Page 15 of Everything She Feared

“Yes.”

“Then what happened?”

“She turned around and started walking backward to get a better picture from the cliff.” Katie wrung her hands and licked her lips. “I said be careful but she kept saying it was so beautiful and stepped back and then—”

Catching her breath, Katie forced the words out.

“She just fell, she screamed, she wasn’t there anymore!”

Katie stared straight ahead, focusing on nothing. “But I heard her voice. I looked over the cliff and she was hanging on to this tree that was sticking out. She was begging me to get help! I was so scared I didn’t know what to do! So I ran!”

Katie sobbed, her voice weakening to a whisper.

“I got here and I screamed for help. Jackson, Adam and Connie came, but when we got to the cliff—” Katie’s face creased in anguish. She clenched her eyes shut. “I saw Anna at the bottom on the rocks. It was awful!”

A long moment passed before Katie resumed speaking.

“I want my mom! I want my mom to take me home now!”

“We’re almost done,” Pierce said.

“Please!”

“Only a few more things to help us, sweetie,” Pierce said. “Now, when you ran for help, was Anna still holding on to the branch?”

“Yes.”

“Was Anna holding her phone at the time she fell?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Did you see where it went?”

Katie shook her head.

“Did you take any pictures with your phone?”

“No, mine was in my backpack. Anna took better pictures.”

“Did you see or hear anyone else near you when Anna fell, or at any point after you got help?”

“No.”

“Did you see if she slipped on anything?”

“No.”

“Was it windy?”

“I don’t know.”

“Did you have any arguments or disagreements with Anna before this happened?”

“No.”

“Not even a little one?”

“No, she’s my friend.”

---