secrets of Suburbi 2)

The farther I went into the woods, the colder it got. The trees started to blot out the sun in longer increments. But I didn’t think it was the chill in the air that was causing me to shiver. It felt ominous out here, just like Damien had warned. And I was cursing myself for not bringing him with me.

The Adeline Bell case had hit a dead end. But there was something else to find. I could feel it in my bones. Maybe Damien would be willing to help me with a case that we hadn’t been officially excused from. But I already knew what he’d say. That there was no case and I had lost my mind. It was possible he was right. And I was on even thinner ice with the captain. It was my fault we’d gotten that dispatch the other day to Violet’s house. I felt like a grounded teenager.

Just thinking about that made me shake my head. Being grounded was the least of my problems when I was a kid. But Violet? She hadn't felt safe unless she barricaded her bedroom door with furniture. She thought death was the only escape. But from what? What was she counting down the days to?

My phone started ringing in my pocket. I ignored it as I continued to follow the trail. It wasn’t paved in stone or anything fancy, but it was worn with use. Years and years of footsteps. The only things that hid it were the colorful autumn leaves. The orange, red, and yellow should have made the trail look happier. But nothing could make being out in the middle of these woods less menacing.

I kept my head down, staring at the path. Until suddenly it ended. I could feel the sun on my face again. The canopy of trees had separated. I looked up and stared at the lake in front of me. It smelled like snow. I couldn’t remember the last time I had thought that. Probably when I was a kid wishing for a snow day. But there was something so peaceful here by the lake. The ominous feeling was gone. Everything was just still and silent. There were pieces of ice along the edges. The whole thing would be frozen soon.

My phone rang again, cutting through the silence. I pulled it out of my pocket and denied the call from an unknown number. I just wanted a minute. One minute to myself. Was this how Violet felt when she came here all those years ago? That this was an escape easier than death?

I thought about the letters I had found in Violet’s current home. Her ex had asked her to meet him out by the lake. She had probably stood right here with him.

Or maybe I had it all wrong. Maybe that wasn’t even her room. For all I knew, she had siblings. Maybe she never came out here. Maybe her ex had been talking about a different lake. I wasn’t sure how many lakes there were around here though. Especially in walking distance from Violet’s old house.

My phone made a beeping noise, signaling there was a new message. I pulled my attention away from the lake. There were two missed calls and two voicemails. I lifted my phone to my ear as I stared out at the lake. What are you hiding, Violet? What happened to you? No matter what I tried to tell myself, it felt like I had been in her room. It felt like she had carved those words into the floorboard. It felt like something horrible had happened in that house, just like Sally had said.

“Hey, Detective Reed.” Violet’s voice sounded on the message. She sounded pissed. I listened to the rest of it and laughed. My laughter echoed across the water. She had basically threatened me. Get here or else? All she had to do was ask. I’d been dying for another chance to explain myself.

I clicked on the other voicemail. It was her again. Apparently she thought I wouldn’t know who was calling. How many Violet’s did she think I knew? But I smiled at the last line of her message. I need you.

None of the woman I had dated in my past really needed me. Maybe because I usually kept my hookups casual. My job had unusual hours. It was hard to have anything serious. But there was something comforting about the fact that Violet needed my help. That she trusted me enough to ask for it.

I turned my head and looked toward the hill in the distance. I could just make out Violet's house through the trees. After another week of leaves falling I’d be able to see it perfectly. Her home was really close to her old house. If something was scaring her there, why didn’t she move farther away? She could have gone anywhere. But she stayed. Why did she stay?

There were millions of questions I wanted to ask her. I looked once more out at the lake before turning around and walking back towards her childhood home. I’d have all afternoon with her. I’d convince her to go to lunch, despite her ramblings about not wanting to be out around noon. Maybe she’d finally open up to me. I just had to make sure I didn’t let something slip that she hadn’t told me herself yet.

I debated calling her back to let her know I was on my way, but that would just give her a chance to change her mind about me coming over. Besides, she was right. I did owe her. I had killed her son’s pet. Maybe. It was possible that the lizard was still alive. Although I doubted it would survive after the first snowfall, which could be tonight.

I picked up my pace. I just wasn’t sure if it was because I was excited to see Violet or eager to get out of the woods. But I knew that the lake was important to Violet. It might have been a safe haven for her growing up. I didn’t love the fact that she used to frequent it with her ass of an ex-boyfriend, but that didn’t mean new memories couldn’t be made there. Better ones. I wondered if I could use a little of the information I knew about her to get back in her good graces. It didn’t feel like cheating to me. Violet was a tough nut to crack. I’d need all the help I could get to make her fall for me.

The thought made me stop right in the middle of the woods. Fall for me? Was that what I wanted? I looked down at the worn path beneath my feet. Violet was all I could think about. She was all that I wanted to think about. I took a deep breath of the fresh air. For once in my life it might be nice to be needed.

***

I closed my car door and made my way up to Violet’s front porch. The rest of the woods were a little creepy. But here? I was drawn to this place. Her home was warm and inviting, as long as she wanted me there. Today was my chance to prove to her that I belonged there too.

“You came.”

I turned around before my foot hit the first step. Violet was sitting on the ground by her truck. Her eyes were red like she had been crying. And I realized it definitely wasn’t her home that I was drawn to. It was her. All I wanted to do was put my arms around her and take away whatever pain she was experiencing. But I was still on her shit list.

“I was told I had to come…or else.”

She gave me a weak smile. “Threatening cops seems to be my new favorite past time.” She turned away and quickly wiped beneath her eyes, like she could hide the evidence of her tears.

I didn’t want her to hide from me anymore. I started to walk over to her. “Car trouble?”

“Everything trouble.” She stood up and brushed the dirt off her ass. She was wearing a pair of jeans that hugged it perfectly. And a sweater. Just a sweater even though the temperature was dangerously close to dipping below freezing.

When she had been at the precinct a few days ago, I'd asked her if she owned a winter jacket. She had ignored my question. But she clearly didn’t. I watched her pull her hat a little lower over her ears. And I realized I didn’t really know anything about her. Just the whispers of a town that hated her. Did she even have a job?

I started to unzip my jacket.

“I’m going to stop you right there. I’m not going to steal your…” she sighed as I wrapped my coat around her shoulders.

“It’s fine. I was overheated anyway.” I wasn’t. I could see my breath as I spoke the lie. It was fucking freezing out here. “You were just sick. You gotta take it easy, Violet, or your cold will come back.” I had no idea how long she had been sitting out here waiting for me.

She sighed in the most contented way. “There’s a little boutique next to the pet store where I bought my last coat. Maybe we can stop in there after we pick up the replacement lizard? If you don’t mind…my truck isn’t working again or I wouldn’t have asked.”

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